H.R. 2160

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2160 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2160

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to support upgrades at 
existing hydroelectric dams in order to increase clean energy 
production, improve the resiliency and reliability of the United States 
electric grid, enhance the health of the Nation's rivers and associated 
wildlife habitats, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 14, 2025

Mr. Smith of Nebraska (for himself, Ms. DelBene, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Ms. 
Schrier, Ms. Tenney, and Ms. Goodlander) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to support upgrades at 
existing hydroelectric dams in order to increase clean energy 
production, improve the resiliency and reliability of the United States 
electric grid, enhance the health of the Nation's rivers and associated 
wildlife habitats, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Maintaining and Enhancing 
Hydroelectricity and River Restoration Act''.

SEC. 2. CREDIT FOR MAINTAINING AND ENHANCING HYDROELECTRIC FACILITIES.

(a) In General.--Subpart E of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by inserting after 
section 48E the following new section:

``SEC. 48F. CREDIT FOR MAINTAINING AND ENHANCING HYDROELECTRIC 
FACILITIES.

``(a) In General.--For purposes of section 46, the credit for 
maintaining and enhancing hydroelectric facilities for any taxable year 
is an amount equal to 30 percent of the basis of any hydropower 
improvement property placed in service during such taxable year.
``(b) Certain Progress Expenditure Rules Made Applicable.--Rules 
similar to the rules of subsections (c)(4) and (d) of section 46 (as in 
effect on the day before the date of the enactment of the Revenue 
Reconciliation Act of 1990) shall apply for purposes of subsection (a).
``(c) Hydropower Improvement Property.--In this section, the term 
`hydropower improvement property' means property--
``(1) which--
``(A) adds or improves fish passage at a qualified 
dam,
``(B) maintains or improves the quality of the 
water retained or released by a qualified dam,
``(C) promotes downstream sediment transport 
processes and habitat maintenance with respect to a 
qualified dam,
``(D) upgrades, repairs, or reconstructs a 
qualified dam to meet Federal dam safety and security 
standards,
``(E) improves the public uses of, and access to, 
public waterways impacted by a qualified dam in a 
manner consistent with a license issued by the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission or a settlement agreement 
related to such a license,
``(F) removes an obsolete river obstruction, or
``(G) places into service an approved remote dam, 
and
``(2) for which, prior to January 1, 2032, the taxpayer 
receives written approval with respect to any property 
described in paragraph (1) from the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission or State or local officials, as appropriate.
``(d) Other Definitions.--In this section--
``(1) Approved remote dam.--The term `approved remote dam' 
means--
``(A) a hydroelectric dam which--
``(i) exclusively services communities not 
interconnected to the Electric Reliability 
Council of Texas, the Eastern Interconnection, 
or the Western Interconnection,
``(ii) was licensed by the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission before December 31, 2020,
``(iii) does not contribute to atmosphere 
pollution, and
``(iv) has a maximum net output of not 
greater than 20 megawatts, and
``(B) any interconnection property associated with 
a dam described in subparagraph (A).
``(2) Fish passage.--The term `fish passage' means, with 
respect to any qualified dam, any new or upgraded turbine, 
fishway, or other fish passage technology which improves fish 
migration and survival rates.
``(3) Interconnection property.--The term `interconnection 
property' means, with respect to any dam described in paragraph 
(1)(A), any tangible property--
``(A) to enable the delivery of electricity from 
such dam to any customer, and
``(B) which satisfies the requirements under 
clauses (ii) and (iii) of section 48(a)(8)(B).
``(4) Obsolete river obstruction.--The term `obsolete river 
obstruction' means a qualified nonpowered dam (as defined in 
section 34(e)(3) of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 
823e(e)(3))) no longer serving its intended purpose.
``(5) Qualified dam.--The term `qualified dam' means a 
hydroelectric dam that is licensed by the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission or legally operating without such a 
license before the date of enactment of this section.''.
(b) Elective Payment and Transfer of Credit.--
(1) Elective payment.--Section 6417 of the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986 is amended--
(A) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the 
following:
``(13) The credit for maintaining and enhancing 
hydroelectric facilities under section 48F.'', and
(B) in subsection (d)(1)--
(i) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``(C), 
or (D)'' each place it appears and inserting 
``(C), (D), or (E)'',
(ii) by redesignating subparagraph (E) (as 
amended by clause (i)) as subparagraph (F), and
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph (D) 
the following:
``(E) Election with respect to credit for 
maintaining and enhancing hydroelectric facilities.--If 
a taxpayer other than an entity described in 
subparagraph (A) makes an election under this 
subparagraph with respect to any taxable year in which 
such taxpayer has, after December 31, 2022, placed in 
service hydropower improvement property (as defined in 
section 48F(c)), such taxpayer shall be treated as an 
applicable entity for purposes of this section for such 
taxable year, but only with respect to the credit 
described in subsection (b)(13).''.
(2) Transfer.--Section 6418(f)(1)(A) of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
``(xii) The credit for maintaining and 
enhancing hydroelectric facilities under 
section 48F.''.
(c) Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Section 46 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is 
amended--
(A) in paragraph (6), by striking ``and'' at the 
end,
(B) in paragraph (7), by striking the period at the 
end and inserting ``, and'', and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(8) the credit for maintaining and enhancing 
hydroelectric facilities.''.
(2) Section 49(a)(1)(C) of such Code is amended--
(A) in clause (vii), by striking ``and'' at the 
end,
(B) in clause (viii), by striking the period at the 
end and inserting ``, and'', and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(ix) the basis of any hydropower 
improvement property under section 48F.''.
(3) Section 50 of such Code is amended--
(A) in subsection (a)(2)(E), as amended by section 
13702(b) of Public Law 117-169, by striking ``or 
48E(e)'' and inserting ``48E(e), or 48F(b)'', and
(B) in subsection (d)(2)--
(i) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
(A), by inserting ``or any hydropower 
improvement property (as defined in section 
48F(c))'' after ``any energy storage technology 
(as defined in section 48(c)(6))'', and
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
``energy storage technology'' each place it 
appears and inserting ``energy storage 
technology or hydropower improvement 
property''.
(4) The table of sections for subpart E of part IV of 
subchapter A of chapter 1 of such Code is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 48E the following new item:

``Sec. 48F. Credit for maintaining and enhancing hydroelectric 
facilities.''.
(d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to property placed in service after December 31, 2022.
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