Project Schedule
This schedule will be updated after each milestone.
Schedule and Process
The Loup River Hydroelectric Project is licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) under authority granted by the Federal Power Act. The project was originally licensed in 1934 for a 50-year term and was relicensed in 1984 for a 30-year term. The license is for the hydroelectric facilities only and does not include any of the District’s other facilities or distribution systems.
Relicensing a hydropower project is a highly structured, transparent, federally-regulated process that takes a minimum of five years to complete.
Licensed projects must comply with many regulations, including: the Federal Power Act (FPA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). The relicensing process requires a thorough evaluation of all aspects of the Hydropower Project and its operation including economic, cultural, and environmental impacts.
FERC is charged with evaluating input from all stakeholders and seeking a balance between the power and non-power aspects of each licensed project. Concerns and potential impacts related to the continued operation of the Loup River Hydroelectric Project will be investigated and addressed during the relicensing process.
Because of the complexity and length of time involved in applying for a new operating license, the District initiated planning, coordination, and information gathering efforts in early 2006 to facilitate the relicensing process. A new license application must be filed with FERC by mid-April of 2012 (two years before the existing license expires).
The graphic below shows the process and regulatory milestones for the District's relicensing process.
