Baker River Relicensing: Overview

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) originally licensed the Baker River Project on June 4, 1956, as Project No. 2150. Puget Sound Energy's 50-year license for the Baker River Project expires on April 30, 2006. Hydroelectric projects regulated by FERC are required to undergo a re-evaluation process, known as "relicensing," prior to the date the original license expires.

FERC's relicensing process requires extensive planning -- including environmental studies, agency consultation and public involvement. As FERC handles a relicense application, the agency must ensure that resource agencies, tribes and public participants are included throughout the process. To accomplish this goal, FERC originally established an approach to licensing which has come to be known as the "traditional licensing process." More recently, FERC developed an alternative process, called "alternative licensing procedures" (ALP). The ALP has a number of benefits including the potential for improved communications between all participants, collaborative decision making on a local level, and a streamlined relicensing process.

View the federal regulations that identify the requirements for the traditional process and the alternative licensing procedures.