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Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act of 2013

Public Law 113-23 · H.R. 267 · 113th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Aug 9, 2013 · Water Resources Development

Sponsor: Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-5)

Cosponsors (9): Rep. Diana DeGette,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 422 yea, 0 nay422–0
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act of 2013 - (Sec. 3) Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA) to increase from 5,000 to 10,000 kilowatts the size of small hydroelectric power projects which the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) may exempt from its license requirements.

(Sec. 4) Amends the Federal Power Act to revise the limitation on the maximum installation capacity of qualifying conduit hydropower facilities that are eligible for an exemption from licensing requirements.

Requires any person, state, or municipality proposing to construct a qualifying conduit hydropower facility to file with FERC a notice of intent to do so. Requires FERC, within 15 days after receiving such a notice of intent, to make an initial determination as to whether the facility meets the qualifying criteria.

Waives license requirements for any conduit hydroelectric facility that: (1) uses for electric power generation only the hydroelectric potential of a non-federally owned conduit, (2) has a maximum installed capacity of 5 megawatts, and (3) is not currently licensed or exempted from license requirements.

Redefines "conduit" to specify any tunnel, canal, pipeline, aqueduct, flume, ditch, or similar manmade water conveyance operated for the distribution of water for agricultural, municipal, or industrial consumption and not primarily for the generation of electricity.

Authorizes FERC to: (1) exempt from license requirements any electric power generation facility that utilizes for such generation only the hydroelectric potential of a conduit, and has an installed capacity or 40 megawatts or fewer; and (2) extend the preliminary permit period for up to 2 additional years beyond the 3 years otherwise allowed if it finds that the permittee has implemented activities under the permit in good faith and with reasonable diligence.

(Sec. 6) Directs FERC to: (1) investigate the feasibility of issuing a license for hydropower development at nonpowered dams and closed loop pumped storage projects during a two-year period, and (2) hold workshops and develop hydropower pilot projects.

(Sec. 7) Directs the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to study: (1) the technical flexibility that existing pumped storage facilities can provide to support intermittent renewable electric energy generation, including the potential for such facilities to be upgraded or retrofitted with advanced commercially available technology; and (2) the technical potential of existing pumped storage facilities and new advanced pumped storage facilities to provide grid reliability benefits.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 113th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 422 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

422 yea0 nay9 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(194)

Republicans who voted yea(228)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 39 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • S. 545Related bill

    Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act of 2013

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 24 actions.

  1. Aug 9, 2013Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 113-23.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Aug 6, 2013FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Aug 2, 2013FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. Aug 1, 2013FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  6. Jun 3, 2013FloorFloor · By Senator Wyden from Committee on Energy and Natural Resources filed written report. Report No. 113-38.
  7. May 13, 2013CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 71.
  8. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Wyden without amendment. Without written report.
  9. May 8, 2013CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
  10. Apr 23, 2013CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 113-24.
  11. CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  12. Feb 14, 2013CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  13. Feb 13, 2013FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  14. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 422 - 0 (Roll no. 40).House roll call 40
  15. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  16. Feb 12, 2013FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  17. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 267.
  18. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  19. FloorFloor · Mr. Whitfield moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  20. Feb 4, 2013CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 4.
  21. CommitteeCommittee · Reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 113-6.
  22. Jan 18, 2013CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Power.
  23. Jan 15, 2013CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
  24. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

No amendments to this bill are on record.

Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.