On the recordJuly 13, 2010
I rise today to introduce two pieces of legislation aimed at increasing the production of our hardest working renewable resource, one that often gets overlooked in the clean energy debate--hydropower. The first bill I would like to introduce today is the Hydropower Improvement Act of 2010, co-sponsored by my colleagues Senators Murray, Cantwell, and Crapo, true hydropower advocates. The Hydropower Improvement Act of 2010 seeks to substantially increase the capacity and generation of our clean, renewable hydropower resources that will improve environmental quality and support hundreds of thousands of green energy jobs. There is no question that hydropower is, and must continue to be, part of our energy solution. It is the largest source of renewable electricity in the United States. The 96,000 megawatts of hydroelectric capacity we now have today provide about 7 percent of the Nation's electricity needs. Hydroelectric generation is carbon-free baseload power that allows us to avoid 225 million metric tons of carbon emissions each year. Hydropower is clean efficient, and inexpensive. Yet, despite its tremendous benefits, I am constantly amazed at how some undervalue this important resource.
