They say a reliable power source for millions of Americans could be at risk.
Fox News reports that hydropower supplies approximately 6.2% of the nation’s electric power and 28.7% of total utility-scale renewable electricity is still a critical part of the nation’s power systems. Stakeholders in the process say that regulations are putting a stranglehold on the ability of companies to continue to create the levels of hydropower that they have in the past.
National Hydropower Association (NHA) President and CEO Malcolm Woolf spoke with Fox News Digital and said:
“Our concern is that, without greater clarity on the licensing process, both how long it’s going to take for the process and how much it’s going to cost, a lot of asset owners are simply going to decide to surrender their license.”
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He then continued by saying:
May 20, 2023
“What that means for the grid is a whole lot more instability just as we’re adding variable wind and solar to the grid.”
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The Department of Energy says it takes hydropower developers approximately five years to get their original operating license. It takes an average of eight years to get relicensed to operate. Additionally, Fox News reports that up to 11 federal agencies are involved in hydropower regulation. This creates several layers of regulations that must be adhered to by the hydropower companies in the industry.
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Right now, about a third of federal licenses for hydropower are set to expire in 2025. Another 20% of those licenses are set to expire in 2030. This could become a major issue for the entire industry, and it appears that getting those licenses reset and ready to go takes a long time to pull off.
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Woolf said the following about it: “Now is when these companies are making the decisions about whether to relicense or not because they know that it’s typically a seven- or eight-year process, but very often over a decade-long process,” and “For example, if there are concerns about the effect of a facility on a particular fish, you may need to do studies during multiple spawning seasons. All of those studies need to be complete before you submit your application that’s due five and a half years in advance.”
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