FERC quietly revives expired hydropower licenses without new environmental review
S. 1020 — A bill to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend the time period during which licensees are required to commence construction of certain hydropower projects. · Filed by Steve Daines (R-MT) · 7 cosponsors · Introduced Mar 13, 2025 · Signed
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What it does
This bill allows FERC to grant hydropower project licensees up to 6 additional years beyond the current 8-year construction commencement window, provided the license was issued before March 13, 2020. It also allows FERC to reinstate licenses that expired after December 31, 2023, effectively giving those projects a second chance. The primary beneficiaries are energy companies and developers holding hydropower licenses who have not yet broken ground on their projects.
Why we flagged it
The bill straightforwardly extends construction commencement deadlines for pre-2020 hydropower licenses under FERC, with a retroactive reinstatement provision. Its functional purpose matches its stated title with minimal ambiguity.
What the text implies
- Retroactive license reinstatement for projects expiring after December 31, 2023 may revive projects previously considered permanently lapsed, potentially reopening development sites in sensitive areas without triggering updated environmental reviews required for new licenses.
- The 6-year extension window could delay or circumvent environmental review timelines and community impact assessments originally tied to the license issuance date, since FERC need only show 'good cause' rather than conduct full re-evaluation under current standards.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
hydropower project licensees; independent power producers; utilities with hydropower assets