Sponsors (4)
The bill boosts transparency and accountability around FERC licensing to help address multi‑year backlogs, but it imposes reporting costs and may increase scrutiny or litigation that could slow some projects.
Utilities and project sponsors will get clearer timelines and transparency because FERC must report expected licensing dates and application status for projects pending three or more years, helping sponsors plan and manage projects.
State, tribal, and local governments, Congress, and the public will gain improved oversight and accountability via annual, disaggregated reports to Congress on stalled licensing processes, enabling potential legislative or administrative fixes.
Taxpayers and utilities may face higher administrative costs because FERC will need to compile and publish annual, detailed reports, potentially diverting staff time from licensing work.
Utilities and some government stakeholders could face increased litigation or procedural scrutiny because public reporting on pending license details may invite challenges that could delay projects further.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires FERC to submit an annual report to Congress listing hydropower licensing processes pending three years or more, with specific status details and data disaggregated by license type.
Introduced May 29, 2025 by Kim Schrier · Last progress June 10, 2026
Requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to deliver an annual report to Congress, first due within 180 days after enactment and annually after that, listing hydropower licensing processes that have been pending at least three years and providing specific status details. The report must cover certain new/subsequent licenses where notices were filed under 16 U.S.C. § 823g(a) and original licenses under 16 U.S.C. § 797(e) (commonly cited as section 4(e) matters), and must disaggregate data by license type and include dates, docket numbers, application status, anticipated issuance dates, upcoming proceedings, and actions required of stakeholders.