[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 158 (Wednesday, August 17, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48390-48391]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-4472]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2165-022]


Alabama Power Company; Notice of Application Tendered for Filing 
With the Commission, and Establishing Procedural Schedule for 
Relicensing and a Deadline for Submission of Final Amendments

August 11, 2005.
    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-2165-022.
    c. Date Filed: July 28, 2005.
    d. Applicant: Alabama Power Company.
    e. Name of Project: Warrior River Hydroelectric Project, which 
includes the Lewis Smith and Bankhead Developments.
    f. Location: The Lewis Smith development is located in northwestern 
Alabama in the headwaters of the Black Warrior River on the Sipsey Fork 
in Cullman, Walker, and Winston Counties. The Bankhead development is 
located in central Alabama downstream of the Lewis Smith development, 
on the Black Warrior River in Tuscaloosa County. The Lewis Smith 
development affects 2691.44 acres of federal lands and the Bankhead 
development affects 18.7 acres of Federal lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791 (a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Jerry L. Stewart, Senior Vice President 
and Senior Production Officer, Alabama Power Company, 600 North 18th 
Street, P.O. Box 2641, Birmingham, AL 35291-8180.
    i. FERC Contact: Janet Hutzel, (202) 502-8675 or 
[email protected].
    j. Cooperating agencies: We are asking Federal, State, local, and 
tribal agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect 
to environmental issues to cooperate with us in the preparation of the 
environmental document. Agencies who would like to request cooperating 
status should follow the instructions for filing such requests 
described in item k below.
    k. Deadline for request for cooperating agency status: September 
26, 2005.
    All documents (original and eight copies) should be filed with: 
Magalie R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.
    The Commission's Rules of Practice 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.
    Requests for cooperating agency status may be filed electronically 
via the Internet in lieu of paper. The Commission strongly encourages 
electronic filings. See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions 
on the Commission's Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) under the ``e-
Filing'' link. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing.
    l. This application has not been accepted for filing. We are not 
soliciting motions to intervene, protests, or final terms and 
conditions at this time.
    m. Description of Project: The proposed Warrior River Project would 
consist of two developments. The Lewis Smith and Bulkhead developments 
would operate in peaking mode. The total capacity for all developments 
is 211.05 MW, generating about 463,094 MWh of energy annually. The 
project works would include the following:
    Lewis Smith Development: The Lewis Smith development, located on 
the Sipsey Fork of the Black Warrior River, consists of: (1) A total of 
2,200 feet of water retaining structures which includes a 300-foot-high 
earth and rock fill dam, an uncontrolled spillway with fixed crest 
elevation 522 feet m.s.l., and powerhouse consisting of: (a) A 95-foot-
long uncontrolled spillway, (b) a 350-foot-wide channel which 
originates at the spillway and discharges into Mill creek about 3,000 
feet downstream of the spillway, (c) a concrete intake located 120 feet 
upstream of the dam which provides flows to two 23-foot-diameter, 630-
foot-long power tunnels; (2) a 35-mile-long, 21,200-acre reservoir at 
normal pool elevation 510 feet m.s.l., and capacity of 1,390,000 acre-
ft at normal pool elevation 510 feet m.s.l. and 1,670,600 acre-feet at 
spillway crest elevation 522-ft m.s.l; (3) a 193-foot-long concrete 
power house, housing two 111,500 horse power vertical fixed-blade 
turbines and generating units, each rated at 78.75 MW, a total rated 
capacity of 157.5 MW, maximum hydraulic capacity of 5,700 cfs each, and 
total hydraulic capacity of 11,400 cfs. The estimated generation is 
282,864 MWh.; (4) trashracks located at the turbine intakes with 6-inch 
bar spacing; (5) a substation; and (6) other appurtenances. One 115-
kilovolt transmission line, and two 161-kilovolt

[[Page 48391]]

transmission lines connect substations to Alabama Power's transmission 
system.
    Bankhead Development: The Bankhead development is located at the 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) Lock and Dam No. 17 on the Black 
Warrior River. The dam, a 1,230-foot-long gated spillway, and 78-mile-
long reservoir are owned and operated by the Corps. The Bankhead 
development consists of a powerhouse and intake canal consisting of: 
(1) A 54-foot-wide by 100-foot-long gated intake canal; (2) a 135-foot-
long powerhouse housing one 71,400 horse power vertical propeller 
turbine and generating unit, rated at 53.985 MW, and a maximum 
hydraulic capacity of 10,388 cfs. The estimated generation is 180,230 
MWh; (3) thirty-five trashracks located at the turbine intakes with 6-
inch bar spacing; (4) penstocks; (5) a substation; and (6) other 
appurtenances. One 115-kilovolt transmission line connects the 
substation to Alabama Power's transmission system.
    n. A copy of the application is available for review at the 
Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the 
Commission's Web site 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. For assistance, contact 
FERC Online Support at [email protected] or toll-free at 1-
866-208-3676, or for TTY, (202) 502-8659. A copy is also available for 
inspection and reproduction at the address in item h above.
    You may also register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via e-mail of new filings and 
issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, 
contact FERC Online Support.
    o. Procedural schedule and final amendments: At this time we do not 
anticipate the need for preparing a draft environmental assessment 
(EA). Recipients will have 60 days to provide the Commission with any 
written comments on the EA. All comments filed with the Commission will 
be considered in the Order taking final action on the license 
applications. However, should substantive comments requiring re-
analysis be received on the EA document, we would consider preparing a 
subsequent EA document. The application will be processed according to 
the following Hydro Licensing Schedule. Revisions to the schedule will 
be made as appropriate.
    Issue acceptance letter or deficiency letter and request additional 
information, if needed: September 2005.
    Notice soliciting final terms and conditions: December 2005.
    Notice of the availability of the EA: July 2006.
    Ready for Commission's decision on the application: November 2006.
    Final amendments to the application must be filed with the 
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of the notice 
of ready for environmental analysis.

Linda Mitry,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5-4472 Filed 8-16-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P