Recent Highlights:
May 20, 2021
- Item H-1: FERC Terminates Licenses for Michigan Hydroelectric Projects News Release | H-1 Order
April 15, 2021
- Item H-1: FERC Imposes $15 Million Penalty for Dam Safety Violations at Michigan Dams (AD20-14-000) News Release | H-1 Order
Hydropower is one of the project types in which FERC regulates both the construction and operational phase of a project. Dam safety is a critical part of the Commission's hydropower program and receives top priority. Before projects are constructed, the Commission staff reviews and approves the designs, plans, and specifications of dams, powerhouses, and other structures. During construction, Commission staff engineers frequently inspect a project, and once construction is complete, Commission engineers continue to inspect it on a regular basis.
- 2021 Annual Letter to Licensees and Exemptees – Reminder of Responsibilities
- Sanford, Secord and Smallwood Dams
- Anderson Dam
- Oroville Dam Service Spillway (P-2100)
Regulations, Guidelines, and Manuals
- Engineering Guidelines for the Evaluation of Hydropower Projects
- Emergency Action Plan (EAP) Program
- Security Program for Hydropower Projects Revision 3
- Safety Signage at Hydropower Projects Report
- Dam Safety Performance Monitoring Program (DSPMP)/Potential Failure Modes Analysis (PFMA)
- Part 12 of the Commission's Regulations, Safety of Water Power Projects and Project Works
- Guidelines for Public Safety at Hydropower Projects
- Tips Developing and Submitting GIS Inundation Map Files
- Chapter 13
- About Drilling at Embankment Dams
- Revised Chapter 3, Gravity Dams
- Revised Chapter 14, Appendix H
- Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety
- Draft-Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety Risk Management
- Glossary of Terms for Dam Safety, FEMA 148
- Hazard Potential Classification Systems for Dams, FEMA 333
- Selecting and Accommodating Inflow Design Floods for Dams, FEMA 94
- Emergency Action Planning for Dam Owners, FEMA 64
- Earthquake Analyses and Design of Dams, FEMA 65
- Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety, FEMA 93
Meetings, Workshops, and Conferences
Initiatives
- Spillway Assessments and Inspections
- Dam Safety Surveillance and Monitoring
- Non-Operating Projects
- Potential Failure Modes (PFMs)
- Owners Dam Safety Program (ODSP)
- Time Sensitive EAP Initiative
- Extension of Potential Failure Mode Analyses at Significant and Low Hazard Potential Dams
- Tips for Developing and Submitting GIS Inundation Map Files
- Pumped Storage Technical Guidance Initiative
- Reviewing and Revising Potential Failure Modes
- Time Sensitive EAP
Risk-Informed Decision Making (RIDM)
Security - Cyber & Physical
Hydropower Security Program Requirements and Cyber Security Briefing for licensees/exemptees
- FERC Security Program Requirements and Cyber Brief
- Security Program for Hydropower Projects Revision 3A
Case Histories
- Taum Sauk Pumped Storage Project (P-2277), Dam Breach Incident
- Swinging Bridge Dam (P-10482) Dam Safety Remediation Project
- Saluda Dam (P-516) Remediation Project
- Dead River Project (P-10855), Silver Lake Incident
Tainter Gates
- Testing and Reporting on Spillway Gate Operations
- Annual Spillway Gate Operation Certificate [DOC] [PDF]
Last updated April 26, 2021