Bipartisan, bicameral legislation led by U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) and U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) to support the development of more hydropower projects in America became law on Monday with the president’s signature.
The Build More Hydro bill, S. 1020, which Sen. Daines sponsored in March 2025 with U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), allows the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to approve six-year extensions for hydropower projects licensed before 2020. Rep. Newhouse sponsored the companion bill, H.R. 2072, in the U.S. House alongside three original cosponsors, including U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields (D-LA).
“Today is a great day for Montana and the nation. America must meet the rise in energy demand, and the Build More Hydro bill will revive critical hydro projects and increase our domestic energy production,” Sen. Daines said on May 11. “Thank you Sen. Fetterman and Rep. Newhouse for fighting with me to get this bill to the president’s desk.”
“Our nation needs more energy, and I am pleased President Trump has signed into law S. 1020, the Senate companion of my Build More Hydro bill in the House,” said Rep. Newhouse. “This allows hydroelectric dams with their FERC license additional time to commence construction, eventually adding over 2.5 GW of reliable, clean, baseload power.”
The congressman added that it’s imperative for the nation “to get every available megawatt of power on the grid to meet our growing energy demand, and this new law gets us one step closer to that goal.”
>S. 1020 passed the Senate with unanimous consent in July 2025. Sen. Daines and Rep. Newhouse sent a letter in November 2025 to U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson urging swift House passage of the bill. The measure passed the U.S. House of Representatives in April.
It has garnered support from various entities, including the National Hydropower Association, Absaroka Energy, Advanced Hydro Solutions LLC, Rye Development, and CEBA.
“Today’s law is a breakthrough that delivers 2,600 MW of clean hydropower and $6.5 billion in private investment critical to powering American homes, businesses, and industries. We thank Sen. Daines, Sen. Fetterman, Rep. Newhouse, and the President for their leadership,” said Malcolm Woolf, president and CEO of the National Hydropower Association.