Bill aims to increase transparency in hydropower dam relicensing process
A bill calling for more transparency in hydroelectric dam relicensing is making its way through Congress.
Chelan County PUD Senior Policy Advisor Suzanne Grassell said the Hydropower Relicensing Act, or H.R. 3657, would require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to submit annual reports to Congress on the progress of the relicensing process. She said relicensing involves many steps, including studies and a preliminary application five years before a dam is up for relicensing.
According to Grassell and primary sponsor U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier, the bill will streamline the relicensing process by holding all parties accountable for completing the required steps on time.
Additionally, Grassell said the bill highlights the importance of hydropower to lawmakers and citizens who may not be aware of the relicensing process.
“We appreciate Rep. Schrier’s work to emphasize the importance of hydropower, which often gets lost in the broader conversation about energy policy,” Grassell said.
FERC guidelines allow for oral and written input from the public, as well as from other stakeholders such as federal and state wildlife departments and local tribes.
Hydroelectric dams must be relicensed every 30 to 50 years through the FERC, a process that can take seven to 10 years.
The license for Rock Island Dam expires Dec. 31, 2028. The dam, about 12 miles downstream on the Columbia River from Wenatchee, is owned and operated by the Chelan County PUD. The dam requires a FERC license due to the Federal Power Act (FPA), which states that non-federal projects located on navigable waters, or using U.S. lands or water power, must have the license or an exemption.
Chelan PUD has already submitted a pre-application document and will implement study plans outlined in FERC’s Study Plan Determination, Grassell said. A final license application must be filed on or before Dec. 31, 2026.
FERC’s relicensing process considers developmental impacts such as power generation, flood control and water supply, and nondevelopmental impacts such as fish and wildlife and recreation resources.
“The Hydropower Licensing Transparency Act will provide greater transparency regarding progress made on hydropower dam licensing and make the overall process more efficient,” Schrier said in a press release. “I am proud to join my colleagues to pass this bill that will help our nation meet rising energy demand by streamlining the permitting of clean, affordable energy.”
H.R. 3657 passed the House on July 14, was read twice in the Senate on July 15 and was referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
“Our community and Washington state are powered by affordable, reliable hydropower, which is essential to meeting our region’s rapidly increasing energy demand. This legislation recognizes the importance of transparent and timely processes to license and maintain this critical generation,” Chelan County PUD General Manager Kirk Hudson said in a press release.