Daines Urges House to Pass “Build More Hydro” Bill to Boost American Energy

U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) are calling on the U.S. House of Representatives to act swiftly on their bipartisan “Build More Hydro” bill, which aims to expand hydropower production and secure critical energy infrastructure.

The legislation, known as S.1020 (H.R. 2072), passed the Senate by unanimous consent in July 2025 and authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to extend construction deadlines for vital hydropower projects nationwide. The bill remains pending in the House.

In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Daines and Newhouse emphasized the urgency of enacting the bill before the end of the year. “If S.1020 is not enacted, 37 unconstructed, FERC-licensed hydropower projects across 15 states, representing more than 2.6 gigawatts of baseload power and $6.5 billion in investment, are at risk of termination,” the lawmakers wrote.

They highlighted the broader importance of hydropower to U.S. energy security, noting it supplies baseload electricity to over 30 million homes, provides 96% of utility-scale energy storage, and supports flood control, irrigation, water storage, and grid reliability. Delays in congressional action have already stalled roughly 136 megawatts of new hydropower capacity.

“Losing these projects would undermine grid reliability at a time when we can least afford it,” Daines and Newhouse wrote. “Advancing S.1020 before the end of the year is an essential step to protect American energy security, ensure reliable power to communities across the nation, and prevent the loss of billions in investment.”

Daines, a long-time advocate for Montana energy development, framed the bill as a critical tool to strengthen domestic energy production while safeguarding jobs and infrastructure tied to the hydropower sector.