The Renovation of the Mechanicville Hydroelectric Station
The Mechanicville Hydroelectric Facility, owned and operated by Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation, was first developed in 1897. This paper traces its history, relicensing and new design....
Effects of the Environmental Approval Process on Project Scheduling and Economics
The environmental approval process is fundamental to the permitting of hydropower projects. Recent changes in permitting requirements has had a significant effect on the cost and schedule...
Negotiating with State and Federal Fish and Wildlife Agencies
The Federal Power Act of 1920 (Act), as amended by the Electric Consumers Protection Act of 1986, requires that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, in order to adequately and equitably...
Licensing in the 1990's: Can FERC Be a One-Stop Shop?
The Federal Water Power Act of 1920 was enacted in order to create a comprehensive licensing scheme for hydroelectric power development. Central to that scheme was the consolidation of...
FERC's Experience in Analyzing Cumulative Impacts
Since the mid-1980's, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) has assessed cumulative impacts associated with developing proposed hydropower projects. A brief...
This article discusses recent developments in enforcement by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ('Commission' or 'FERC') of its...
Extensive Civil Penalities Apply - FERC Takes Aim at Hydro Operators' Heads
On August 23, 1988, the FERC published rules implementing its new civil penalty assessment authority. Those rules raise various issues of concern for hydro operators, and additional issues...
Optimum Use of the Water Resource a Factor in the Hydroelectric Relicense Process
To meet Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) requirements for a new license, owners must demonstrate full development of the available water resource. This paper presents an approach...
Overview of EPRI's Hydro Program
The near term objective of the Electric Power Research Institutes (EPRI) Hydro Program is to provide practical and easily used research results and industry guides in the areas of dam...
EPRI's Hydro Relicensing Strategy
The most successful relicensing program is anticipated to involve an aggressive, proactive strategy as follows: select a small, responsive management team to make the decisions concerning...
Utility Options for Meeting Dissolved Oxygen Limits for Hydroelectric Power Plant Discharges
Due to increased attention by regulating agencies to the dissolved oxygen levels of water released through hydroelectric power plants, the Electric Power Research Institute has developed...
Fishery Assessments at Hydroelectric Projects Using Electrofishing, Nets, and Hydroacoustics
Assessments of fish population and entrainment were made at a hydroelectric generating station and spill dam on the Ohio River. By combining complementary sampling techniques, full assessments...
Managing the Columbia River to Meet Anadromous Fish Requirements
According to northwest fishery agencies and Indian tribes the protection for juvenile salmon and steelhead is not adequate. The Northwest Power Planning Council, formed as the result of...
Radio Telemetry as a Tool for Fisheries Mitigation
Monitoring discrete fixed locations requires automated receivers and data loggers while manned, mobile receivers are more suited to general movement or habitat studies. Of the three tagging...
Hydropower and Fish Passage Impacts
The Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act (Act) of 1980 formed the Northwest Power Planning Council, which establishes criteria and sets goals for developing future...
Improvement of Dissolved Oxygen Levels at Shepaug Hydro Station
Discharge from Shepaug Dam in Connecticut fall below the state standard for dissolved oxygen in summer and early fall, because of thermal stratification of the upstream eutrophic reservoir....
Water Quality Studies for Hydro Licenses
Three case studies on the impact of hydro operation on dissolved oxygen concentration performed for hydro license applications are utilized in a discussion of water quality issues. A negative...
Tailwater Management for Beneficial Uses
Tailwaters can provide significant benefits for recreation, fisheries, assimilative capacity for treated wastewaters, and water supply for municipalities and industries. Development and...
A Water Quality Impact Analysis of a Hydropower Facility
A low-head hydropower generating facility has been proposed at an existing dam site on a river. The state environmental agency has required an environmental evaluation into the potential...
Balancing Hydropower Development in the Ohio River Basin
A large number of retrofit hydroelectric projects have been proposed at existing navigation dams in the Ohio River basin. These proposals involve potentially adverse environmental impacts,...
Return to search