[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 219 (Monday, November 14, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70440-70441]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-29247]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 14286-000]


Haiwee Ridge Pumped Storage Project; Notice of Preliminary Permit 
Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Comments, Motions To 
Intervene, and Competing Applications

    On September 14, 2011, Haiwee Ridge Hydro, LLC, California, filed 
an application for a preliminary permit, pursuant to section 4(f) of 
the Federal Power Act (FPA), proposing to study the feasibility of the 
Haiwee Ridge Pumped Storage Project to be located on South Haiwee 
reservoir, near the town of Olancha, Inyo County, California. The 
project would affect federal lands administered by the Bureau of Land 
Management. 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 (Alternatives A and B) would consist of the 
existing South Haiwee dam. The dam has operations limited due to past 
seismic activity. The crest of the dam is at elevation 3,766 feet above 
mean sea level (msl), but the water level in the reservoir is limited 
to a maximum elevation of 3,742 feet msl.
    The applicant is studying the following alternatives:
    South Haiwee Alternative A: (1) An upper reservoir formed by a 160-
foot-high by 2,270-foot-long, roller-compacted concrete (RCC) dam, two 
saddle dams (a 35-foot-high by 680-foot-long RCC dam and a 65-foot-high 
by 680-foot-long RCC dam) having a total storage capacity of 15,100 
acre-feet and a water surface area of 175 acres at full pool elevation 
of 5,050 feet msl; (2) a lower reservoir formed by the 81-foot-high by 
1,555-foot-long potentially

[[Page 70441]]

rebuilt South Haiwee dam having a total storage capacity of 46,600 
acre-feet and a water surface area of 660 acres at full pool elevation 
of 3,756 feet msl; (3) approximately 13,150 feet of conduit connecting 
the upper to the lower reservoir in three different sections: A 3,000-
foot-long by 18.5-foot-diameter, concrete-lined low-pressure tunnel, a 
7,850-foot-long by 18.5-foot-diameter concrete-lined pressure shaft, 
and a 2,300-foot-long by 22.2-foot diameter tailrace; and (4) an 
underground powerhouse located roughly 1,500 feet east of South Haiwee 
reservoir at an elevation of 3,600 feet msl.
    South Haiwee Alternative B: (1) An upper reservoir formed by a 210-
foot-high by 1,320-foot-long, RCC dam and a 25-foot-high by 800-foot-
long RCC saddle dam having a total storage capacity of 14,235 acre-feet 
and a water surface area of 241 acres at full pool elevation of 5,000 
feet msl; (2) a lower reservoir formed by the 91-foot-high by 1,523-
foot-long potentially rebuilt South Haiwee dam having a total storage 
capacity of 46,600 acre-feet and a water surface area of 800 acres at 
full pool elevation of 3,756 feet msl; (3) approximately 14,700 feet of 
conduit connecting the upper to the lower reservoir in three different 
sections: a 5,100-foot-long by 18.9-foot-diameter, concrete-lined low-
pressure tunnel, a 5,600-foot-long by 18.9-foot-diameter concrete-lined 
pressure shaft, and a 4,000-foot-long by 22.7-foot diameter tailrace; 
and (4) an underground powerhouse located roughly 3,300 feet southeast 
of South Haiwee reservoir at an elevation of 3,580 feet msl.
    New Reservoir Alternative: (1) An upper reservoir formed by a 210-
foot-high by 1,320-foot-long, RCC dam having a total storage capacity 
of 14,235 acre-feet and a water surface area of 241 acres at full pool 
elevation of 5,000 feet msl; (2) a lower reservoir formed by a 60-foot-
high by 10,600-foot-long RCC dam having a total storage capacity of 
46,600 acre-feet and a water surface area of 800 acres at full pool 
elevation of 3,756 feet above msl; (3) approximately 12,500 feet of 
conduit connecting the upper to the lower reservoir in three different 
sections: a 3,750-foot-long by 17.5-foot-diameter, concrete-lined low-
pressure tunnel, a 6,300-foot-long by 17.5-foot-diameter concrete-lined 
pressure shaft, and a 2,500-foot-long by 21-foot diameter tailrace; and 
(4) an underground located roughly 8,500 feet southwest of South Haiwee 
reservoir at an elevation of 3,400 feet msl.
    All of the alternatives would consist of 4 reversible pump-turbines 
with a capacity of 500 megawatts (MW) (4 units x 125 MW unit). Annual 
energy output would be approximately 1,533,000 mega-watt-hours. 
Interconnection would exist at the Los Angeles Department of Water & 
Power's 230-kilovolt (kV) Owens George-Rinaldi transmission line via a 
0.9-mile-long interconnection, or with Southern California Edison's 
115-kV Control-Inyokern transmission line via a new 0.9- to 2.3-mile-
long interconnection, depending on constructed option. A 70-foot-long 
by 280-foot-wide by 120-foot-high underground power house would be the 
same for all of the project alternatives.
    Applicant Contact: Mr. Matthew Shapiro, Haiwee Ridge Hydro, LLC., 
1210 W. Franklin St., Ste. 2, Boise, ID 83702; phone (208) 246-9925.
    FERC Contact: Brian Csernak; phone: (202) 502-6144.
    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 
Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp. 
Enter the docket number (P-14286-000) in the docket number field to 
access the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.

    Dated: November 3, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
 Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-29247 Filed 11-10-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P