Your PUD Licensing and Compliance

Chelan County PUD owns and operates the nation's second largest nonfederal, publicly owned hydroelectric generating system.

Two of the District's hydro projects, Rocky Reach and Rock Island, are part of an 11-dam system on the Columbia River. The District's third hydro project, Lake Chelan, serves a dual purpose of generating power and regulating the level of the 50-mile-long Lake Chelan, the third deepest body of fresh water in North America.

All three projects operate under licenses issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

On November 6, 2006, FERC issued a new 50-year license for the Lake Chelan Dam. The new license extends until November 1, 2056 and contains requirements for operating the 48-megawatt hydro project that are expected to cost the PUD $65 million to $70 million over the next 50 years. The PUD began the dam’s relicensing process in 1997 and submitted its final settlement agreement to the FERC in October 2003.

A new 43-year license to continue to operate Rocky Reach Dam was received on February19, 2009. The license contains requirements for operating the 1300-megawatt Rocky Reach Project, including environmental protections. The license outlines approximately $425 million in costs to Chelan County PUD over the next 43 years, including continuation of the habitat conservation plan for salmon and steelhead, maintaining existing parks on the Rocky Reach reservoir, providing renovation of Entiat Park and enhancements to Lincoln Rock and Daroga State Park.

The license for the Rock Island Hydroelectric Project expires December 31, 2028.

The FERC issues licenses for the operation of hydropower projects under the provisions of the Federal Power Act. Licenses contain the conditions, presented as a series of license articles, in which the licensee must comply.

As a licensee, Chelan PUD cannot modify project operations or works prescribed by the license without prior approval by FERC. FERC and other agencies expect a licensee to understand, observe and monitor license compliance requirements throughout the life of the license.