S. 1020 Explained: The Bipartisan "Build More Hydro" Bill

What is S. 1020, and why did the United States Congress just pass a highly significant, bipartisan law altering the federal timeline for America's massive hydropower infrastructure?

In this quick Simply Civic breakdown, we explain Senate Bill 1020 (S. 1020). Introduced by a highly bipartisan coalition led by Senators Steve Daines (R-MT) and John Fetterman (D-PA), S. 1020 is a targeted legislative fix designed to rescue federally approved hydropower projects that have been stalled by severe pandemic-era delays, skyrocketing costs, and supply chain bottlenecks.

By law, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) strictly regulates when a licensed hydropower project must actually begin construction. Historically, FERC only allowed a maximum of ten years to break ground before a project's license was revoked. S. 1020 officially changes the rules for "covered projects" (those licensed before March 13, 2020). The bill authorizes FERC to grant these heavily delayed projects up to an additional six years—issued in two-year increments—to officially commence construction. Crucially, the bill also grants FERC the power to retroactively reinstate licenses for projects that recently expired, ensuring massive energy investments aren't completely wiped out by sluggish federal deadlines.

Supporters of the legislation championed S. 1020 as a brilliant, pragmatic, and highly necessary fix to protect America's energy future. Bipartisan lawmakers and energy industry advocates heavily praised the bill for cutting through rigid bureaucratic red tape. Supporters insisted this extension is absolutely critical to keeping highly complex, capital-intensive clean energy projects in the development pipeline, arguing that forcing energy companies to completely restart the massive, multi-year federal permitting process would be financially devastating and severely threaten the modernization of the U.S. power grid.

While the bill enjoyed massive bipartisan support in both chambers, it touches on a fiercely debated broader issue regarding federal land and energy regulation. Environmental watchdogs and regulatory advocates have historically raised concerns over continually extending deadlines for aging infrastructure plans, warning that allowing energy developers to "squat" on federal river licenses for decades without actually building anything can tie up vital natural resources and block newer, more environmentally friendly technologies from taking over the sites. However, the overwhelming consensus in Congress prioritized securing reliable, emissions-free baseload power.

Following a highly cooperative legislative process, the bill successfully passed both the Senate and the House, and was officially signed into law in May 2026 as Public Law 119-90!

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