Cowlitz River Project Relicensing (FERC# 2016)

Tacoma Power’s new 35-year federal license for its Cowlitz River Project was issued on July 18, 2003.
The Cowlitz River Project, constructed in the 1960s, is Tacoma Power’s largest generating facility. It produces enough power each year to serve more than 140,000 Northwest homes.

Tacoma Power used the “alternative licensing process,” which required considerable consultation with many various stakeholders. This process started in 1996 with the formation of the Resource Planning Group. which included representatives from local, state and federal agencies; tribes; and local, state and national environmental and sport fishing organizations. The Resource Planning Group helped define and evaluate the large number of studies needed to determine the effect of the project on the environment and options for future considerations.
The end result of this process was a settlement agreement. Tacoma Power, National Marine Fisheries Service (now known as NOAA Fisheries), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Department of Ecology, the Yakama Nation, American Rivers, the Washington Council of Trout Unlimited and others all signed the settlement agreement. Also, as part of the alternative licensing process, Tacoma Power had to submit a draft environmental assessment with the renewal application.

Tacoma Power submitted the draft environmental assessment with its license renewal application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 2000. FERC used the draft environmental assessment to prepare a draft environmental impact statement, which was completed in November 2001. FERC adopted all of the terms from the settlement agreement into the license.

The major change in the new license is the emphasis on revitalizing wild salmon stocks in the Cowlitz River. The license also contains several additions for recreation, such as trails and expanded camping areas, and more attention to protecting Native American cultural resources.

Fisheries biologists from Tacoma Power, state and federal agencies, Yakama Nation and the Conservation Caucus (American Rivers and Trout Unlimited) began meeting in November 2000 (before the license was issued) to plan implementation of the expected license’s fisheries measures. This committee, called the Fisheries Technical Committee, collaborated with Tacoma Power to prepare most of the fishery and fishery-related plans that were required by the license. Many of these, most notably the Fisheries and Hatchery Management Plan, have been submitted to FERC and are awaiting approval.

Meeting the terms of the new license will increase somewhat the cost of producing electricity at the Cowlitz River Project. In 2002, Tacoma Power estimated the cost to implement all of the measures in the settlement agreement to total about $60 million over the 35-year license period.

Download the license document. Other license documents can be viewed at www.ferc.gov by conducting a search for Docket # P-2016.

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