McKinley Bill to Bolster Hydropower Passes House

Press Release

U.S. Representative David B. McKinley, P.E. (R-W.Va) applauded the House passage of the Reliable Investment in Vital Energy Reauthorization (RIVER) Act (H.R. 3361). This bipartisan legislation reauthorizes two Department of Energy (DOE) programs that encourages utilizing existing dams for power generation.

According to a DOE report, there are up to 12 gigawatts of untapped hydropower development within the nation's existing dam infrastructure. Yet, only three percent of the United States' 91,000 dams are used to generate hydroelectric power and it takes over 10 years to get a permit to develop new hydropower projects.

"It's critical that America pursues an all-of-the-above energy approach that includes hydroelectric power," said Rep. McKinley. "Only three percent of our nation's dams are used to generate hydroelectric power. It's important we provide the tools needed to utilize existing infrastructure to produce electricity."

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