[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 45 (Thursday, March 7, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 8324]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-04150]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 77-285]


Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Notice Soliciting Applications

    On April 6, 2017, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), licensee 
for the Potter Valley Project No. 77, filed a pre-application document 
(PAD) and notice of its intent (NOI) to file an application for a new 
license for the 9.4-megawatt project pursuant to section 15(b)(1) of 
the Federal Power Act (FPA). On January 25, 2019, PG&E filed notice of 
the withdrawal of its NOI and PAD, indicating it is no longer seeking a 
new license for the project.
    The project is located on the Eel and East Fork Russian Rivers in 
Lake and Mendocino Counties, California, about 15 miles northeast of 
the city of Ukiah. Project features include Lake Pillsbury, a 2,300-
acre storage reservoir impounded by Scott Dam; 106-acre Van Arsdale 
Reservoir, impounded by the Cape Horn Diversion Dam; and a tunnel and 
penstock across a natural divide to the project's powerhouse located in 
the headwaters of the Russian River Basin. PG&E estimates the average 
annual generation of the project to be 19,900 megawatt-hours.
    Pursuant to Rule 216(b) of the Commission's Rules of Practice and 
Procedure,\1\ a withdrawal of a pleading is effective at the end of 15 
days from the date of filing the notice of withdrawal. No motion in 
opposition to the notice of withdrawal has been filed, and the 
Commission has taken no action to disallow the withdrawal; thus, the 
withdrawal became effective on February 11, 2019.\2\
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    \1\ 18 CFR 385.216(b) (2018).
    \2\ The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure provide 
that if the last day of any time period falls on a Saturday, Sunday, 
holiday, or other day when the Commission is closed for business, 
the period does not end until the close of business on the next 
business day. 18 CFR 385.2007(a)(2) (2018). Because the 15-day time 
period fell on a Saturday (February 9, 2019), the period was 
extended until the close of business on Monday, February 11, 2019.
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    Any party interested in filing a license application for a new 
license for a project must first file a NOI and PAD.\3\ Although the 
Integrated Licensing Process (ILP) is the default pre-filing process, 
section 5.3(b) of the Commission's regulations allows a potential 
license applicant to request to use alternative licensing procedures 
when it files its NOI.\4\ A potential applicant may also include a 
proposal to complete the ILP pre-filing process that PG&E has already 
begun. As part of the pre-filing process, the Commission issued a Study 
Plan Determination for the project on February 15, 2018, approving 21 
study plans.
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    \3\ 18 CFR 5.5 (2018).
    \4\ 18 CFR 5.3(b) (2018).
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    This notice sets a deadline of 120 days from the date of this 
notice for interested applicants, other than the existing licensee, to 
file NOIs, PADs, and requests to complete the pre-filing stages of the 
licensing process as discussed above.
    In the event that no other applicant files an application for a 
license by April 14, 2020, the current licensee will be provided with 
written notice that no timely application for the project has been 
filed.\5\ Within 90 days of such written notice, the current licensee 
must file a schedule for the filing of a surrender application for the 
project.\6\
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    \5\ 18 CFR 16.26(a) (2018).
    \6\ 18 CFR 16.26(b) (2018).
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    Questions concerning this notice should be directed to Alan 
Mitchnick, (202) 502-6074 or [email protected].

    Dated: March 1, 2019.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-04150 Filed 3-6-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P