Kern River No. 1 Project Relicensing (FERC No. 1930)

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.

^Image:^{Kern River No. 1 Powerhouse and tailrace, returning water to the Kern River.}

Stay Informed

Please complete the Contact Registration Form if you are interested in participating in the relicensing proceeding. This will ensure you are included on the distribution list and will receive future relicensing proceeding communications and meeting notifications.

Register online to be notified via e-mail of new FERC filings and issuances related to the Project. Follow the online instructions and subscribe to docket number P-1930.

If you are unable to access information contained on this webpage, please contact Kendra Ryan at Kendra.ryan@stantec.com

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.

Recreation Facility Use

English:

Spanish:

Maps:

KR1 Self Survey Box Locations Map

Whitewater Boating

Maps:

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

Relicensing Documents

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.

Meeting Materials and Notices

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.

TWG Materials

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.

Aquatic Resources

TSP Development
Resource Area / Technical Study Plan	Technical Working Group	Related Documents
AQ 1 – Hydrology AQ 2 – Water Quality/Water Temperature AQ 3 – Fish Population	July 7, 2023 10 am- 12 pm	--
	July 31, 2023 1-3 pm	--
	August 24, 2023 1-3 pm	--

TSP Implementation
Resource Area / Technical Study Plan	Technical Working Group	Related Documents
AQ 1 – Hydrology AQ 3 – Fish Population	August 8, 2024 10 am-11:50 am	SCE_KR1_Aquatics TWG Agenda_882024 Kern River No. 1 AQ1 AQ3 TWG

Cultural Resources

TSP Development
Resource Area / Technical Study Plan	Technical Working Group	Related Documents
CUL 1 – Built Environment CUL 2 - Archaeology TRI - Tribal	June 29, 2023 1-3 pm	KR1 Reliscensing Cultural Tribal TWG Meeting Information KR 1 TWG Cultural Tribal Agenda 6_29_23 PPT KR1 TWG Cultural 6_29_23
	July 27, 2023 1-3 pm	--
	August 29, 2023 1-3 pm	--

TSP Implementation
Resource Area / Technical Study Plan	Technical Working Group	Related Documents
--	December 3, 2024 10:30-4:30 pm	KR1 Site Visit Booklet.pptx

Land Resources

TSP Development
Resource Area / Technical Study Plan	Technical Working Group	Related Documents
LAND 1 – Road and Trail Condition Assessment LAND 2 – Erosion and Sedimentation	June 28, 2023 1-3 pm	2.0_Project_Location_Facilities_and_Operations_PAD_4.25.23_KR PPT_KR1_TWG_LAND_June-28-2023_PS KR 1_TWG_Agenda Land -June 28 2023
	July 26, 2023 1-3 pm	--
	August 23, 2023 1-3 pm	--

Recreation Resources

TSP Development
Resource Area / Technical Study Plan	Technical Working Group	Related Documents
REC 1 – Recreation Facility Condition Assessment REC 2 – Recreation Facility Use Assessment REC 3 – Whitewater Boating	July 12, 2023 1-3 pm	KR 1_TWG_Agenda Recreation-July 12 2023 PPT_KR1_TWG_Recreation_ July_11_2023_PS 3.11_Recreation_Resources_PAD_Map3.11_1a_Page_25 3.11_Recreation_Resources_PAD_Map3.11_1b_Page_27
	August 10, 2023 1-3 pm	--
	September 6, 2023 1-3 pm	--

TSP Implementation
Resource Area / Technical Study Plan	Technical Working Group	Related Documents
--	December 5, 2024 11-12 pm	PPT_KR1_TWG_Recreation_Dec_5_2024_PS_v.2.0.ppt

Terrestrial Resources

TSP Development
Resource Area / Technical Study Plan	Technical Working Group	Related Documents
TERR 1 – Botanical TERR 2 - Wildlife	July 11, 2023 1-3 pm	--
	August 8, 2023 1-3 pm	--
	September 7, 2023 1-3 pm	--

Reference Documents

FERC Relicensing Process

Study Plan Development and Participation

Project Literature Library

Current FERC License (1998)

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