Water Power Research and Development Reauthorization Act

This bill significantly reauthorizes and expands federal support for water power research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. It proposes a substantial increase in authorized appropriations, allocating $300,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 , with $200,000,000 designated for marine energy and $100,000,000 for hydropower. The legislation aims to enhance energy capacity and efficiency, reduce costs, and promote scalable, U.S.-based manufacturing of components for both hydropower and marine energy technologies, fostering collaborations with regional universities and industry. Key provisions for hydropower include improving the licensing process by compiling environmental data and best practices, integrating cybersecurity, and developing methods for incorporating hydropower and pumped storage into grid modeling systems. For marine energy , the bill emphasizes establishing and supporting an industrial supply chain, developing systems for extreme conditions, and utilizing marine energy for resilience in waterside communities, including applications like desalination, disaster recovery, and community microgrids. Both sectors will see enhanced focus on workforce development , training, and education programs to cultivate future professionals, and the bill mandates biennial briefings to Congress on program findings and strategic plan progress.