Department of Energy
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
- [Project No. P-2725-076]
Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
a. Type of Application: New Major License.
b. Project No.: P-2725-076.
c. Date filed: December 6, 2024.
d. Applicant: Oglethorpe Power Corporation.
e. Name of Project: Rocky Mountain Pumped Storage Project.
f. Location: On Heath Creek, near the Town of Rome, Floyd County, Georgia.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Ben Stanley, Oglethorpe Power Corporation, Senior Vice President of Plant Operations, 2100 East Exchange Place, Tucker, Georgia 30084; 770-270-7210 or ben.stanley@opc.com.
i. FERC Contact: David Gandy at 202-502-8560 or david.gandy@ferc.gov.
j. Deadline for filing comments, recommendations, terms and conditions, and prescriptions: on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 13, 2026; reply comments are due on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on August 26, 2026.
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file comments, recommendations, terms and conditions, and prescriptions using the Commission's eFiling system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx. Commenters can submit brief comments up to 10,000 characters, without prior registration, using the eComment system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-8659 (TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, you may submit a paper copy. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852. All filings must clearly identify the project name and docket number on the first page: Rocky Mountain Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project (P-2725-076).
The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure require all intervenors filing documents with the Commission to serve a copy of that document on each person on the official service list for the project. Further, if an intervenor files comments or documents with the Commission relating to the merits of an issue that may affect the responsibilities of a particular resource agency, they must also serve a copy of the document on that resource agency.
k. This application has been accepted and is ready for environmental analysis.
l. The Rocky Mountain Pumped Storage Project consists of the following existing facilities: (1) a 120-foot-high, 12,895-foot-long earth and rockfill upper dam; (2) a 221-acre upper reservoir with 10,650 acre-feet of storage and a normal operating pool elevation of 1,392 feet North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88); (3) a 35-foot-diameter, 567-foot-high concrete-lined power shaft; (4) a 35-foot-diameter, 1,935-foot-long concrete lined tunnel with two concrete lined bifurcations; (5) three 19-foot-diameter, 470-foot-long steel lined penstocks; (6) a 348-foot-long, 156-foot-wide, 175-foot-high powerhouse containing three reversible Francis pump-turbines, with a combined installed capacity of 904 megawatts; (7) three 230 kilovolt, 2.7-mile-long transmission lines; (8) a substation; and (9) appurtenant facilities.
The project has reserved storage water contained in two auxiliary pools (Pool I and Pool II) adjacent to the lower reservoir. Pool I's surface area is 400 acres and is formed by four dams, including: (a) a 25-foot-high earthen dam of unspecified length; (b) a 20-foot-high, 775-foot-long earth and rockfill dam; (c) a 50-foot-high, 700-foot-long earth and rockfill dam; and (d) a 50-foot-high, 405-foot-long earth and rockfill dam. Pool II's surface area is 200 acres and is formed by a 30-foot-high, 335-foot-long earth and rockfill dam.
Average annual generation (2018 to 2023) is 1,360,416.2 megawatt-hours (MWh), and the average annual pumping consumption is 1,812,719.3 MWh.
m. A copy of the application can be viewed on the Commission's website at http://www.ferc.gov, using the “eLibrary” link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the docket number field, to access the document ( i.e., P-2725). For assistance, contact FERC Online Support. ( printed page 28590)
All filings must: (1) bear in all capital letters the title “COMMENTS,” “REPLY COMMENTS,” “RECOMMENDATIONS,” “TERMS AND CONDITIONS,” or “PRESCRIPTIONS;” (2) set forth in the heading the name of the applicant and the project number of the application to which the filing responds; (3) furnish the name of the person submitting the filing; and (4) otherwise comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005. All comments, recommendations, terms and conditions or prescriptions must set forth their evidentiary basis and otherwise comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 4.34(b). Agencies may obtain copies of the application directly from the applicant. Each filing must be accompanied by proof of service on all persons listed on the service list prepared by the Commission in this proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 4.34(b) and 385.2010.
For public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, contact the Office of Public Participation at (202) 502-6595 or OPP@ferc.gov. You may also register online at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx to be notified via email of new filings and issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.
n. The applicant must file the following on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 13, 2026: (1) a copy of the water quality certification; (2) a copy of the request for certification, including proof of the date on which the certifying agency received the request; or (3) evidence of waiver of water quality certification.
o. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the Commission on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on June 12, 2026.
(Authority: 18 CFR 2.1)
Dated: May 13, 2026.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.