The Catawba-Wateree River: Conflict and Collaboration in the Carolinas

Transcription

1 The Catawba-Wateree River: Conflict and Collaboration in the Carolinas Jeff Lineberger, PE Director, Water Strategy and Hydro Licensing Duke Energy NC At-Large Director Catawba-Wateree Water Management Group

2 Topics Catawba-Wateree River and 11- System Conflicts Solutions o Hydro project relicensing o Catawba-Wateree Water Management Group (CWWMG) ü Water Supply Master Plan (WSMP) o Catawba-Wateree Drought Management Advisory Group (CW-DMAG) ü Low Inflow Protocol (LIP) Q & A 2

3 Catawba-Wateree Hydro Project James McDowell Rhodhiss Hickory Burke Caldwell Catawba Lincoln Alexander Norman Iredell Lookout Shoals 11 reservoirs under 1 license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) 1 st US river comprehensively developed for electricity production Completed (spanning 225 river miles) 79,895 surface acres, 1,795 miles shoreline Gaston Wylie York Mountain Island Mecklenburg Chester Great Falls & Cedar Creek Reservoirs Fairfield Lancaster Fishing Creek Reservoir Wateree * EL = Full Pond Elevation in feet Above Mean Sea Level Kershaw 3

4 Hard Working River / System Ø Ø Ø Ø Modest water availability Avg. inflow at Wateree Dam 3,752 million gallons per day (MGD) Avg. annual precipitation 42 inches Usable Storage = 776,747 acre-feet = 252 billion gallons 7% of annual basin precipitation Duke Energy electric generation 8,587 MW (25% of its generation capacity in Carolinas) 13 conventional hydro stations (805 MW) 2 nuclear stations (4,626 MW) 2 coal-fired stations (3,156 MW) Produces enough energy to supply 3.7 million average homes Lots of people Most densely populated river basin in NC 2 states, 17 counties, 30+ cities Over 25,000 lake neighbors (property values) Over 10 million recreation visits per year Several large industrial water intakes Reservoirs serve as the raw water supply for 18 public water systems (2 million customers) 4

5 A Conflict-Rich Environment Growth v. Preservation Fish v. People Power Generation v. Public Water Supply (water withdrawal fees) On- v. Downstream Water Needs It s Our Water!! (Interbasin Transfers (IBT) and SC v. NC (US Supreme Court, Original 138)) 2 Droughts of Record ( , ) FERC Relicensing o Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certification (WQC) in SC o Duke Energy Carolinas v. FERC (US Court of Appeals-DC Circuit) 5

6 Organizing the Dialogue - Relicensing Stakeholder Teams Caldwell Alexander Hickory Iredell James Rhodhiss Lookout Shoals NC Foothills NC Metro McDowell Burke Lincoln Catawba Gaston Norman Mountain Island Mecklenburg NC State Relicensing Team (SRT) Duke Energy Non-Agency Stakeholders Wylie SC Piedmont York SC Lower Catawba Chester Lancaster Great Falls & Cedar Creek Reservoirs Fishing Creek Reservoir SC State Relicensing Team (SRT) Fairfield Wateree Duke Energy Kershaw Non-Agency Stakeholders 6

7 Comprehensive Relicensing Agreement (CRA) and New License CRA signed by 70 of 85 eligible parties in 2006 o Includes 26 local governments o Took over 3 years and 300 public meetings o Basis for FERC License Application SC v. NC (Orig. 138) settled in 2010 o IBT proposal caused equitable apportionment concerns o o Catawba/Wateree River Basin Advisory Commission helped resolve CRA was foundation FERC processing delayed by: o Sturgeon Biological Opinion process o 401 WQC lawsuit in SC Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies FERC issued New License November 25, 2015 o Most requirements consistent with CRA o Duke Energy sued FERC over license term o Oral arguments set for December 8, 2017 Shapes lake system operation for next 40 to 50 years CRA modified in 2017 to incorporate new information 7

8 New Regional Vision for Hydro Project New hydro station / lake operating parameters level limits Flow release requirements Dissolved oxygen enhancements 89 public recreation facility enhancements Land Preservation 2,455 acres set aside to convey to states $17 Million for additional land conservation (7,200 acres to-date) 2,590 acres under option to be sold to NC at discounted price Wylie Hydro Station New teams to address recreation, shoreline and water management issues 8

9 CW-DMAG Manages Droughts CW-DMAG = Duke Energy, water utilities, resource agencies Uses LIP to reduce lake flow releases and water consumption in 5 stages Saved the day in drought of record 9

10 CWWMG Focused on Long Range Purpose - extend and enhance the capacity of the Catawba and Wateree Rivers to meet human needs while maintaining the ecological health of the waterway Resolved conflict over water withdrawal fees all members pay dues, $550,000 / yr. total Incorporated as 501c(3) non-profit in 2007 (CWWMG member investments multiplied by 1.5) Meets monthly, exceptional participation $4 Million invested through 2016 Recognized as model by NC / SC agencies 10

11 CWWMG - Our Work We are committed to work based on: Sound science Affordable engineering Existing technology Maintaining quality of life and economic viability for the region 11

12 WSMP Published in 2014, addendum in 2015 Key Recommendations o Increase water use efficiency (18%) o Faster drought response o Raise summer target levels on three lakes o Lower critical intake elevations Extended ability of lake system to support growth by 50 years (from 2050 through 2100) Revisited no later than 2025 Next phase is ongoing and focused on water quality (drinking water treatability) 12

13 Keys to Success Mutual Respect with Right Players o Interest-based negotiation of agreements o Consensus-based decision-making o Convening authority with technical and financial capabilities o Independent facilitation when needed o Shared resource = shared responsibility Effective Communications o Hydro relicensing, Low Inflow Protocol, CW-DMAG o CWWMG Important Influences o Something big at stake o Deadline for reaching agreements o Most Likely Alternatives to Negotiated Agreement So Where is Greenbow, AL? It s a Process, not a Place. 13

14 Questions? 14