HR7129-119

What This Bill Does

The Water Power Research and Development Reauthorization Act updates Subtitle C of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. It expands water-power technology research from increasing capacity to increasing capacity or efficiency and adds work to advance scalable U.S.-based manufacturing of composite and additive manufactured marine energy components through regional universities, industry, advanced composite facilities, and additive manufacturing facilities.

For hydropower R&D, the bill adds generation and cybersecurity, requires studies with federal, state, local, and Tribal entities, including Alaska Native Corporations, on improving hydropower licensing by compiling environmental data, studies, best practices, public comments, and methodologies. It expands environmental-impact research to hydrology, hydropower and pumped-storage component work, project management and delivery strategies, grid modeling for hydropower and pumped storage, performance and reliability testing, and workforce development.

For marine energy, the bill adds infrastructure, facilities, and equipment; microgrids and smart energy management; U.S.-based manufacturing and industrial supply chains; hydrogen and transportation-fuel applications; advanced manufacturing; data centers, subsea or offshore power, sensors, communications systems, desalination, disaster recovery, aquaculture, marine carbon dioxide removal, isolated-power-system microgrids, working waterfront demonstrations, and extreme tidal temperature or icing conditions. It updates National Marine Energy Centers and coordination with national laboratories, federal agencies, the National Sea Grant College Program, Commerce, regional workforce hubs, Tribal Colleges and Universities, land-grant and sea-grant institutions, foundations, nonprofits, and maritime academies. It changes annual congressional briefings to biennial public briefings and authorizes $300 million per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2030, with $200 million for marine energy and $100 million for hydropower.

Who Benefits and How

Marine energy manufacturers benefit from research on U.S.-based composite and additive manufactured components. Hydropower developers benefit from licensing-process studies, grid modeling, pumped-storage work, and performance validation. National Marine Energy Centers benefit from expanded criteria for regional test sites with high tidal ranges, strong currents, and cold-water operating conditions. Regional universities benefit from collaboration opportunities in manufacturing and workforce programs. Tribal Colleges and Universities benefit from inclusion in workforce hubs and training activities. Waterside communities benefit from microgrid, disaster resilience, desalination, aquaculture, and working-waterfront demonstrations.

Who Bears the Burden and How

DOE Water Power Technologies Office staff must administer expanded hydropower, marine energy, manufacturing, workforce, coordination, and briefing work. Federal hydropower licensing agencies must participate in studies on licensing data, best practices, public comments, and environmental or economic impact methodologies. State agencies, local agencies, Tribal entities, and Alaska Native Corporations may need to coordinate on licensing-process studies. National laboratories must coordinate with National Marine Energy Centers and other federal agencies. Congressional authorizing and appropriations committees must receive biennial briefings and oversee the $300 million annual authorization.

Key Provisions

• Expands water-power R&D to improve capacity or efficiency and lower costs.
• Adds U.S.-based composite and additive manufacturing for marine energy components.
• Adds hydropower cybersecurity, licensing-process studies, environmental-impact methods, pumped-storage grid modeling, and performance validation.
• Expands marine energy work to microgrids, hydrogen, transportation fuels, data centers, subsea power, desalination, disaster resilience, aquaculture, marine carbon dioxide removal, and extreme tidal or icing conditions.
• Requires workforce development through regional workforce hubs, Tribal Colleges and Universities, sea-grant institutions, nonprofits, and maritime academies.
• Requires biennial public briefings to congressional committees.
• Authorizes $300 million per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2030, including $200 million for marine energy and $100 million for hydropower.