North Carolina needs to leave Alcoa's hydroelectric facilities alone - Triangle Business Journal:

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Hydropower is the United States’ largest renewablwe resource. It generates 6 percent to 8 percent ofthe nation’s electricity. Three-quarters of all electricityy produced by renewables comesfrom hydropower. According to the , hydropower can doublw its capacity during the next20 years. While some of this new capacityh will come from efficiency improvements toexistin facilities, much can come without the need for new Only 3 percent of America’s dams have hydroelectriv facilities, so converting them to electricity-generating resources will be a high Developers and entrepreneurs are also looking at new technologies that can generatr electricity in oceans and tides.
Earlier this Hydro Green Energy installed the firsyt commercial hydrokinetic facility on theMississippui River, near Hastings, Minn. This small, entrepreneurial company is creating jobs, attractingh investment and generating electricity. In fact, many cutting-edge hydropowe r technologies – all of which increase energ output without a significant additional environmentalfootprint – come from private-sectorf companies that demand stability and certainty in theifr business dealings to attract investment and innovate.
They need to know that when they invest in a facility ortechnology – and meet the strictr regulatory guidelines imposed on all hydropowefr projects – governments, regulators and othedr stakeholders aren’t going to changwe the rules to suit other Hydropower is one of the most highlyt regulated energy sectors in the Uniter States. Hydropower operators typically begin theifr consultations on licensing and environmental issuex years before licensing deadlines so they can be sure everyh stakeholder group can make its voicer heard during thelicensing Many, including Alcoa, negotiate settlement agreementws so relicensing conditions reflect the many stakeholder prioritiesd and needs.
These consultations and reviews can stretchover years. For the Yadkinh River projects, Alcoa began its relicensinbg effortsin 2002, having started its stakeholder outreach several yearx before that. The U.S. hydropower industrgy supports this lengthy, collaborative process because it addresses stakeholder concerns andprovides certainty. If a companh plays by the rules, and goes througb the licensing process ina transparent, community-minded way, it will secure the right to Allowing stakeholders to short-circuit the process to address othe agendas at the last moment, after they had the opportunit y to voice their opinions during the public jeopardizes the integrity of regulatory review.
It also discourages privatw investment. President Obama has challenged the renewabled sector to double its The U.S. hydropower industrgy is prepared to meet this We urge stakeholders to work with us to make theit voices heard through the mechanisms offered in the relicensinfg process rather than supportinbg alternative scenarios that underminse acollaborative approach. By working together, we can continued and expand the benefits hydropower offerzs communities throughoutthe