Public paper · October 14, 2026 · Energy desk
FERC Staff Finds No Significant Impact in Plan to Surrender and Tear Out the Salida Hydro Plants on Colorado's South Arkansas River; Comments Due November 9
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) published notice on October 14, 2026 that its staff prepared an environmental assessment on Public Service Company of Colorado's application to surrender the license for the Salida Hydro Nos. 1 & 2 Project (P-2275) on the South Arkansas River and Fooses Creek in Chaffee County, remove the old Salida U1 powerhouse, a substation and certain Salida U2 facilities, and restore the site; staff concluded the surrender would not significantly affect the environment, and comments are due November 9.
noticenearby.com/papers/ferc-salida-hydro-surrender-decommissioning-ea-comments-nov-9.pdf
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) published a notice of availability of an environmental assessment (EA) in the Federal Register on October 14, 2026 for Public Service Company of Colorado's application to decommission and surrender the license for the Salida Hydro Nos. 1 & 2 Project, Project No. 2275.
FERC staff concluded that the proposed decommissioning and license surrender "would not constitute a major federal action that would significantly affect the quality of the human environment." Comments on the EA are due by 5 p.m. Eastern Time on November 9, 2026.
What the utility proposes
According to the notice, the licensee proposes to:
- Surrender the FERC license for the project.
- Decommission and remove certain Salida U2 facilities.
- Remove the remaining decommissioned Salida U1 powerhouse and the adjacent substation.
- Restore the site after decommissioning.
Where the project is
- On the South Arkansas River and Fooses Creek in Chaffee County, Colorado, near Salida.
- Partly on federal land administered by the U.S. Forest Service's Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands, Salida Ranger District.
What the EA covers
The EA contains FERC staff's analysis of the potential environmental effects of the proposed surrender and of alternatives to it. The unique identification number for documents in this environmental review is EAXX-019-20-000-1780990050.
How to read it and comment
- Read the EA on ferc.gov through eLibrary by entering docket number P-2275.
- File comments electronically through FERC's eFiling system, or use eComment for brief comments of up to 6,000 characters without registering.
- Paper filings go to Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426 (U.S. Postal Service), or 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852 (other carriers).
- The first page of any filing should include docket number P-2275-052.
- FERC contact: Rebecca Martin, 202-502-6012. FERC's Office of Public Participation: (202) 502-6595.
Why it matters
Surrendering a hydropower license ends federal oversight of a power plant and settles what happens to its structures. For people along the South Arkansas River, the EA is the place to raise questions about removal work, river flows, habitat and restoration of the site before FERC acts on the request.
Source
- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, "Public Service Company of Colorado; Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment," Project No. 2275-052, dated October 8, 2026, 91 FR 65205, FR Doc. 2026-20999, October 14, 2026 (federalregister.gov/d/2026-20999).
Notes and sources
- Image: The South Arkansas River meets the Arkansas River just south of Salida, Colorado (file photo, illustrative; not the Salida Hydro plant sites). Photo: Jeffrey Beall via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).
- Author: Ryan Standley / Record of Sale, LLC / Notice Nearby.
- Discussed on @NoticeNearYou: (pending — fill xPostUrl after live post).
- Not legal advice. Not a newspaper. Not Legal Publication. Record of Sale, LLC (Oregon).
Energy desk · Notice Nearby public papers shelf. @NoticeNearYou post pending.
Not legal advice. Not a newspaper. Not Legal Publication. Record of Sale, LLC (Oregon).