Video & Transcript : 'gravity-powered hydropower' :

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FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Fiscal Policy Jan 14th, 2026

Fiscal Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • But we talk about this power, gas-powered equipment.
  • So, yeah, they have the power or the ability to do something, but they have to do it equally for either
  • So you're asking about the power equipment, whether or not they can use gas-powered or diesel-powered
  • ... equipment, whether or not they can use gas-powered or diesel-powered equipment versus electric, correct
  • Okay, going further with that, if a community wants to prohibit the use of gas-powered blowers near school
Bills: S0290 , S0320
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

03/10/2026 - House Natural Resources, Energy & Water

Natural Resources, Energy & Water

Transcript Highlights:
  • The bill also expands the definition of plant as it relates to the power plant and transmission line
  • We have an issue in 2016 where the power is unreliable on the San Carlos Reservoir. ...is unreliable
  • Russell Smolden on behalf of the Arizona Municipal Power Users Association.
  • If, as Representative Lopez knows, who actually is within the boundaries of that system, if the power
  • If, as Representative Lopez knows, who actually is within the boundaries of that system, if the power
Bills: SB1202 , SB1287 , SB1418 , SB1785 , SCM1007
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

AGR Public Hearing - Fri Jan 30, 2026 @ 9:30 AM HST

Agriculture & Food Systems

Transcript Highlights:
  • we do have concerns about the shifting landscape of who has oversight and, to some degree, which powers
  • we do have concerns about the shifting landscape of who has oversight and, to some degree, which powers
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

02/17/2026 - Senate Natural Resources

Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:
  • On behalf of the Arizona Municipal Power Users Association, Russell Smolden, I represent multiple public
  • power entities in this space.
  • We represent multiple public power entities in this space, and the problem has been that the San Carlos
  • Irrigation Project itself was originally designed to take power from Coolidge Dam.
  • They will be the first to admit that they tend to be overwhelmed in terms of how they can purchase power
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

AGR Public Hearing - Wed Feb 4, 2026 @ 9:00 AM HST

Agriculture & Food Systems

Transcript Highlights:
  • Um, can't we just create the legislature has uh powers to create a tax credit category?
  • Um, can't we just create the legislature has uh powers to create a tax credit category?
  • Um, can't we just create the legislature has uh powers to create a tax credit category?
Summary: The committee heard opening remarks and then took testimony on several agriculture-related bills. HB 2425 would exempt agricultural enterprises on former commercial sugarcane lands in conservation use districts from certain permitting and site plan requirements. The Department of Agriculture supported the measure and stood on written comments. The Hawaii Farm Bureau supported the intent but said the bill appeared to cite the wrong statute and suggested amending the conservation district law instead. Other testimony was generally supportive, while some witnesses raised concerns about using the right statutory vehicle. Committee members questioned whether the bill should be redirected through a different chapter. The committee then heard HB 596, which would require retail sellers of plants to disclose invasiveness risk, direct the Invasive Species Council to create a labeling system and weed risk assessments, and establish fines. The Department of Land and Natural Resources strongly supported the bill, saying point-of-sale labels would help consumers make informed choices. Supporters from the Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species said the state’s noxious weed and restricted plant lists are outdated or incomplete and that the bill would help prevent harmful species from being purchased and planted. Opponents, including the Hawaii Farm Bureau and Hawaii Food Policy Foundation, argued the measure was too broad, could stigmatize plants and producers, and might be better implemented through voluntary education or narrower definitions. Committee discussion focused on possible amendments, including using printable labels from a website and limiting the bill to larger commercial retailers. HB 2573 would create a five-year agriculture and biosecurity workforce development pilot program involving the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, Leeward Community College, and the Department of Human Resources Development. DHRD said it supported the intent but wanted clearer responsibilities; the University of Hawaiʻi, the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, the Hawaii Farm Bureau, the Hawaii Food Policy Foundation, and others supported the proposal. DAB said the program would help build needed biosecurity staffing and training, and that law-enforcement-related curriculum could be incorporated. Finally, the committee began hearing HB 207, which would expand the important agricultural land qualified agricultural tax credit to include certain Hawaiian homelands and additional agricultural costs such as orchards, fruit crops, and clearing former sugar and pineapple lands. The Department of Taxation and DAB stood on written comments, while the Department of Hawaiian Homelands strongly supported the bill, calling it a potential game-changer for developing agricultural lands and offsetting infrastructure costs; the department also asked that the credit be broadened beyond agriculture alone.
US

US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

US House Floor Proceedings (Tuesday, April 21, 2026)

US Federal House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • rather than reliable power.
  • rather than reliable power.
  • rather than reliable power.
  • Hydropower is a critical part of our nation's energy mix, supplying baseload power to approximately 30
  • The Federal Power Act requires hydropower projects to start construction within two years of receiving
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

03/25/2026 - House Transportation & Infrastructure

Transportation & Infrastructure

Transcript Highlights:
  • an air transportation system that primarily uses an electric aircraft, including eVTOL, eV2L, and powered-lift
  • By a single occupant, if unpowered, weighs less than 155 pounds, and if powered, weighs less than 254
  • these vehicles right now, my understanding is that they are electric, so they'll be plugged into a power
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

02/10/2026 - Senate Appropriations, Transportation and Technology

Appropriations, Transportation and Technology

Transcript Highlights:
  • courts are still struggling with a little bit today as to at one point, at some point, even the most powerful
  • And so it's... ...powerful tools can be used for both good and for ill.
  • Unfortunately, despite revenues nominally increasing, the purchasing power afforded by HIRF has been
  • Unfortunately, despite revenues nominally increasing, the purchasing power afforded by Herb has been
  • 1547 attempts to address the inequity in the current system by requiring alternative fuel vehicles powered
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Rules Jan 27th, 2026

Rules

Transcript Highlights:
  • mentioned to the DCF recertification specialist that even the Duluth model contains a faith-based power-and-control
  • protect consumers has created ambiguity that could be used to challenge co-op decisions on generation, power
  • bill, agreed to by stakeholders, that protects co-ops' authority to choose generation and purchase power
Bills: S0062 , S0156 , S0168 , S0288 , S0290 , S0292 , S0296 , S0298 , S0364 , S0386 , S0624 , S7004 , S7006 , S7008 , S7012 , S7014 , S7016
Committee: Senate Rules
Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules met with a quorum present and heard a long agenda of bills, beginning with CS/SB 62 on candidate qualification, which would create an enforcement mechanism for party-affiliation qualification requirements and allow challenges by qualified candidates or political parties. The bill was reported favorably. The committee then heard CS/SB 156, the Officer Jason Raynor Act, which would clarify resistance-to-officer language and impose a mandatory life sentence for manslaughter committed against a law enforcement officer; the sponsor and local law enforcement supporters emphasized the Raynor case, while criminal defense lawyers objected to deleting existing force-limit language and to the mandatory life penalty. Despite the opposition, the bill was reported favorably. The committee also approved several open-government sunset review bills extending or preserving public records exemptions, including CS/SB 7014 on social media platform investigations, SB 7016 on small business loan program records, CS/SB 7012 on Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles investigations, CS/SB 7000 on emergency shelter recipient information, CS/SB 7002 on Department of Military Affairs records, SB 7004 on conviction integrity unit reinvestigation materials, SB 7006 on Florida Public Service Commission records and meetings, and SB 7008 on Florida Gaming Control Commission records and meetings. Other measures reported favorably included SB 624 allowing optional faith-based activities in batterers’ intervention programs, HB 167 protecting former phosphate mining lands from certain strict-liability claims, CS/SB 48 on accessory dwelling units and housing supply, SB 288 on rural electric cooperatives, CS/SB 364 modernizing CPA licensure, SB 292 creating a records exemption for appellate court clerks and families, CS/SB 296 expanding domestic violence safety tools and address confidentiality protections, CS/SB 298 as the public-records companion, SB 386 on farm equipment lemon-law style protections, and SB 168 expanding public nuisance law to include gambling houses. Several bills drew supportive testimony from local governments, advocacy groups, industry groups, and affected families, with some opposition on SB 156 and SB 290. For CS/SB 48, the committee adopted two amendments before reporting the bill favorably. SB 290 on the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services was temporarily postponed after the chair allowed public testimony but no final action was taken. At the end of the meeting, senators recorded their votes on selected bills, and the committee adjourned.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

Rules Feb 10th, 2026

Rules

Transcript Highlights:
  • counties and municipalities from enacting or enforcing laws that restrict the ban of gasoline- or diesel-powered
  • I want to move on to the gas-powered equipment preemption.
  • It just creates a standard between both electric and gas-powered or diesel-powered equipment.
  • before you today because I believe in the future of Florida agriculture, and I will do everything in my power
Bills: S0050 , S0054 , S0176 , S0178 , S0198 , S0290 , S0420 , S0502 , S0538 , S0706 , S0834 , S0936 , S0962 , S1004 , S1080 , S7022
Committee: Senate Rules
Summary: The Rules Committee heard and voted on a series of bills, beginning with SB 54 on toxicology screenings in autopsies of violent offenders, which requires medical examiners to screen for psychotropic and intoxicating substances, consult treating providers when possible, and report findings to state agencies; it passed favorably. The committee also approved SB 176 on public postsecondary campus safety policies, requiring colleges and universities to publish clearer reporting and response procedures for threats to students, faculty, and staff. Both bills were reported favorably without major opposition. The largest portion of the meeting was devoted to CS/CS/CS/SB 290, the Florida Farm Bill. The bill covers a wide range of agriculture-related issues, including fair association rules, preemption of local restrictions on gas- and diesel-powered farm equipment, surplus of certain state-owned lands for agricultural use, a food and animal veterinary loan repayment program, permanent Farmers Feeding Florida funding, forest service training expansion, signal-jamming device penalties, CDL English proficiency enforcement, no-solicitation protections, food safety inspector protections, biosolids regulation, and contractor payment enforcement. Members adopted several amendments, including changes to contractor payment language, expanded veterinary loan eligibility, citrus foundation consolidation, technical corrections, removal of outdated fair references, a nonprofit definition fix, and a late amendment deleting the bill’s disparagement clause after extensive testimony and debate about free speech and agricultural speech protections. A separate late amendment delayed biosolids compliance deadlines. The bill drew strong support from farmers, agritourism groups, food donation advocates, and some utility and wastewater interests, while conservation groups and biosolids operators raised concerns about land surplus provisions and biosolids restrictions. The committee ultimately reported the bill favorably as amended. The committee then approved SB 834 on nonprofit religious organizations, which repeals a restriction on health care sharing ministries partnering with licensed insurance agents, while an amendment added written disclaimer requirements; it passed favorably. SB 936 on temporary door locking devices also passed, directing the Building Commission to incorporate standards into the Florida Building Code. SB 50 on veterans’ courts was approved, allowing judges in all circuits to use veterans’ courts for cases involving service-related issues such as PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and substance abuse. Finally, SB 1004 on the sale of dogs and cats passed after amendments removed an appropriation and kept the bill’s disclosure, financing, and consumer protection provisions, and SB 178 on athletics in public K-12 schools passed with discussion about coaches providing basic support to student-athletes and possible parental-consent language. The committee also began hearing SB 198 on virtual currency kiosks, which would regulate crypto kiosks with registration, fraud warnings, transaction limits, receipts, and refund protections; an amendment to that bill was adopted, but the transcript cuts off before the final vote.
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm

Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy

Transcript Highlights:
  • Power outages can be incredibly disruptive.
  • Power outages can be incredibly disruptive.
  • In the power sector, at least, we have, in offshore wind, a ready option for greater certain power sector
  • Pumped hydropower provides critical bridge reliability support for S. 2237.
  • Nuclear power is the only carbon-free source that can do that essential job.
Summary: The committee heard testimony on a wide range of energy bills, with much of the discussion focused on offshore wind, battery storage, solar, nuclear study proposals, and a bill to redefine clean energy. Several Barnstable-area legislators and witnesses raised concerns about offshore wind transmission infrastructure near neighborhoods, beaches, and drinking water supplies, and supported bills to create a special commission and increase local input and oversight. In contrast, environmental, consumer, labor, and clean energy groups strongly backed offshore wind expansion bills, arguing that offshore wind lowers long-term costs, improves winter reliability, reduces fossil fuel dependence, supports jobs and local supply chains, and should include wildlife protections, labor standards, and community benefits. Some witnesses and committee members noted that parts of the offshore wind legislation overlap with the Governor’s energy affordability bill, and asked for clarification on which provisions were new versus duplicative. The committee also heard testimony on battery storage and solar legislation. Two student witnesses and several industry representatives supported a bill to study grid battery storage, saying storage can reduce outages, lower peak prices, and improve grid resilience during extreme weather. Witnesses from solar and storage companies supported a broader clean energy transition bill that would expand storage procurement, create a retail-style storage program for distributed batteries, set a 10-gigawatt solar target by 2035, and streamline siting and interconnection. Committee members pressed witnesses on whether these provisions were already included in the Governor’s affordability bill and asked for a section-by-section breakdown of what was new. One witness also urged allowing developers to bond interconnection payments to reduce financing costs. Another major topic was a bill defining clean energy, especially whether existing pumped-storage hydropower should qualify for subsidies or be excluded. Supporters of the bill argued that existing pumped storage should not receive additional ratepayer subsidies because it is already built, can have environmental impacts on rivers and ecosystems, and could cost ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars. Opponents said pumped storage is an important reliability resource and should remain eligible. The committee also heard testimony on nuclear-energy study bills: some witnesses supported creating a commission to examine nuclear power as a reliable, carbon-free option, while others opposed nuclear study bills and argued that nuclear is costly, unsafe, and inconsistent with the state’s clean energy goals. No votes were taken during the hearing.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
  • </c> thought uh than from after the gravity thought uh than from after the gravity based<00:33:46.640
  • So there was a congressionally mandated RAND study that was done that looked at hydropower.
  • So there was a congressionally mandated RAND study that was done that looked at hydropower.
  • Okay.<01:38:34.960><c> And</c><01:38:35.199><c> hydro</c><01:38:35.600><c> power</c><01:38:35.920><c>
  • </c><01:39:00.639><c> plant</c> fresh water from hydropower plant fresh water from hydropower plant standpoint
Summary: The House Special Committee on Red Hill held an informational briefing at the State Capitol focused on updates from the Navy Closure Task Force Red Hill and NAVFAC Hawaii. Members and Navy officials opened by noting the meeting format, providing public links to tank closure supplement 4 and environmental remediation resources, and thanking Admiral Barnett for attending before his transition. The Navy emphasized that the Red Hill closure effort and the PFAS/PAS environmental remediation effort are separate but coordinated, and that both are long-term undertakings. For the closure effort, Navy officials reported progress on tank cleaning, ventilation, sludge removal, groundwater monitoring, and preparation for pipeline removal. They said supplement 4 to the tank closure plan was submitted in May and outlines the overall closure strategy, post-closure monitoring, and the decision to proceed with closure rather than wait for beneficial reuse decisions. They described completed ventilation of tanks 3 through 8, the start of tank 2 ventilation, removal of 283 gallons of sludge from the first six tanks, and plans to begin pipeline pigging and removal later this year. Officials also said all sludge samples tested so far were non-hazardous and that air monitoring has not shown elevated volatile organic readings during operations. NAVFAC Hawaii then outlined the PFAS/PAS remedial investigation under CERCLA, explaining the cleanup process, the nature of PFAS, and the role of aqueous film-forming foam as a source. The presentation said the Navy began investigating PFAS releases in 2014-2015, that the 2021 Red Hill fuel release led directly into remedial investigation work, and that current activities include quarterly groundwater sampling at 42 monitoring wells, installation of new shallow and deep wells, soil sampling where exceedances were found, fate-and-transport modeling, and human health risk assessments. Officials said data are publicly available on the Red Hill environmental website and that the next restoration advisory board meeting is scheduled for August 27. The Navy also gave a water resiliency update, saying it is upgrading the joint base drinking water system with pump, tank, and cybersecurity improvements and is installing treatment systems for the inactive Navy Aiea and Red Hill shafts ahead of EPA drinking water standards taking effect in 2029. No votes or formal committee actions were taken, as the meeting was informational only.