Upper Colorado Basin Fund MOU

Full Title:
To provide for a memorandum of understanding to address the impacts of a certain record of decision on the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund.

Summary#

This bill requires the Secretary of the Interior (through the Commissioner of Reclamation) and the Secretary of Energy (through the Administrator of the Western Area Power Administration), working with the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group, to enter into a memorandum of understanding as soon as practicable after enactment. The MOU must examine how the July 2024 "Supplement to the 2016 Glen Canyon Dam Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan Record of Decision" affects the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund. Using information from existing hydropower contracts, the MOU must include a plan to: (1) address effects on Fund obligations such as routine operations, maintenance, and replacement of critical infrastructure; (2) address impacts on hydropower production at Glen Canyon Dam, including costs to replace hydropower resources and grid reliability; and (3) identify impacts on species listed as threatened or endangered under section 4 of the Endangered Species Act. The bill also states it does not preempt rights or obligations under the Administrative Procedure Act.

What it means for you#

  • Federal officials at Interior and Energy must coordinate quickly to make a formal MOU about the July 2024 Glen Canyon Dam decision.
  • The MOU must produce a plan that looks at effects on the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund, hydropower output and reliability, infrastructure needs, and impacts on listed species.
  • The bill directs study and planning; it does not itself change operations, funding levels, or legal rights under the Administrative Procedure Act.
  • The bill was introduced in the House on February 5, 2025, and was received in the Senate and referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

Proponents seek a directed, coordinated review and planning process so Interior and Energy can identify and address impacts of the July 2024 Glen Canyon Dam record of decision on the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund, hydropower production, infrastructure, and listed species.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.