How far along is Crown Hydro in the process of gaining the necessary approvals to create this facility?
A license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is required to develop hydroelectric power in the United States. It is the most difficult step in the approval process, and Crown Hydro was granted a 50-year license in 1999. This license was obtained with the strong support of Minnesotas U.S. senators and congressional delegation, Xcel Energy, the State of Minnesota, and the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. Because of the importance of the project site on the Mississippi River, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the National Park Service all had input on the licensing of the project. In connection with the license, a Programmatic Agreement under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act was signed by FERC, state, local and national historic preservation organizations, Crown Hydro, the Park Board, the City of Minneapolis, the Army Corps of Engineers, the National Park Service and others. A federal Environmental Assessm
