Expedited hydro licensing process established in US as FERC issues final rule

摘要

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in the US last week issued a final rule establishing an expedited licensing process for original hydropower licenses for certain qualifying facilities at existing non-powered dams and for closed-loop pumped storage projects. The rule is part of the Commission's successful implementation of the America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, and seeks to ensure a final licensing decision no later than two years after receipt of a completed application. In November 2018, FERC invited federal and state agencies and Native American tribes to participate in an interagency task force (ITF) to coordinate the regulatory processes associated with the proposed expedited licensing process. The Commission convened an ITF coordination session in December 2018. Informed by the coordination efforts of the ITF, FERC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in January 2019 seeking comment on the proposed expedited licensing process.