[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 221 (Friday, November 14, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67494-67495]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-27058]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 400-051]


Public Service Company of Colorado; Notice of Application 
Accepted for Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, 
Ready for Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, 
Recommendations, Preliminary Terms and Conditions, and Preliminary 
Fishway Prescriptions

November 6, 2008.
    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-400-051.
    c. Date Filed: June 26, 2008.
    d. Applicant: Public Service Company of Colorado (d/b/a Xcel 
Energy).
    e. Name of Project: Ames Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: The existing project is located on Lake Fork, Howard 
Fork, and South Fork of the San Miguel River, in San Miguel County, 
about 6 miles north of Telluride, Colorado. The Ames Project occupies 
99 acres of the Uncompahgre National Forest.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791 (a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Randy Rhodes, Public Service Company of 
Colorado, 4653 Table Mountain Drive, Golden, Colorado 80403; telephone 
(720) 497-2123.
    i. FERC Contact: David Turner (202) 502-6091 or via e-mail at 
[email protected].
    j. The deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, 
comments, recommendations, preliminary terms and conditions, and 
preliminary fishway prescriptions is January 5, 2009; reply comments 
are due February 19, 2009.
    All documents (original and eight copies) should be filed with: 
Kimberly D. Bose, 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.
    Motions to intervene, protests, comments, recommendations, 
preliminary terms and conditions, and preliminary fishway 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 for filing and is ready for 
environmental analysis.
    l. The existing project uses water that originates in two separate 
subbasins (Lake Fork and Howard's Fork) of the South Fork San Miguel 
River. The existing project, from upstream to downstream along Lake 
Fork and Howard's Fork, respectively, consists of the following: (1) A 
44-acre reservoir (Hope Lake) that has 2,000 acre-feet of active 
storage capacity at a normal maximum water surface elevation of 11,910 
feet; (2) a 150-foot-long, 20-foot high rock-filled, timber dam (Hope 
Lake dam), with a 816-foot-long, 5-foot-wide, and 6-foot-high rock 
tunnel that releases water from Hope Lake to Lake Fork Creek; (3) a 
138-acre reservoir (Trout Lake) with 2,500 acre-feet of active storage 
capacity at a normal maximum water surface elevation of 9,700 feet; (4) 
a 570-foot-long, 30-foot-high earth-filled dam (Trout Lake dam) with a 
42-inch-diameter, concrete encased steel pipe outlet that extends 
through the embankment; (5) a 12,650-foot-long, 42-inch to 26-inch-
diameter steel pipe penstock that conveys water from Trout Lake to the 
Ames powerhouse; (6) a 260-foot-long, 6-foot-high earth-filled and 
timber crib diversion dam on the Howards Fork, with a concrete inlet 
structure, which diverts water from a sluiceway constructed through the 
embankment via a manually-operated 9-foot-wide steel slide gate at the 
downstream end of the sluiceway; (7) a 4,500-foot-long, 36-inch-
diameter welded steel penstock; (8) a 2,000-foot-long, 18-inch-diameter 
steel penstock; (9) the 44-foot-long, 54-foot-wide, stone masonry Ames 
powerhouse that contains one 3.6 megawatt (MW) generating unit; and 
(10) appurtenant facilities. The project is operated both as a base-
load plant and a peaking plant depending on the time of the year; the 
applicant does not propose any changes to project operations. The 
applicant is proposing new recreation facilities at Trout Lake, along 
with additions and deletions to the project boundary due to new land 
surveys and easements.
    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.
    Register online at http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm 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. Anyone may submit comments, a protest, or a motion to intervene 
in accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 
18 CFR 385.210,.211,.214. In determining the appropriate action to 
take, the Commission will consider all protests or other comments 
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 
comments, protests, or motions to intervene must be received on or 
before the specified comment date for the particular application.
    All filings must (1) bear in all capital letters the title 
``PROTEST'', ``MOTION TO INTERVENE'', ``COMMENTS,'' ``REPLY COMMENTS,'' 
``RECOMMENDATIONS,'' ``PRELIMINARY TERMS AND CONDITIONS,'' or 
``PRELIMINARY FISHWAY 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 protesting or intervening; 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.
    o. Procedural Schedule: The application will be processed according 
to the following Hydro Licensing Schedule. Revisions to the schedule 
may be made as appropriate.

[[Page 67495]]



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               Milestone                           Target date
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Filing of interventions,                January 5, 2009.
 recommendations, preliminary terms
 and conditions, and fishway
 prescriptions.
Reply comments due....................  February 19, 2009.
Issue draft EA........................  May 4, 2009.
Comments on draft EA due..............  June 3, 2009.
Filing of modified mandatory terms and  August 3, 2009.
 conditions.
Issue final EA........................  October 14, 2009.
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    p. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the 
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.
    q. A license applicant must file no later than 60 days following 
the date of issuance of the notice of acceptance and ready for 
environmental analysis provided for in Sec.  5.22: (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.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E8-27058 Filed 11-13-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P