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S. 1183 has been introduced to the United States Senate, which is titled:
Maintaining and Enhancing Hydroelectricity and River Restoration Act of 2025: United States Senate Legislation Introduced (“Act”).
The legislation was introduced by United States Senators Murkowski (Alaska) and Cantwell (Washington).
The Bill is described as providing a 30% federal tax incentive to encourage safety upgrades and improved fish passage at existing hydroelectric facilities.
The Bill would also provide an additional 30% tax credit to remove unused river barriers that do not produce electricity that are harming local ecosystems and outdoor recreation opportunities.
S. 1183 would specifically:
- Establish a 30% federal tax incentive to encourage upgrades to safety and security of existing dams, investments that expand fish passage infrastructure, and improvements to water quality and recreational use opportunities at hydropower project sites.
- Establish a federal cost-share to encourage the removal of obsolete obstructions that harm river ecosystems and outdoor recreation opportunities.
The tax incentives would be available to not-for-profit entities.
The sponsors argue that hydropower counts for 5.7% of total United States utility-electricity generation in 2023. They argue that the legislation bridges the gap in current law by incentivizing upgrades that do not result in power increases but are important to adding fish-friendly turbines, fish ladders, and adding or replacing flood gates and spillways. Private, state, local, and non-profit groups are noted to have the ability to use such tax incentives with a direct pay option to support efforts to demolish and remove unnecessary barriers with the owner’s consent.
A copy of S. 1183 can be downloaded here.
