Southern California Edison (SCE) has begun the relicensing process for the Kern River No. 1 Hydroelectric Project (Project) (P-1930). Please use this page to find out how to get involved and stay up to date.

Below are links to Project-related materials, notifications, and documentation (provided as PDFs). All documents related to the Project can also be found on FERC’s eLibrary. This page will be updated throughout the relicensing process as new materials become available or are updated.

Recreation Use Studies

As outlined in the Recreation Technical Study Plans (refer to the Relicensing Documents section below for more information), SCE, in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service, is soliciting input from Kern River Day users to better understand recreation use in the Project area. These recreation studies are part of the FERC relicensing process. The surveys provided below will be available to complete at day use areas and at Project trail heads in early 2025.

Thank you in advance for your participation.

English:

• KR1 Day Use Areas - Self Survey Form
• KR1 Project Trails - Self Survey Form

Spanish:

• KR1 Day Use Areas - Self Survey Form - ESPANOL
• KR1 Project Trails - Self Survey Form - ESPANOL

Maps:

• KR1 Self Survey Box Locations Map

Maps:

• Whitewater Runs Overview Map
• Cadillacs Run Map
• Richbar Run Map
• Cataracts Run Map

In addition, surveys and QR codes will be provided at onsite survey boxes at recreation facilities and trails in the Project area.

Relicensing Overview

SCE’s operating license for the Project, FERC Project No. 1930, expires on May 31, 2028. Consequently, SCE is taking the initial steps required by the Federal Power Act and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to obtain a new license for the Project using the Integrated Licensing Process (ILP) (see SCE's Relicensing Notice here).

As required by the ILP, SCE prepared the Notice of Intent (NOI) and Pre-Application Document (PAD) five years before expiration of the existing license, on May 5, 2023.

General Project Information

The Project is located on the Kern River approximately 15 miles east of the City of Bakersfield in Kern County, California. The Project is operated in a run-of-river mode. Water from the Kern River is diverted at Democrat Dam into a 9-mile-long flowline to the Project powerhouse which has a dependable generating capacity of 24.8 megawatts (MW). All Project facilities are located on National Forest Service lands within the Sequoia National Forest.

• Project Vicinity Map

All documents related to the Kern River No. 1 Hydroelectric Project can be found on FERC’s eLibrary. Links to relevant documents can also be accessed below.

Upcoming Meetings

There are no upcoming meetings.

• November 14, 2023, Proposed Study Plan Meeting Presentation
• Kern River No. 1 Hydroelectric Project Relicensing FERC Project No. 1930 – Notice of Rescheduled Stakeholder Meeting
• June 13, 2023, Stakeholder Meeting Presentation
• August 1 2023, FERC Site Visit Booklet
• FERC August 2 2023, Scoping Meeting PP Presentation
• SCE_August 2 2023, Scoping Meeting PP Presentation
• August 2, 2023, FERC Scoping Meetings Transcript
• Initial Study Report Meeting Notification
• March 19, 2025 Initial Study Report Meeting Agenda
• March 19, 2025 Initial Study Report Meeting Presentation

Technical Working Groups (TWG)

SCE would like to invite you to participate in the Kern River No. 1 Hydroelectric Relicensing Technical Working Group (TWG) meetings organized by the following resource areas:

• Aquatics
• Cultural
• Land
• Recreation
• Terrestrial

The TWG meetings are intended to obtain input on the content of the draft Technical Study Plans provided in SCE’s Pre-Application Document, dated May 2023. The meetings are open to federal and state resource agencies, local governments, Native American Tribes, non-governmental organizations, and other interested parties. Participants are expected to prepare for and attend meetings, review documents, and provide technical input to SCE and its consultants on methods, analysis, reporting, and scheduling. Considering this time commitment, it is expected that the TWG process will attract a relatively small number of subject matter experts. SCE will also support a concurrent but separate outreach effort to provide information about the relicensing to the interested public, as well as stakeholders electing not to participate in the TWG process, via electronic communication and updates to the Project website www.sce.com/kr1.

The TWG meeting schedule can be found below.

To be included in the TWG meetings, please complete the Technical Working Group Sign-up Form. If you are unable to attend a meeting, please provide comments by email to Kendra Ryan Kendra.ryan@stantec.com.

Below are links to TWG-related documentation (provided as PDFs). These links will be updated throughout the relicensing process as new materials become available or are updated.

Contact Us

Name	Project Role	Address	Phone
Wayne Allen SCE	Principal Manager	1515 Walnut Grove Ave. Rosemead, CA 91770	626-302-9741
Martin Ostendorf SCE	Senior Manager	PO Box 100 54170 Mtn Spruce Road, P.O. Box 100 Big Creek, CA 93605	559-893-2033
Meg Richardson SCE	Licensing Manager/Project Lead	1515 Walnut Grove Ave. Rosemead, CA 91770	626-238-2902
Dan Keverline SCE	Senior Manager-Operations and Maintenance	Kern 3 Hydro Powerhouse Kernville, CA 93238	760-376-3813
Jess Fefer FERC	Assigned Staff	--	202-502-6631

FERC Relicensing Process

• Hydropower Licensing – A Guide for the Public
• Integrated Licensing Process (ILP)
• FERC ILP Process Chart
• Ideas for Participating in the ILP Process

Study Plan Development and Participation

• FERC Study Plan Criteria Guidance
• Understanding the ILP Study Criteria

Project Literature Library

• Current FERC License (1998)