[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 63 (Wednesday, April 2, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18543-18544]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-07306]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2467-020]


Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Notice of Application Accepted 
for Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready for 
Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, 
Preliminary Terms and Conditions, and Preliminary Fishway Prescriptions

    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: New License.
    b. Project No.: 2467-020.
    c. Date filed: February 8, 2012.
    d. Applicant: Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E).
    e. Name of Project: Merced Falls Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: The existing project is located on the Merced River on 
the border of Merced and Mariposa counties, California, immediately 
downstream of the Merced River Hydroelectric Project (FERC No. 2179), 
operated by the Merced Irrigation District (Merced ID). The project 
would occupy 1.62 acres of Federal land managed by the Bureau of Land 
Management.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825.
    h. Applicant Contact: Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Power 
Generation, P.O. Box 770000, MC N11C, San Francisco, CA 94177-0001; 
Telephone (415) 973-7000.
    i. FERC Contact: Matt Buhyoff, (202) 502-6824 or 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments, 
recommendations, preliminary terms and conditions, and preliminary 
prescriptions: 60 days from the issuance date of this notice; reply 
comments are due 105 days from the issuance date of this notice.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
motions to intervene, protests, comments, recommendations, preliminary 
terms and conditions, and preliminary fishway prescriptions 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-2467-020.
    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 must also serve a copy of the document 
on that resource agency.
    k. This application has been accepted for filing and is now ready 
for environmental analysis.
    l. The existing Merced Falls Hydroelectric Project consists of: (1) 
A concrete gravity dam with a structural height of 34 feet, and a crest 
length of 575 feet; (2) three radial gates, each 20 feet in length and 
13.5 feet high; (3) a one-mile long project impoundment has 
approximately 900 acre-feet of storage capacity, a useable storage 
capacity of approximately 579 acre-feet, a total surface area of 
approximately 65 acres; and a normal impoundment elevation of 344 feet 
msl; (4) a powerhouse housing a 3.4-megawatt (MW) turbine/generator 
unit and a vertical Kaplan-type four blade turbine; (5) a 1,000-feet 
long earthen levee with a crest width of eight feet; (6) an adjacent 
intake structure with a debris rack, and; (7) a non-operable fish 
ladder.
    The Merced Falls Project is operated in a run-of-river mode 
dependent on water outflow from Merced ID's upstream Merced River 
Project. Inflow to the project passes through the impoundment, which is 
kept at a constant water elevation and then either through the 
powerhouse or through the dam's radial gates. Flows of up to 
approximately 1,750 cubic feet per second (cfs) are diverted through 
the powerhouse, and then discharged to the Merced River via the 
tailrace. When inflows exceed 2,200 cfs, the project spills water. 
During flood events with

[[Page 18544]]

flows greater than 12,250 cfs, the needle beams can be dropped, 
allowing the 575-feet concrete section of the dam to act as a spillway. 
Power is transmitted via underground cable to a non-project switchyard 
located adjacent to the powerhouse.
    The project has a dependable capacity of 1.7 MW and an annual 
average generation of approximately 13.5-GWh (gigawatt-hours). PG&E is 
not proposing any new or upgraded facilities or structural changes to 
the project. PG&E does propose to modify the project boundary by 
removing approximately 4.8 acres of project lands, which PG&E indicates 
are not needed for project purposes.
    m. 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 email of new filings and issuances 
related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC 
Online Support.
    n. 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, and .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,'' or 
``PRELIMINARY FISHWAY PRESCRIPTIONS;'' (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 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.
    o. Procedural Schedule:
    The application will be processed in conjunction with the Merced 
River Hydroelectric Project application (P-2179-042) and according to 
the following revised Hydro Licensing Schedule. Revisions to the 
schedule may be made as appropriate.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Milestone                           Target date
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Filing of recommendations, preliminary   May, 2014.
 terms and conditions, and preliminary
 fishway prescriptions.
Commission issues Draft EA or EIS......  November, 2014.
Comments on Draft EA or EIS............  January, 2015.
Modified Terms and Conditions..........  March, 2015.
Commission Issues Final EA or EIS......  June, 2015.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    p. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the 
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.
    q. 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 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.

    Dated: March 24, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-07306 Filed 4-1-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P