Calls for Reform as Red Tape Threatens Major US Power Source

The National Hydropower Association and energy developers are warning that the regulatory process for new and existing hydropower projects is too burdensome, putting a reliable source of electricity for millions at risk. Hydropower supplies nearly 80,000 megawatts of the nation's power, but stakeholders argue it faces regulatory hurdles far greater than those facing other carbon-free sources of electricity. Without permitting reform that streamlines hydropower relicensing and licensing, facilities may be forced to shut down and energy developers may seek to invest elsewhere, jeopardizing the power of tens of millions of Americans.