[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 84 (Monday, May 2, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 24471]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-10540]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project Nos. 14111-000; 14112-000; 14113-000]


Qualified Hydro 26, LLC; Lock+ Hydro Friends Fund VII; Western 
Minnesota Municipal Power Agency; Notice of Competing Preliminary 
Permit Applications Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Comments, 
Motions To Intervene, and Competing Applications

    On March 15, 2011, Qualified Hydro 26, LLC (Qualified Hydro), Lock+ 
Hydro Friends Fund VII (Hydro Friends) and Western Minnesota Municipal 
Power Agency (WMMPA) filed preliminary permit applications, pursuant to 
section 4(f) of the Federal Power Act, proposing to study the 
feasibility of a hydropower project at the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers' (Corps) Mississippi River Lock and Dam 11 
structure, located on the Mississippi River near the Township of 
Dubuque, Dubuque County, Iowa. 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 owner's express permission.
    Qualified Hydro's Mississippi Lock and Dam 11 Project No. 
14111 would consist of: (1) A 400-foot-long by 350-foot-wide intake 
channel; (2) a 600-foot-long by 350-foot-wide tailrace channel; (3) a 
new 750-foot-long by 6-foot-diameter buried steel penstock; (4) a new 
250-foot by 325-foot concrete powerhouse containing six new turbine-
generators and associated switchgear, controls and ancillary systems; 
the turbine-generator units have individual unit capacities of 3.0 
megawatts (MW) and a combined capacity of 18 MW; (5) a new concrete 40-
foot by 50-foot control building constructed on the east side of the 
powerhouse; (6) a 80-foot-long by 60-foot-wide, 20 megavolt-amperes 
(MVA) substation; (7) a 20,000-foot-long transmission line extending 
east from the substation to an interconnection point with an existing 
transmission line on the Illinois side of the river; and (8) 
appurtenant facilities. The proposed operating voltage would be between 
115 and 161 kilovolt (kV). The project would have annual energy 
production of 90 gigawatt-hours per year (GWh/yr), utilize Corps-
designated flows from the Mississippi Lock and Dam 11 
structure, and operate as directed by the Corps.
    Applicant Contact: Mr. Ramya Swaminathan, Free Flow Power 
Corporation, 239 Causeway Street, Suite 300, Boston, MA 02114; (978) 
283-2822.
    Hydro Friends' proposed Lock and Dam 11 Hydropower Project 
No. 14112 would consist of: (1) Two 109-foot-wide by 40-foot-high lock 
frame modules--one installed in the inactive auxiliary lock itself and 
the other east of the movable section of the dam; each consisting of 10 
hydropower turbines rated at 900 kilowatts (kW) and giving the project 
a total rated capacity of 18 MW; (2) two new 150-foot-long by 110-foot-
wide tailrace channels; (3) a new 50-foot-long by 25-foot-wide 
switchyard; (4) a 2-mile-long, 115- kV transmission line extending from 
the switchyard to an existing nearby transmission line; and (5) 
appurtenant facilities. The project would have an average annual 
generation of 120 GWh/yr, and utilize Corps-designated flows from the 
Mississippi Lock and Dam 11 structure.
    Applicant Contact: Mr. Wayne F. Krouse, Chairman, Hydro Green 
Energy, LLC, 5090 Richmond Avenue, 390, Houston, TX 77056; 
(877) 556-6566 x709.
    WMMPA's Mississippi Lock and Dam 11 Project No. 1411 would 
consist of: (1) A 318-foot-long by 300-foot-wide intake channel; (2) a 
265-foot-long by 300-foot-wide tailrace channel; (3) a new 190-foot-
long by 260-foot-wide by 40-foot-high concrete powerhouse containing 
six new pit type axial flow turbine-generators and associated 
transformers and switchgear; the turbine-generator units would have 
individual unit capacities of 4.6 MW and a combined capacity of 27.6 
MW; (4) a new 9.4-mile-long, 69 kV transmission line extending from the 
switchyard near the proposed powerhouse to an interconnection point 
with an existing substation on the Wisconsin side of the river; and (5) 
appurtenant facilities. The project would have annual energy production 
of 190 GWh/yr, utilize Corps designated flows from the Mississippi Lock 
and Dam 11 structure, and operate as directed by the Corps.
    Applicant Contact: Mr. Raymond J. Wahle, P.E., Missouri River 
Energy Services 3724 W. Avera Drive, Sioux Falls, SD 57109; (605) 330-
6963.
    FERC Contact: Tyrone A. Williams, [email protected] (202) 
502-6331.
    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. 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 
Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp. 
Enter the docket number (P-14111, P-14112, or P-14113-000) in the 
docket number field to access the document. For assistance, contact 
FERC Online Support.

    Dated: April 26, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-10540 Filed 4-29-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P