Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) have called on House leadership to move forward with legislation aimed at supporting hydropower development across the United States. In a letter addressed to Speaker Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, the lawmakers urged swift passage of their “Build More Hydro” bill, S. 1020/H.R. 2072.
“We write to you to urge the passage of S.1020 (H.R. 2072), our ‘Build More Hydro’ bill, a bipartisan bill that authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to extend construction deadlines for critical hydropower projects nationwide. On July 9, 2025, S.1020 passed the Senate by unanimous consent and the House received the bill on August 1, 2025, where it remains held at the desk awaiting action.
If S. 1020 is not enacted, 37 unconstructed, FERC-licensed hydropower projects across 15 states, representing more than 2.6GW of baseload power and $6.5 billion in investment, are at risk of termination…
…Since the introduction of this bill, approximately 100MW of hydropower has been put on hold with an additional 36MW forced into limbo by the end of the year because of congressional inaction. Hydropower supplies baseload electricity to over 30 million homes, provides 96% of utility-scale energy storage, and remains vital to flood control, water storage, irrigation, and grid reliability services…
Losing these projects would undermine grid reliability at a time when we can least afford it. Advancing S.1020 before the end of the year is an essential step to protect American energy security, ensure reliable power to communities across the nation and prevent the loss of billions in investment,” Newhouse and Daines wrote in their letter.
Senator Daines’s S.1020 was approved by unanimous consent in the Senate in July 2025 and would allow for extended construction deadlines for key hydropower projects throughout the country while increasing domestic energy production. Rep. Newhouse introduced companion legislation H.R. 2072 earlier this year.
Dan Newhouse currently represents Washington’s 4th district in Congress after replacing Doc Hastings in 2015 and previously served in Washington’s state legislature from 2003 to 2009. Born in Sunnyside, Washington in 1955, he continues to reside there and holds a BS from Washington State University earned in 1977.
