Hydropower Licensing Affordability Act
Sponsored By: Senator Daines, Steve [R-MT]
In Committee
Summary
This bill would add a requirement that hydropower licenses include measures to reasonably mitigate direct adverse effects on tribal reservations and on fish populations in the river system. It inserts mitigation language into the Federal Power Act's Section 4(e) and Section 18 so licensing must address those direct harms as part of license conditions.
Show full summary
- Tribal reservations: License decisions would have to consider and provide reasonable mitigation for direct harms to a reservation's resources. This gives reservation impacts an explicit mitigation requirement under Section 4(e).
- Fish and river ecosystems: Fishways and related requirements under Section 18 would need to account for and reasonably mitigate direct adverse effects on the population of a fish species in the affected river system.
- Licensees and federal agencies: Hydropower applicants and regulators would face broader mitigation obligations during licensing, which could expand the scope or stringency of conditions placed on projects.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Reduce hydropower harm to tribes and fish
If enacted, hydropower licenses would have to include measures to reasonably reduce direct harm to federally reserved Indian reservations. If enacted, fishway requirements would have to reasonably reduce direct harm to fish populations in the river system. These changes would mainly benefit tribes, fisheries managers, and local river communities. License applicants and holders would face broader mitigation obligations during licensing.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Daines, Steve [R-MT]
MT • R
Cosponsors
Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID]
ID • R
Sponsored 7/21/2026
Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]
AK • R
Sponsored 7/21/2026
Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK]
AK • R
Sponsored 8/3/2026
Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID]
ID • R
Sponsored 8/7/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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