This week, Arizona Representative Susie Lee and Nevada Senator Kyrsten Sinema introduced legislation to authorize the use of $45 million in Bureau of Reclamation funds to assist with the Hoover Dam.
Advocates of the “Help Hoover Dam Act” assert that it would reduce regulatory burdens and grant the bureau access to the Colorado River Dam Fund for the purpose of financing maintenance-related initiatives for the dam.
The Executive Director of Irrigation and Electrical Districts of Arizona, Ed Gerak, stated in a statement that the funding could assist in mitigating potential electricity price increases.
“This bill will allow the Bureau of Reclamation to use previously collected customer funding for its intended purposes, operation, maintenance and repair of the dam,” Gerak asserted.
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“For more than twenty years, these funds have been amassed using fiat currency; however, they have become immobile and unreachable to the Bureau.” During this period, Hoover Dam generation is down nearly 40 percent due to the most severe dearth in modern history. He continued, “This bill will enable the Bureau to maintain Hoover Dam while safeguarding electricity customers against imminent rate shocks.”
Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, along with every senator from California and Nevada, is an advocate for the proposed legislation. Co-sponsors of the bill in the House of Representatives include Greg Stanton, Democratic Reps. Ruben Gallego, Grace Napolitano, Dina Titus, and Steven Horsford. Representatives Mark Amodei, Paul Gosar, Juan Ciscomani, and Debbie Lesko are co-sponsors on the Republican side.
“Governmental bureaucracy must not impede our ability to make essential investments in the Hoover Dam; Nevadans rely on it for countless recreational opportunities, clean energy, and valuable water resources.” “This bipartisan, commonsense legislation will protect our natural resources, prevent an increase in energy prices, and save money for taxpayers,” Lee said in a statement.
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Established in the 1930s, the Hoover Dam was constructed to accommodate the expanding population of the southwestern United States. The Arizona Power Authority estimates that the dam affects the electrical supply to approximately 8 million individuals.
Leaders in the states of the Colorado River basin remain preoccupied with energy and water policy as they seek to accommodate a sizable population while preserving scarce resources.