President Trump signs Kennedy, Daines, colleagues’ bill to protect Louisiana hydropower plants

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump signed into law a bipartisan bill from Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) to increase hydropower production in Louisiana and elsewhere.

The 'Build More Hydro' bill requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to approve six-year extensions for hydropower projects licensed before 2020, including two in Louisiana in the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway on the Red River.

"Hydropower plants are reliable energy sources that Louisianians and Americans need for energy production and jobs, and I am grateful to President Trump for signing our 'Build More Hydro' bill into law," said Kennedy.

"Today is a great day for Montana and the nation. America must meet the rise in energy demand, and the Build More Hydro bill will revive critical hydro projects and increase our domestic energy production. Thank you Senator Fetterman and Representative Newhouse for fighting with me to get this bill to the President's desk. I'm grateful that President Trump and his administration strongly support Made-In-America energy, and I look forward to seeing the impact this will have across the country," said Daines.

"I'm proud to see our bipartisan Build More Hydro bill signed into law. This extension for our hydro projects keeps domestic energy production in our commonwealth-yet another reminder of the production powerhouse that Pennsylvania has always been. I'm grateful for the partnership with Senator Daines and his work to help get this across the finish line," said Fetterman.

Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) introduced the companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"Our Nation needs more energy, and I am pleased President Trump has signed into law S.1020, the Senate companion of my 'Build More Hydro' bill in the House. This allows hydroelectric dams with their FERC license additional time to commence construction, eventually adding over 2.5 GW of reliable, clean, baseload power. We need to get every available megawatt of power on the grid to meet our growing energy demand, and this new law gets us one step closer to that goal. I thank Senator Daines for his hard work moving this bill unanimously through Senate and for being a champion of hydroelectric dams," said Newhouse.

Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) and David McCormick (R-Pa.) also co-sponsored the bill.

Background:

• In the U.S., companies must secure a permit from FERC to begin construction on dams and other hydropower facilities. FERC's hydropower construction permits expire after just 10 years. The COVID-19 pandemic caused many unforeseen delays due to supply chain issues and high labor costs. In turn, many projects will require more than 10 years to reach completion.

• Hydropower is an affordable, reliable and clean energy source that can strengthen the power grids in Louisiana and beyond. Without legislation allowing FERC to extend their construction permits, Louisiana project managers would not be able to bring these facilities online to power the surrounding communities.

• As the top Republican on the Senate's Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee, Kennedy has expanded America's hydropower capabilities. The FY 2024 Energy and Water appropriation package included $440 million in investments for the nation's dam and levee infrastructure, including $36.5 million that Kennedy secured to reinforce the Boggs Lock and Dam on the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway.

The full bill text is available here.