H.R. 2072 · Where this bill is now
Waiting for a House vote
Approved by committee Feb 2, 2026; no House vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryExtends hydropower project construction deadlines
Hydropower projects are dams and facilities that generate electricity from water. Right now, companies that hold licenses for these projects get eight years to start building them. This bill gives the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC, the agency that oversees these projects) the power to give companies an extra six years beyond that, broken into chunks of two years at a time. The bill also allows FERC to bring back certain expired licenses if the extension applies to that project.
How it affects you
This mainly affects companies that own hydropower project licenses and are waiting to begin construction. The change doesn't directly impact everyday people's bills or power supply based on what the summary describes, though it could affect how quickly new hydropower facilities get built in the future.
Read the official summary (Reported to House, Feb 2, 2026)
This bill authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to extend construction deadlines for hydropower projects that were issued a license before March 13, 2020. FERC is authorized, upon the request of the licensees, to extend the deadline for beginning construction on such projects an additional six years beyond the eight-year extension FERC is authorized to provide under current law. The extension must consist of no more than three consecutive two-year periods.
The bill also provides that FERC may reinstate certain expired licenses for projects with construction deadlines extended under this bill, effective as of the date they expire.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 2072
A BILL
To require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend the time period during which licensees are required to commence construction of certain hydropower projects.
Sponsor: Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA-4) · Introduced Mar 11, 2025 · Energy · 2 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Feb 2, 2026: “Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 408.”
Sections
The wording of this bill hasn’t changed across its 2 official versions.