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Hydropower

Successful licensing of hydroelectric projects requires not only a team experienced in conducting environmental assessments that satisfy state and Federal regulatory agencies, but also the knowledge needed to identify innovative strategies for resolving resource-use conflict.

Normandeau Associates has performed ecological and water quality studies at more than 100 hydropower sites in 23 states, Canada, Scotland, and Russia, and has conducted complete environmental assessments for several major projects with generating capacities of up to 880 MW. We have been lead contractors for fisheries and water quality investigations for FERC Alternative Licensing Processes (ALP), hybrid (collaborative/traditional) processes, and traditional licensing procedures. We have prepared several successful Exhibit E’s for FERC license applications and provided expert testimony in numerous FERC hearings. Normandeau is an approved FERC 3rd party EIS contractor.

Normandeau’s professional staff involved in hydropower consulting retain high visibility within the scientific community by publishing often and presenting results of completed and on-going investigations at technical conferences. Senior staff have been invited to participate on expert panels, provide peer review for technical journals and serve on professional association committees.

Such services include:

  • Applicant-prepared Environmental Assessments (APEA)
  • Preparation of Exhibit E’s for FERC license applications
  • Leading and participating in ALP (Alternative Licensing Processes) collaborative stakeholder meetings and scoping sessions
  • Feasibility studies ø scoping, study design, and study implementation
  • Fish passage
    • development of safer fish passage exit routes (redesign of turbines, spillways, and bypasses)
    • entrainment studies
    • patented HI-Z Turb’N Tag studies (balloon tag)
    • radio and acoustic telemetry (fish behavior)
    • white paper assessments
    • upstream and downstream fishway effectiveness evaluations
    • biological aspects of upstream and downstream fishway design
    • population modeling
  • Habitat assessments and restoration
  • Instream flow needs, including IFIM
  • Water quality and hydrologic assessments
  • Biocriteria evaluations
  • Development of performance-based water quality standards
  • Wetland assessments/water level fluctuations
  • Fish, wildlife, and botanical investigations, threatened and endangered species surveys
  • ESA, section 7 consultations
  • Recreation
  • GIS mapping of habitat layers