Two measures introduced in late January by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Senate colleagues aim to bolster the full potential of hydropower and marine energy.
The Fair Licensing for Operations of Water Structures (FLOWS) Act, introduced with Sen. Angus Kint, I-ME, would reduce administrative burdens on project developers and accelerate federal decision-making on licensing, Murkowski said. The Water Power Research and Development Act, introduced with Sen. Ron Wyden, D-OR, would reauthorize Energy Department programs supporting marine energy and next-generation hydropower projects nationwide.
Cordova Electric Cooperative CEO Clay Koplin said the legislation will likely help in local efforts to boost hydropower.
“Hydropower is Cordova’s lowest cost form of electric energy and is a local, secure source for the community,” he said. “This legislation will help shorten development timelines for new hydro, reducing the time and cost of adding more hydropower to the community toward our goal of 100% renewable, sustainable, affordable energy.”
Koplin added that the bipartisan efforts of King, Wyden, and Murkowski are helping to facilitate “the most affordable, reliable, and secure form of electricity that current technology can deliver.”
The FLOWS Act would allow the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to issue short-term licenses of 10-20 years for micro hydrokinetic energy projects, defined as marine energy projects with under five megawatts of installed capacity.
It would establish a two-year statutory timeline for FERC to act on micro hydrokinetic energy project applications and require FERC to promulgate regulations to implement this timeline within 180 days of the bill’s enactment. It would further require FERC to submit a report to Congress on effects of licensed micro hydrokinetic projects on the environment, economy and electricity reliability and affordability no later than five years after the bill’s enactment or after the first 50 licensed projects have been operational for one year.
Murkowski said operators shouldn’t have to wait months – or even years – for approval to perform routine maintenance or make minor, non-impactful changes.
“The targeted, practical reforms in my FLOWS Act better reflect how modern hydropower facilities operate and will help lower energy costs for Alaskan families,” she said.
Malcolm Woolf, president & CEO of the National Hydropower Association, called the FLOWS Act “a commonsense, bipartisan fix that cuts red tape for routine, non-substantial work so hydropower operators can focus on what matters most: dam safety, reliability, and keeping power affordable.”
“It also creates a necessary pathway for wave, tidal, river-current technologies to get into the water faster and prove their value to America’s clean energy future,” Woolf added. “By modernizing outdated processes, this bill will help preserve today’s hydropower fleet while unlocking tomorrow’s innovation.”
The Water Power Research and Development Act, on the other hand, would modernize program purposes to include increasing efficiency of waterpower technologies and advancing U.S.-based manufacturing through collaboration with universities and industry to reduce costs, improve environmental performance, strengthen grid reliability and support economic growth and workforce development.
It would also expand hydropower research priorities to address emerging challenges and opportunities – including cybersecurity for hydropower facilities; consultation with state, local, and Tribal entities to improve licensing; incorporation of hydrological impacts and grid modeling; mitigation of invasive species impacts; and support for workforce development programs.
Crystal Enkvist, executive director of the Alaska Power Association, cited the legislation for playing an essential role in supporting reliable, affordable, and resilient power for communities across our state.
“Continued federal focus on hydropower research, innovation, and collaboration will help stabilize the cost of power in Alaska, expand economic development opportunities, and support workforce development,” Enkvist said.
