Infrastructure Issues September 1997 Issue 1, Vol. On September 17, the FERC announced the reorganization of its Office of Hydropower Licensing, naming John Clements Office Director.
Reorganization makes sense, according to many industry representatives.
In most industry hydro organizations, the staff who handle licensing also handle compliance. And engineering, operations and field staff are more likely to deal with FERC dam safety and public safety staffs. Aligning the licensing and compliance division with the industry structure should improve communication among the FERC, licensees and other stakeholders particularly agencies and nongovernmental organizations. And with better communication, of course, comes improved efficiency. Dam owners also hope that FERC hydro budget cuts will reverse the spiraling increases in their annual charges.