President Trump on May 11 signed the bipartisan S. 1020, the “Build More Hydro Act,” into law.
The American Public Power Association supports the legislation and was quoted in a press release from Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), the sponsor of the House companion legislation, H.R. 2072.
The law will allow the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend a hydropower project license for a maximum of six years if that license was issued before March 13, 2020. It will also allow for licenses to be reinstated retroactively if they expired between December 31, 2023, and yesterday, May 11, 2026.
The law was passed by unanimous consent in the Senate on July 29, 2025, and by an overwhelming majority in the House on April 21, 2026.
