[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 10 (Friday, January 15, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2210-2211]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-00709]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2727-092]


Black Bear Hydro Partners 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.: 2727-092.
    c. Date Filed: December 30, 2015.
    d. Applicant: Black Bear Hydro Partners LLC (Black Bear Hydro).
    e. Name of Project: Ellsworth Hydroelectric Project (Ellsworth 
Project).
    f. Location: The existing project is located on the Union River in 
Hancock 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: Dr. Nicholas Palso, (202) 502-8854 or 
[email protected].
    j.This application is not ready for environmental analysis at this 
time.
    k. The Project Description: The existing Ellsworth Project consists 
of two developments (Graham Lake and Ellsworth) with a total installed 
capacity of 8.9 megawatts (MW). The project's average annual generation 
is 30,511 megawatt-hours. The power generated by the project is sold on 
the open market through the regional grid.

Graham Lake Development

    The existing Graham Lake Development consists of: (1) A 750-foot-
long, 58-foot-high dam that includes: (i) An 80-foot-long, 58-foot-high 
concrete spillway section with three 20-foot-wide, 22.5-foot-high 
spillway gates and one 8-foot-wide sluice gate; and (ii) a 670-foot-
long, 45-foot-high west earthen embankment section with a concrete and 
sheet pile core wall; (2) a 10,000-acre impoundment (Graham Lake) with 
a useable storage volume of 123.97 million acre-feet at a normal 
maximum elevation of 104.2 National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD); (3) 
a 720-foot-long, 58-foot-high concrete gravity flood control structure 
with a 65-foot-diameter, 55-foot-high stone-filled sheet pile retaining 
structure; (4) a 71-foot-long, 36.5-foot-high concrete wing wall; and 
(5) appurtenant facilities.

Ellsworth Development

    The existing Ellsworth Development consists of: (1) A 377-foot-
long, 62.75-foot-high dam that includes: (i) A 102-foot-long, 62.75-
foot-high west concrete bulkhead section; and (ii) a 275-foot-long, 57-
foot-high concrete overflow spillway with 1.7-foot-high flashboards; 
(2) an 85-foot-long, 71-foot-high concrete non-over flow wall at the 
west end of the bulkhead section; (3) a 26-foot-high abutment at the 
east end of the spillway; (4) a 90-acre impoundment (Lake Leonard) with 
a gross storage volume of 2.46 million acre-feet at a normal maximum 
elevation of 66.7 feet NGVD; (5) generating facility No. 1 that 
includes: (i) A headgate and a trashrack with 2.44-inch clear-bar 
spacing; (ii) a 10-foot-diameter, 74-foot-long penstock; and (iii) a 
30-foot-long, 15-foot-wide concrete and masonry gatehouse that is 
integral with the dam and contains a single 2.5 MW turbine-generator 
unit; (6) generating facility No. 2 that includes: (i) An 88.4-foot-
wide, 32-foot-high intake structure with three headgates and three 
trashracks with 1.0- to 2.37-inch clear-bar spacing; (ii) an 8-foot-
diameter, 164-foot-long penstock, an 8-foot-diameter, 195-foot-long 
penstock, and a 12-foot-diameter, 225-foot-long penstock; and (iii) a 
52.5-foot-long, 68-foot-wide concrete and masonry powerhouse that 
contains two 2.0-MW and one 2.4-MW turbine-generator units; (7) 
downstream fish passage facilities that include three 3-foot-wide 
surface weirs; (8) upstream fish passage facilities that include a 3-
foot-wide vertical slot fishway and collection station; (9) a 320-foot-
long transmission line connecting the turbine-generator units to the 
regional grid; and (10) appurtenant facilities.
    The Graham Lake Development operates as a water storage facility 
where water is stored to reduce downstream flooding during periods of 
high flow and released during periods of low flow to augment generation 
at the Ellsworth Development. The Ellsworth Development operates as a 
peaking facility where Lake Leonard is fluctuated up to one foot on a 
daily basis to regulate downstream flows and meet peak demands for 
hydroelectric generation.
    The existing license requires an instantaneous minimum flow of 250 
cubic feet per second (cfs), or inflow (whichever is less), downstream 
of each development from May 1 to June 30 each year. The minimum flow 
for each development is reduced to 105 cfs from July 1 to April 30 each 
year. In addition to the minimum flows, the existing license requires 
Black Bear Hydro to maintain Graham Lake and Lake Leonard between 
elevations 93.4 and 104.2 feet NGVD and 65.7 and 66.7 feet NGVD, 
respectively. Black Bear Hydro proposes to install upstream eel passage 
facilities at the Graham Lake and Ellsworth developments, construct a 
canoe portage at the Graham Lake Development, and improve angler access 
at the Graham Lake Development.
    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.

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               Milestone                         Target date \1\
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Notice of Acceptance/Notice of Ready     February 2017.
 for Environmental Analysis (REA).
Filing of recommendations, preliminary   April 2017.
 terms and conditions, and fishway
 prescriptions.
Commission issues Non-Draft              October 2017.
 Environmental Assessment (EA).
Comments on EA.........................  November 2017.

[[Page 2211]]

 
Modified terms and conditions..........  January 2018.
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\1\ This schedule has been adjusted to account for ongoing studies that
  must be filed with the Commission no later than December 31, 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: January 11, 2016.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-00709 Filed 1-14-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P