[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 246 (Wednesday, December 23, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 79875]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32271]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2335-039]


Brookfield White Pine Hydro LLC; Notice of Application Tendered 
for Filing With the Commission and Establishing Procedural Schedule for 
Licensing and Deadline for Submission of Final Amendments

    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: New Major License.
    b. Project No.: 2335-039.
    c. Date Filed: December 11, 2015.
    d. Applicant: Brookfield White Pine Hydro LLC (White Pine Hydro).
    e. Name of Project: Williams Hydroelectric Project (Williams 
Project).
    f. Location: The existing project is located on the Kennebec River 
in Somerset County, Maine. The project does not occupy federal lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Ms. Kelly Maloney, Manager of Licensing and 
Compliance, Brookfield White Pine Hydro LLC, 150 Main Street, Lewiston, 
ME 04240; Telephone: (207) 755-5606.
    i. FERC Contact: Amy Chang, (202) 502-8250 or [email protected].
    j. This application is not ready for environmental analysis at this 
time.
    k. The Project Description: The Williams Project has a total 
installed capacity of 13-megawatts (MW). The project's average annual 
generation is 96,731 megawatt-hours. The power generated by the project 
is sold on the open market into the regional grid.
    The existing project consists of: (a) A 894.7-foot-long, 45.0-foot-
high dam that includes: (i) A 202-foot-long, 15-foot-high east earth 
embankment section with a concrete core wall; (ii) a 244-foot-long, 32-
foot-high stone masonry and concrete spillway section at the west end 
of the east earth embankment section with six 32.5-foot-wide, 20.5-
foot-high Tainter gates; (iii) a 71.3-foot-long, 19.5-foot-high stone 
masonry and concrete abutment section at the west end of the spillway 
section; (iv) a 203.3-foot-long, 26.5-foot-high stone masonry and 
concrete stanchion bay section at the west end of the abutment section 
with two 65.9-foot-wide, 17.5-foot-high and one 46.8-foot-wide, 17.5-
foot-high stanchion bays; (v) a 27-foot-long bulkhead section at the 
west end of the stanchion bay section with a 20.5-foot-wide, 7.0-foot-
high surface weir gate and a 6.0-foot-wide, 12.3-foot-high Tainter gate 
at the upstream end of a steel-lined sluiceway; (vi) a 95.5-foot-wide 
intake and powerhouse section at the west end of the bulkhead section 
that varies in height from 45.5 feet to 49.4 feet and includes four 
headgates and two double-bay trashracks with 3.5-inch clear-bar 
spacing; and (vii) a 51.6-foot-long, 10.5-foot-high concrete cut-off 
wall at the west end of the intake and powerhouse section; (b) a 400-
acre impoundment with a gross storage volume of 4,575 acre-feet and a 
useable storage volume of 2,065 acre-feet at a normal maximum elevation 
of 320 feet National Geodetic Vertical Datum; (c) a 40.5-foot-wide, 
105.5-foot-long concrete powerhouse that is integral with the dam and 
contains two turbine-generator units rated at 6 and 7 MW; (d) a 6,000-
foot-long excavated tailrace that varies from 150 to 175 feet wide; (e) 
a 200-foot-long generator lead and a 310-foot-long generator lead that 
connect the turbine-generator units to the regional grid; and (f) 
appurtenant facilities.
    The Williams Project operates in a store-and-release mode where the 
impoundment level is fluctuated up to six feet daily to regulate 
downstream flow and meet peak demands for hydroelectric generation. The 
existing license requires an instantaneous minimum flow of 1,360 cubic 
feet per second, or inflow (whichever is less), in the tailrace. White 
Pine Hydro proposes to install an upstream eel passage facility, 
improve a canoe portage, and improve angler access. White Pine Hydro 
also proposes to remove 375.5 acres of land and water from the existing 
project boundary because it does not serve a project purpose.
    l. Locations of the Application: 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, please contact FERC Online Support at 
[email protected], (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-
8659 (TTY). A copy is also available for inspection and reproduction at 
the address in item (h) above.
    m. You may also 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. Procedural Schedule:
    The application will be processed according to the following 
preliminary Hydro Licensing Schedule. Revisions to the schedule may be 
made as appropriate.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Milestone                           Target Date
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notice of Acceptance/Notice of Ready    February 2016.
 for Environmental Analysis.
Filing of recommendations, preliminary  April 2016.
 terms and conditions, and fishway
 prescriptions.
Commission issues Non-Draft             September 2016.
 Environmental Assessment (EA).
Comments on EA........................  October 2016.
Modified terms and conditions.........  December 2016.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    o. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the 
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of the notice 
of ready for environmental analysis.

    Dated: December 17, 2015.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-32271 Filed 12-22-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P