The US House passed a bill earlier this week to allow six more years to start construction for developing hydropower at Melvin Price Lock and Dam on the Mississippi River in Alton, IL.

Through a license amendment to an existing project, the FERC has approved installation of hydrokinetic turbines at the Mississippi Lock and Dam Project #2 in Hastings, Minnesota.

City of Hastings, MN is the first applicant seeking to get an approval from the federal government to run an in-river hydrokinetic project.

Yesterday, FERC issued a 30-year license for the 3.25MW Ottumwa hydroelectric project in Ottumwa, IA.

FERC terminated the license issued in 2003 for the Marseilles hydroelectric project to be located on the Illinois River in Marseilles, Illinois.

Under a deal signed between Minnesota Power and Manitoba Power, Minnesota will buy any surplus electricity starting from this year and 250 MW over 15 years from 2020 onwards.

FERC terminated the license application for the proposed 24 MW LeClaire Hydroelectric Project to be located in Scott county, IA and Rock Island county, IL citing failure to start construction as the reason.

Last week was the deadline for comments on FERC's draft Environmental Assessment on the rebuilding of the Taum Sauk project's upper reservoir. In December 2005, the pumped storage hydroelectric project failed, sending more than one billions gallons of water into a popular state park.

Entergy Arkansas has applied for a license amendment that would allow the construction of a marina and boardwalk at the Carpenter-Remmel project. Comments are due on January 12, 2007.