In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (Commission or FERC) regulations, 18 CFR part 380, Commission staff reviewed Pacific Gas & Electric Company's application for non-capacity amendment of the Mokelumne Hydroelectric Project No. 137 and have prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the project.^[1] To mitigate seepage along the downstream embankment of Lower Blue Lake dam, the licensee proposes to install a filter and buttress. To minimize potential effects of seismic activity, the licensee proposes to increase the height of the dam by 2 feet. The licensee does not propose any changes to the operating elevation of the reservoir. The licensee also proposes to repair a monitoring weir downstream of the dam and incorporate the weir into the project boundary. Lower Blue Lake is a storage development of the Mokelumne Project located on Middle Creek, a tributary of Blue Creek, in Alpine County, California. The Mokelumne Project partially is located on lands administered by the U.S. Forest Service.

The EA contains Commission staff's analysis of the potential environmental effects of the proposed amendment, alternatives to the proposed action, and concludes that the proposed amendment, with the licensee's proposed environmental protective measures, would not constitute a major federal action that would significantly affect the quality of the human environment.

The EA may be viewed on the Commission's website at https://www.ferc.gov using the “eLibrary” link. Enter the docket number (P-137-227) in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll-free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, (202) 502-8659.

You may also register online at https://www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filings and issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.

All comments must be filed by July 10, 2026 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file comments using the Commission's eFiling system at https://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 https://www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​ecomment.asp. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support. 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. The first page of any filing should include docket number P-137-227.

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.

For further information, contact Elizabeth Moats at 202-502-6632 or Elizabeth.OsierMoats@ferc.gov.

(Authority: 18 CFR 2.1)