Legislators Honored by NHA for Championing Hydropower in Congress
Lawmakers are recognized for their leadership in maintaining and expanding the U.S. hydropower fleet, and moving waterpower priorities forward within Congress.
Washington, D.C. (May 10, 2023) – The National Hydropower Association (NHA) today announced that U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Steve Daines (R-MT) and two U.S. House of Representatives Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) were honored for their roles in championing waterpower legislation in Congress during NHA’s annual policy conference, Waterpower Week.
Senators Cantwell and Daines are recipients of the NHA Legislator of the Year Award. Most notably, these Senators are championing the Community and Hydropower Improvement Act, which would strengthen and expedite the hydropower licensing process by enhancing cooperation, improving clarity, and better informing agency decision making. Senator Cantwell, last year, also helped lead legislative efforts to preserve the existing hydropower fleet. The bill would have created a 30% Investment Tax Credit for hydropower facilities to support grid resilience, dam safety upgrades, and environmental enhancements.
Representatives Newhouse and McMorris Rodgers received the Defender of Hydropower Award for their tireless advocacy to protect and preserve the Lower Snake River dams, which play a critical to meeting the region’s energy supply needs and carbon reduction goals.
“NHA applauds the dedicated work of these four legislators, and thanks to their efforts, the waterpower industry will continue to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy to the U.S.” said NHA’s President and CEO, Malcolm Woolf. “With the introduction of the bipartisan license reform bill and the continued support of waterpower champions like these award recipients, hydropower, pumped storage, and marine energy are now being recognized for their major role in securing our clean energy future.”
Waterpower Week is NHA’s annual national policy conference. Asset owners, developers, manufacturers, government agency officials, tribes, congressional policymakers, NGOs and other waterpower industry stakeholders come together to advance waterpower’s role in the clean energy future.
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