Rural Jobs and Hydropower Expansion Act
Sponsored By: Representative Boebert, Lauren [R-CO-4]
In Committee
Summary
Would expand hydropower development across all Bureau of Reclamation facilities. It would replace limits on small conduit and pumped storage projects with a broader framework and add new definitions for reserved and transferred works facilities and rules for Federal Energy Regulatory Commission authorizations.
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- Rural communities and workers: Would expand opportunities for local hydropower projects the bill frames as supporting rural jobs.
- Developers and investors: Would allow power privilege offers on more Reclamation facilities and update terminology and offer rules for applicable facilities.
- Bureau of Reclamation and non-Federal operators: Would define "reserved works facility" where the Bureau keeps operation and maintenance responsibilities and "transferred works facility" where a non-Federal entity runs operations under a formal transfer contract.
- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission licensees: Would let FERC authorizations remain active until they become inactive, allow renewals as FERC permits, and shift site jurisdiction to the Bureau when authorizations are inactive.
- Municipal water suppliers: Preserves a ban on contracts related to municipal water supply.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Hydropower rules for Reclamation developers
If enacted, this bill would let non‑Federal hydropower be developed using any Bureau of Reclamation facility under the Secretary's Section 9(c) authority. It would add two facility definitions: "reserved works facility" (Bureau‑operated) and "transferred works facility" (operated by a non‑Federal entity under an O&M transfer). The bill would keep a ban on contracts for municipal water supply and say Section 9(c) would not expand lease‑of‑power‑privilege rights outside project boundaries. It would treat certain FERC approvals as authorizations that would stay active until they become inactive, allow renewals as FERC permits, and give the Bureau exclusive site jurisdiction when an authorization goes inactive. These changes would take effect upon enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Boebert, Lauren [R-CO-4]
CO • R
Cosponsors
Gray
CA • D
Sponsored 2/11/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov