APPA approves new policy resolutions on utility workforce, hydropower licensing, capacity choice
The American Public Power Association approved new policy resolutions on Friday in support of federal efforts in utility workforce development, hydropower licensing process improvement and the ability of load-serving entities to self-supply capacity.
Eight different resolutions were passed by APPA’s Legislative and Resolutions Committee.
APPA said that electric utilities were facing too many challenges that were going unaddressed, including securing and training an adequate workforce while technology gradually advances and affects worker retention.
The process for hydroelectric facility approval can be lengthy, taking up to a decade or more to approve and complete. Due to these time-consuming constraints, APPA passed resolutions to streamline the process for upgrading or expanding existing federal energy regulatory licensed projects. These resolutions would be consistent with environmental protection requirements of federal and state law. Additionally, APPA also pushed for modernizing the hydropower licensing process to ensure licenses are credited for taking beneficial actions in advance of license renewal.
APPA also pushed for resolutions for electric power utilities to build their own generation or enter over-the-counter contracts with third party suppliers by self-supply. This, APPA said, can be achieved thought joint action agency supply procurement, allowing states and utilities to select generation and other resources that meet their needs and policy goals, such as promoting reliability, minimizing costs to consumers, ensuring generation resource diversity and reducing emissions of greenhouse gasses.
