FERC Staff have prepared and issued a draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed surrender of the Kilarc-Cow Creek project (P-606) by Pacific Gas and Electric Company.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and California have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to coordinate procedures and schedules at the federal and state levels for development of hydrokinetic energy projects off the California coast.

PG&E has received FERC approval for its plan to decommission the Wildcat dam, a part of the Battle Creek hydroelectric project (P-1121). According to the “Wildcat Dam Decommissioning Plan,” removal will happen between May 1 and September 1.

A panel formed to investigate the study related disputes in the relicensing of Merced River projects has found that FERC erred in limiting the geographic area which needed to be studied for impacts from the project.

A draft agreement, known as the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA) that may lead to the removal of four Klamath River dams, was released earlier this week.

FERC is holding two scoping meetings to get public input regarding Pacific Gas & Electric’s (PG&E) proposal to surrender the license for the Kilarc-Cow project and remove the diversion dam.

In an order issued last week, FERC approved a new flow schedule for the Cresta reach of the North Fork Feather River. Coalition members California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) and American Whitewater (AW) were instrumental in achieving the improved flows in the river.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has issued the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the four hydroelectric projects on the Big Creek System, located in Fresno and Madera Counties in California.

In a move that has disappointed many, FERC has rejected a request to predict and evaluate the changes in project effects that will occur as a result of climate change that is likely to impact the local patterns of precipitation, runoff, evapo-transpiration and other meteorological patterns in two watershed in California.

Three new reports show that removing the four dams on Klamath River will benefit the health of the river and salmon in the long run.