Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) staff joined Granite County's Nov. 25 quarterly call to report progress on technical reviews of project submittals. Kareem, the FERC reviewer, said the agency has issued or will issue several response letters and will likely request revised plans for the county's ODSP (outlet/dam safety plan), EAP (emergency action plan) and surveillance/monitoring documents (SMR/SMP).

Kareem said staff are "playing catch up" on a backlog of submittals and that two or three letters should be released in the coming two weeks. He told the board a draft CA (comprehensive assessment/inspection) letter is in review and that FERC will probably ask for a revised inspection plan; he encouraged county staff to reach out with questions before returning revised documents so the agency can provide informal guidance.

FERC staff also discussed expected timing for SMR submissions and explained that calendar-year projects may find a Dec. 31 delivery difficult; earlier submissions were recommended to avoid inspection-season delays. Staff said they will coordinate a secondary, detailed call about part-12 inspection logistics once the inspection plan is approved.

Next steps: commissioners were advised to review forthcoming letters closely, to prepare revised plans and schedules, and to contact FERC staff in advance of resubmittal to clarify technical comments.