Southern California Edison (SCE) owns and operates the Kern River No. 1 Hydroelectric Project, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Project No. 1930 (Project). The Project is a 26.3-megawatt run-of-river hydroelectric facility located on the lower Kern River on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, approximately 15 miles east of the City of Bakersfield in Kern County, California. The Project occupies federal lands within the Sequoia National Forest, which is administered by the United States Forest Service, and includes a diversion dam and impoundment, water conveyance system, powerhouse, access roads and trails, communication and power lines, gaging stations, and ancillary support facilities.

SCE’s current operating license for the Project expires on May 31, 2028. Accordingly, SCE initiated the process required under the Federal Power Act and FERC regulations to obtain a new license for the Project using FERC’s Integrated Licensing Process. SCE began the relicensing process by filing its Notice of Intent and Pre-Application Document with FERC on May 5, 2023. Following a multi-year collaborative relicensing effort involving SCE, federal and state resource agencies, Native American Tribes, non-governmental organizations, and interested members of the public, SCE filed its Final License Application on May 27, 2026.

This webpage provides links to Project-related materials, notices, and documentation in PDF format. Additional Project records and filings are available through FERC’s eLibrary system (https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/elibrary) under Docket No. P-1930. This page will be updated periodically as new materials become available.

General Project Information

The Project is located on the Kern River approximately 15 miles east of the City of Bakersfield in Kern County, California. The Project is operated in a run-of-river mode. Water from the Kern River is diverted at Democrat Dam into a 9-mile-long flowline to the Project powerhouse which has a dependable generating capacity of 24.8 megawatts (MW). All Project facilities are located on National Forest Service lands within the Sequoia National Forest.

• Project Vicinity Map

Recent Project Filings
 

Final License Application Filed May 27, 2026

Pursuant to Section 15(c)(1) of the Federal Power Act and Sections 5.17(a) and 5.18 of FERC’s Integrated Licensing Process regulations, SCE filed a Final License Application for the Kern River No. 1 Hydroelectric Project on May 27, 2026. Public portions of the FLA are provided below under “Relicensing Documents” and are also available through FERC’s eLibrary system (https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/elibrary) under Docket No. P-1930.

To receive timely and direct communication from FERC regarding filings and issuances associated with the Kern River No. 1 Hydroelectric Project, follow the directions to register for an “eSubscription” at https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.

All documents related to the Kern River No. 1 Hydroelectric Project can be found on FERC’s eLibrary. Links to relevant documents can also be accessed below.

Upcoming Meetings

There are no upcoming meetings.

• March 26, 2026 Updated Study Report Meeting Agenda
• March 26, 2026 Updated Study Report Meeting Presentation
• March 19, 2025 Initial Study Report Meeting Agenda
• March 19, 2025 Initial Study Report Meeting Presentation
• Kern River No. 1 Hydroelectric Project Relicensing FERC Project No. 1930 – Notice of Rescheduled Stakeholder Meeting
• June 13, 2023, Stakeholder Meeting Presentation
• August 1 2023, FERC Site Visit Booklet
• FERC August 2 2023, Scoping Meeting PP Presentation
• SCE_August 2 2023, Scoping Meeting PP Presentation
• August 2, 2023, FERC Scoping Meetings Transcript
• Initial Study Report Meeting Notification
• November 14, 2023, Proposed Study Plan Meeting Presentation

Technical Working Groups (TWG)

SCE would like to invite you to participate in the Kern River No. 1 Hydroelectric Relicensing Technical Working Group (TWG) meetings organized by the following resource areas:

• Aquatics
• Cultural
• Land
• Recreation
• Terrestrial

The TWG meetings are intended to obtain input on the content of the draft Technical Study Plans provided in SCE’s Pre-Application Document, dated May 2023. The meetings are open to federal and state resource agencies, local governments, Native American Tribes, non-governmental organizations, and other interested parties. Participants are expected to prepare for and attend meetings, review documents, and provide technical input to SCE and its consultants on methods, analysis, reporting, and scheduling. Considering this time commitment, it is expected that the TWG process will attract a relatively small number of subject matter experts. SCE will also support a concurrent but separate outreach effort to provide information about the relicensing to the interested public, as well as stakeholders electing not to participate in the TWG process, via electronic communication and updates to the Project website www.sce.com/kr1.

The TWG meeting schedule can be found below.

To be included in the TWG meetings, please complete the Technical Working Group Sign-up Form. 
 

Technical Memorandum - Updates

Technical Memos (TMs) were distributed with the Draft License Application (DLA) on December 18, 2025. The AQ 2 – Water Quality/Water Temperature TM was updated following distribution of the DLA. The updated memo is available at the following link.

• AQ 2 – Water Quality/Water Temperature Technical Memorandum (Updated January 2026)

Contact Us

FERC Relicensing Process

• Hydropower Licensing – A Guide for the Public
• Integrated Licensing Process (ILP)
• FERC ILP Process Chart
• Ideas for Participating in the ILP Process

Study Plan Development and Participation

• FERC Study Plan Criteria Guidance
• Understanding the ILP Study Criteria

Project Literature Library

• Current FERC License (1998)