Nevada Rep. Susie Lee recently introduced the Help Hoover Dam Act to the Nevada House of Representatives.
The bill, if approved, would allocate $50M in funding to proceed with maintenance on the Hoover Dam. The dam is a necessary piece of water infrastructure for Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Phoenix.
The bill was introduced during the last congressional session and failed to secure approval. Rep. Lee argued the bill will prevent energy prices from rising. She also stated it would protect natural resources and save taxpayers money. The bill is also a bipartisan effort, as Republican Mark Amodei co-sponsored the bill.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reported the dam was last inspected in February 2023. Notably, the dam is considered to be a high hazard—essentially, if the dam were to fail, it could cause catastrophic damage to the surrounding area.
The Department of Energy’s Western Area Power Administration has been collecting approximately $2M/year from hydropower users since 2000. The money was initially intended to be used to fund retirement benefits for dam employees. Over time, the benefits have been funded through other sources, which leaves behind a large sum. The unused money would be activated to fund maintenance efforts.
A companion bill is currently making its way through the Nevada Senate. (Source)
