Rural Jobs and Hydropower Expansion Act

The Rural Jobs and Hydropower Expansion Act aims to significantly expand opportunities for non-federal hydropower development at Bureau of Reclamation projects. It achieves this by amending the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 to broaden the types of eligible hydropower, moving beyond just "small conduit" and "pumped storage" to encompass all hydropower using Bureau of Reclamation facilities . This change is intended to encourage greater private sector investment and participation in renewable energy generation. The bill also clarifies the role of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authorizations, stating they remain active until inactive and can be renewed, with jurisdiction reverting to the Bureau of Reclamation upon inactivity. It introduces new definitions for "reserved works facility" and "transferred works facility" to distinguish between facilities where the Bureau or a non-federal entity handles operations and maintenance. Importantly, the legislation specifies that it does not expand the Bureau of Reclamation's lease of power privilege authorities beyond existing project boundaries.