HYDRO CURRENTS

摘要

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has relicensed the Toledo Bend hydro project on the Sabine River, including a new 1.3-MW minimum flow unit, for total installed capacity of 82.3 MW. FERC staff issued a final environmental impact statement in January recommending relicensing of the project on the Texas and Louisiana border. The Sabine River Authority of Texas and the Sabine River Authority, State of Louisiana, are joint licensees. The authorities, which filed to relicense the project in 2011, proposed to implement provisions of settlement agreements with the U.S. Forest Service on recreation, shoreline erosion, and invasive species and with other stakeholders on aquatic issues. They also proposed to construct a 1.3-MW horizontal Francis minimum flow unit in a second powerhouse downstream of the spillway. FERC relicensed the project Aug. 29 with terms based on the application, plus the settlement agreements and additional mandatory conditions and FERC staff modifications. If the project were relicensed with no changes, power would cost about $20.90/MWh less than the cost of alternative power. Under the authorities' proposal, power would cost $2.93/MWh less than alternative. Under the FERC staff-endorsed alternative, power would cost $2.63/MWh less.