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Federal regulators have granted Native American tribes more power to block hydropower projects on their land after a flurry of applications were filed to expand renewable energy in the water-scarce U.S. Southwest. Previously, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission granted developers approval to move ahead with planning even if tribes objected. Now, a new commission policy allows tribes to quickly veto proposals, forcing businesses to cooperate if they want the federal government to grant them exclusive rights to their hydropower projects.

The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has rejected several proposed hydropower projects on the largest Native American reservation in the U.S. The commission has also created a policy that essentially gives tribes veto power over such projects early on

Federal regulators have granted Native American tribes more power to block hydropower projects on their land after a flurry of applications were filed to expand

"This is the acknowledgement and respect of tribal sovereignty, which is critical," said George Hardeen, spokesperson for the Navajo Nation's president's office.