Senate passes hydropower development act

By Staff
Bonners Ferry News

U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-ID) and John Barrasso (R-WY) on Friday praised the Senate’s unanimous passage of the “Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act.”

The bill, which already passed the House of Representatives this past April, authorizes the Bureau of Reclamation hydropower development on nearly 47,000 miles of federal canals throughout the West. This will help create jobs in rural communities across the country and provide America with a cheap and clean source of electricity.

“One of the best sources of renewable, clean, energy is hydroelectric,” said Risch. “Signing this bill into law will allow further modernization of conventional water canals, conduit piping, and irrigation ditches with new conduit hydropower technology, thereby expanding hydropower technology in Idaho and other western states. This bill will streamline federal bureaucracy and eliminate red tape. It will also provide great opportunities for Idaho canal companies and irrigation districts to expand agriculture projects, create new jobs, and generate new clean energy. I eagerly await this bill becoming law.”

“Hydropower developers will soon have the certainty they need to create rural jobs and lower electricity prices for American families,” said Barrasso. “Wyoming and other states with many potential Bureau of Reclamation sites will now be able to fully embrace hydropower’s potential. I encourage the President to sign this bill into law immediately. Congress must also continue to come together remove more Washington red tape and clear the way for more American energy development.”

The “Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act” will now be sent to the President’s desk to be signed into law. Read article online