Rep. Lauren Boebert (CO-04) and Rep. Adam Gray’s (CA-13) Rural Jobs and Hydropower Expansion Act passed the House Natural Resources Committee with bipartisan support on May 14.
The bill aims to streamline permitting for hydropower projects, which supporters say will create jobs in rural areas, lower energy costs, and strengthen energy independence. Boebert said, “I’m proud that my Rural Jobs and Hydropower Expansion Act passed out of Committee today with bipartisan support. This is an important first step to get this vital legislation to the President’s desk. Cutting red tape and unleashing new hydropower development will create good-paying rural jobs, lower energy costs for families and businesses, and strengthen our energy independence.”
Gray said hydropower plays a key role in water storage and reliable energy across the West: “Hydropower is critical to both water storage and energy reliability in the Central Valley and across the West. If we are serious about increasing water supply and lowering energy costs, we cannot keep burying projects in red tape. The Rural Jobs and Hydropower Expansion Act will help cut through delays and create a faster, more predictable process to deliver water and generate power.”
Chairman Bruce Westerman of the House Natural Resources Committee also voiced his support: “Hydropower is an important energy source for rural communities across the West. Rep. Boebert’s legislation encourages the development of non-federal hydropower projects and creates jobs for rural Americans. I applaud her for her commitment to ensuring that American families have affordable and reliable sources of energy.”
According to information provided by committee staff, current non-federal hydropower development on Bureau of Reclamation projects can require permits from both the Bureau of Reclamation as well as from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), leading to significant delays due to overlapping jurisdictions during project approval stages.
The new legislation would give exclusive permitting authority over these projects to the Bureau of Reclamation—establishing a single point-of-contact system intended to reduce delays caused by dual agency review processes.
Lauren Boebert has served in Congress representing Colorado’s 3rd District since 2021; she replaced Scott Tipton after winning election that year according to the U.S. Congress Biographical Directory.
