FERC

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FERC Hydrokinetic ProjectsOcean Energy for
New England ConferenceHosted by the Marine
Renewable Energy Center at the Advanced
Technology and Manufacturing Center Fall River,
MAOctober 6, 2008

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Topics

• Flexibility at FERC Approach to New Technologies
• Hydrokinetic Project Proposals
• Next steps information

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Hydrokinetic Projects
Conventional hydropower projects
Hydrokinetic projects generate electricity from
waves or directly from the flow of water in
ocean currents, tides, or inland waterways
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Regulatory Approach

• The Commission
• supports the development of hydrokinetic projects
• recognizes the conundrum of need for real-world
  testing, yet limited information to prepare
  application
• Tailored existing program
• Preliminary permits
• Test projects
• Pilot project license

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Types of Issuances

• Preliminary permits
• Maintains priority of application for three years
• Conduct feasibility studies and prefiling
  activities
• Doesnt authorize construction
• Licenses
• Authorizes construction
• and operation
• Original up to 50 years
• Relicense 30-50 years

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Preliminary Permit ReviewStrict Scrutiny
February 15, 2007

• Applications
• Appropriately sized area
• Details of proposed
• technology
• Post-issuance administration
• Schedule of activities
• Progress reports
• Cancel permit if no progress

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Hydrokinetic Project Permits (as of September
23, 2008)

• Issued, existing preliminary permits
• 34 tidal, 9 wave, 0 ocean current, 68 inland
• Pending preliminary permits
• 20 tidal, 4 wave, 3 ocean current, 66 inland

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FERC-Issued Hydrokinetic License and Preliminary
Permits
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FERC-Issued Hydrokinetic Preliminary Permits
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Pending Preliminary Permits
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Test Projects(no FERC license needed)

• Verdant Declaratory Order- April 2005, July 2005
• No license required if

-Experimental technology -Short term
installation for conducting studies -Test
project does not transmit into, or displace power
from, the national electric energy grid
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Pilot Project LicenseWhitepaper updated April
14, 2008

• Test technologies, evaluate sites, monitor
  effects, and generate electricity
• Agency and public input, with FERC oversight
• Complete licensing in as few as 6 months
• Guard against environmental harm
• Short license term, small footprint, removable
• Careful monitoring
• Project shutdown or removal if harm

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Pilot Project Licensing Procedures Available
for projects that are

• small, short term
• not in sensitive areas
• removable able to be shut down
• removed, with site restored
• initiated by draft application in a form
  sufficient to support environmental analysis
• On case-by-case basis

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Hydrokinetic Project Proposals (as of June 4,
2008)

• Pre-filing license applications
• Reedsport (OR)
• Coos Bay (OR)
• Douglas County (OR)
• Roosevelt Island (NY)
• License issued
• Makah Bay (WA)

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Typical Statutes

• Federal Power Act
• National Environmental Policy Act
• Endangered Species Act
• Marine Mammal Protection Act
• Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Act
• Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act
• Coastal Zone Management Act
• Clean Water Act
• National Historic Preservation Act

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Licensing StandardFederal Power Act
Give equal consideration to power and
environmental values
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Standard Licensing Processes

• Integrated Licensing Process (ILP)-default
• Traditional Licensing Process (TLP)
• Alternative Licensing Process (ALP)

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Hydrokinetic Websitewww.ferc.gov

• Process guidance
• Issued and pending permits and licenses
• Timeline of Commission actions

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Next Steps

• Project specific
• Participate in prefiling and process applications
• Programmatic
• Coordinate with states and agencies to establish
  agreements (MOUs, etc)
• Continue outreach
• Consider additional strategies as projects
  progress, i.e., how best to build out from a
  pilot project

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Questionswww.ferc.gov

• Kristen Murphy
• 202.502.6236
• Kristen.murphy_at_ferc.gov

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