Statement of NHA Executive Director Linda Church Ciocci on Approval of First Small Hydro Project under FERC-Colorado MOU

“I am extremely pleased by FERC’s announcement yesterday that it has granted the first hydropower approval under its memorandum of understanding with the state of Colorado.    Under this pilot process, projects that once took as long as three years to approve could be approved in as little as two months.  The success demonstrated so far could serve as a model for the entire country.  It is wonderful to see the results of a cooperative effort on the part of industry, federal and state governments, and local stakeholders.

“By streamlining the licensing process for certain smaller projects, we can tap 1.4 million new jobs and more quickly put Americans back to work building the lowest cost electricity generation resource in the country.”