Technical clarity in inter-agency negotiations. Lessons from four hydropower projects

Journal Article · Sat Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1995 · Water Resources Bulletin

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-1688.1995.tb03372.x· OSTI ID:41852

Burkardt, N; Lamb, B L; Taylor, J G ^[1]; Waddle, T J ^[2]

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1. Johnson Controls World Services, Inc., Fort Collins, CO (United States)
2. National Biological Service, Fort Collins, CO (United States)

We investigated the effect of technical clarity on success in multi-party negotiations in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) licensing process. Technical clarity is the shared understanding of dimensions such as the geographic extent of the project, range of flows to be considered, important species and life stages, and variety of water uses considered. The results of four hydropower licensing consultations are reported. Key participants were interviewed to ascertain the level of technical clarity present during the consultations and the degree to which the consultations were successful. Technical clarity appears to be a prerequisite for successful outcomes. Factors that enhance technical clarity include simple project design, new rather than existing projects, precise definition of issues, a sense of urgency to reach agreement, a sense of fairness among participants, and consistency in participation. Negotiators should not neglect the critical pre-negotiation steps of defining technical issues and determining appropriate studies, deciding how to interpret studies, and agreeing on responses to study results. 15 refs., 1 tab.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 41852
• Journal Information: Water Resources Bulletin, Journal Name: Water Resources Bulletin Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 31; ISSN 0043-1370; ISSN WARBAQ
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

13 HYDRO ENERGY
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS
LICENSING
LICENSING PROCEDURES
LICENSING REGULATIONS
NEGOTIATION
PLANNING
WATER POLICY
WATER RESOURCES