82 FR 22137 - Advanced Hydropower, Inc.; Notice of Preliminary Permit Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Comments, Motions To Intervene, and Competing Applications

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 91 (May 12, 2017)

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 91 (Friday, May 12, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 22137]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-09677]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 14837-000]


Advanced Hydropower, Inc.; Notice of Preliminary Permit 
Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Comments, Motions To 
Intervene, and Competing Applications

    On January 24, 2017, Advanced Hydropower, Inc. filed an application 
for a preliminary permit, pursuant to section 4(f) of the Federal Power 
Act (FPA), proposing to study the feasibility of the McNary Dam 
Advanced Hydropower Project (project) to be located at U.S. Corps of 
Engineer's (Corps) McNary Dam near Plymouth in Benton County, 
Washington and Umatilla in Umatilla County, Oregon. The purpose of a 
preliminary permit, if issued, is to grant the permit holder priority 
to file a license application during the permit term. A preliminary 
permit does not authorize the permit holder to perform any land-
disturbing activities or otherwise enter upon lands or waters owned by 
others without the owners' express permission.
    The proposed project would use the Corps' existing spillway bays 1 
and 2 at the McNary Dam, and would consist of the following new 
facilities: (1) A 110-foot-wide, 440-foot-high intake channel with 
gates and trash racks from the existing spillway bays 1 and 2 of the 
McNary Dam spillway; (2) a 38-foot-wide, 40-foot-high, 50-foot-long 
concrete penstock; (3) a 49-megawatt Alden turbine; (4) a draft tube 
discharging flows to the existing tailrace; (5) a 1.5-mile-long, 13.8- 
or 23-kilovolt transmission line interconnecting with the existing 
McNary Dam switchyard; and (6) appurtenant facilities.\1\ The estimated 
annual generation of the project would be 190 gigawatt-hours.
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    \1\ In a letter filed on April 11, 2017, the Corps states it 
believes the Commission lacks jurisdiction over hydropower 
development at the McNary Dam. However, the Corps also states it 
does not oppose the issuance of a preliminary permit on operational 
grounds despite noting several potential concerns with the proposal. 
Compare Advanced Hydropower, Inc., 155 FERC ] 61,007 (2016) (denying 
preliminary permit application following Corps' February 8, 2016 
comments opposing the project) and Loxbridge Partners, LLC, 156 FERC 
] 62,163 (2016) (denying preliminary permit application following 
Corps' August 2, 2016 comments opposing the project and requesting 
that staff reject the permit application), with Rivertec Partners, 
LLC, 156 FERC ] 62,060 (2016) (issuing preliminary permit following 
Corps' April 13, 2016 comments that it has no objections to the 
permit application).
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    Applicant Contact: Mr. Kurt Ross, Advanced Hydropower, Inc., 925 
Fairgrounds Road, Goldendale, Washington 98620; phone: (509) 773-5650.
    FERC Contact: Kim Nguyen; phone: (202) 502-6105.
    Deadline for filing comments, motions to intervene, competing 
applications (without notices of intent), or notices of intent to file 
competing applications: 60 days from the issuance of this notice. 
Competing applications and notices of intent must meet the requirements 
of 18 CFR 4.36.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
comments, motions to intervene, notices of intent, and competing 
applications using the Commission's eFiling system at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp. Commenters can submit brief 
comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, using the 
eComment system at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp. You 
must include your name and contact information at the end of your 
comments. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at 
[email protected], (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-
8659 (TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, please send a paper copy to: 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20426. The first page of any filing should include 
docket number P-14837-000.
    More information about this project, including a copy of the 
application, can be viewed or printed on the ``eLibrary'' link of 
Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp. 
Enter the docket number (P-14837) in the docket number field to access 
the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.

    Dated: May 8, 2017.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-09677 Filed 5-11-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P