In other words, they probably bear a distant relation to the semiotics of the stoplight, and that's probably why red was chosen for ambulances and police cars: because they put into your head the notion of "stop."
With the three relevant Federal agencies working together to remove barriers to development on federally owned facilities, hydroelectric developers can be reasonably confident that their investments in planning will eventually bear fruit in new hydropower generation, and not be blocked at the last minute by unexpected red tape.