[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 180 (Tuesday, September 17, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 57149]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-22576]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project Nos. 14540-000 and 14539-000]


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

    On July 23, 2013, Western Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (Western 
Minnesota) and Lock+TM Hydro Friends Fund III, LLC (Hydro 
Friends) 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 existing U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' 
(Corps) Melvin Price Lock and Dam, located on the Mississippi River 
near the City of Alton, Illinois, in Madison County, Illinois, and St. 
Charles County, Missouri. 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.
    Western Minnesota's proposed Melvin Price Lock and Dam 
Hydroelectric Project No. 14540-000 would consist of: (1) Six 110-foot-
wide, approximately 110-foot-long steel structures placed immediately 
downstream of the existing tainter gates 4 through 9 (one steel 
structure per gate) containing arrays of micro-turbines and pinned 
between new 60-foot-long, 72-foot-high concrete piers extending 
downstream of the existing piers; (2) a 150-foot by 150-foot substation 
located next to the dam on the Missouri side of the river that would 
step-up the project voltage from 13.8 kilovolts (kV) to 138 kV; (3) a 
138 kV, 1.07-miles-long transmission line connecting the project 
substation to an existing substation on the Illinois side of the river; 
and (4) appurtenant facilities. Western Minnesota has not decided on a 
micro-turbine supplier but states that the capacity of the project 
would be based on an established flow and head condition. At a mean 
water head of 14.7 feet and a flow of 72,600 cubic feet per second 
(cfs) flowing through the project, each steel structure assembly would 
produce 15.5 megawatts (MW) resulting in a project rated capacity of 
93.0 MW. At a maximum operating head of 20.0 feet, the anticipated flow 
through the project would be 85,800 cfs producing 24.9 MW per steel 
structure assembly or 149.4 MW for the project. The estimated average 
annual generation would be 445.4 gigawatt-hours. The project would 
occupy 16 acres of Federal Lands owned by the Corps, and operate run-
of-river.
    Applicant contact: Mr. Raymond J. Wahle, P.E., Missouri River 
Energy Services, 3724 W. Avera Drive, P.O. Box 88920, Sioux Falls, SD 
57109. Phone: (605) 330-6963.
    Hydro Friends' Melvin Price Locks and Dam Hydroelectric Project No. 
14539-000 would consist of: (1) A 750-foot-long, 22-foot-wide, 66-foot-
high Large Frame Module (LFM) enclosed in a powerhouse and containing 
50 turbines each having a diameter of 8 feet and a nameplate capacity 
of 1.5 MW for a total system capacity of 75 MW; (2) flow control door 
assemblies installed in front of the LFM that can close off flow in 
case a suspension of generation is required; (3) a 750-foot-wide, 550-
foot-long tailrace; (4) a 69 kV or 115 kV, 4.8-miles-long transmission 
line connecting the project power to an existing substation; and (5) 
appurtenant facilities. The estimated average annual generation would 
be 427,050 gigawatt-hours. The project would occupy Federal Lands owned 
by the Corps, and operate run-of-river.
    Applicant contact: Mr. Mark R. Stover, Vice President, Corporate 
Affairs, Hydro Green Energy, LLC, 900 Oakmont Lane, Suite 301, 
Westmont, IL 60559. Phone: (877) 556-6566, extension 711.
    FERC contact: Sergiu Serban, [email protected]. Phone: (202) 
502-6211.
    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.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
comments, motions to intervene, notices of intent, and competing 
applications using the Commission's eFiling system at 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], (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-
8659 (TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, please send a paper copy to: 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20426. The first page of any filing should include 
docket number P-14540-000 and P-14539-000.
    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-14540-000, or P-14539-000) in the docket 
number field to access the document. For assistance, contact FERC 
Online Support.

    Dated: September 11, 2013.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-22576 Filed 9-16-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P