Sponsors (4)
The bill increases transparency and oversight of long-pending FERC licensing applications—helping utilities, governments, and the public track and address backlogs—but imposes administrative costs and could expose projects to additional scrutiny that delays some approvals.
Utilities and project sponsors will receive clearer timelines and status visibility because FERC must report expected licensing dates and application status for projects pending three or more years.
State, tribal, and local governments — along with Congress and the public — gain better oversight and accountability because FERC must deliver annual, disaggregated reports to Congress on stalled licensing processes, enabling targeted legislative or administrative fixes.
Taxpayers and ratepayers may face higher administrative costs because FERC must compile and publish detailed annual reports, diverting staff time and resources from other licensing work.
Utilities, project sponsors, and some state governments may face increased litigation or procedural challenges because more detailed public reporting could invite scrutiny that delays projects.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires FERC to provide Congress with an annual, disaggregated report on hydropower licensing processes pending three years or more, including key dates and status details.
Requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to send Congress an annual report listing hydropower licensing processes that have been pending for at least three years. The report must list specified data for each pending licensing process, separate new/subsequent licenses from original licenses, and begin within 180 days of enactment and continue yearly.
Introduced May 29, 2025 by Kim Schrier · Last progress July 15, 2025