S. 3570: Hydropower Improvement Act of 2010

111th Congress · introduced 2010-07-13 · Energy · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (text of measure as introduced: CR S5788-5790)

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2010-07-13 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (text of measure as introduced: CR S5788-5790) Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Hydropower Improvement Act of 2010

Plain summary

Hydropower Improvement Act of 2010 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should increase substantially the capacity and generation of clean, renewable hydropower resources which will improve environmental quality in the United States and support hundreds of thousands of green energy jobs. Instructs the Secretary of Energy to establish: (1) a grants program for increased hydropower production; and (2) a plan for research, development, and demonstration to increase hydropower capacity. Directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to issue a notice of inquiry for the licensing of proposed minimal impact hydropower projects that take not more than two years from the beginning of the prefiling licensing process to the issuance of a FERC license. Amends the Federal Power Act to authorize FERC to extend the term of a preliminary permit once for not more than two additional years if it finds that the permittee has carried out activities under the permit in good faith and with reasonable diligence. Directs FERC to enter into a memorandum of understanding with relevant federal agencies that have conditioning authority to: (1) establish a coordinated and streamlined approach to any environmental impact statement or similar analysis relating to the consideration of conduit hydropower projects; and (2) develop an expedited approval process for conduit hydropower projects. Directs the Commissioner of Reclamation and FERC to conduct public workshops on and develop pilot conduit hydropower projects. Requires the Commissioner also to study and report to Congress on barriers to non-federal hydropower development at Bureau of Reclamation projects. Instructs the Secretary to study and report to Congress about federal land that is well-suited for pumped storage sites and is located near existing or potential sites of intermittent renewable resource development, such as wind farms. Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to direct the Secretary to establish a national renewable energy construction grants program. Directs the President to report to Congress on actions taken by the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to carry out the memorandum of understanding on hydropower entered into on March 24, 2010. Declares this Act inapplicable to the Federal Power Marketing Administrations.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Hydropower Improvement Act of 2010

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK] · 5 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Patty Murray (D-WA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Mike Crapo (R-ID), James E. Risch (R-ID)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK] reported raising $1.4 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111s3570.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/s>

Record fed-us-cong111-s3570 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111