Water Builders Keep Declaring Projects the Old-Fashioned Way
Published Date: 2/17/2026
Notice
Summary
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is extending its current form, FERC-515, for three more years with no changes. This form is for anyone planning to build water projects who needs to declare their intentions to FERC. If you’re involved, you’ve got until April 20, 2026, to share your thoughts, but no new fees or rules are coming.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
FERC-515 Filing Extended, No Changes
FERC is extending the FERC-515 Declaration of Intention form for three more years with no changes. If you plan to build project works on certain waters, you must continue to file this declaration; the agency estimates each response takes 80 hours and costs about $8,240 per respondent. Comments on this collection are due April 20, 2026, and the Commission estimates 4 respondents annually with a total annual cost of $32,960.
Declaration Can Avoid License Paperwork
When you file a FERC-515 Declaration of Intention, Commission staff will review maps and land records to decide if the Commission has jurisdiction. If the Commission finds your project is non-jurisdictional, you will not have to file a license or exemption application, which removes a substantial paperwork burden for the applicant.
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