Gallego Energy and Water Bills Advance in Senate Committees

WASHINGTON – Two of Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) ’s bills aimed at conserving Arizona’s water and boosting clean energy production received committee consideration today. “Arizona is facing historic drought conditions and soaring energy costs; we need innovative solutions to tackle these problems, and that’s exactly what my bills being considered today are about,” said Senator Gallego . “I’m glad to see both of them advance and look forward to continuing to work to see them become law.” Language from Senator Gallego’s bipartisan Water Infrastructure Modernization Act was included in the Water Resources Development Act of 2026 , which passed out of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee unanimously this morning. The legislation would incentivize community water systems to purchase and implement new water technologies, including those that can monitor water loss and contamination in real time, integrate artificial intelligence, identify infrastructure failures, and promote aquifer recharge. Additionally, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining held a hearing on Senator Gallego’s Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act , legislation that would strengthen the federal geothermal permitting program by ensuring the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has the resources it needs to process applications quickly and efficiently. The hearing, which provides an opportunity to hear from expert witnesses on legislation pending before the committee, is a critical step in advancing the legislation.