Hydropower on the Upper Mississippi River Development Activities and Agency Coordination Upper Mississippi River Basin Association June 5, 2013

Development Trends & Status 1980s-1990s: Substantial relicensing and new proposals Many projects in basin were years old Federal incentives and energy cost projections : Surge in new project proposals Federal incentives States’ renewable energy goals and consumer demand New technologies 37 projects proposed in 2011 Late 2012 – Now: Considerable pull-back Federal incentives removed, natural gas, planning costs 16 projects currently proposed 9 existing projects; 1 hydrokinetic

UMRBA Primary Roles States’ supportive hydropower’s potential as a climate- friendly, domestic energy source that is compatible with other river uses Facilitating information sharing and collaboration 1991 report re hydropower activities Development potential and status within UMR basin Federal laws and policies, including FERC processes UMRBA ad hoc group Created in 2010 Information sharing, collaboration/coordination Composition: State natural resource, water quality, and transportation agencies USACE, USFWS, USEPA, NPS

Major Questions FERC process: complex, relatively quick responses Cumulative impacts to habitat, ecosystem, navigation, water quality Potential sites in relatively close proximity How, and to what degree, might resources be impacted Systemic assessment, multi-project EIS 401 water quality certifications Approach given significant unknowns Possible adaptive management requirement Common information/study needs Hydraulics, fish and wildlife, water quality (e.g., sediment resuspension), recreation, commercial navigation, cultural resources, local and regional economies

2012 DOE report: An Assessment of Energy Potential at Non-Powered Dams in the U.S. Ranks UMR 2 nd among HUC 2 watersheds for new potential Melvin Price – 5 out of 100 L&D 25 – 14 L&D 24 – 15 8 dam sites – Senate 2013 WRDA Determines non-federal hydropower development a priority, equal to other purposes Directs USACE to study “promotion,” application status and process, project impacts, payments to federal agencies Future Interest

Questions?