SENECA – Duke Energy is delaying implementation of a recently announced program that would allow eligible dock owners on Lake Keowee and Lake Jocassee to apply for dock modifications to reach deeper water.
It is anticipated the program will now be offered once the new license is issued for the Keowee-Toxaway Hydroelectric Project.
The delay is in response to feedback from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) which is responsible for granting the new license. The guidance focused on procedural matters of early implementation and not on the merits of the program.
“We recognize this is an eagerly anticipated program and appreciate the community’s understanding and patience,” said Joe Hall, Duke Energy lake services director. “This approach ensures the integrity of the process as we work to secure the new license which will allow us to implement the many associated benefits.”
The one-year application period for the program was originally scheduled from Sept. 1, 2015 through Aug. 31, 2016 and must now be delayed. The program allows eligible dock owners to proactively make permanent modifications to ensure a dock’s usability when lake levels may be lower, such as during an extended drought.
The opportunity is an outcome of the Keowee-Toxaway Relicensing Agreement Duke Energy entered into with stakeholders during the Keowee-Toxaway Hydroelectric Project FERC relicensing process.
The program differs from the “Follow the Water” program which allows a dock owner to temporarily move a dock during periods of drought. This program is not impacted by the delay.
Contact Duke Energy Lake Services at 800-443-5193 for more information.