Bill · H.R. 2074· House(119-HR-2074)
POWER Act
- Introduced
- 3/11/2025
- Last activity
- 3/11/2025 — Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
- Sponsored by
- Dan Newhouse
- Cosponsors
- - 3 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "Protecting Our Water Energy Resources Act" or the "POWER Act," seeks to restrict certain actions regarding federal dams. It prohibits the Secretary of the Army from breaching federally operated dams under specific conditions regarding carbon emissions, water navigability, product prices, or land usage. The bill also mandates consultations with various Secretaries and state agencies before such decisions are made. Additionally, it prohibits the retirement of certain energy generation sources if it would increase electricity rates or decrease energy reliability in specific Western states. Finally, it requires that any retired hydropower dam must have its baseload generation replaced within 30 days.
Yes· 3 of 7
Would business owners be better off under this?+5
The bill protects commercial shipping interests and prevents price hikes for shipped products.
Would farmers be better off under this?+5
The bill protects agricultural product price stability by restricting dam breaches.
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?+5
The bill protects consumers from significant electricity rate increases caused by the retirement of energy sources.
The opposite
Does this cut the pollution that drives climate change?-3
The bill may hinder carbon reduction efforts by restricting the decommissioning of older energy sources.
Does this put more money into wind, solar and other renewable power?-2
By restricting the retirement of existing dams, the bill may slow the transition to new renewable energy sources.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Protection of Commercial Interests and Costs: The bill prevents the breaching of dams if it would make water less navigable for commercial interests or increase the price of shipped products, including agricultural products, by at least 5 percent (Section 2(a)(1)(B) and (C)).
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Climate and Land Preservation: A breach is prohibited if it results in a carbon emission increase of more than 5 percent or if the replacement energy source requires at least 5 percent more land acreage than the original dam (Section 2(a)(1)(A) and (2)).
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Electricity Rate Stability: The Secretary is prohibited from retiring an energy generation source if doing so would raise customer electricity rates by more than 5 percent (Section 3(a)(1)).
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Energy Reliability in the West: The bill protects energy reliability in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and California by prohibiting retirement if it decreases reliability by more than 5 percent (Section 3(a)(2)).
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Guaranteed Power Replacement: The bill ensures that if an energy generation source is retired, at least 100 percent of its baseload generation must be replaced (Section 3(b)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Economic and Energy Constraints: The Secretary is restricted from breaching dams or retiring energy generation sources if specific thresholds regarding carbon, navigability, product prices, electricity rates, or energy reliability are met (Section 2 and Section 3).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Business Owners+5Good For Farmers+5Good For Low Income Households+4Good For Middle Class Households+4Good For Rural Residents+2
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+5
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Reduces Carbon Emissions-3Increases Renewable Energy Investment-2
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Interstate Commerce+3
- 3/11/2025
- Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, 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.
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
- 3 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
Cliff BentzRepublican · Oregon
Michael BaumgartnerRepublican · Washington
Russ FulcherRepublican · Idaho