Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that hydropower is a vital component to an all-of-the-above approach to energy development which is critical to United States national security.

Bill: 118-hres-1175
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Newhouse, Dan [R-WA-4]
Introduced: 2024-04-29
Policy area: Energy
Latest action: action_date: 2024-05-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy, Climate and Grid Security.

Summaries:
action_date: 2024-04-29
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>This resolution urges the Department of Energy (DOE) to create a hydropower independence plan which articulates a clear and comprehensive proposal for how DOE intends to create, maintain, improve, and expand a vigorous domestic hydropower industry. It also expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that (1) hydropower is a necessary part of an all-of-the-above approach to energy development; (2) protecting the existing hydropower resources and establishing new ones are critical to national security; (3) increased hydropower production will lower energy prices for consumers, decrease the national carbon footprint, and enhance the resiliency of the U.S. power grid; and (4) hydro-hegemony will provide the United States with an edge over global competitors and foreign bad actors.</p>

tv_txt: IV 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1175 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 29, 2024 Mr. Newhouse (for himself, Mrs. Rodgers of Washington , Mr. Fulcher , Mr. Bentz , and Mr. Zinke ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that hydropower is a vital component to an all-of-the-above approach to energy development which is critical to United States national security.

Whereas various forms of hydropower development have existed since as far back as A.D. 21 when the Greeks and Egyptians used wheels and screws to create flour and manage irrigation; Whereas, in the United States, hydropower serves as one of the earliest and most substantial sources of renewable energy with approximately 2,300 hydroelectric producing dams; Whereas maintaining, utilizing, and developing all available domestic sources of energy, including hydropower, can ensure the United States has a stable, secure, and reliable energy supply which will enhance national security by reducing dependence on foreign energy sources; Whereas both rural and urban communities across the United States rely on hydropower as a vital everyday energy source to heat homes, operate appliances, and access clean air and water, particularly in the West; Whereas hydropower is dependable, flexible, and capable of restarting the electric system after major outages resulting from extreme weather, natural disasters, and cyberattacks; Whereas a robust hydropower source plays an essential role in preserving a reliable and resilient United States power grid; Whereas, outside of electricity generation, hydropower also helps with water supply, irrigation support for food production activities, flood control, and transportation; Whereas hydropower also provides immense recreation and tourism benefits for individuals; Whereas, according to the United States Energy Information Administration, as of 2022, the top 5 States which produce the most hydroelectric energy are, in descending order, Washington, Oregon, New York, California, and Montana; Whereas, in 2022, approximately 80,000,000 kilowatts of hydroelectricity net summer generational capacity were generated in the United States; Whereas, according to the Department of Energy, 28.7 percent of overall United States renewable electricity generation and 6.2 percent of total United States electricity generation comes from hydropower; Whereas the hydropower industry has created jobs and economic prosperity across the United States, especially in rural communities, with over 72,000 workers being employed in conventional hydropower, pumped storage hydropower, construction, regulatory affairs, and technology development; Whereas despite the strength of the United States hydropower industry, the United States is fourth globally in hydroelectricity production with Brazil, Canada, and China coming in third, second, and first, respectively; Whereas, because of the hydropower development success of China, the industry in China has plateaued; Whereas, as a result, China has invested billions of dollars into energy generation and transmission in Latin American countries, such as Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, and African countries, such as Uganda, Zambia, and Ghana; and Whereas to combat increasing Chinese energy aggression, the United States must strongly focus on attaining international hydro-hegemony to gain preeminence and independence in the energy sector: Now, therefore, be it

That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that— (1) hydropower is a necessary part of an all-of-the-above approach to energy development; (2) protecting the existing hydropower resources and establishing new ones are critical to the grid security and national security of the United States; (3) increased hydropower production will lower energy prices for American consumers, decrease the national carbon footprint, and enhance the resiliency of the United States power grid; (4) hydro-hegemony will provide the United States with an indispensable edge over global competitors and foreign bad actors, such as China; and (5) the Secretary of Energy should create a hydropower independence plan which articulates a clear and comprehensive proposal for how the Secretary intends to create, maintain, improve, and expand a vigorous domestic hydropower industry.