Larry Bucshon: “I thank the gentleman for yielding. Whether it is turning on the light above the kitchen table in a home or powering…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. Whether it is turning on the light above the kitchen table in a home or powering heavy machinery in a factory, the American people expect there to be reliable and affordable energy to power their lives and our economy. That is why it is important that we take advantage of all forms of American-made energy. According to Department of Energy estimates, there are more than 50,000 suitable nonpowered dams across the country that collectively have the technical potential to add 12 gigawatts of hydropower capacity. To put that in context, that is the same potential capacity as two dozen coal-fired power plants. Back home in Indiana, there are six nonpowered dams located in the Eighth District that could benefit from an expedited permitting process that promotes hydropower generation and provides quality Hoosier jobs. Unfortunately, unnecessary government red tape is preventing us from taking advantage of clean, renewable energy from hydropower at existing nonpowered dams. The current regulatory process simply takes too long, taking up to a decade to approve a project, which stifles the investment needed to bring additional capacity at existing dams online. We have the opportunity to change this with H.R. 2872, the Promoting Hydropower Development at Existing Nonpowered Dams Act.…”