[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 29 (Thursday, February 12, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7855-7857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-02935]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2503-154]


Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC; 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: Major License.
    b. Project No.: 2503-154.
    c. Date filed: August 27, 2014.
    d. Applicant: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC.
    e. Name of Project: Keowee-Toxaway Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: The existing Keowee-Toxaway Project is located on the 
Toxaway, Keowee, and Little Rivers in Oconee County and Pickens County, 
South Carolina and Transylvania County, North Carolina. The Keowee-

[[Page 7856]]

Toxaway Project occupies no federal lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791 (a)--825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Jennifer Huff, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, 
526 S. Church Street, Charlotte, NC 28202; Telephone (980) 373-4392.
    i. FERC Contact: Stephen Bowler, Telephone (202) 502-6861, and 
email [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-2503-154.
    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 Keowee-Toxaway Project consists of two developments: The 
upstream, 710.1-MW Jocassee Development and the downstream, 157.5-
megawatt (MW) Keowee Development owned by Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC. 
The Jocassee Development includes: A 385-foot-high, 1,800-foot-long 
main earthfill dam with top elevation at 1,125 feet above mean sea 
level (msl); two circular intake structures passing water to two water 
conveyance tunnels leading to four turbines; two saddle dikes (825 feet 
and 500 feet in length); a partially-open powerhouse just downstream of 
the dam containing four reversible pump-turbine units authorized for an 
installed capacity of 177.5 MW each; a 50-foot-wide, concrete, ogee-
type spillway with two Taintor gates; a 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission 
system; and appurtenant facilities. The maximum hydraulic capacity is 
36,200 cfs.
    The Jocassee Development is operated as a pumped-storage project, 
with the pump-turbines used for generating power during peak demand 
periods (typically during the day), and for pumping water back through 
the tunnels to Lake Jocassee (typically during the night). The pumps 
have a capacity of 32,720 cfs. The Jocassee Development is also the 
lower lake for the 1,065 MW Bad Creek Hydroelectric Project No. 2740, 
which is also owned by Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, but is not part of 
this relicensing.
    The Keowee Development includes: A 165-foot-high, 3,500-foot-long 
earthfill dam impounding the Keowee River, and a 165-foot-high, 1,800-
foot-long earthfill dam impounding the Little River; four saddle dikes 
(1,900 feet, 225 feet, 350 feet, and 650 feet in length); an intake 
dike at the Oconee Nuclear Station; a 176-foot wide, concrete, ogee-
type spillway with four Taintor gates; a concrete intake structure 
leading to two penstocks; a concrete powerhouse at the base of Keowee 
dam containing two Francis-type, mixed flow turbine-generator units 
authorized for an installed capacity of 78.8 MW each; a 150-foot by 
500-foot concrete tailrace; a 230-kV transmission system; and 
appurtenant facilities. The maximum hydraulic capacity is 24,920 cfs.
    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 according to the following 
revised Hydro Licensing Schedule. Revisions to the schedule may be made 
as appropriate.

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                 Milestone                           Target date
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Filing of recommendations, preliminary      April 2015.
 terms and conditions, and preliminary
 fishway prescriptions.
Commission issues Draft EA................  October 2015.
Comments on Draft EA......................  November 2015.
Modified Terms and Conditions.............  January 2016.
Commission Issues Final EA................  March 2016.
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    p. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the 
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.

[[Page 7857]]

    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: February 5, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-02935 Filed 2-11-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P