Abstract:
Twelve of North Carolina's thirty-one federally licensed hydropower plants hold licenses that expire in 2008. The re-licensing process is lengthy and complex. Decisions made in the process can affect the management hydropower reservoirs for fifty years or more and can affect jobs in water-dependent industries, land values around reservoirs, and adequate river flows to sustain aquatic and land wildlife. Smutko describes how utility companies work with federal, state, local, and tribal governments, as well as other groups including industries, business, and nonprofit organizations to develop agreements governing hydropower facilities.