[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 70 (Tuesday, April 14, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17185-17186]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-8454]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 12679-002]


ORPC Alaska, LLC; Notice of Intent To File License Application, 
Filing of Draft Application, Request for Waivers of Integrated 
Licensing Process Regulations Necessary for Expedited Processing of a 
Hydrokinetic Pilot Project License Application, and Soliciting Comments

April 7, 2009.
    a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File a License Application 
for an Original License for a Hydrokinetic Pilot Project.
    b. Project No.: 12679-002.
    c. Date Filed: March 31, 2009.
    d. Submitted By: ORPC Alaska, LLC.
    e. Name of Project: Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Pilot Project.
    f. Location: In upper Cook Inlet off the north shore of Fire Island 
in the boroughs of Anchorage and Matanuska-Susitna, Alaska. Three 
proposed alternatives for transmission line alignment would occupy 
varying amounts of federal lands on Fire Island administered by the 
U.S. Coast Guard and Federal Aviation Administration.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR 5.3 of the Commission's regulations.
    h. Applicant Contact: ORPC Alaska, LLC, 151 Martine Street, Suite 
102-5C, Fall River, MA 02723; (813) 417-6660.
    i. FERC Contact: Matt Cutlip (503) 552-2762.
    j. ORPC Alaska, LLC (ORPC Alaska) has filed with the Commission: 
(1) A notice of intent (NOI) to file an application for an original 
license for a hydrokinetic pilot project and a draft license 
application with monitoring plans; (2) a request for waivers of the 
integrated licensing process regulations necessary for expedited 
processing of a hydrokinetic pilot project license application; (3) a 
proposed process plan and schedule; (4) a request to be designated as 
the non-federal representative for section 7 of the Endangered Species 
Act consultation; and (5) a request to be designated as the non-federal 
representative for section 106 consultation under the National Historic 
Preservation Act (collectively the pre-filing materials).
    k. With this notice, we are soliciting comments on the pre-filing 
materials listed in paragraph j above, including the draft license 
application and monitoring plans. All comments should be sent to the 
address above in paragraph h. In addition, all comments (original and 
eight copies) must be filed

[[Page 17186]]

with the Commission at the following address: Kimberly D. Bose, 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20426. All filings with the Commission must include on 
the first page, the project name (Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Pilot 
Project) and number (P-12679-002), and bear the heading ``Comments on 
the proposed Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Pilot Project.'' Any individual or 
entity interested in submitting comments on the pre-filing materials 
must do so by April 30, 2009.
    Comments 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.
    l. With this notice, we are approving ORPC Alaska's request to be 
designated as the non-federal representative for section 7 of the 
Endangered Species Act (ESA) and its request to initiate consultation 
under section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act; and 
recommending that it begin informal consultation with: (a) the U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service as 
required by section 7 of ESA; and (b) the Alaska State Historic 
Preservation Officer, as required by section 106, National Historical 
Preservation Act, and the implementing regulations of the Advisory 
Council on Historic Preservation at 36 CFR 800.2.
    m. This notice does not constitute the Commission's approval of 
ORPC Alaska's request to use the Pilot Project Licensing Procedures. 
Upon its review of the project's overall characteristics relative to 
the pilot project criteria, the draft license application contents, and 
any comments filed, the Commission will determine whether there is 
adequate information to conclude the pre-filing process.
    n. The proposed Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Pilot Project would be 
implemented in two phases. Phase 1 would occur in year 1 of the pilot 
project license and would consist of deployment of one OCGen module 
(module), containing 4 turbine-generator units with a combined capacity 
of 1 megawatt. Phase 2 would occur in year 2 of the license and would 
consist of deployment of four additional modules each with a capacity 
of 1 megawatt, for a total capacity of 5 megawatts. The project would 
also consist of: (1) Underwater transmission cables from the modules to 
a shore station on Fire Island; (2) a transmission line connecting the 
shore station to an interconnection point on Fire Island; and (3) 
appurtenant facilities for operation and maintenance. The estimated 
annual generation of phase 1 would be 2,700 megawatt-hours. The 
estimated annual generation of phase 2 would be 15,000 megawatt-hours.
    o. A copy of the draft license application and all pre-filing 
materials are available for review at the Commission in the Public 
Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission's Web site (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.
    p. Pre-filing process schedule. The pre-filing process will be 
conducted pursuant to the following tentative schedule. ORPC plans to 
complete studies in 2009 to provide further support for the 
environmental analysis. Revisions to the schedule below may be made 
based on staff's review of the draft application and any comments 
received.

 
                  Milestone                               Date
 
Comments on pre-filing materials due.........  April 30, 2009.
Issuance of meeting notice (if needed).......  May 15, 2009.
Public meeting/technical conference (if        June 14, 2009.
 needed).
Issuance of notice concluding pre-filing       May 30, 2009 (if no
 process and ILP waiver request determination.  meeting is needed); June
                                                29, 2009 (if meeting is
                                                needed).
 

    q. Register online at http://ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm to be 
notified via e-mail of new filing and issuances related to this or 
other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-8454 Filed 4-13-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P