Albany’s small hydropower turbine has not turned for almost two years and may never spin again, but the bureaucracy concerning it grinds on.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has just invited public comment on a new “water quality certification” for the Albany hydroelectric project. The deadline for comment is April 6.
The city apparently needs this new state certification because two years ago, in January 2024, it applied to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to change its federal license for the generator…