McMorris Rodgers Bill to Unleash Hydropower Production in America Advances to House Floor

Washington, D.C. – This week, Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers led the House Energy and Commerce Committee in advancing 42 bills to unleash affordable and reliable American energy, lower health care costs, improve consumer protections, and strengthen our national security by cutting China out of our supply chains.

One of these bills on its way to the full House is the Hydropower Clean Energy Future Act (H.R. 4045), which Cathy introduced earlier this year. This bipartisan legislation would expand clean, renewable, reliable, and affordable hydropower production in America, as well as promote the innovation of the next generation of hydroelectric technology. Specifically, H.R. 4045:

• Confirms that hydropower is an essential renewable energy resource for all Americans 
• Reforms the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) licensing process
• Removes barriers to rapidly expanding hydropower development 
• Recognizes hydropower’s contributions to a more stable and reliable electric grid
• Addresses construction barriers the hydropower industry faced due to the pandemic

Below are excerpts from Cathy’s remarks as prepared for Tuesday’s portion of the markup:

“In Eastern Washington, we are showing the world what’s possible when we unleash the potential of hydropower, the largest source of renewable energy in the United States. This baseload power produced by our dams can be dispatched at a moment’s notice, helping businesses keep their lights on and families heat their homes.

“Without hydropower, our communities would be at serious risk of life-threatening blackouts. Not to mention, these dams are critical to helping us reduce carbon emissions without jeopardizing reliability.

“Unleashing hydropower will also help the U.S. substantially further reduce carbon emissions. We should be embracing the resources and the infrastructure we have at our disposal, not turning away from them. That’s where the Hydropower Clean Energy Future Act comes in.

“Right now, only 3 percent of dams in our country actually produce electricity. By leveraging this untapped potential for more hydropower energy, we could double hydropower production in the United States without building a single new dam!

“H.R. 4045 will help us get there by modernizing the burdensome and outdated licensing process that can take up to a decade to complete and is standing in the way of next generation hydrotechnology. By removing barriers and rapidly expanding hydropower development, it will help strengthen our energy grid, drive down energy costs, and secure a cleaner energy future.

“It is a real, free-market climate solution that will ensure America continues to lead the way on clean, renewable, affordable, and reliable energy for generations to come.”

CLICK HERE to learn more about H.R. 4045.

In addition to the Hydropower Clean Energy Future Act, Cathy and the Energy and Commerce Committee advanced other solutions to unlock clean nuclear and hydropower energy, protect our electric grid from harmful regulations and supply chain shortages, and preserve people’s access to affordable housing and home appliances, including:

• H.R. 6544, the Atomic Energy Advancement Act
• H.R. 5718, the Nuclear Fuel Security Act of 2023
• H.R. 4167, the Protecting America’s Distribution Transformer Supply Chain Act
• H.R. 6192, the Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act
• H.R. 6185, the Guaranteeing Reliable Infrastructure Development Act
• H.R. 6421, the Affordable HOMES Act

The committee also advanced legislation that will expand access to health care and fine tune parts of the American health care system to make a stronger, more sustainable system for patients. These bills, which are designed to help people be healthier and better equipped to make health care decisions, include: 

• H.R. 2365, National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act
• H.R. 5372, Expanding Seniors’ Access to Lower Cost Medicines Act
• H.R. 2880, Protecting Patients Against PBM Abuses Act
• H.R. 5393, To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure fair assessment of pharmacy performance and quality under Medicare part D, and for other purposes
• H.R. 5385, Medicare PBM Accountability Act
• H.R. 5386, Cutting Copays Act
• H.R. 4881, To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to limit cost sharing for drugs under the Medicare program
• H.R. 5389, National Coverage Determination Transparency Act
• H.R. 133, Mandating Exclusive Review of Individual Treatments (MERIT) Act
• H.R. 5396, Coverage Determination Clarity Act
• H.R. 5371, Choices for Increased Mobility Act
• H.R. 5388, Supporting Innovation for Seniors Act
• H.R. 5380, To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to increase data transparency for supplemental benefits under Medicare Advantage
• H.R. 3842, Expanding Access to Diabetes Self-Management Training Act
• H.R. 5397, Joe Fiandra Access to Home Infusion Act 
• H.R. 5555, DMEPOS Relief Act
• H.R. 6545, Physician Fee Schedule Update and Improvements Act
• H.R. 6364, Medicare Telehealth Privacy Act
• H.R. 1352, Increasing Access to Biosimilars Act

Lastly, the committee also passed a number of bills to strengthen American supply chains, promote innovation in emerging technologies, and improve the safety and reliability of products and services people use every day, including:

• H.R. 6571, Promoting Resilient Supply Chains Act 
• H.R. 6572, Deploying American Blockchains Act 
• H.R. 5390, Critical Infrastructure Manufacturing Feasibility Act 
• H.R. 5677, 5G Spectrum Authority Licensing Enforcement (5G SALE) Act 
• H.R. 5398, Advancing Tech Startups Act 
• H.R. 5146, Advancing Gig Economy Act 
• H.R. 3950, Transparency In Charges for Key Events Ticketing (TICKET) Act combined with H.R. 6568, Speculative Ticketing Oversight and Prohibition (STOP) Act 
• H.R. 6543, No Hidden Fees on Extra Expenses for Stays Act 
• H.R. 6125, Online Dating Safety Act 
• H.R. 5202, Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Reauthorization Act
• H.R. 2964, Wastewater Infrastructure Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety (WIPPES) Act 
• H.R. 1797, Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act
• H.R. 6132, Awning Safety Act
• H.R. 4310, Youth Poisoning Protection Act 
• H.R. 4814, Consumer Safety Technology Act

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