“I love hydropower. From the first time I stepped inside a hydroelectric project powerhouse and heard and felt that wonderful, powerful rumble of water moving through turbines, spinning generators, and pushing electric current out onto the grid, cleanly, smoothly, reliably, steadily…I was hooked. Such an elegant idea; to convert the power of moving water into electricity. I realize that some hydropower projects have environmental impacts that have to be addressed and resolved, but in the face of climate change and all the environmental consequences that will come from that, I know that there is an important place for hydropower in our energy future that is more than worth preserving and protecting.”
Wendy Bley has over 30 years of hydropower-specific experience relative to environmental planning, environmental assessments, environmental management, biological studies, and facility licensing and permitting. She is highly knowledgeable of environmental issues associated with project design, permitting, and construction. Wendy is an experienced facilitator and meeting manager and has negotiated settlement agreements to resolve a variety of complex resource issues for energy projects regulated under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Federal Power Act, Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, and the National Historic Preservation Act. She has prepared public information materials, including websites, videos, newsletters, and brochures about resource issues associated with project development. Wendy has facilitated numerous public and stakeholder meetings on a wide variety of projects. She has been involved in the energy industry for more than 25 years. Wendy is highly experienced in hydropower project licensing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). She has prepared NEPA documents including both EAs and EISs for a variety of energy projects, including hydropower, transmission, solar, and natural gas projects. She is highly knowledgeable of regulations and requirements under the Federal Power Act, NEPA, Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, and National Historic Preservation Act. She is experienced in dealing with federal regulatory agencies including the U.S. EPA, National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and others.
Wendy holds a B.S. in Biology from George Mason University and an M.S. in Natural Resource Economics from the University of New Hampshire and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Hydropower Association.