Copper Valley Electric Association, Inc.; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing; and Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests; and Scoping Period Requesting Comments on Environmental Issues for the Proposed Solomon Gulch Hydroelectric Project

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.: 2742-040.

c. Date Filed: May 27, 2026.

d. Submitted By: Copper Valley Electric Association, Inc. (CVEA).

e. Name of Project: Solomon Gulch Hydroelectric Project.

f. Location: On Solomon Lake and Solomon Gulch Creek, in the Chugach Census Area, in Valdez, Alaska. The project occupies 440 acres of federal lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r)

h. Applicant Contact: Coreen Palacios, Copper Valley Electric, P.O. Box 45, Mile 187 Glenn Highway, Glenallen, AK 99588; at (907) 822-8301; or email at CPalacios@cvea.org.

i. FERC Contact: Lauren Townson at (202) 502-8572; or email at Lauren.Townson@ferc.gov.

j. The staff for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) will prepare an environmental document that will discuss the environmental effects of relicensing the Solomon Gulch Hydroelectric Project. The Commission will use this environmental document in its decision-making process to determine whether to issue a new license for the project.

k. This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested agencies regarding the project. This notice is intended to advise all participants as to the potential scope of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) document and to seek additional information pertinent to this analysis. Commission staff do not intend to issue a separate scoping document.

As part of the NEPA review process, the Commission takes into account concerns the public may have about proposals and the environmental effects ( printed page 61394) that could result from its action whenever it considers the issuance of a hydropower license. This gathering of public input is referred to as “scoping.” The main goal of the scoping process is to focus the analysis in the environmental document on the important environmental issues.

l. Scoping Comments, Motions to Intervene and Protests, and Requests for Cooperating Status: By this notice, the Commission requests written public comments on the scope of issues to address in the environmental document and solicits for motions to intervene and protests and requests for cooperating agency status. To ensure that your scoping comments, motions to intervene and protests, and requests for cooperating agency status are timely and properly recorded, please submit them so that the Commission receives them in Washington, DC on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on November 23, 2026.

Comments should focus on the potential environmental effects and reasonable alternatives. Your input will help the Commission staff determine what issues they need to evaluate in the environmental document. Commission staff will consider all written comments during the preparation of the environmental document.

The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file scoping comments, motions to intervene and protests, and requests for cooperating agency status using the Commission's eFiling system at www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​efiling.asp. Commenters can submit brief comments up to 10,000 characters, without prior registration, using the eComment system at www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​ecomment.asp. 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, 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-2742-040.

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.

m. Anyone may submit a protest or a motion to intervene in accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR 385.210, 385.211, and 385.214. In determining the appropriate action to take, the Commission will consider all protests filed, but only those who file a motion to intervene in accordance with the Commission's Rules may become a party to the proceeding. Any protests or motions to intervene must be received on or before the specified deadline date for the particular application.

All filings must (1) bear in all capital letters the title “PROTEST” or “MOTION TO INTERVENE;” (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 protesting or intervening; and (4) otherwise comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005. Agencies may obtain copies of the application directly from the applicant. 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.

n. This application has been accepted, but is not ready for environmental analysis at this time.

o. Project Description: The Solomon Gulch Project includes: (1) a 660-acre reservoir with a storage volume of 31,560 acre-feet at the maximum elevation of 693.5 feet mean sea level; (2) a 400-foot-long and 115-foot-high rockfill dam; (3) a 365-foot-long saddle dike, or auxiliary dam, with a maximum height of approximately 65 feet, and a 450-foot-long concrete spillway with a nominal crest elevation of 685 feet mean sea level; (4) two 48-inch diameter intake pipes with slide gates and a trash rack; (5) two 48-inch diameter, concrete-encased steel penstocks; (6) a 70-foot-long by 60-foot-wide powerhouse containing two Francis-type turbine/generator units with a total rated capacity of 12 megawatts (MW); (7) a substation located on the powerhouse, connecting a 1.68-mile-long transmission line from the project to the Petro-Star Switch Building; (8) a 300-foot-long by 20-foot-wide tailrace; (9) two 300-feet-long pipes that supply water to the nearby Solomon Gulch Hatchery, owned and operated by the Valdez Fisheries Development Association (VFDA); and (10) appurtenant facilities. CVEA proposes to continue to generate using stored water from Solomon Lake to supply energy to CVEA's electrical system serving Valdez and other communities in the Copper River Basin. CVEA would continue to maintain reservoir elevations between elevations 615 feet and 685 feet and maintain continuous minimum flows of 2 cubic feet per second (cfs) at the head of the project tailrace and 2 cfs at the base of the lower falls of Solomon Gulch Creek for the protection of fish resources as it does currently.

Additionally, CVEA proposes to remove approximately 443 acres from the existing project boundary, including approximately 355 acres of federal lands located at the southern end of Solomon Lake, and approximately 91 acres of state-managed lands. Approximately 2 acres of private land would be added to the proposed project boundary to reflect the full extent of the existing 100-foot-wide primary transmission line right of way to the Petro Star Switch Building. Therefore, the proposed project boundary would total approximately 760 acres, consisting of approximately 671 acres of state-managed lands, 85 acres of BLM-managed federal lands, and 3 acres of private lands.

A copy of the application, with the details of the proposed project, may be viewed on the Commission's website at 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 (P-2742).

p. NEPA Process and the Environmental Document: Any environmental document issued by the Commission will discuss effects that could occur as a result of the project's relicensing under the relevant general resource areas, such as:

• geology and soils;
• water resources;
• fish resources;
• aquatic resources;
• terrestrial resources;
• recreation resources;
• land use resources;
• aesthetic resources;
• cultural resources;
• socioeconomic resources; and
• air quality.

Commission staff will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the proposed project or portions of the project and make recommendations on how to lessen or avoid effects on the various ( printed page 61395) resource areas. Your comments will help Commission staff identify and focus on the issues that might have an effect on the human environment and potentially eliminate others from further discussion in the environmental document.

Following this scoping period, Commission staff will determine whether to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) or an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The EA or EIS will present Commission staff's independent analysis of the issues. If Commission staff prepares an EA, a Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment will be issued. The EA may be issued for an allotted public comment period. The Commission would consider timely comments on the EA before making its decision regarding the proposed project. If Commission staff prepares an EIS, a Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement will be issued. Staff will then prepare a draft EIS which will be issued for public comment. Commission staff will consider all timely comments received during the comment period on the draft EIS and revise the document, as necessary, before issuing a final EIS. Any EA or draft and final EIS will be available in electronic format in the public record through eLibrary. If eSubscribed, you will receive instant email notification when the environmental document is issued (see paragraph (q) of this notice for instructions on using eSubscription).

q. This notice is being distributed to the Commission's official mailing list for the project and any additional entities on the applicant's distribution list. You can access the Commission's official mailing list for this project at ferconline.ferc.gov/​MailListLOR.aspx?​Type=​MailList&​ListVar=​P-10198. If you want to receive future mailings for the project and are not included on the Commission's official mailing list, or if you wish to be removed from the Commission's official mailing list, please send your request by email to FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. In lieu of an email request, you may submit a paper request. 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, MD 20852. All written or emailed requests must specify your wish to be added to or removed from the mailing list, and must clearly identify the following on the first page: Solomon Gulch Hydroelectric Project No. 2742-040.

Additionally, the Commission offers a free service called eSubscription, which makes it easy to stay informed of all issuances and submittals regarding the dockets/projects to which you subscribe. These instant email notifications are the fastest way to receive notification and provide a link to the document files, which can reduce the amount of time you spend researching proceedings. Go to www.ferc.gov/​ferc-online/​overview to register for eSubscription.

In addition to publishing the full text of this notice in the Federal Register , the Commission provides all interested persons an opportunity to view and/or print the contents of this notice, as well as other documents in the proceeding ( e.g., license application) via the internet through the Commission's Home Page ( 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 (P-2742). For assistance, contact FERC at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-8659 (TTY).

r. Procedural schedule: The application will be processed according to the following schedule. Revisions to the schedule will be made as appropriate.

Acceptance and Scoping Notice Issued—September 2026

Scoping Comments Due—November 2026

Issue Notice of Ready for Environmental Analysis—February 2027

s. 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.

(Authority: 18 CFR 2.1)