[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 52 (Monday, March 19, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12791-12792]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-4991]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2197-073]


Alcoa Power Generating, Inc.; Notice of Application Ready for 
Environmental Analysis and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, Terms 
and Conditions, and Prescriptions

March 13, 2007.
    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.: 2197-073.
    c. Date Filed: April 25, 2006.
    d. Applicant: Alcoa Power Generating, Inc.
    e. Name of Project: Yadkin Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: On the Yadkin River, in Davidson, Davie, Montgomery, 
Rowan, and Stanly Counties, North Carolina. The project does not occupy 
any Federal lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Gene Ellis, Licensing and Property 
Manager, Alcoa Power Generating, Inc., Yadkin Division, P.O. Box 576, 
North Carolina Highway 740, Badin, North Carolina 28009-0576; Telephone 
(704) 422-5606.
    i. FERC Contact: Lee Emery, (202) 502-8379; or [email protected].
    j. The deadline for filing comments, recommendations, terms and 
conditions, and prescriptions is 60 days from the issuance of this 
notice; reply comments are due 105 days from the issuance date of this 
notice.
    All documents (original and eight copies) should be filed with: 
Philis J. Posey, Acting 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.
    Comments, recommendations, terms and conditions, and prescriptions 
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.
    k. This application has been accepted and is ready for 
environmental analysis at this time.
    l. Project description: The existing Yadkin River Hydroelectric 
Project consists of four developments: High Rock, Tuckertown, Narrows, 
and Falls. The four developments are located on a 38-mile reach of the 
Yadkin River 60 miles northeast of Charlotte in central North Carolina. 
The High Rock development is the most upstream, with the Tuckertown, 
Narrows, and Falls developments 8.7, 16.5, and 19.0 miles downstream 
from the High Rock development, respectively. The four Yadkin 
developments have a combined installed capacity of 210 megawatts (MW). 
The project produces an average annual generation of 844,306 megawatt-
hours (MWh).
    The High Rock development includes the following constructed 
facilities: (1) A 936-foot-long, 101-foot-maximum height concrete 
gravity dam with (i) a 58-foot-long westerly non-overflow section, (ii) 
a 550-foot-long gated spillway with ten 45-foot-wide, 30-foot-high 
Stoney gates, and (iii) a 178-foot-long, 125-foot-high powerhouse 
integral with the dam containing three vertical Francis turbine-
generating units with a total electric output of 32.2 MW; (2) a 14,400-
acre reservoir at 623.9 feet U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) normal pool 
elevation, with 217,400 acre-feet of storage capacity; and (3) 
appurtenant facilities. Alcoa proposes to refurbish and upgrade all 
three generating units, install new aeration technology to increase 
dissolved oxygen concentration and enhance water quality in the High 
Rock tailwater, and revise the operating guide curve for the reservoir.
    The Tuckertown development includes the following constructed 
facilities: (1) A 1,370-foot-long, 76-foot-maximum height concrete 
gravity dam with (i) a 45-foot-long rock filled section, (ii) a 178-
foot-long right non-overflow section, (iii) a 481-foot-long gated 
spillway section with eleven 35-foot-wide by 38-foot-high Tainter 
gates, (iv) a 20-foot-long middle non-overflow section, (v) a 204-foot-
long, 115-foot-high powerhouse integral with the dam containing three 
Kaplan turbine-generating units with a total electric output of 38 MW, 
(vi) a 100-foot-long left non-overflow section and (vii) a 342-foot-
long rock filled section; (2) a 2,560-acre reservoir at 564.7 feet USGS 
normal pool elevation, with 6,700 acre-feet of storage capacity; and 
(3) appurtenant facilities. Alcoa proposes to refurbish and upgrade all 
three

[[Page 12792]]

generating units and install new aeration technology to increase 
dissolved oxygen concentration and enhance water quality in the 
Tuckertown development tailwater.
    The Narrows development includes the following constructed 
facilities: (1) A 1,144-foot-long, 201-foot-maximum height concrete 
gravity dam with (i) a 366-foot-long non-overflow section, (ii) a 640-
foot-long gated main spillway with twenty-two 25-foot wide by 12-foot-
high Tainter gates, (iii) a 6-foot-long by 17-foot-high trash gate, 
(iv) a 128-foot-long intake structure with four 20-foot by 20-foot 
openings each with two vertical lift gates, (v) a 6-foot-long by 17-
foot-high trash gate, (vi) a 431-foot-long bypass spillway with ten 33-
foot-wide by 28-foot-high Stoney gates and (vii) a 90-foot-long non-
overflow section; (2) a 5,355-acre reservoir at a normal pool elevation 
of 509.8 feet USGS with 129,100 acre-feet of storage capacity; (3) four 
15-foot-diameter steel plate penstocks; (4) a 213-foot-long by 80-foot-
wide reinforced concrete and brick powerhouse located 280 feet 
downstream of the dam and containing four vertical Francis turbine-
generators with a total installed capacity of 108 MW; (5) a 13.2-kV 
transmission line approximately 1.9 miles long connecting the Narrows 
development with Alcoa's Badin Works; and (6) appurtenant facilities. 
Alcoa proposes to refurbish and upgrade generating units 1 and 3 and 
install new aeration technology to increase dissolved oxygen 
concentration and enhance water quality in the Narrows Development 
tailwater.
    The Falls Development includes the following constructed 
facilities: (1) A 748-foot-long, 112-foot-maximum height concrete 
gravity dam consisting of: (i) A 189-foot-long, 130-foot-high 
powerhouse integral with the dam containing one vertical Francis 
turbine-generator and two Allis Chalmers vertical Propeller turbine-
generators with a total installed capacity of 31 MW, (ii) a 14-foot-
wide by 19-foot-high trash gate section, (iii) a 440-foot-long gated 
spillway with ten 33-foot-wide by 34-foot-high Stoney gates, (iv) a 71-
foot-long Tainter gates section with one 25-foot-wide by 19-foot-high 
and a 25-foot-wide by 14-foot-high gate, and (v) a 34-foot-long non-
overflow section; (2) a 204-acre reservoir at normal full pool 
elevation of 332.8 feet USGS, with 760 acre-feet of storage capacity; 
(3) a 100-kV transmission line approximately 2.7 miles long connecting 
the Falls development with Alcoa's Badin Works; and (4) appurtenant 
facilities. Alcoa proposes to refurbish and upgrade all three 
generating units and plans to install new aeration technology to 
increase dissolved oxygen concentration and enhance water quality in 
the Falls Development tailwater provided it will be deemed necessary in 
the future.
    Alcoa proposes to continue operating the High Rock development in a 
store-and-release mode, and the Tuckertown, Narrows, and Falls 
developments in a run-of-river mode. The High Rock development provides 
storage for the downstream three developments. The Narrows development 
also provides some storage during low flow conditions and emergencies. 
The current average maximum annual drawdown for High Rock Reservoir is 
12 to 15 feet, with drawdowns of 5 feet or less typical during the 
summer months. At the other developments, the maximum annual drawdown 
is 3 to 4 feet, with an average daily drawdown of up to 1 to 2 feet. 
Alcoa currently releases a weekly average minimum flow of 900 cfs from 
the Falls Development but has proposed to increase this minimum flow. 
Several other proposed modifications to the project include: (1) 
Revising the operating guide curve for High Rock reservoir; (2) 
building 10 new campsites and improving portage trails and access to 
existing recreation sites; and (3) creating a new swimming beach.
    m. 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.
    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, address, and telephone 
number 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.
    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.
    n. A license applicant must file no later than 60 days following 
the date of issuance of this notice: (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.

Philis J. Posey,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. E7-4991 Filed 3-16-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P