A Retrospective on the Oroville Facilities Relicensing: Making Collaboration Work

摘要

When working toward a new Federal Energy Regulatory Commission operating license for its 762-MW Oroville Facilities hydroelectric project, the California Department of Water Resources collaborated extensively with the public. The lessons learned during the Oroville Facilities relicensing process are applicable to any hydro project owner using a collaborative approach to resolving complex resource issues. To negotiate a new operating license for its 762-MW Oroville Facilities hydroelectric project (formerly called Feather River), in December 2000 the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) requested to use the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) alternative licensing process (ALP). The original operating license for the Oroville Facilities project, on the Feather River in northern California, was issued in February 1957. DWR chose the ALP over the traditional licensing process (TLP) for two primary reasons. First, the ALP encourages greater public involvement, enabling the licensee and stakeholders to collaboratively design the consultation process and jointly propose license terms and conditions.