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HR 626 119th Congress House Water Resources Development Alternative and renewable resources Dams and canals Electric power generation and transmission Idaho Lakes and rivers Montana Oregon Washington State

Northwest Energy Security Act

Introduced: January 22, 2025 Introduced by: Newhouse, Dan Republican · Washington See on congress.gov
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 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jan 23, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
Jan 22, 2025
Introduced in House
Jan 22, 2025
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Northwest Energy Security Act

This bill requires Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) operations to be consistent with the preferred alternative in a 2020 environmental impact statement (EIS) decision that focuses on the operations, maintenance, and configuration of dams in the system rather than wild fish restoration. The system includes dams in the Columbia and Snake rivers in Oregon, Washington, Montana, and Idaho.

Specifically, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Bonneville Power Administration, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must operate the FCRPS consistent with the Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision dated September 2020. Thus, Reclamation, the Bonneville Power Administration, and the Army Corps must follow the EIS rather than the 2023 Resilient Columbia Basin Initiative—and a supplemental EIS proposed in 2024—that focus on wild fish restoration in the Columbia Basin.

The EIS decision may be amended if each agency determines that (1) changes are necessary for public safety or electrical grid reliability, or (2) certain requirements in the decision are no longer necessary.

Further, the bill requires statutory authorization for any structural modification, action, study, or engineering plan that (1) restricts FCRPS hydroelectric dam generation; or (2) limits navigation on the Snake River in Washington, Oregon, or Idaho.

What's happening now January 23, 2025

Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.

 Hearings & markups 1
 Related & companion bills 1
  • S 182 Identical bill Northwest Energy Security Act
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3
 Lobbying activity 19

Registered lobbyists who named this bill in their disclosure filings. Source: federal Lobbying Disclosure Act filings.

See all 19 filings →
 Cosponsors 3
All 3 Republican 3
R
Baumgartner, Michael
Washington · Jan 22, 2025
 R
Bentz, Cliff
Oregon · Jan 22, 2025
 R
Fulcher, Russ
Idaho · Jan 22, 2025
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 626: Northwest Energy Security Act. 119th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-626/
MLA
"H.R. 626: Northwest Energy Security Act." 119th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-626/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 626, 119th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-626/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 626: Northwest Energy Security Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-626/)
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