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Commission approves settlement; new license issued for 38.8 megawatt hydro project in upstate New York

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission today approved a comprehensive settlement and issued a new 40-year license allowing the continued operation of the School Street Hydro Project in upstate New York.

The 38.8 megawatt project, located on the Mohawk River in Albany and Saratoga Counties in upstate New York, includes provisions for 11 megawatts of increased power generation, a fish passage and aesthetic flows to protect the scenic quality of Cohoes Falls. Consistent with the settlement, the new license also includes protection for fishery resources in addition to recreational and cultural resource measures.

Chairman Joseph T. Kelliher observed: "The Commission acted today to issue a license and approve a comprehensive settlement worked out by affected parties in a deliberate and thorough process. The result is not only potentially increased generation but increased protections for environmental, aesthetic and natural resources. The settlement was supported by state environmental agencies, as well as environmental and conservation groups."

The new major license and settlement are the result of collaboration between the applicant, Erie Boulevard Hydropower LP, and state and federal agencies and other stakeholders.

Signatories to the settlement include the New York Department of Conservation, New York Rivers United, the Rensselaer County Conservation Alliance, the New York State Conservation Council, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service and the New York Power Authority.

The School Street Project, as licensed in this order consistent with the settlement, is adapted to a comprehensive plan for developing and improving the Mohawk River, the Commission said. In addition, the project will help maintain a beneficial, dependable and inexpensive source of electric energy and contribute to the region's diversified generation mix, the Commission noted.

Under provisions of the Federal Power Act, licenses must be obtained from the Commission for non-federal hydroelectric projects on navigable waterways.

R-07-06

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