Small Hydropower Dependable Regulatory Order Act of 2015 or the Small HyDRO Act of 2015
This bill amends the Federal Power Act to prescribe the licensing procedures for a project that: (1) does not alter the existing flowrate of the body of water the project is on, and (2) either has a power production capacity not exceeding 5 megawatts or is used to power a nonpowered dam.
The bill establishes a rebuttable presumption that a license shall be issued following application.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) shall resolve any conflict over environmental analyses that may arise between it and any other federal or state agency.
Licenses shall be issued for a term of 10 years.
FERC must approve or disapprove a license application within 180 days of its receipt.