[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 15, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8728-8729]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-3308]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 13951-000]


Bear Creek Hydro Associates, LLC; Notice of Preliminary Permit 
Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Comments, Motions To 
Intervene, and Competing Applications

    On December 22, 2010, the Bear Creek Hydro Associates, LLC filed an 
application for a preliminary permit, pursuant to section 4(f) of the 
Federal Power Act (FPA), proposing to study the

[[Page 8729]]

feasibility of the Bear Creek Hydroelectric Project located on Bear 
Creek, near Concrete, Washington. The sole purpose of a preliminary 
permit, if issued, is to grant the permit holder priority to file a 
license application during the permit term. A preliminary permit does 
not authorize the permit holder to perform any land-disturbing 
activities or otherwise enter upon lands or waters owned by others 
without the owners' express permission.
    The proposed project would consist of upper and lower developments. 
The applicant proposes to rehabilitate and refurbish facilities from an 
existing project that has been decommissioned for about 30 years.
    The upper development includes the following existing facilities: 
(1) A 100-foot-long diversion structure with a 30-foot-long, 6-foot-
high ungated overflow spillway section at an elevation of 987 feet msl; 
(2) a 400-foot-long, 36-inch-diameter steel penstock; (3) an one-acre 
reservoir with 2-acre-feet of storage; (4) a 40-foot by 16-foot 
concrete powerhouse; (5) a 350-foot-long, 12.5 kilovolt (kV), 3-phased 
transmission line; and (6) 1,850 feet of access roads. The existing 
turbine would be used, but one new, 250-kilowatt (kW) generator would 
be installed. The estimated annual power generation for the upper 
development is 1.2 gigawatt-hours (GWh).
    The lower development includes the following existing facilities: 
(1) A 235-foot-long diversion structure with an 82-foot-long, 24-foot-
high ungated overflow spillway section at an elevation of 912 feet msl; 
(2) an 1.7-acre reservoir; and (3) a 28-foot by 82-foot concrete 
powerhouse with three existing 200 kW Pelton turbines, totaling 600 kW. 
The lower development would include the following new facilities: (1) 
2,800 foot-long, 36-inch-diameter above-ground steel penstock; and (2) 
a 3.5-mile-long, 12.5-kV transmission line. The estimated annual power 
generation for the lower development is 11.7 GWh.
    Both developments would have a total installed capacity of 850 kW 
and generate about 12.9 GWh of energy annually.
    Applicant Contact: Thomas M. McMaster, Bear Creek Hydro Associates, 
LLC, 358 Shallow Shore Road, Bellingham, Washington 98229; phone: (360) 
647-2196.
    FERC Contact: Patrick Murphy; phone: (202) 502-8755.
    Deadline for filing comments, motions to intervene, competing 
applications (without notices of intent), or notices of intent to file 
competing applications: 60 days from the issuance of this notice. 
Competing applications and notices of intent must meet the requirements 
of 18 CFR 4.36. Comments, motions to intervene, notices of intent, and 
competing applications may be filed electronically via the Internet. 
See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's 
Web site http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp. Commenters can 
submit brief comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior 
registration, using the eComment system at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp. You must include your name and contact information 
at the end of your comments. For assistance, please contact FERC Online 
Support at [email protected] or toll free at 1-866-208-3676, 
or for TTY, (202) 502-8659. Although the Commission strongly encourages 
electronic filing, documents may also be paper-filed. To paper-file, 
mail an original and seven copies to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20426.
    More information about this project, including a copy of the 
application, can be viewed or printed on the ``eLibrary'' link of the 
Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp. 
Enter the docket number (P-13951-000) in the docket number field to 
access the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.

    Dated: February 8, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-3308 Filed 2-14-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P