Interconnected watersheds come together for efficient relicensings.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has speculated that together, the Yuba-Bear Hydroelectric project and the Drum-Spaulding Hydroelectric project are the most physically and operationally complex hydroelectric projects in the U.S. So when their respective owners, Pacific Gas & Electric and the Nevada Irrigation District, selected our team for development of unimpaired hydrology data and a hydroelectric operations model for the combined projects, we suggested they coordinate licensing efforts, too. 

The Yuba-Bear Hydroelectric Project and the Drum-Spaulding Hydroelectric Project have a combined generation capacity of 270 MW, and consist of over 40 interconnected reservoirs, 13 open-channel water conveyances and 16 powerhouses in the Yuba, Bear and American River watersheds. With both projects requiring relicensing at the same time, we provided strategic and technical services which encompassed over five years of data collection and analysis, as well as stakeholder consultation using the integrated licensing process.

By coordinating studies and relicensing meetings, and sharing the study results and stakeholder communication, we were able to save considerable time and cost for both owners.