FERC floats proposed rule to speed up certain hydro licenses

摘要

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has launched a rulemaking to ensure that licenses for certain hydropower projects can be issued within two years, a deadline that FERC proposes to meet in part by requiring project sponsors to do a good deal of regulatory legwork before filing an application. The new expedited process would be available to closed-loop pumped storage facilities as well as projects that add hydropower to existing dams. Hydro advocates say there is up to 5,000 MW of potential power at existing dams, but permitting can take up to 10 years. To qualify for the expedited process, project sponsors should show that they have started key state and federal consultations regarding water quality and endangered species, FERC said in the notice of proposed rulemaking (RM19-6), issued Thursday. While the required federal and state authorizations would remain the same, documentation of these authorizations would be submitted earlier in the licensing process, FERC said.