Evolution and adaptation of hydropower development and regulation in the renewable energy context

Under the Federal Power Act (FPA), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regulates non-federal hydroelectric power generation in the United States.  The FPA requires that the Commission balance development of power generation with the protection of fish, wildlife, and other environmental factors and non-developmental resources.  The place of hydropower in the broader context of renewable energy is evolving through the pursuit of synergies between hydropower and other renewable energy sources, efforts to expand conventional hydroelectric generating capacity, and exploration of new, hydrokinetic technologies.  To adapt its regulatory program appropriately, the Commission has been gathering information from stakeholders through technical conferences on small hydropower development and hydrokinetic energy and through gleaning lessons from its practical project experiences.  The Commission also has been cultivating its relationships with other agencies through outreach and negotiated agreements.   The talk will address both conventional hydropower and hydrokinetic energy.  Emphasis will be placed on the Ohio and Mississippi River systems and on approaches to addressing fishery and other environmental issues with these more specific themes related back to the broader context.