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The legislation was introduced by Senators Daines and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire in the Senate and Representatives Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire and Carol Miller of West Virginia in the House. Representatives Adam Gray of California and David Rouzer of North Carolina have meanwhile introduced the CURRENT Act. The bipartisan House bill seeks to provide greater clarity and certainty in the water quality certification process under the Clean Water Act. Commenting on the legislation, NHA Senior
Director of Legislative Affairs Matthew Allen said: “It’s rare to see so many lawmakers from different parties and regions united on behalf of a common cause, but that’s what makes hydropower so unique. Hydropower is clean, reliable, and American made; it’s the solution to our ongoing, nationwide effort to make electricity more affordable; and it continues innovating to meet changing energy needs. “Hydro’s dependable power and critical infrastructure can help lower Americans’ bills and provide good jobs for generations of families. But the current, outdated licensing process is slowing down new construction and threatens around 16GW of hydropower going through relicensing in the next decade. That’s why I’m thrilled to see these hydropower champions in Congress work to provide common-sense solutions. Each piece of legislation thoughtfully addresses ongoing challenges and helps to fully unleash hydropower’s full value on the grid. NHA will work hard to make each of them law.”
Australia
300MW Stratford pumped hydro project gets government approval The New South Wales Government has approved the A$1.8bn(US$1.2bn) Stratford Pumped Hydro and Solar project, which will redevelop a former coal mine into a renewable energy facility in the Gloucester Valley. The project, developed by Gloucester Coal Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Yancoal Australia Limited, will be built at the former Stratford Mining Complex, where coal mining operations ended in 2024. The site is located about 100km north of Newcastle. The development includes a 300MW pumped storage hydropower station with 12 hours of energy storage and a 320MW solar farm. Water will be transferred between a new upper reservoir and an existing mine dam through a tunnel, with the initial reservoir filled using water already on the mine site. The facility is forecast to deliver around 13% of New South Wales’ 2034 long-duration energy storage target, and is expected to create up to 350 construction jobs and 10 permanent positions. A Voluntary Planning Agreement with Mid Coast Council will provide around A$18.2m over the life of the project for community and infrastructure projects. “This is exactly what planning for the future
looks like,” said Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley. “We are taking a former mine site and giving it a new purpose powering up to 120,000 homes across New South Wales. “This is a major vote of confidence in our
region. We have the land, infrastructure, and skilled workforce needed to deliver the next generation of major energy projects.” The Stratford project was declared Critical
State Significant Infrastructure in June 2024 and forms part of the New South Wales Government’s Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap, which aims to support the state’s transition from coal-fired generation while maintaining energy security. Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said: “This is the first pumped hydro project to secure final planning approval in NSW in 6 years. It’s a sign of our commitment to a clean energy future and the beginnings of an evolution of jobs and energy generation in the Hunter to power homes and businesses. “Projects like Stratford Pumped Hydro also show how we can make the most of former mining sites and create new jobs and industry which will help to drive the region’s economic growth for decades to come.” The approval follows broader efforts to
expand renewable energy infrastructure in New South Wales. Since March 2023, the state government has approved 52 renewable energy projects, while more than 57 renewable generation, storage and transmission projects remain under assessment. The Hunter region is also playing an
increasing role in the energy transition through the Port of Newcastle, which is handling imports of renewable energy infrastructure including wind turbine components, solar panels and battery energy storage systems. “The Port of Newcastle is the mouth that feeds the state’s transition to renewable energy,” commented Member for Newcastle Tim Crackanthorp. “This project is a great glimpse into NSW energy future, reusing a former mining site for new and innovative renewable energy technologies.”
China
CYPC takes over operation of Zhejiang Tiantai pumped storage plant China Yangtze Power Co (CYPC) has officially taken over full operation and maintenance (O&M) responsibility for the Zhejiang Tiantai pumped storage power station following the completion of trial operation of its fourth and final generating unit. The 1.7GW facility, located in Zhejiang
Province, has a rated head of 724m and is equipped with four 425MW reversible pump- turbine units. According to CYPC, it is the pumped storage power station with the world’s highest rated head and the largest single-unit capacity in China. The plant is expected to generate around 1.7TWh of electricity annually.
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Construction of the main works began in May 2022. The first unit was connected to the grid in December 2025, with all four units commissioned by June 2026. CYPC said the project is the first pumped storage power station in China to achieve full commissioning during the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030). The company said it adopted a “construction and operation integration” approach, participating throughout the project’s development from design review and equipment acceptance to construction coordination and unit commissioning. Drawing on experience from large hydropower and pumped storage projects, CYPC completed the transfer of O&M responsibility for all four units within six months. The company said the project will support
renewable energy integration and improve grid stability in eastern China. CYPC currently operates the Changlongshan and Tiantai pumped storage power stations in Zhejiang Province and is preparing for commercial operation at the Songyang pumped storage project. It is also involved in the construction of the Zhangye pumped storage project in Gansu Province and preliminary work on a project in Xiuning, Anhui Province. The company said it will continue to
expand its pumped storage portfolio while focusing on the safe and efficient operation of commissioned facilities to support the development of China’s power system and renewable energy capacity.
Lithuania
Ignitis Gamyba to deploy HYDROGRID platform across Lithuanian hydro portfolio Ignitis Gamyba has selected HYDROGRID to deploy its hydropower optimisation platform at the Kruonis Hydro Pumped Storage Power Plant (HPSPP) and Kaunas Hydropower Plant (HPP) in Lithuania. The two facilities have a combined installed capacity of more than 1GW and play a central role in Lithuania’s grid balancing and reserve capacity. The agreement covers the full suite of HYDROGRID Insight modules, including real-time operational optimisation, dispatch scheduling, market bidding support and ancillary services management. The platform will provide automated scheduling across Kruonis HPSPP and Kaunas HPP, with the aim of optimising dispatch across ancillary services and energy markets. It will also combine hydrological inflow forecasting with market signals to support short- and medium- term generation planning. Water management and production
planning tools will support participation in ancillary services under the requirements of the Synchronous Grid of Continental Europe, including frequency containment reserve (FCR), automatic frequency restoration reserve (aFRR),
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