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QUINCY, ILL. -- UPDATED February 28 at 9:28 p.m. 

The City of Quincy is a step closer to appealing to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for a new hydropower project at Lock and Dam 21.

Monday, the city council voted to hire Van Ness Feldman in Washington D.C. to appeal to FERC for a license and permit.

Attorneys with that law firm went ahead and filed a motion with FERC to intervene for the City of Quincy.

Counsel Joe Duesterhaus says it will cost between $25,000 to $45,000 for the administrative proceeding alone.

Duesterhaus said, "I realize that's a lot of money but looking at what's at stake and what they're going to be doing and where they practice, that's a reasonable rate."

The city has 30 days to complete the appeal process.

Ten alderman voted in favor of hiring the D.C. law firm; two alderman voted against the measure and two were absent.

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Attorneys with Van Ness Feldman in Washington D.C. have filed a motion with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to intervene for the City of Quincy.

Van Ness Felman filed the motion Monday.

The Quincy City Council has not yet authorized the law firm to do so.

There is a resolution on tonight's city council agenda to engage the law firm to appeal the FERC Order.

The deadline for requests for rehearing is March 21, 2011.