The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission plans a technical conference July 9 on reliability of the bulk electricity system.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved the remaining 14 environmental studies for the 600-MW Susitna-Watana hydroelectric project, ensuring the project on Alaska's upper Susitna River can keep to schedule.

The director of energy projects for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission endorsed nearly all the language of several hydropower development bills in testimony April 23 before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

The Federal Energy Regulatory has issued a proposed rulemaking to update Critical Infrastructure Protection Reliability Standards by expanding cyber security standards for the bulk electricity system, including hydroelectric projects.

An attorney for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission told a congressional committee April 16 that FERC does not oppose a bill that would reinstate and extend the hydropower licenses of two projects, totaling 1.293 MW, that FERC terminated in 2007 for lack of construction progress.

Ocean Renewable Power Co. submitted its first annual environmental monitoring report to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in March showing no adverse effects from installation and operation of the 300-kW Cobscook Bay Tidal Energy project in Maine.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued three hydropower license exemptions totaling 578 kW and received an application for another exemption of 292 kW in March.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has granted a petition by eight hydropower licensees with projects in four states that challenged the levying of federal land use fees on hydroelectric projects for land the federal government no longer owns.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued an order March 20 relicensing Seattle City Light's 1,003.253-MW Boundary hydroelectric project on Washington's Pend Oreille River.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission reports in February it granted a hydro license exemption for a conduit project in California and received applications for two others in California and Oregon.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the U.S. Coast Guard have signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in the development and licensing of hydrokinetic energy projects, including ocean energy and stream power projects.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission reports two hydro project expansions and a newly exempted project were placed in service in January.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has issued an annual update to its fee schedule for occupation of federal lands by FERC-licensed hydroelectric projects.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission staff has issued a final environmental impact statement recommending the relicensing of the 223.753-MW Middle Fork American River hydropower project in California.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has ordered the 700-kW Shawano hydro project to file long-delayed plans to protect tribal cultural resources from erosion or face substantial fines and hydropower license revocation.

Hydro developer Free Flow Power Corp. has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to expedite the licensing of eight hydroelectric projects so that they might qualify for federal investment tax credits before a deadline at the end of 2013.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved the proposed transfer of 1,260 acres from the 233-MW Holtwood hydroelectric complex in Pennsylvania to Lancaster County Conservancy for preservation and public use.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued 36 hydropower licenses and exemptions in 2012, totaling 106.697 MW. The total included four hydrokinetic projects totaling 2.95 MW.

Receiving assurances that the Alaska Energy Authority will meet certain milestones, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has modified an earlier decision that would have delayed by a year or more AEA's 600-MW Susitna-Watana hydroelectric project on Alaska's upper Susitna River.