[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 7, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9732-9734]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-04601]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2685-029]


New York Power Authority; Notice of Settlement Agreement, 
Soliciting Comments, and Modification of Procedural Schedule

    Take notice that the following settlement agreement has been filed 
with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: Settlement Agreement.
    b. Project No.: 2685-029.
    c. Date filed: February 23, 2018.
    d. Applicant: New York Power Authority (NYPA).
    e. Name of Project: Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Project.
    f. Location: On Schoharie Creek, in the Towns of Blenheim and 
Gilboa in

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Schoharie County, New York. The project does not occupy any federal 
lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Rule 602 of the Commission's Rules of 
Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR 385.602.
    h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Robert Daly, Licensing Manager, New York 
Power Authority 123 Main Street, White Plains, New York 10601. 
Telephone: (914) 681-6564, Email: [email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Andy Bernick, (202) 502-8660 or 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing comments: Comments on the Settlement 
Agreement, and comments, recommendations, preliminary terms and 
conditions, and preliminary fishway prescriptions in response to the 
Commission's January 4, 2018 Notice of Application Ready for 
Environmental Analysis (REA Notice) are due within 20 days of this 
notice. Reply comments are due within 65 days of this notice.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
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. The first page of any filing should include 
docket number P-2685-029.
    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. NYPA filed a Comprehensive Relicensing Settlement Agreement 
(Settlement Agreement) on behalf of itself, the United States Fish and 
Wildlife Service, the New York State Department of Environmental 
Conservation, and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and 
Historic Preservation. The purpose of the Settlement Agreement is to 
resolve among the signatories all issues associated with issuance of a 
new license for the project, and provides plans regarding the 
management of water, lands, recreation, and historic properties, and 
ecological enhancement associated with the project. NYPA requests that 
the Commission approve the Settlement Agreement by including in any new 
license issued for the project, without modification, the proposed 
license articles provided in Appendix A of the Settlement Agreement, 
and by reference, five management plans provided in Appendix B. The 
signatories to the Settlement Agreement also request a 50-year license 
term for the project.
    l. A copy of the Settlement Agreement is available for review at 
the Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the 
Commission's website 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. Copies of the Settlement Agreement are also 
available for inspection and reproduction at the address in item h 
above.
    All filings must (1) bear in all capital letters the title 
``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 submitting the 
filing; 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. Each 
filing must be accompanied by proof of service on all persons listed on 
the service list prepared by the Commission in this proceeding, in 
accordance with 18 CFR 4.34(b) and 385.2010.
    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.
    m. Procedural Schedule:
    The Commission's January 4, 2018, REA Notice established March 5, 
2018 as the deadline for filing comments, recommendations, preliminary 
terms and conditions, and preliminary fishway prescriptions regarding 
NYPA's license application. In order to allow adequate time for 
stakeholder comments regarding the license application and the 
Settlement Agreement, we have modified the comment period to allow 
stakeholders to submit comments on the Settlement Agreement and 
comments, recommendations, preliminary terms and conditions, and 
preliminary fishway prescriptions regarding the license application on 
the same date, and allow NYPA sufficient time to submit reply comments. 
The application will be processed according to the following revised 
Hydro Licensing Schedule. Revisions to the schedule may be made as 
appropriate. If the due date falls on a weekend or holiday, the due 
date is the following business day.

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             Milestone                           Target date
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Filing of comments,                 March 21, 2018.
 recommendations, preliminary
 terms and conditions, and
 preliminary fishway prescriptions
 (per the REA Notice) and comments
 on the Settlement Agreement.
Reply comments due................  May 5, 2018.
Commission Issues Draft EA........  September 1, 2018.
Comments on Draft EA..............  October 1, 2018.
Modified terms and conditions due.  November 30, 2018.
Commission issues Final EA........  February 28, 2019.
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    Dated: March 1, 2018.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-04601 Filed 3-6-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P