[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 235 (Wednesday, December 9, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65106-65109]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-29282]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2106-059]
Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Notice of Application Accepted
for Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready for
Environmental Analysis, Soliciting Comments, Recommendations,
Preliminary Terms and Conditions, and Preliminary Fishway
Prescriptions, and Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
December 1, 2009.
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.: 2106-059.
c. Date Filed: July 16, 2009.
d. Applicant: Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E).
e. Name of Project: McCloud-Pit Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location: The existing project is located on the McCloud and Pit
Rivers in Shasta County, California. The project occupies lands of the
United States, managed by the United States Department of Agriculture--
Forest Service and the United States Department of Interior--Bureau of
Land Management.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 USC 791 (a)-825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Randal S. Livingston, Vice President--Power
Generation, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, P.O. Box 770000, Mail
Code N11E, San Francisco, CA 94177-0001; Telephone (415) 973-7000.
i. FERC Contact: Emily Carter at (202) 502-6512 or
[email protected].
j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments,
recommendations, preliminary terms and conditions, and preliminary
fishway prescriptions is 60 days from the issuance of this notice;
reply comments are due 105 days from the issuance date of this notice.
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 also must 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. See 18 C.F.R.
385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Web site
(http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ferconline.asp) under the ``eFiling''
link. For a simpler method of submitting text only comments, click on
``Quick Comment.'' For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support
at [email protected]; call toll-free at (866) 208-3676; or,
for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659. Although the Commission strongly
encourages electronic filing, documents also may be paper-filed. To
paper-file, mail an original and eight copies to: Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE.,
Washington, DC 20426.
k. 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 in item l below.
l. Deadline for filing requests for cooperating agency status:
February 1, 2010.
m. This application has been accepted for filing and is now is
ready for environmental analysis.
n. Project Description: The existing McCloud-Pit Project consists
of three existing developments (James B. Black, Pit 6, and Pit 7),
which collectively include two storage reservoirs (McCloud and Iron
Canyon), two regulating reservoirs (Pit 6 and Pit 7), one afterbay (Pit
7), two tunnels, three powerhouses (James B. Black, Pit 6, and Pit 7),
and associated equipment and transmission facilities. The project has
an installed capacity of 368 megawatts (MW), produces an average annual
generation of 1,542 gigawatt-hours (GWh), and occupies 3,707.6 acres of
land. Approximately 1,651.4 of these acres are federally owned, with
1,621.9 managed by the Shasta-Trinity National Forest and 29.5 managed
by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. In addition to the existing
facilities, PG&E is proposing to construct two generation additions
consisting of powerhouses at the base of McCloud dam (5-8 MW) and at
the base of Pit 7 Afterbay dam (10 MW).
The project involves the transfer of water from the McCloud River
basin to the Lower Pit River basin via a tunnel from the McCloud
reservoir to Iron Canyon reservoir. Iron Canyon reservoir is on Iron
Canyon creak, a tributary of the Pit River. Water flows from Iron
Canyon reservoir via a tunnel to the James B. Black powerhouse.
Although the project diverts water from the McCloud River basin to the
Lower Pit River basin, both basins drain to Shasta Lake.
James B. Black Development
McCloud Dam and McCloud Reservoir
McCloud dam is a 241-foot-high, 630-foot-long earth and rock filled
dam located on the McCloud River and impounds McCloud reservoir. The
McCloud reservoir has a surface area of 520 acres and a maximum storage
capacity of approximately 35,234 acre-feet (af). The spillway
[elevation 2,696.0 feet National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD)] is on
the south side of the dam. The reservoir has a normal maximum water
surface elevation of 2,680 feet. The dam is equipped with three radial
gates measuring 27 feet by 24.5 feet, discharging into a spillway that
returns spillage flows to the McCloud River below the dam. The dam also
has a 12-foot diameter diversion/outlet tunnel that runs under the dam
to supply a 24-inch Howell-Bunger valve for releasing instream flows to
the McCloud River, as well as an 84-inch diameter butterfly valve for
emergency use to control reservoir levels. Controls for the
[[Page 65107]]
diversion/outlet tunnel are located at the intake within McCloud
reservoir.
McCloud Tunnel
A 7.2-mile-long tunnel and a 563-foot-long pipeline at Hawkins
Creek crossing hydraulically link McCloud reservoir and Iron Canyon
reservoir. An intake tower within McCloud reservoir collects water for
the McCloud tunnel, which is approximately 17 feet in diameter and
heads easterly to Iron Canyon reservoir. The differential in water
surface elevations between the two reservoirs controls the amount of
water drafted through the tunnel.
Iron Canyon Dam and Reservoir
An earth-filled dam 214-feet-high and 1,130-feet-long impounds Iron
Canyon reservoir. The reservoir has a maximum storage capacity of
24,241 af with an approximate 500-acre surface area. The dam has a
slide gate leading to a 48-inch diameter pipe for instream flow
releases to Iron Canyon Creek. Normal maximum water surface elevation
within the reservoir is 2,664 feet NGVD. When the water surface of Iron
Canyon reservoir is lowered, water flows through the McCloud tunnel
from McCloud reservoir to Iron Canyon reservoir.
Iron Canyon Tunnel and Penstock
Iron Canyon reservoir is connected to James B. Black powerhouse via
the 2.9-mile long, 18-foot diameter Iron Canyon Tunnel, an associated
1,194-foot-long, 11.5-foot diameter pipeline at the Willow Spring Creek
crossing, and a 5,467-foot-long, 11.5-foot diameter steel penstock. The
penstock bifurcates before James B. Black powerhouse to deliver water
flow to the two turbine generator units. The tunnel and penstock have a
total flow capacity of 2,000 cfs.
James B. Black Powerhouse
James B. Black powerhouse is located on the northwest bank of the
Pit River, approximately 0.5 miles upstream of the Pit 5 Project
powerhouse (FERC Project No. 233). The powerhouse is a three-level,
reinforced concrete structure containing two vertical shaft impulse
turbines rated at 104,000 hp each. They operate at a normal maximum
gross head of 1,226 feet. Two vertical axis outdoor generators, Unit 1
rated at 94.8 megavolt-ampere (MVA) and Unit 2 rated at 92.6 MVA, are
connected to a three phase, 86 MVA transformer bank. Their combined
maximum capacity is 172 MW. Average annual generation within the past
25 years at the station is 656.3 GWh.
Transmission
Transmission lines (230 kilovolt [kV]) extend approximately 0.5
mile from the transformer bank in the switchyard adjacent to the James
B. Black powerhouse to the switchyard adjacent to the Pit 5 powerhouse.
Pit 6 Development
Pit 6 Dam and Reservoir
Pit 6 dam and reservoir are located on the Pit River downstream of
James B. Black powerhouse. The 183-foot-high, 560-foot-long concrete
gravity Pit 6 dam has a crest elevation of 1,432 feet NGVD. The top of
the dam contains a trash rake, motors for two 42-foot-high by 49-foot-
long slide gates and a control building. The control building houses a
hydraulic system for two low-level, eight-foot diameter outlets at the
base of the dam. The Pit 6 reservoir has a maximum storage capacity of
approximately 15,619 af and a maximum surface area of approximately 268
acres. The normal maximum water surface elevation within the reservoir
is 1,425 feet NGVD. The reservoir serves as the forebay for the Pit 6
powerhouse. Two 18-foot diameter steel penstocks with a total flow
capacity of 6,470 cfs extend 602 feet from the dam to the turbines in
the powerhouse located at the base of the dam.
Pit 6 Powerhouse
Pit 6 powerhouse is located along the east bank of the Pit River at
the base of Pit 6 dam. The powerhouse is a four-level reinforced
concrete structure, three levels of which are below grade. The
structure contains two vertical shaft, Francis reaction turbines, rated
at 53,000 hp each and operating at a normal maximum gross head of 155
feet. There are two outdoor vertical axis generators, rated at 44 MVA
each, with each unit connected to a three-phase 44 MVA transformer bank
that steps up plant output to 230 kV. The maximum generator capacity is
80 MW. Average annual generation over the last 25 years is 373.8 GWh.
Transmission
Transmission lines extend approximately 3.3 miles from the
switchyard adjacent to the Pit 6 powerhouse to the Applicant's
interconnected transmission system.
Pit 7 Development
Pit 7 Dam and Reservoir
Pit 7 dam and reservoir are located on the Pit River downstream of
Pit 6 powerhouse. The Pit 7 dam is a 228-foot-high and 770-foot-long
concrete gravity dam. The top of the dam contains a trash rake, motors
for two 49-foot by 42-foot slide gates at the crest of the dam, and a
control building. The control building houses hydraulic controls for
two eight-foot in diameter, low-level outlets at the base of the dam.
The Pit 7 reservoir has a maximum storage capacity of 34,611 af and a
surface area of approximately 471 acres at a normal maximum water
surface elevation of 1,270 feet NGVD. As with Pit 6, the Pit 7
reservoir serves at the forebay for the Pit 7 powerhouse. Two
penstocks, 15 feet in diameter, extend 572 feet from the dam to the
turbines in the powerhouse, located at the base of the dam. Total flow
capacity within the penstocks is 7,440 cfs.
Pit 7 Powerhouse
Pit 7 powerhouse is located along the east bank of the Pit River at
the base of Pit 7 dam. The powerhouse consists of a four-level,
reinforced concrete structure, three levels of which are below grade.
The powerhouse contains two vertical-shaft reaction turbines that are
rated at 70,000 hp each and operate at a normal maximum gross head of
205 feet. Two vertical axis generators are rated at 52.2 (Unit 2) and
62.1 MVA (Unit 1), respectively. Their maximum combined capacity is 112
MW. Each unit is connected to a three-phase, 58 MVA transformer bank
that steps up plant output to 230 kV. The average annual generation
over the last 25 years is 512 GWh.
Transmission
Transmission lines extend approximately 3.5 miles from the
switchyard adjacent to the Pit 7 powerhouse to the Applicant's
interconnected transmission system.
Pit 7 Afterbay
Pit 7 afterbay has a surface area of approximately 69 acres at a
normal ``maximum'' water surface elevation of 1,067 feet NGVD (maximum
water surface of Shasta Lake). The afterbay dam is a 30-foot-high,
steel-reinforced, rock-fill structure, including a variable width
concrete gravity weir section. Pit 7 afterbay serves to attenuate
changes in the water flow from Pit 7 dam and powerhouse before entering
Shasta Lake.
Proposed Facilities
McCloud Development
PG&E proposes to construct a powerhouse located at the base of
McCloud dam. Generation output from the proposed powerhouse would be
connected to a new transmission line that would be routed from the
proposed powerhouse to connect to an existing
[[Page 65108]]
substation located approximately 14 miles to the north, in the town of
McCloud, California. McCloud Development would use water stored in
McCloud Reservoir and released into the Lower McCloud River to meet
instream flow requirements and no new impoundments are proposed. With a
flow range of 150 cfs to 400 cfs, the turbine and generator set would
have an installed capacity of about 5 to 8 MW. The proposed McCloud
Development would have an average range of annual energy production of
30 to 40 GWh and average monthly generation would be approximately 2.5
to 3.3 GWh. PG&E proposes to base the final size of the unit,
powerhouse hydraulic capacity, and average annual energy production on
instream flow requirements included in the new project license.
The proposed powerhouse would be positioned to the south of the
current outlet works control building and would be a reinforced
concrete-and-block masonry structure designed to enclose and protect
the electro-mechanical generation equipment, withstand area snow loads,
and prevent possible vandalism. It would be accessed via the existing
project road that connects to Forest Road 38N11. The powerhouse would
be equipped with a single vertical-axis Francis turbine. The turbine,
which would have a discharge diameter of approximately 54 inches, would
operate at about 450 revolutions per minute. The direct-coupled
synchronous generator rating would range from 5,600 to 7,500 kW.
The proposed transmission line route from the powerhouse would
follow Forest Road 38N11 and then county roads to the existing
substation approximately 14 miles north in the town of McCloud.
Pit 7 Afterbay Development
PG&E proposes to construct at Pit 7 Afterbay Development, including
a powerhouse located on the west side of Pit 7 Afterbay dam at the
regulating weir. Generation output from the proposed powerhouse would
be connected to a new transmission line that would be routed from the
powerhouse to connect to the switchyard located approximately 1.6 miles
to the east at Pit 7 powerhouse. The proposed facilities would have no
meaningful storage and would operate in a run-of-the-river mode. The
available flows for energy production would be dictated by the
operation of the upstream Pit 7 powerhouse.
The proposed Pit 7 Afterbay powerhouse would use water released
upstream from Pit 7 powerhouse and dam and no new impoundments are
proposed. The proposed powerhouse would be configured for two
horizontal-axis synchronous generating units, each rated at 5,500 kW
and housed in an approximately 30-foot-wide x 110-foot-long intake
approach bay. Each of the generating bays would have a design flow of
2,500 cfs. The upstream entrance to each intake bay would include a
trashrack to stop large debris from entering the unit. Two radial gates
approximately 26-foot-wide by 52-foot-high would be constructed
upstream of the unit to regulate flow and for dewatering the turbine
pit. A roller gate would be constructed at the downstream end of each
bay or the tailrace to prevent backwatering during maintenance. A
combination of ramps, walkways, and ladders would be used in each bay
to allow for maintenance access and support the gate operator
mechanism. A 20-foot-wide bypass flow bay, which would house a radial
gate and operator, would be built in the first phase of construction.
The bypass flow bay would be used to pass river flows during the second
phase of construction and during times of non-generation. The bypass
flow bay also would require a walkway to allow maintenance and
operation access and support the gate operator mechanism. A new access
road would be constructed to access the powerhouse for construction,
operation, and maintenance. The access road would extend between
Fenders Ferry Road and the afterbay, just west of Fenders Ferry Bridge.
Based on a flow range of 2,500 cfs to 5,000 cfs, the 2-unit powerhouse
would accommodate turbine and generator sets capable of an installed
capacity of about 5 MW each for a total of 10 MW. The average monthly
generation from this proposed powerhouse would be approximately 4.2
GWh.
The proposed powerhouse substation would be fenced and located on
the ground near the control house, but above the maximum anticipated
flood and tailwater levels. Substation equipment would include a step-
up substation to transform energy for the transmission line. Powerhouse
controls and switchgear would be installed in a separate building
located on the right bank of the river, positioned above the maximum
anticipated water level and inside the substation fence. The building
would house the required equipment for control and protection of the
generation units and would be equipped with electric heating and
cooling. The transmission line would be a 1.6-mile-long, 34.5-kV,
wooden-pole line connecting the proposed powerhouse to a new 34.5- to
230-kV transformer, positioned at or near the existing 230-kV Pit 7
switchyard. A new 230-kV circuit breaker and disconnect switch would be
connected by a short span to the main bus of the existing Pit 7
switchyard.
o. 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. A copy is also available for inspection and
reproduction at the address in item h above.
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.
p. 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,''
``PRELIMINARY FISHWAY PRESCRIPTIONS,'' or ``COOPERATING AGENCY;'' (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 and
otherwise comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 4.34(b). Agencies may
obtain copies of the application directly from the applicant. A copy of
any protest or motion to intervene must be served upon each
representative of the applicant specified in the particular
application. A copy of all other filings in reference to this
application must be
[[Page 65109]]
accompanied by proof of service on all persons listed in the service
list prepared by the Commission in this proceeding, in accordance with
18 CFR 4.34(b) and 385.2010.
q. Procedural Schedule (supersedes Procedural Schedule notice dated
July 29, 2009): The application will be processed according to the
following revised Hydro Licensing Schedule. Revisions to the schedule
may be made as appropriate.
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Milestone Target date
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Filing of recommendations, preliminary 02/01/2010
terms and conditions, and preliminary
fishway prescriptions.
Commission issues Draft EIS............... 09/13/2010
Comments on Draft EIS..................... 11/12/2010
Modified Terms and Conditions............. 01/11/2011
Commission Issues Final EIS............... 04/11/2011
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r. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.
s. 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. E9-29282 Filed 12-8-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P