S. 182: Northwest Energy Security Act
A Senate bill (S.) in the 119th U.S. Congress.
Overview
| Congress | 119th U.S. Congress (2025–2026) |
|---|---|
| Type | Senate bill (S.) |
| Originating chamber | Senate |
| Introduced | 2025-01-22 |
| Sponsor | Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID] |
| Policy area | Water Resources Development |
| Cosponsors | 5 |
| Latest action | 2025-01-22 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. |
| Last updated | 2026-04-08 |
Summary
Official summary (Introduced in Senate, 2025-01-22):
Northwest Energy Security Act
This bill requires Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) operations to be consistent with the preferred alternative in a 2020 environmental impact statement (EIS) decision that focuses on the operations, maintenance, and configuration of dams in the system rather than wild fish restoration. The system includes dams in the Columbia and Snake rivers in Oregon, Washington, Montana, and Idaho.
Specifically, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Bonneville Power Administration, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must operate the FCRPS consistent with the Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision dated September 2020. Thus, Reclamation, the Bonneville Power Administration, and the Army Corps must follow the EIS rather than the 2023 Resilient Columbia Basin Initiative—and a supplemental EIS proposed in 2024—that focus on wild fish restoration in the Columbia Basin.
The EIS decision may be amended if each agency determines that (1) changes are necessary for public safety or electrical grid reliability, or (2) certain requirements in the decision are no longer necessary.
Further, the bill requires statutory authorization for any structural modification, action, study, or engineering plan that (1) restricts FCRPS hydroelectric dam generation; or (2) limits navigation on the Snake River in Washington, Oregon, or Idaho.
Cosponsors (5)
| Name | Party / state |
|---|---|
| Steve Daines | R MT (original cosponsor) 2025-01-22 |
| Tim Sheehy | R MT (original cosponsor) 2025-01-22 |
| Mike Crapo | R ID (original cosponsor) 2025-01-22 |
| Cynthia M. Lummis | R WY (original cosponsor) 2025-01-22 |
| John Barrasso | R WY (original cosponsor) 2025-01-22 |
Full text & official record
The official bill text, section-by-section summary, amendments, committee reports, and the complete legislative timeline for S. 182 are published by Congress on congress.gov.
Frequently asked questions
What is S. 182?
S. 182 is a Senate bill (S.) introduced in the 119th U.S. Congress, originating in the Senate. Official title: Northwest Energy Security Act.
Where can I read the full bill text?
The full text, cosponsors, amendments, and legislative status for S. 182 are available on congress.gov.
Bill data: congress.gov API (official congressional records).