[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 88 (Friday, May 8, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 21680]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-10695]



[[Page 21680]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 12611-003]


Verdant Power, LLC; Notice Concluding Pre-Filing Process and 
Approving Process Plan and Schedule

May 1, 2009.
    a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File Application for License 
for a Hydrokinetic Pilot Project.
    b. Project No.: 12611-003.
    c. Dated Filed: November 25, 2008.
    d. Submitted By: Verdant Power, LLC.
    e. Name of Project: Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy (RITE) Project.
    f. Location: In the east channel of the East River in New York 
City, New York. The project would not occupy federal lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR 5.3 of the Commission's regulations
    h. Applicant Contact: Ronald F. Smith, Verdant Power, LLC, The 
Octagon, 888 Main Street, New York, NY 10044 (212) 888-8887 ext. 601.
    i. FERC Contact: Tom Dean (202) 502-6041.
    j. Verdant Power, LLC (Verdant Power) has filed with the 
Commission: (1) A notice of intent (NOI) to file an application for a 
pilot hydrokinetic hydropower project and a draft license application 
with monitoring plans; (2) a request for waivers of certain Integrated 
Licensing Process (ILP) regulations necessary for expedited processing 
of a license application for a hydrokinetic pilot project; (3) a 
proposed process plan and schedule; and (4) a request to be designated 
as the non-federal representative for section 7 of the Endangered 
Species Act consultation and for section 106 consultation under the 
National Historic Preservation Act.
    k. A notice was issued on December 1, 2008, soliciting comments on 
the draft license application from agencies and stakeholders. Comments 
were filed by federal and state agencies, and non-governmental 
organizations. No comments were filed opposing the request to waive the 
integrated licensing process regulations or the proposed process plan 
and schedule.
    l. The December 1, 2008, notice approved Verdant Power's request to 
be designated as the non-federal representative for section 7 of the 
Endangered Species Act (ESA) with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
and the National Marine Fisheries Service, and its request to initiate 
consultation under section 106 of the National Historic Preservation 
Act with the New York State Historic Preservation Officer.
    m. The proposed RITE Project would consist of: (1) A field array of 
30 35-kilowatt, 5-meter-diameter axial flow Kinetic Hydropower System 
(KHPS) turbine-generator units mounted on ten tri-frame mounts with a 
total capacity of about 1 megawatt; (2) underwater cables from each 
turbine to five shoreline switchgear vaults that would interconnect to 
a control room and interconnection points; and (3) appurtenant 
facilities for navigation safety and operation. The estimated annual 
generation of the proposed project would be between 1,680 and 2,400 
megawatt-hours.
    n. The pre-filing process has been concluded and the requisite 
regulations have been waived such that the process and schedule 
indicated below can be implemented.
    o. Post-filing process schedule. The post-filing process will be 
conducted pursuant to the following schedule. Revisions to the schedule 
may be made as needed.

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                 Milestones                             Dates
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Final license application expected.........  July 31, 2009.
Issue notice of acceptance and ready for     August 17, 2009.
 environmental analysis and request for
 interventions.
Issue biological assessment................  August 17, 2009.
Comments and interventions due.............  September 16, 2009.
Issue notice of availability of              November 16, 2009.
 environmental assessment.
Comments due and 10(j) resolution, if        December 16, 2009.
 needed.
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    p. 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. E9-10695 Filed 5-7-09; 8:45 am]
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