Sponsors (2)
The bill broadens and clarifies federal authorization and oversight to enable more hydropower development and reduce some regulatory uncertainty, but it raises significant water‑competition and cost risks for local water users and non‑Federal operators while limiting local control and creating short‑term legal uncertainty.
Utilities and energy companies can pursue hydropower projects at all Bureau of Reclamation facilities, expanding opportunities for low‑carbon electricity generation and private investment.
Project sponsors, utilities, and state governments get clearer rules on FERC authorization renewal and a defined process where the Bureau of Reclamation assumes oversight when FERC authorizations lapse, reducing regulatory uncertainty and simplifying site management.
Local governments and facility operators receive clearer definitions of 'reserved works' and 'transferred works' and more explicit operations-and-maintenance roles, improving accountability and infrastructure management.
Local governments and rural communities may face increased competition for limited water resources as hydropower development is authorized across more Reclamation facilities, risking reduced water deliveries or conflicts for municipal and irrigation users.
Non‑Federal operators (including small businesses and local governments) that run transferred facilities under O&M contracts may incur new costs or operational constraints from expanded hydropower activity and related requirements.
Shifting exclusive jurisdiction to the Bureau of Reclamation when FERC authorizations lapse could reduce state and local control over project sites, affecting local planning decisions and revenue arrangements.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Broadens Bureau of Reclamation authority to develop hydropower at all Reclamation facilities, updates contract language and terminology, clarifies jurisdiction with FERC, and adds facility definitions.
Introduced February 11, 2026 by Lauren Boebert · Last progress February 11, 2026
Amends Section 9(c) of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 to broaden and clarify the Bureau of Reclamation's hydropower authorities, update terminology, and change how certain project jurisdictions and contracts are treated. It preserves existing FERC authorizations while allowing renewal and clarifies when jurisdiction over inactive project sites rests solely with the Bureau. The bill also adds new definitions (including for reserved and transferred works facilities), replaces older dated references with a reference to this Act, revises municipal water supply contract language, and states it does not expand lease-of-power-privilege authorities beyond project boundaries. No new funding, deadlines, or agencies are created in the text provided.