Hydropower Licensing – Get Involved

F E

R C

W, DC

..

A GUIDE FOR THE PUBLIC

Hydropower Licensing—

Get Involved

HYDROPOWER LICENSING—GET INVOLVED

Hydropower in

Your Community

You may have just learned that the lake near

your home, the dam that releases water where

you boat, or the area in the ocean where you

ﬁsh is being considered for a FERC license or reli-

cense. You may be wondering what that means

and how it could aﬀect the activities you enjoy.

e Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

(Commission or FERC) licenses and relicenses

hydroelectric projects, including new hydrokinetic

technologies, and wants you to know how to

participate in the licensing process.To help you

get involved, this brochure explains the Commis-

sion’s licensing process and addresses the most

frequently asked questions about the hydropower

program. A glossary is provided at the end of this

brochure to familiarize you with some of the

technical terms associated with hydropower

projects and the work of the Commission.



The Commission’s Role

e Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is an independent federal agency with

a mission to regulate and oversee energy industries in the economic, environmental,

and safety interests of the American public. Part of this mission involves promoting

the development of a strong national energy infrastructure that includes hydropower,

which is currently the leading renewable energy source in the United States. Congress

has charged the Commission with evaluating whether proposed non-federal hydro-

power projects should be approved. e Commission does not propose, construct,

operate, or own such projects. But it does issue preliminary permits and licenses for

hydropower projects, enforces the conditions of each license for the duration of its

term, and conducts project safety and environmental inspections.

What is a preliminary permit?

Preliminary permits maintain a permittee’s priority to ﬁle a license application while

it gathers data and studies the feasibility of developing a proposed project at a par-

ticular site. Permits expire after three years, but may be extended by the Commission

for an additional two years. Permits do not authorize any land-disturbing activities

or project construction or installation. During the term of the permit, a permittee

prepares an application for an original hydropower license.

What is an “original” hydropower license? What is a “new” hydropower license?

An original hydropower license authorizes the construction and operation of a project

for a term of up to 50 years. A new license, also called a relicense, authorizes the

continued operation of an existing (previously licensed) project, and the license

term may be 30 to 50 years.

HYDROPOWER LICENSING—GET INVOLVED

What is the Commission’s involvement after a project is licensed?

If a proposed project is licensed, the Commission reviews and approves the ﬁnal

designs for project structures before construction begins and monitors the progress

of project construction. After construction is complete, Commission staﬀ conducts

periodic dam safety inspections to ensure safe project operation, as well as environ-

mental inspections to ensure that project operators comply with environmental

safeguards required by the license. e Commission ensures that any required plans,

such as shoreline, cultural, or ﬁsheries management plans, are developed and imple-

mented according to the license.

What if a licensee wants to make changes at a licensed project?

During the term of a license, the Commission must approve any proposed changes

or amendments to that license. Notices of applications to change license require-

ments, including discontinuing operations, changing ownership or use of project

lands, or modifying project facilities or operation, are published by the applicant in

your local newspaper, posted in eLibrary (discussed later), and evaluated before the

Commission acts.

Preliminary Permit

 Does not authorize

construction or any land-

disturbing activities

Issued for a term up to 3 years

but may be extended 2 years

Reserves site for permit

holder; includes progress

reports

No dam or land

ownership required

License

 Authorizes construction

and operation of a

hydropower project

Issued for a term up to 50 years

Includes measures to protect

the environment

Requires that licensee has

or obtains ownership or

easement on project lands

and waters



Is It A Permit Or License

Overview of

Commission

Procedures

A license or relicense application must

contain the necessary information for

the Commission to evaluate project

eﬀects and prepare the environmental

documents required by the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and its

regulations. e Commission’s licensing

process is designed to identify and obtain

needed information during the pre-ﬁling

(before the ﬁling of a license application)

stage, to inform a comprehensive Com-

mission review of project beneﬁts, eﬀects,

and recommendations during the post-

ﬁling stage.

Does FERC have a standard licensing process?

e Commission follows three diﬀerent licensing processes. ese are called the

Integrated Licensing Process (ILP), the Traditional Licensing Process (TLP), and the

Alternative Licensing Process (ALP). e ILP is the Commission’s default licensing

process. e latter two processes require the Commission’s approval to use in lieu

of the ILP. All three processes are described in more detail on the Commission’s

website at www.ferc.gov/industries/hydropower.asp.

What does the pre-ﬁling stage involve?

e applicant ﬁles an initial proposal and information document to begin the licensing

process. Commission staﬀ then seeks input from the public, nongovernmental orga-

nizations, Indian tribes, and local, state, and federal resource agencies in order to

(1) identify environmental issues regarding a proposed or existing project and (2)

determine what studies are needed in order to better understand these issues. To that

end, staﬀ will hold public scoping meetings and a project site visit. e applicant then

works with Commission staﬀ and stakeholders to develop a scientiﬁcally supported

study plan that will characterize resources (such as recreation, water quality, etc.)

potentially aﬀected by the project and the potential eﬀects on those resources. Studies

HYDROPOWER LICENSING—GET INVOLVED

typically take one-two years to complete, and the study results are used to develop

the license application. e Commission will begin its post-ﬁling environmental analysis

only after all necessary information gathering is complete.

What does the post-ﬁling stage involve?

e license application includes detailed descriptions of the project facilities, operation,

and any proposed changes (in the case of a relicense), as well as a description of the

existing environmental resources, eﬀects of the proposed project on these resources,

and proposed mitigation measures. After the license application is ﬁled and accepted

as complete, Commission staﬀ will again seek input from members of the public,

nongovernmental organizations, tribes, and agencies on the applicant’s license

application in advance of preparing the environmental documents required by NEPA.

Comments and recommendations made by stakeholders are taken into account by

Commission staﬀ in the development of the NEPA documents. e Commission

will then use the comments and environmental documents to determine whether

issuing a license for a project is appropriate and, if so, what environmental measures

and operational conditions to include in the license.



Post-Filing

FERC Issues

License Order

Integrated Licensing Process

Applicant Files Application:

Proposal, Eﬀects, And

Mitigation Measures

FERC Reviews and

Solicits Public Comment

FERC Issues Environmental

Document and Solicits

Public Comment

Pre-Filing

Applicant Prepares

Application

Applicant ﬁles Initial

Proposal and Information

Document

FERC Holds Scoping

Meetings and Solicits

Public Comment

Applicant conducts

studies, if needed

Learn About Projects Near You

In this section, we explain how to learn about the hydropower projects in your

community.

When will I ﬁrst learn about a proposed hydroelectric project?

An applicant ﬁling an application for a license is required to publish a public notice

in the local newspaper. e Commission also publishes public notices of applications

for preliminary permits and licenses in local newspaper(s) and in the Federal Register.

When would I hear that an existing project is up for relicensing?

e owner of an existing project, or licensee, must ﬁle with the Commission a notice

of intent to apply for a new license at least ﬁve years before the existing license expires.

e Commission then publishes a notice of commencement of proceeding and

scoping document (discussed later) in the local newspaper. An applicant will contact

individuals and groups that may have an interest in the project and encourage them

to participate in the licensing process. ese include landowners aﬀected by the project;

representatives of local and national stakeholder groups; tribes; and local, state, and

federal resource agencies. Even if you have not been contacted directly about a project,

you still have the right to participate in the process. You should contact FERC directly

to let us know that you want to be included in the Mailing List (discussed later).

HYDROPOWER LICENSING—GET INVOLVED

How do I get more information about a project?

ere are several tools available to learn about projects near you:

• Many licensees that own and operate hydropower projects have websites that you

can check for information about their hydropower projects and licensing activities.

• You can look at the Commission’s website at www.ferc.gov/hydropower for a

list of issued preliminary permits and licenses, as well as their expiration dates,

in your state; for additional information, see “For Citizens” on www.ferc.gov, and

click on “Projects Near You.”

• You also can look in the public notice sections of your local newspapers to learn

about preliminary permit and license applications.

How do I stay informed throughout the licensing process?

e most eﬀective ways to monitor licensing activities are to get on the project

Mailing List, attend scoping meetings, read the license application and NEPA docu-

ments, and get up-to-date project information from the Commission’s website

through eSubscription and eLibrary (both are discussed in more detail later).

Have Your Voice Heard

You have numerous opportunities to provide comments during both the pre-ﬁling

and post-ﬁling phases of the Commission’s licensing process. In this section, we

explain how you may participate during a licensing proceeding.

Why should I participate? Why is it important for me to get involved early?

It is up to you to inform the Commission of your concerns with, or your support

for, a project. e Commission uses your input to help determine how best to bal-

ance the beneﬁts of electricity generation with the environmental eﬀects of operat-

ing an energy-generating facility. Early involvement allows your issues and concerns

to be identiﬁed, discussed, and analyzed during the licensing process. Speciﬁcally,

your participation in licensing discussions may inﬂuence decisions about which

issues to examine, which studies to conduct, and which environmental measures

to include in the license application.



Are individual voices welcome?

Yes. You, as a member of the public, have

an important role in the Commission’s

licensing process, particularly during

NEPA scoping and environmental review.

NEPA requires that federal agencies

evaluate, and disclose to the public, the

environmental eﬀects of any major action

they are considering, such as issuing a

hydropower license.

When and how will I be able to comment on the licensing

of a hydropower project?

You will have several opportunities to inform the applicant and Commission of your

views about a project. During the pre-ﬁling phase, you may:

• Provide written comments documenting your concerns with, or support for,

the project.

• Provide oral comments and ask questions of Commission staﬀ and the applicant

at public scoping meetings and the site visit.

• Submit study requests and participate in work groups during study plan development.

During the post-ﬁling phase, you may:

• Provide written comments on the license application, which may include your

recommendations for measures to be included as license conditions.

• Provide written comments on the Commission’s environmental documents.

All written comments and transcripts of scoping meetings will be placed in the record

for the project and made available to the public via the Commission’s eLibrary. e

Commission’s licensing decision is based on information in this record.

What is scoping?

Scoping, which generally refers to the process of identifying the potential impacts

that a project would have on the environment or the community, occurs early in the

pre-ﬁling phase of the Integrated Licensing Process. During scoping, the Commission

issues what is called a scoping document describing the project, identifying issues,

HYDROPOWER LICENSING—GET INVOLVED

and inviting further comment from the public. e Commission usually conducts

one or more public meetings and accepts both written and oral comments on the

scoping document. Based on comments received during scoping, the Commission

then determines which issues to address and analyze in the environmental documents.

When can I request a study?

Study needs are identiﬁed early in the pre-ﬁling phase of the licensing process when

the applicant is meeting with stakeholders to decide what information to include

in the license application. Studies may also be discussed during scoping meetings.

What do I include in a study request?

You should include an explanation of why the study is needed, along with the study’s

goals and objectives; public interest considerations; any gaps in existing information

that the study will ﬁll; an explanation of how the study is connected to project

operations or eﬀects; study methodology; and the level of eﬀort and cost of conducting

the requested study.

How are my comments on a license application or NEPA document used

by the Commission? Where are my concerns addressed?

All comments are important to the Commission. e Commission addresses comments

in its environmental documents and license orders, and they become part of the record

upon which the Commission makes its decision. When making comments, you should

explain your issue as clearly as possible so that Commission staﬀ can fully understand

your concern.



To whom do I send my comments—the applicant, the Commission, or

both—whether during the pre- or post-ﬁling phase of the licensing process?

Send all comments to the Commission, with a copy to the applicant. You may eFile

your comments, following the instructions provided on the Commission’s website,

www.ferc.gov/docs-ﬁling/eﬁling.asp or mail your comments to the Secretary,

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20426.

For either method, direct your comment to the Secretary of the Commission.

Make sure that you include the FERC project number (also known as the docket

number) and sub-docket number on all correspondence. e docket number is the

four- or ﬁve-digit number (preceded by P-). e sub-docket number is the three

digits added to the end of a docket number to distinguish each separate proceeding

within that docket and is included on all notices and documents that the Commis-

sion issues for a speciﬁc project. e project number will be used to identify the

project throughout the life of the original and any new licenses.

Get Information

e Commission has created a variety of user-friendly tools to facilitate public

involvement in the licensing process. In this section, we explain how you can get

information to and from the Commission.

What is eLibrary? How is it useful to me?

eLibrary is a records information system that provides access to all public documents

submitted to and issued by the Commission. You can access eLibrary and its public

documents through the Commission’s website at www.ferc.gov/docs-ﬁling/eLibrary.

asp. e easiest way to access documents in eLibrary is by using the project number

(e.g., P-1234) for your particular project, so it is important to record that number

in your ﬁles.

What is eSubscription? How is it useful to me?

eSubscription is a service oﬀered by the Commission that notiﬁes interested parties

by email of any ﬁling, including Commission correspondence, for a speciﬁc project.

You can sign up for this free service by going to the Commission’s website at www.

ferc.gov/docs-ﬁling/esubscription.asp and following the steps for registration.

Again, you will need the project (docket) number to subscribe.

HYDROPOWER LICENSING—GET INVOLVED

How do I eFile? Who can help me with eFiling?

eFiling is a system that allows interested parties to submit comments to the Commission

through its website. You would prepare your submission in the same manner as you

would if you were ﬁling on paper. If you are ﬁling in a docketed proceeding, the document

you submit must include the project (docket and sub-docket) number (e.g., P-1234-000)

applicable to your submission. All documents must include the name and address of

the person responsible for the ﬁling. For more information about submission guidelines,

go to www.ferc.gov/docs-ﬁling/eﬁling.asp. e advantage of eFiling is that the document

is generally logged into the eLibrary system the day it is submitted, while submitting

comments by ﬁrst class mail may take longer. If you have questions or need help with a

submission, the Commission’s eFiling experts can help. ey can be reached by tele-

phone at 202-502-6652 or by e-mail at [email protected].

What is an intervenor in a Commission proceeding? How do I become

an intervenor?

A person who intervenes in a Commission proceeding, known as a party to the

proceeding, is placed on the project’s Service List and is entitled to seek rehearing

of a preliminary permit or license order and to appeal the Commission’s ﬁnal deci-

sion to the appropriate federal court. An intervenor receives the applicant’s ﬁlings

and other Commission documents related to the project, as well as materials ﬁled



by other intervenors. Conversely, an intervenor has an obligation to provide copies

of any ﬁlings made with the Commission to the applicant and all other intervenors.

is can be done through e-mail or ﬁrst class mail. Filing a motion to intervene is

simple; instructions about how to become an intervenor are on the Commission’s

website at http://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp. e

Commission’s public notice of a preliminary permit application or a license applica-

tion will set the deadline for ﬁling motions to intervene in that proceeding.

What is the diﬀerence between a Mailing List and a Service List?

If you are on the Commission’s Mailing List for a speciﬁc project, you will receive

copies of all correspondence the Commission issues regarding that project. If you

are on the Service List, you will receive the Commission’s issuances as well as all ﬁl-

ings made by others identiﬁed on the Service List (intervenors).

How do I get on (or oﬀ) the Commission’s Service List or Mailing List for

a speciﬁc project?

Intervenors are automatically included in the Commission’s Service List for that pro-

ceeding. If you wish to be added to or removed from the Commission’s oﬃcial Mailing

List, you may eFile your request or send your request by ﬁrst class mail to the Secretary,

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE, Room 1A, Washington,

DC 20426. All such requests must specify your wish to be removed or added to the

Mailing List and must clearly identify the project name, docket, and sub-docket

number on the ﬁrst page of your request.

Other Licensing Questions

is section explains several legal issues associated with hydropower licensing.

How is a hydropower project

boundary deﬁned?

e project boundary includes lands

and waters needed for project purposes.

e Commission determines which lands

and waters will be needed for an applicant

or licensee: (1) to construct and operate

HYDROPOWER LICENSING—GET INVOLVED

its project and (2) to carry out other project purposes such as recreation, wildlife

protection and enhancement, etc. Typically, the dam, reservoir, powerhouse, tailrace,

conduits and penstocks, access roads, ﬁsh passage facilities, primary transmission

lines, recreation sites, and wildlife habitat are included within project boundaries.

Do I get special notice if I am a landowner directly aﬀected by

a Commission license?

Yes. For an original license (unconstructed project), the applicant would notify you

as a landowner with property directly within the footprint of the proposed project

and oﬀer the opportunity to sell outright or grant an easement across any lands that

are needed for the project. When an existing project is being relicensed, the Commis-

sion requires that landowners be notiﬁed if the applicant needs to bring additional

lands into the project boundary to protect environmental resources or to construct

new facilities.

What is a settlement agreement and how does it relate to the licensing process?

A settlement agreement is a written agreement among the license applicant and

stakeholders about how the project will operate and what environmental measures

will be implemented over the term of the license. Settlement agreements may be

comprehensive or may include only some of the stakeholders or some of the key

issues. In either case, the Commission encourages applicants and stakeholders to



reach a settlement. e license will typically include the provisions of a settlement,

as long as they are consistent with the Commission’s policy on settlements. You

can ﬁnd information about the Commission’s policy on settlement agreements at

http://www.ferc.gov/whats-new/comm-meet/092106/H-1.pdf. ose beginning

settlement discussions are encouraged to seek the advice of Commission staﬀ.

What are ex parte communications?

Ex parte communications are oﬀ-the-record communications with the Commission

and its staﬀ about the merits of a project. Generally, after a license application is ﬁled

with the Commission, meetings and discussions among the Commission staﬀ, the

applicant, and other stakeholders must ﬁrst be publicly noticed so that everyone involved

has the opportunity to participate. Commission staﬀ may NOT have informal or oﬀ-

the-record communications about the merits of the project with the applicant, stake-

holders, or intervenors in the proceeding. However, communications about procedural

issues are allowed.

Is the Commission subject

to other federal laws?

Yes. e Commission must comply

with a variety of federal laws, such

as the Clean Water Act (to protect

water quality), the Endangered

Species Act (to protect threatened

and endangered plant and animal

species), and the National Historic

Preservation Act (to protect cultur-

ally signiﬁcant places and historic

properties).

Why are the cultural resource reports and threatened and endangered

species reports handled in a privileged and conﬁdential manner?

If these reports include sensitive information such as the locations of historic properties or

threatened and endangered ﬁsh, wildlife and plant species, federal regulations require that

this information be treated as privileged and conﬁdential to protect the sites and species.

HYDROPOWER LICENSING—GET INVOLVED

Types of Hydropower Projects

It may be helpful for you to understand the components of a particular hydropower

project and how it operates, so that you can provide constructive comments during

the licensing process. In this section, we provide information about conventional

hydropower and pumped-storage projects and hydrokinetic projects.

CONVENTIONAL AND PUMPEDSTORAGE PROJECTS

What is a conventional hydropower project?

Most conventional hydropower projects consist of: (1) a dam to redirect or impound

and redirect a source of water; (2) a turbine to harness the potential energy of the

impounded water contained in the reservoir; (3) a generator connected to a tur-

bine; and (4) a transmission line to get the power to the market. Water is diverted

downhill from the reservoir to a powerhouse where it is directed through the tur-

bine. e weight of the water in the reservoir pushes the water through the pen-

stock and the turbine causing the turbine to spin. e turbine is attached to the

generator, and as the turbine and generator spin the generator creates electricity,

which enters the market via the transmission line.



COURTESY OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, AS MODIFIED BY FERC STAFF.

Conventional Hydroelectric Project

Reservoir

Intake

Penstock

Turbine

River

Power Lines

Powerhouse

Generator

What is a pumped-storage project?

Pumped storage projects consist of: (1) two reservoirs, an upper and a lower; (2)

a reversible turbine/generator assembly that can act as a water pump or a turbine

(pump-turbine); (3) a penstock; and (4) a transmission line to get the power to

the market. Pumped-storage projects act as rechargeable batteries on the electric

grid and produce and supply electricity during peak demand. At times of low elec-

trical demand, electricity is used by the generator to reverse the direction of the

pump-turbine and pump water from the lower reservoir through the penstocks

and up into the upper reservoir. e water is stored in the upper reservoir until

the demand for electricity is high. e water is then released from the upper res-

ervoir back through the penstock and the pump-turbine into the lower reservoir,

the pump-turbine generates electricity from the ﬂow of the water, and the power

enters the market via the transmission line.

HYDROKINETIC PROJECTS

What is a hydrokinetic project?

A hydrokinetic project is a project that generates electricity from waves or directly from

the ﬂow of water in ocean currents, tides, or inland waterways without the use of a dam

or reservoir. Many hydrokinetic technologies are currently in the experimental or

HYDROPOWER LICENSING—GET INVOLVED

COURTESY OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, AS MODIFIED BY FERC STAFF.

Pumped Storage Project

Lower Reservoir

Transmission Lines

Upper Reservoir

Intake

Penstock

Powerhouse

developmental stage. Wind turbines are not hydrokinetic; the Commission does not

have jurisdiction over wind projects.

How does hydrokinetic energy generation work?

Devices intended to capture

energy from tides, ocean currents,

and river ﬂow can be similar in

concept to traditional turbines,

but are placed underwater and

directly within the ﬂow. Strategies

for capturing energy from waves

can vary greatly in design and

often use ﬂoating buoys.

Are hydrokinetic projects

treated diﬀerently from

conventional projects?

Yes. Because hydrokinetic tech-

nologies are new, rapidly changing,

and diﬀerent from conventional

projects in that they are not directly

dependent on dams, the Com-

mission has made some adapta-

tions to address hydrokinetic

projects. For example, to support

research and development of

hydrokinetic technologies, the

Commission will consider expe-

dited licensing for small hydroki-

netic projects. e resulting licenses will have shorter license terms and will be

subject to special environmental protections. In addition, the Commission has

implemented strict requirements for hydrokinetic preliminary permits; developers

must show progress in developing an application or the permit will be cancelled

so that the site is available to others.



COURTESY OF VERDANT POWER.

Glossary of Terms

Applicant—A utility, municipality, corporation, or individual applying to license or

relicense a hydropower project. If a license is granted, the applicant is then referred

to as the licensee.

Baseline conditions—In a NEPA analysis, baseline conditions are the existing condi-

tions against which the proposed action and all alternatives are considered.

Bypassed Reach—e reach of a river where stream ﬂows are removed by the proj-

ect for power generation. e bypassed reach of the river extends from the proj-

ect’s diversion dam to the project’s tailrace.

Cooperating agency—When the Commission issues its public notice after a license

application is ﬁled, it asks whether any other agencies are interested in cooperating

in the preparation of the NEPA documents. Any agency that wishes to be a cooperating

agency works with the Commission staﬀ to ensure that the NEPA document can be

used to support both the Commission’s licensing and the agency’s permitting decisions.

Diversion Dam—A structure built to impound a reservoir.

Docket and Sub-docket Number—e docket number is the number (preceded

by P-) assigned to a hydropower project, also known as a project number. e sub-

docket number is the three digits added to the end of a docket number to distinguish

each separate proceeding within that docket. All correspondence with the Commis-

sion should include the sub-docket number, if known. For example: P-1234-000.

P-1234 is the docket number and 000 is the sub-docket number.

Fish Ladder—A structure used to allow the upstream passage of ﬁsh around a

diversion dam.

Forebay—e body of water from which water is drawn into the project’s penstock.

Hydropower or hydroelectric power—e production of electricity using water.

Intake—e facility or structure located at the entrance to a conduit through

which water is withdrawn for power generation.

HYDROPOWER LICENSING—GET INVOLVED

Licensing process—One of three approaches to license a project that include the

Integrated Licensing Process (ILP); the Traditional Licensing Process (TLP); and the

Alternative Licensing Process (ALP). e ILP is the Commission’s default licensing

process. e latter two approaches require the Commission’ approval for use in lieu

of the ILP, and are typically reserved for non-controversial projects.

Mailing list—e Commission’s list of contacts for a particular project that receive

copies of all correspondence the Commission issues regarding that project.

Mandatory terms and conditions—Terms and conditions that by law must be

included in a license order. ese would include conditions in a water quality certi-

ﬁcation issued by the appropriate state agency under the Clean Water Act, ﬁshway

prescriptions issued by the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Commerce

under section 18 of the Federal Power Act (FPA), or conditions issued by federal

land managing agencies or tribes for tribal lands under section 4(e) of the FPA.

National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA—is Act requires federal agencies to

integrate environmental values into their decision-making processes by considering

the environmental impacts of their proposed actions and reasonable alternatives to

those actions. As discussed throughout this brochure, the public plays an important

role in the NEPA process.

Penstock—A closed conduit or pipe used to carry water under pressure from the

project’s forebay to a turbine.

Power Canal—A canal that delivers water from a stream or reservoir to a project’s

forebay.

Powerhouse—A structure that contains the turbine and generator of a hydro-

power project.

Pre-Application Document, or PAD—is is the foundation document that provides

the Commission and others with the existing information about a project and its envi-

rons. It is ﬁled with the applicant’s notice of intent to ﬁle a license application. e PAD

serves as the basis for determining what additional information is needed to support

a license application and ultimately for the Commission’s environmental analysis.



HYDROPOWER LICENSING—GET INVOLVED

Pre-ﬁling process—is is the portion of the licensing process between an applicant’s

submission of a notice of intent to ﬁle a license application and the ﬁling of the actual

license application. During this time, the stakeholders and the applicant identify the

information needed for the license application, the applicant conducts the studies

necessary to provide that information, and the applicant develops the license application.

Proceeding—Generally each application and certain requests before the Commission

are considered separate legal proceedings. e sub-docket number (the three digits

added to the end of a docket number) distinguishes each separate proceeding within

that docket.

Public record—e record of ﬁlings maintained in eLibrary that informs the public,

stakeholders, tribes, and agencies and supports the Commission’s decisions.

Ready for environmental analysis, or REA—e ﬁnding the Commission makes

when the information in a license application is adequate for the Commission to conduct

its environmental analyses. e Commission’s issuance of this notice triggers the

ﬁling of terms, conditions, and recommendations from stakeholders and agencies.

Reservoir—A body of water impounded by a dam.

Scoping—e process of identifying issues to be analyzed in the environmental

documents as captured in a scoping document.

Stakeholders—Members of the public, agencies, tribes, and organizations with a

stake in the Commission’s licensing decision.

Study plan—A document that (1) describes the goals and objectives of each study

proposed; (2) addresses resource management objectives; (3) describes existing

information; (4) explains the nexus between project operations and eﬀects for the

resource to be studied; and (5) describes the proposed study methodology, level

of eﬀort, and cost.

Tailrace—e channel immediately below the powerhouse into which the turbine

discharges water.

Transmission Line—Lines that transmit electrical power from a project’s generator

to the electric grid for distribution.



Additional Information

For additional information, contact:

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Oﬃce of External Aﬀairs

888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426

Toll Free: 1-866-208-3372

www.ferc.gov

customer@ferc.gov

Dispute Resolution Service Helpline: 1-877-337-2237

e-mail: ferc.adr@ferc.gov

Other related Commission webpages or documents you may ﬁnd helpful are available on

the Commission hydropower webpage at www.ferc.gov/hydropower, and include

the following:

Complete List of Issued Licenses

www.ferc.gov/industries/hydropower/gen-info/licensing/licenses.xls

Complete List of Issued Preliminary Permits

www.ferc.gov/industries/hydropower/gen-info/licensing/pre-permits.asp

Handbook for Hydroelectric Project Licensing

www.ferc.gov/industries/hydropower/gen-info/handbooks/licensing_hand-

book.pdf

Hydrokinetic Projects Web page at

http://www.ferc.gov/industries/hydropower/gen-info/licensing/hydrokinetics.asp

Compliance Handbook

www.ferc.gov/industries/hydropower/gen-info/handbooks/compliance_hand-

book.pdf

Dam Safety and Inspections Web page

www.ferc.gov/industries/hydropower/safety.asp

Information for Citizens

http://www.ferc.gov/resources/get-involved.asp

A Guide to Electronic Information at FERC can be viewed at

www.ferc.gov/docs-ﬁling/elec-info-guide.pdf

HYDROPOWER LICENSING—GET INVOLVED

NOTES



NOTES

HYDROPOWER LICENSING—GET INVOLVED

NOTES

U J 



Transmission Lines

Power Canal

Bypassed Reach

Intake

Reservoir

Fish Ladder

Boat Launch

Diversion Dam

Canoe Take-out

Portage Trail

Forebay

Penstock

Powerhouse

Tailrace

Picnic Area

Canoe Put-in

Common Features of a Hydropower Project

F E

R C

Oﬃce of Energy Projects

888 First Street, NE

Washington, DC 20426

202-502-6088

1-866-208-3372 (Toll Free)

202-502-8659 (TTY)

WWW.FERC.GOV

Your project’s docket number/sub-docket

Commission contact