Ruedi Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Amendment
Current Status:
On February 14, 2025, the city of Aspen held a public meeting to inform stakeholders about the proposed amendments to the Ruedi hydroelectric project and to seek comments regarding additional information and study requests. The application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, comment submissions, and a recording of the meeting are available on this webpage. The city of Aspen will take comments until April 15, 2025.
Specifically,
- Are there other necessary studies that should be performed or information provided
- Your understanding of resource issues and your goals and objectives for these resources
- Explanation of study requests, including methodology and whether that methodology is a generally accepted practice
- Explanation of why the study results or information requested is useful for furthering your resource goals and objectives
To provide comments, questions or to request a site visit, please submit through this website, email ruedi@aspen.gov, or mail to:
Justin Forman
500 Doolittle Drive
Aspen, CO 81611
To view the public meeting recording, visit the "Videos" tab to the right.
Project Overview:
The City of Aspen is proposing to amend its Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license for the Ruedi hydroelectric project to install a second turbine and generator within the existing powerhouse located at Ruedi dam. The purpose of the second turbine and equipment improvements is to restore the project to achieve the approved 5 MW of power generation on a more regular basis.
Project Background:
Aspen’s existing FERC license authorizes Aspen to generate 5 MW of hydroelectric energy whenever the Bureau of Reclamation releases water from Ruedi Reservoir to the Fryingpan River. The Bureau of Reclamation releases water to the river at higher flow levels than it had in the past to provide fish flows downstream. These flow levels are different than what the existing turbine and generator were designed for, and Aspen is less frequently able to produce the authorized capacity of 5 MW.
The new turbine and generator will operate at flow rates outside the range of the existing equipment, allowing the combined facilities to generate the 5 MW of hydroelectric energy. These proposed modifications will entail a small expansion to the existing powerhouse; installation of new electrical equipment; and the addition of a second tailrace (in the same location as the existing tailrace) to release water back to the river from the second generator when it is operating. Prior to seeking FERC’s authorization for these modifications, Aspen is soliciting stakeholder comments on its draft FERC license amendment application.
Public Information is Available:
The document can be found on this website under the "Documents" tab to the right. Public comments can be submitted by emailing ruedi@aspen.gov or mailed to:
Justin Forman
500 Doolittle Drive
Aspen, CO 81611
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