LPPC Urges Senate to Advance Hydropower Licensing Affordability Act
LPPC submitted a letter to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources supporting S. 5048, the Hydropower Licensing Affordability Act, and urging the Committee to advance the legislation this Congress.
Hydropower is a significant part of LPPC members’ generation portfolios. Seventeen LPPC members own hydropower facilities, and 22 have it in their portfolio. Member-owned plants total 12.8 GW of capacity and generate nearly 40% of the nation’s non-federal hydropower generation. With a substantial portion of the non-federal hydropower fleet approaching relicensing over the next decade, increasingly lengthy and costly proceedings can ultimately translate into higher costs for public power customers.
S. 5048 would require mandatory conditions imposed under Sections 4(e) and 18 of the Federal Power Act to reasonably mitigate the direct adverse effects of a hydropower project. LPPC believes establishing a clearer connection between project impacts and federal requirements would create a more predictable and transparent licensing process while maintaining important environmental protections.
As electricity demand continues to grow, LPPC supports reforms that help preserve existing carbon-free hydropower resources while protecting reliability and affordable electricity rates for families, businesses, and public institutions.
