a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application for an Original License and Commencing Pre-filing Licensing Process.

b. Project No.: 15257-002.

c. Dated Filed: March 27, 2026. ( printed page 32038)

d. Submitted By: Lock+^TM Hydro Friends Fund X, LLC (Lock Hydro).

e. Name of Project: Melvin Price Locks and Dam Hydroelectric Project (Melvin Price or project).

f. Location: The proposed project would be located on the Mississippi River at the existing U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (Corps) Melvin Price Locks and Dam on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, and St. Charles County, Missouri.

g. Filed Pursuant to:18 CFR part 5 of the Commission's regulations.

h. Potential Applicant Contact: Wayne F. Krouse, CEO, Lock+^TM Hydro Friends Fund X, LLC, 2901 4th Avenue South, #B 253, Birmingham, AL 35233, telephone at (877) 556-6566, x709, email at wayne@hgenergy.com.

i. FERC Contact: David Graefe, telephone at (202) 502-6137; email at david.graefe@ferc.gov.

j. Cooperating agencies: Federal, state, local, and tribal agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to environmental issues that wish to cooperate in the preparation of the environmental document should follow the instructions for filing such requests described in item o below. Cooperating agencies should note the Commission's policy that agencies that cooperate in the preparation of the environmental document cannot also intervene. See 94 FERC ¶ 61,076 (2001).

k. With this notice, we are initiating informal consultation with: (a) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and/or NOAA Fisheries under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and the joint agency regulations thereunder at 50 CFR, Part 402; and (b) the State Historic Preservation Officers, as required by section 106, National Historic Preservation Act, and the implementing regulations of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation at 36 CFR 800.2.

l. With this notice, we are designating Lock Hydro as the Commission's non-federal representative for carrying out informal consultation, pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

m. Lock Hydro filed with the Commission a Pre-Application Document ((PAD), including a proposed process plan and schedule), pursuant to 18 CFR 5.6 of the Commission's regulations.

n. A copy of the PAD may be viewed on the Commission's website ( 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. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-8659 (TTY).

You may 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. 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.

o. With this notice, we are soliciting comments on the PAD and Commission staff's Scoping Document 1 (SD1), as well as study requests. All comments on the PAD and SD1, and study requests should be sent to the address above in paragraph h. In addition, all comments on the PAD and SD1, study requests, requests for cooperating agency status, and all communications to and from Commission staff related to the merits of the potential application must be filed with the Commission. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file documents 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. In lieu of electronic filing, please send a paper copy via U.S. Postal Service 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. The first page of any filing should include docket number P-15257-002.

All filings with the Commission must bear the appropriate heading: “Comments on Pre-Application Document,” “Study Requests,” “Comments on Scoping Document 1,” “Request for Cooperating Agency Status,” or “Communications to and from Commission Staff.” Any individual or entity interested in submitting study requests, commenting on the PAD or SD1, and any agency requesting cooperating status must do so by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, July 27, 2026.

p. Scoping Process: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Commission staff will prepare either an environmental assessment (EA) or an environmental impact statement (EIS) (collectively referred to as the “NEPA document”). The NEPA document will consider both site-specific and cumulative environmental effects, and reasonable alternatives to the proposed action. The Commission's scoping process will help determine the required level of analysis and satisfy the NEPA scoping requirements, irrespective of whether the Commission prepares an EA or EIS.

Scoping Meetings

Commission staff will hold two scoping meetings for the project to receive input on the scope of the NEPA document. A daytime meeting will focus on concerns of resource agencies, Indian tribes, and non-governmental organizations (NGO), and an evening meeting will focus on receiving input from the public. We invite all interested agencies, Indian tribes, NGOs, and the public to attend one or both meetings to assist us in identifying the scope of environmental issues that should be analyzed in the NEPA document. The times and locations of these meetings are as follows:

Daytime Scoping Meeting

Date: Tuesday, June 23, 2026.

Time: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT).

Location: National Great Rivers Museum, 1 Locks and Dam Way, Alton, IL 62002.

Evening Scoping Meeting

Date: Tuesday, June 23, 2026.

Time: 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. CDT.

Location: National Great Rivers Museum, 1 Locks and Dam Way, Alton, IL 62002.

Scoping Document 1 (SD1), which outlines the subject areas to be addressed in the environmental document, was mailed to the individuals and entities on the Commission's mailing list. Copies of SD1 will be available at the scoping meetings, or may be viewed on the web at http://www.ferc.gov, using the “eLibrary” link. Follow the directions for accessing information in paragraph n. Based on all oral and written comments, a Scoping Document 2 (SD2) may be issued. SD2 may include a revised process plan and schedule, as well as a list of issues, identified through the scoping process.

Environmental Site Review

Lock Hydro and Commission staff will conduct an environmental site review of the project on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, starting at 1:00 p.m. CDT. All ( printed page 32039) participants should meet on the Mississippi River Shoreline in the boat launch parking lot on the Missouri side of the river, immediately downstream of the Melvin Price Locks and Dam, located at Riverlands Drive, West Alton, Missouri 63386. All participants are responsible for their own transportation, must remain in publicly accessible spaces, and must wear closed-toe shoes/boots for walking in uneven/sloped terrain around the proposed project area. Participants should not bring children or pets. Anyone with questions about the site visit should contact Wayne Krouse at wayne@hgenergy.com (preferably), or by phone at (877) 556-6566 ext. 709 on or before June 16, 2026.

Meeting Procedures

Agencies, Tribes, NGOs, and individuals with environmental expertise and concerns are encouraged to attend the meetings and to assist the staff in defining and clarifying the issues to be addressed in the NEPA document. At the start of each meeting, Commission staff will provide a brief overview of the meeting format and objectives. Individual oral comments will be taken on a one-on-one basis with a court reporter (with Commission staff present). This format is designed to receive the maximum number of oral comments in a convenient way during the timeframe allotted. If you wish to speak, Commission staff will hand out numbers in the order of your arrival. If all individuals who wish to provide comments have had an opportunity to do so, Commission staff may conclude the meeting a half hour earlier than the scheduled time. Please see Appendix A of the SD1 for additional information on the session format and conduct.^[1]

Scoping comments will be recorded by the court reporter and become part of the public record for this proceeding. Transcripts will be publicly available on FERC's eLibrary system. If a significant number of people are interested in providing oral comments in the one-on-one settings, a time limit may be implemented for each commentor. It is important to note that the Commission provides equal consideration to all comments received, whether filed in writing or provided orally at a scoping session. Although there will not be a formal presentation, Commission staff will be available throughout the scoping meeting(s) to answer your questions about the environmental review process.

(Authority: 18 CFR 2.1)