[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 62 (Monday, April 3, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16185-16186]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-06423]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CD17-10-000]


Hurricane Creek Irrigating Ditch Company; Notice of Preliminary 
Determination of a Qualifying Conduit Hydropower Facility and 
Soliciting Comments and Motions To Intervene

    On March 21, 2017, the Hurricane Creek Irrigating Ditch Company, 
filed a notice of intent to construct a qualifying conduit hydropower 
facility, pursuant to section 30 of the Federal Power Act (FPA), as 
amended by section 4 of the Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act of 
2013 (HREA). The proposed Hurricane Hydro Station #2 & #4 Project would 
have a combined installed capacity of 104 kilowatts (kW), and would be 
located along two sections of

[[Page 16186]]

an existing irrigation pipeline. The project would be located near the 
Town of Joseph in Wallowa County, Oregon.
    Applicant Contact: Kyle Petrocine, 401 NE 1st St., Suite A, 
Enterprise, OR 97828 Phone No. (541) 398-0018.
    FERC Contact: Robert Bell, Phone No. (202) 502-6062, email: 
[email protected].
    Qualifying Conduit Hydropower Facility Description: The proposed 
project would consist of the following two developments:

Hydro Station #2 Development

    A new powerhouse containing one turbine/generating unit with an 
installed capacity of 61 kW in the existing 30-inch diameter irrigation 
pipeline; and (2) appurtenant facilities. The project will also include 
a bypass section through a pressure reducing valve. The proposed 
project would have an estimated annual generating capacity of 115,846 
kilowatt-hours.

Hydro Station #4 Development

    A new powerhouse containing one turbine/generating unit with an 
installed capacity of 43 kW in the existing 20-inch diameter pipeline; 
and (2) appurtenant facilities. The project will also include a bypass 
section through a pressure reducing valve. The proposed project would 
have an estimated annual generating capacity of 98,500 kilowatt-hours.
    A qualifying conduit hydropower facility is one that is determined 
or deemed to meet all of the criteria shown in the table below.

      Table 1--Criteria for Qualifying Conduit Hydropower Facility
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Satisfies (Y/
       Statutory provision               Description             N)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FPA 30(a)(3)(A), as amended by    The conduit the facility            Y
 HREA.                             uses is a tunnel,
                                   canal, pipeline,
                                   aqueduct, flume, ditch,
                                   or similar manmade
                                   water conveyance that
                                   is operated for the
                                   distribution of water
                                   for agricultural,
                                   municipal, or
                                   industrial consumption
                                   and not primarily for
                                   the generation of
                                   electricity.
FPA 30(a)(3)(C)(i), as amended    The facility is                     Y
 by HREA.                          constructed, operated,
                                   or maintained for the
                                   generation of electric
                                   power and uses for such
                                   generation only the
                                   hydroelectric potential
                                   of a non-federally
                                   owned conduit.
FPA 30(a)(3)(C)(ii), as amended   The facility has an                 Y
 by HREA.                          installed capacity that
                                   does not exceed 5
                                   megawatts.
FPA 30(a)(3)(C)(iii), as amended  On or before August 9,              Y
 by HREA.                          2013, the facility is
                                   not licensed, or
                                   exempted from the
                                   licensing requirements
                                   of Part I of the FPA.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Preliminary Determination: The proposed addition of the 
hydroelectric project along the existing irrigation pipeline will not 
alter its primary purpose. Therefore, based upon the above criteria, 
Commission staff preliminarily determines that the proposal satisfies 
the requirements for a qualifying conduit hydropower facility, which is 
not required to be licensed or exempted from licensing.
    Comments and Motions to Intervene: Deadline for filing comments 
contesting whether the facility meets the qualifying criteria is 45 
days from the issuance date of this notice.
    Deadline for filing motions to intervene is 30 days from the 
issuance date of this notice.
    Anyone may submit comments or a motion to intervene in accordance 
with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR 
385.210 and 385.214. Any motions to intervene must be received on or 
before the specified deadline date for the particular proceeding.
    Filing and Service of Responsive Documents: All filings must (1) 
bear in all capital letters the ``COMMENTS CONTESTING QUALIFICATION FOR 
A CONDUIT HYDROPOWER FACILITY'' or ``MOTION TO INTERVENE,'' as 
applicable; (2) state in the heading the name of the applicant and the 
project number of the application to which the filing responds; (3) 
state the name, address, and telephone number of the person filing; and 
(4) otherwise comply with the requirements of sections 385.2001 through 
385.2005 of the Commission's regulations.\1\ All comments contesting 
Commission staff's preliminary determination that the facility meets 
the qualifying criteria must set forth their evidentiary basis.
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    \1\ 18 CFR 385.2001-2005 (2016).
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    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
motions to intervene and comments 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. 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.
    Locations of Notice of Intent: Copies of the notice of intent can 
be obtained directly from the applicant or such copies can be viewed 
and reproduced at the Commission in its Public Reference Room, Room 2A, 
888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426. The filing may also be 
viewed on the web at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp using 
the ``eLibrary'' link. Enter the docket number (i.e., CD17-10) in the 
docket number field to access the document. For assistance, call toll-
free 1-866-208-3676 or email [email protected]. For TTY, call 
(202) 502-8659.

    Dated: March 27, 2017.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-06423 Filed 3-31-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P