Last week,  President Obama delivered the State of the Union address, in which he heavily focused on plans to tackle future economic issues including matters pertaining to the energy and climate. The President proposed initiatives to support renewable and alternative energy programs, such as making permanent tax incentives for solar and wind energy as well as doubling energy generation over the next 7 years. Additionally, the House passed the Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act of 2013 (H.R. 267) in a unanimous vote February 13th. Among other things, the legislation will expand small hydropower projects by reducing the FERC’s licensing requirements for small-scale hydroelectric projects with low environmental impact.

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