The re-licensing process affecting the Conowingo Dam and its owner/operator Exelon has been extended, recognizing ongoing negotiations between Exelon and numerous stakeholders. Under a release from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) today, interested parties will now have until December 15 to officially gain standing through the FERC process. According to FERC, “Exelon requested these deadlines be extended until December 15, 2013, to allow it to complete its negotiations with state and federal agencies regarding a settlement proposal it intends to file for the Commission’s consideration.”
In order to allow the participants additional time to conclude their negotiations and to coordinate the processing deadlines for all three projects, this notice extends the deadline for requesting water quality certification with the appropriate state agencies and the deadline for filing motions to intervene, protests, comments, recommendations, preliminary terms and conditions, and preliminary fishway prescriptions for the Conowingo Hydroelectric Project No. 405, Muddy Run Pumped Storage Project No. 2355, and York Haven Hydroelectric Project No. 1888, to December 15, 2013.
Several Maryland counties, joined together as the Clean Chesapeake Coalition, as well as other stakeholders including environmental organizations, have filed to formally participate in the FERC process.
