Illinois Hydropower Gets Auto-Approval If State Snoozes on Deadline
Published Date: 5/12/2026
Notice
Summary
Northern Illinois Hydropower, LLC asked Illinois to approve their water quality plan by December 12, 2026. If Illinois doesn’t respond by then, their approval is automatically given, speeding up the hydropower project. This means the company and local communities can expect clearer timelines and no extra delays or costs from waiting on this approval.
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
401 Certification Waiver Deadline
Northern Illinois Hydropower, LLC submitted a Clean Water Act section 401 water quality certification request on December 12, 2025. If the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency does not act on that request on or before December 12, 2026, the agency's certifying authority is deemed waived under section 401(a)(1) of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1341(a)(1)).
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