Parr Hydroelectric Project
The Parr Hydroelectric Project consists of the Parr Shoals Development and the Fairfield Pumped Storage Development. Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc. (DESC) required a consultant to assist them with all aspects of relicensing the project and securing a new Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license.
Early in the process, Kleinschmidt worked closely with DESC to identify a client preferred relicensing process and develop a relicensing strategy. To aid in PAD
development, we planned and held stakeholder issue identification workshops that served as initial scoping meetings. We met with relicensing stakeholder groups to develop a list of relicensing studies that would be performed during relicensing and were necessary to provide information that was not currently available. Kleinschmidt developed an Operations Model, which allowed stakeholders to understand how the pumped storage affected overall Project operations and environmental resources in the Project Vicinity. We prepared and filed the PAD, Notice of Intent, and the stakeholder supported request for using the Traditional Licensing Processthat FERC approved. Kleinschmidt developed and maintained a project relicensing website that was used to share information with stakeholders and the public.
Study plans were developed with stakeholder consultation and studies were performed in 2015 and 2016 to address project recreational use, fish entrainment, instream flows, reservoir fluctuations, downstream fluctuations, threatened and endangered species, water quality, and project operations. As the studies are now complete, Kleinschmidt developed and submitted the Draft License Application for stakeholder review. Kleinschmidt assisted DESC in the development of a Settlement Agreement with stakeholders. This involved numerous meetings with stakeholders to develop not only appropriate language for a settlement agreement, but also Adaptive Management Plans, Monitoring Plans, and off-license agreements which accompany the Settlement Agreement. Kleinschmidt also assisted DESC with the development and filing of the Final License Application package, which included the 401 Water Quality Certification application and a stakeholder-signed Settlement Agreement. Kleinschmidt continued to provide DESC with post-license application filing support.
Kleinschmidt assisted DESC to strategically and efficiently navigate the relicensing process and evaluate potential project effects while preserving the operational flexibility and economic value of this regionally significant project.