President Signs Hydroelectric Bills

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Bedford, NH — President Barack Obama signed into law two bills intended to expand hydropower production in the United States by improving and streamlining the licensing process for small hydropower projects.

The Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act of 2013 (H.R. 267) modifies the Federal Power Act and Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act to promote and facilitate the development of hydroelectric capacity. H.R. 267 increases the small hydro exemption from 5 MW to 10 MW, removes conduit projects under 5 MW from FERC jurisdiction, increases conduit exemptions to 40 MW for all projects, provides FERC the ability to extend preliminary permits and requires FERC to examine a 2-year licensing process for non-powered dams and closed-loop pumped-storage projects.

The Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act (H.R. 678) amends the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to contract for small conduit hydropower development at Bureau of Reclamation-owned canals, pipelines, aqueducts and other manmade waterways.

Both bills received unanimous approval from the US Senate and had strong bipartisan support in the House.

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