WATERPOWER INDUSTRY CONGRATULATES INTERIOR SECRETARY DEB HAALAND
Washington, D.C. (March 15, 2021) – Malcolm Woolf, President and CEO of the National Hydropower Association (NHA), today issued the following statement on the Senate confirmation of former Congresswoman Deb Haaland as U.S. Secretary of Interior.
“As the first Native American Cabinet secretary, Secretary Haaland’s confirmation is truly groundbreaking. The waterpower industry congratulates Secretary Haaland, as she is well-suited to lead the Department of Interior, as it works to advance the Biden Administration’s climate and clean energy goals.”
Interior, through its Bureau of Reclamation, is the nation’s second largest producer of hydroelectric power, generating an average of 40 billion kilowatt-hours of energy per year. The Bureau has the ability to produce even more carbon-free electricity by adding generation to existing non-powered dams. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also plays a critical role in the licensing and relicensing of the non-federal hydropower fleet.
“As the nation’s first renewable energy source, we look forward to working with Secretary Haaland as she implements the Biden Administration’s whole-of-the-government approach to address the climate crisis. Hydropower currently provides flexible, carbon-free electricity to roughly 30 million Americans, and can serve as a force multiplier to integrate greater amounts of variable wind and solar onto the grid in an environmentally sustainable way.”
