Bill · S. 3684· Senate(119-S-3684)
Water Power Research and Development Reauthorization Act
- Introduced
- 1/15/2026
- Last activity
- 3/17/2026 — Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hearings held.
- Sponsored by
- Lisa Murkowski
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 1
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Water Power Research and Development Reauthorization Act aims to amend the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. It seeks to reauthorize research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities for water power. The bill updates requirements for water power technology, hydropower, and marine energy. It includes provisions for manufacturing, workforce development, and environmental impact assessments. Additionally, the act adjusts the authorization of appropriations for the years 2026 through 2030.
Yes· 3 of 14
Does this put more money into scientific research?+8
The bill increases authorized funding for water power, marine energy, and hydropower research and development.
Does this put more money into wind, solar and other renewable power?+7
The bill significantly increases the authorization of appropriations for water power, marine energy, and hydropower research through 2030.
Would Native Americans be better off under this?+6
The bill explicitly includes Tribal workforce development and support for Tribal Colleges and Universities.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Manufacturing and Job Growth: The bill aims to advance scalable United States-based manufacturing of marine energy components through collaborations with industry and higher education (Section 2(b)).
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Workforce Development: There is a focus on supporting workforce development programs, training, student-sled research, and education to grow the next generation of hydropower professionals (Section 2(c), paragraph 16). This includes specific mentions of Tribal workforce development programs (Section 2(c), paragraph 16).
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Community Resilience: The bill supports the generation and storage of power to promote the resilience of coastal and riverside communities, including applications for desalination, disaster recovery, and community microgrids (Section 2(d), paragraph 18(B)).
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Educational Opportunities: The act supports student-led research programs and the development of curriculum to foster growth in marine energy professionals (Section 2(e), paragraph 4).
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Inclusion of Minority and Tribal Institutions: The bill expands the scope of institutions for support to include Tribal Colleges and Universities and minority-serving institutions (Section 2(f), subsection (b)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts or burdens are explicitly stated in the provided text.
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 Native Americans+6Good For Students+5Good For Young Adults+5Good For Low Income Households+3Good For Urban Residents+2
- Education And Technology
- Increases Scientific Research Funding+8Improves College Affordability+3
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Increases Renewable Energy Investment+7Improves Public Transit+2
- Economy And Finance
- Increases Job Creation+5Improves Small Business Support+3
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Racial Equity+5
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+4
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Improves Cybersecurity Defense+3
- 3/17/2026
- Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hearings held.
- 1/15/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
Ron WydenDemocrat · Oregon