The Southern Tier's representative in Congress has announced a bipartisan bill that seeks to modernize the federal permitting process for hydropower projects. On Tuesday, Nick Langworthy and Washington Democrat Kim Schrier introduced the Fair Licensing for Operations of Water Structures (FLOWS) Act. Langworthy says it would eliminate unnecessary regulatory burdens, streamline approvals for routine maintenance, and support the next generation of American water energy technologies.
Specifically, the FLOWS Act would:
- Exempt routine maintenance, in-kind equipment replacements, and other non-substantial alterations at existing hydropower facilities from requiring prior Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approval.
- Preserve all existing environmental protections and FERC's dam safety oversight.
- Establish a permitting process specifically tailored for emerging wave, tidal, and river-current energy technologies.
- Reduce unnecessary regulatory delays and costs while improving grid reliability and supporting innovation in domestic energy production.
Langworthy says, "Too often, operators are forced to navigate unnecessary federal red tape just to perform routine maintenance or replace equipment with identical components. That drives up costs, delays improvements, and makes it harder to keep reliable, affordable power on the grid, while having no real impact on environmental safety. At a time when New Yorkers are being crushed by skyrocketing energy costs, this is bipartisan, common-sense legislation is essential to preserving the future of one of America's most affordable sources of electricity."
