More than a hundred hydroelectric plants on rivers that feed the GreatLakes are up for re-licensing over the next ten years. This week afederal agency is wrapping up a series of public meetings to considersimplifying the re-licensing process, some say at the expense ofenvironmental protections. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s DavidSommerstein has more:
Transcript
More than a hundred hydroelectric plants on rivers that feed the Great Lakes are up for
re-licensing over the next ten years. This week a federal agency is wrapping up a series
of public meetings to consider simplifying the re-licensing process, some say at the
expense of environmental protections. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s David
Sommerstein has more.
Conservationists see re-licensing as an opportunity to redress the environmental effects of
dams. But the process can cost hydroelectric utilities millions of dollars and take years of
work. Congress recently instructed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to
review the process with the intent of reducing its cost and time. Matt Sicchio is the
coordinator of the Hydropower Reform Coalition.
“Good government sounds great to everybody, but only if they improve environmental
quality in the process. They can’t mortgage the future of our rivers in the name of process
efficiency.”
Wisconsin and Michigan are among the top four states in the nation with licenses up for
renewal by 2010.
The commission will make recommendations to Congress in May.
For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m David Sommerstein.