Hydropower Industry Advisory Panel

Organization: Kleinschmidt

Andrew E. Sims is a Project Manager and Senior Licensing Consultant with Kleinschmidt Energy and Water Resource Consultants.

He joined Kleinschmidt in 1979 and has been a member of the Licensing and Environmental Services Department since 1983. He also served as the firm's President from 1991-1997. He received a BA from Wesleyan University in 1966 and an MA from Yale University in 1968.

Andy has served as a project manager and primary liaison with clients and the FERC since 1983. His responsibilities have included coordination of document preparation and research in support of FERC permit, license, and exemption applications. Andy has been responsible for agency consultation and negotiation regarding environmental issues at hydro projects, and has coordinated numerous large studies performed by specialized environmental consultants. He is well versed in NEPA and FERC licensing regulations including both traditional and alternative processes and specializes in large, multi-year projects.

Since 1995, he has specialized in working with clients, agencies and other stakeholders to design and implement new approaches to relicensing hydroelectric projects. He was instrumental in the design of the first fully collaborative process that predated FERC's Alternative Licensing Procedure, and has served as strategic consultant in the development of a number of alternative processes throughout the country, including those involving Applicant Prepared Environmental Assessments and Third Party Contractors since then. With his extensive experience in both traditional and alternative licensing processes, as well as first hand experience in compliance with license conditions, he provides strategic advice as well as detailed planning and project management services to a range of clients. Andy also has extensive experience in negotiation and facilitation in relicensings.

He is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Hydropower Association and an active member of the Regulatory Affairs Committee. During 2000 – 2002, Andy was involved in the National Review Group, which established a number of recommendations for relicensing reform that were negotiated among state and federal agencies, licensees and conservation groups. During 2002 – 2003, He was chairman of the NHA Drafting Committee working with FERC staff, other agencies, licensees and the public to develop FERC's new Integrated Licensing Process. He was appointed as Co-Chair of the LIHI Hydro Industry Advisory Panel in 2003.