Sponsors (2)
The bill increases transparency and delivers better data for planning and policy fixes in hydropower licensing, at the cost of added administrative burden, potential exposure of sensitive commercial information, and the risk that visibility alone won’t shorten delays.
Prospective applicants (States, Tribes, municipalities), utilities, and local governments gain clearer information to plan investments and projects when original hydropower licenses are delayed, reducing planning uncertainty.
Applicants and the public receive a clear timeline and status for pending hydropower licenses, improving transparency around the licensing process.
Disaggregated reporting by license type helps policymakers and oversight bodies identify systemic delays in new/subsequent vs. original licenses and target reforms to the licensing process.
If reports highlight delays but do not create remedies, prospective applicants (States, Tribes, municipalities) and local governments may still face prolonged uncertainty despite greater transparency.
The new reporting requirement increases Commission workload and administrative costs, which could raise costs for utilities or require additional federal appropriations paid by taxpayers.
Public disclosure of detailed licensing steps and schedules could expose commercially sensitive information or project strategies of applicants, disadvantaging some utilities or project developers.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires the Federal Power Commission to report to Congress within 180 days and annually on the status of qualifying delayed hydropower licensing proceedings, with case-level details and timelines.
Requires the Federal Power Commission to send Congress a detailed report within 180 days of enactment and every year after about the status of certain delayed hydropower licensing proceedings. The report must list notice dates, docket numbers, whether applications have been filed, current application status and anticipated issuance dates, upcoming proceedings or meetings, and actions required of listed parties, and must separate information by license type.
Introduced December 16, 2025 by Catherine Marie Cortez Masto · Last progress December 16, 2025