Hydropower Licensing Transparency Act would require annual FERC relicensing reports

What This Bill Does

The Hydropower Licensing Transparency Act would amend the Federal Power Act to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to send Congress an annual report on the status of certain hydropower licensing and relicensing cases. The report would cover new licenses, subsequent licenses after waivers of sections 14 and 15, and original licenses under section 4(e) when a notice of intent was filed at least three years earlier but the license has not yet been issued. It would also require details such as docket numbers, whether an application has been filed, expected issuance dates, upcoming proceedings, and actions required of licensees and agencies. The bill does not create a new subsidy or fee; its main mechanism is a reporting mandate on FERC.

• Requires FERC to submit an annual hydropower licensing status report to Congress.
• First report is due within 180 days after enactment, then every year after that.
• Covers licenses where notice of intent was filed at least 3 years earlier but no license has been issued.
• Report must include docket numbers, filing status, expected issuance dates, and upcoming proceedings.
• Information must be separated by new licenses, subsequent licenses under section 15, and original licenses under section 4(e).

Who This Bill Affects

For most people, this bill would have little direct day-to-day effect because it does not change electricity rates, eligibility for hydropower, or environmental standards. If you live near a hydropower project, work on one, or follow a delayed relicensing case, you could see more public information about where the application stands, what hearings are coming up, and which agencies still need to act. The main benefit is better transparency; the main burden is a modest increase in FERC reporting work.

Who Supports & Opposes This

Key Implications

• ““Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment... and annually thereafter””

  FERC would have to produce a recurring report on a fixed schedule, so Congress would get regular updates instead of occasional oversight. That creates an ongoing administrative duty rather than a one-time study.

• ““the licensing process for each new license... for which the existing licensee has notified the Commission... at least 3 years prior””

  The report focuses on long-running relicensing cases, not every hydropower application. In practice, it targets projects that have already been in the pipeline for years and may be stuck in review.

• ““the date of any upcoming proceeding or other meeting””

  This would make the report useful for tracking the next procedural steps in a case. For affected communities and applicants, it could improve visibility into when decisions or hearings may happen.

• ““a description of any ongoing or completed actions required of... any fish and wildlife agency””

  The bill recognizes that hydropower licensing often depends on multiple agencies, not just FERC. The report would show where delays or obligations may be coming from across the process.

• ““disaggregated by whether... a new license... subsequent license... or original license””

  Congress would get separate data for different license types, which matters because the legal pathways are not the same. That can help identify whether delays are concentrated in relicensing or in original licensing under section 4(e).

Latest Status

June 10, 2026

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

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