Hydropower is one of the project types in which FERC regulates both the construction and operational phase of a project. Dam safety is a critical part of the Commission's hydropower program and receives top priority. Before projects are constructed, the Commission staff reviews and approves the designs, plans, and specifications of dams, powerhouses, and other structures. During construction, Commission staff engineers frequently inspect a project, and once construction is complete, Commission engineers continue to inspect it on a regular basis. This website provides links to FERC guidelines relative to hydropower dams including recent highlights, regulations, guidelines, manuals, initiatives, Risk-Informed Decision Making (RIDM), security, and case histories