FERC-505, Small Hydropower Projects and Conduit Facilities including License/Relicense, Exemption, and Qualifying Conduit Facility Determination

FERC-505 includes applications, notices of intent, and related information collection activities for: • Small hydropower project licenses and relicenses; • Exemptions; and • Determinations of a qualifying conduit hydropower facility. Small hydropower projects are minor water power projects and major water power projects that have an installed capacity of 10 MW or less. They may be licensed under Part I of the Federal Power Act, but some small hydropower projects may be eligible for an exemption. There are two types of FERC hydropower exemptions: (1) exemptions for qualifying conduit hydropower facilities; and (2) exemptions for small projects of 10 MW or less. A qualifying conduit hydropower facility, as defined in section 30 of the FPA, is an existing or proposed hydroelectric facility that utilizes for electric power generation the hydroelectric potential of a conduit, or any tunnel, canal, pipeline, aqueduct, flume, ditch, or similar manmade water conveyance that is not primarily used for the generation of electricity. A Notice of Intent to Construct Qualifying Conduit Hydropower Facilities under 18 CFR 4.401, which is discussed above, is required in order to seek a determination by the Commission that the proposed facility is in accordance with criteria listed at section 30 of the FPA. If the Commission issues such a determination, the facility is not required to be licensed or exempted by the Commission under Part I of the FPA. A 10-MW exemption, as defined in section 405(d) of PURPA, is a project that utilizes for electric generation the water potential of either an existing non-federal dam or a natural water feature (e.g., natural lake, water fall, gradient of a stream, etc.) without the need for a dam or man-made impoundment. The respondents for this information collection include citizens of the United States, corporations organized under the laws of United States or any State thereof, State governments, and municipalities.

The latest form for FERC-505, Small Hydropower Projects and Conduit Facilities including License/Relicense, Exemption, and Qualifying Conduit Facility Determination expires 2029-02-28 and can be found here.

FERC-505, Small Hydropower Projects and Conduit Facilities including License/Relicense, Exemption, and Qualifying Conduit Facility Determination

Federal Enterprise Architecture: Energy - Energy Production