[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 75 (Friday, April 17, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21426-21427]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-08184]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 14856-002]


America First Hydro LLC; Notice of Application Tendered for 
Filing With the Commission

    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: Subsequent Minor License.
    b. Project No.: 14856-002.
    c. Date Filed: March 30, 2020.
    d. Applicant: America First Hydro LLC (America First Hydro).
    e. Name of Project: Lower Mousam Project.
    f. Location: The project is located on the Mousam River in York 
County, Maine. The project does not affect federal lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Ian Clark, America First Hydro LLC; 65 Ellen 
Ave, Mahopac, New York 10541, (914) 297-7645, or email at 
[email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Michael Watts, (202) 502-6123 or 
[email protected].
    j. The application is not ready for environmental analysis at this 
time.
    k. Kennebunk Light and Power District currently owns and holds a 
license to operate and maintain the Lower Mousam Project as FERC 
Project No. 5362. On March 29, 2017, Kennebunk Light and Power District 
filed a notice stating that it does not intend to file an application 
for a subsequent license. In response to a solicitation notice issued 
by the Commission on May 15, 2017, America First Hydro filed a pre-
application document and a notice of intent to file an application for 
a license for the Lower Mousam Project, pursuant to 18 CFR 5.5 and 5.6. 
Commission staff assigned Project No. 14856 for the licensing 
proceeding initiated by America First Hydro's filing.
    l. Project Description:
    The existing Lower Mousam Project consists of the following three 
developments:
Dane Perkins Development
    The Dane Perkins Development consists of: (1) A 12-foot-high, 83-
foot-long concrete gravity dam with a 50-foot-long spillway section 
that has a crest elevation of 81.8 feet mean seal level (msl) plus 2.5-
foot-high flashboards; (2) a 25-acre impoundment with a normal maximum 
elevation of 84.3 feet msl; (3) a powerhouse containing a single 
turbine-generator unit rated at 150 kilowatts (kW); (4) a generator 
lead connecting the turbine-generator unit to the regional grid; and 
(5) appurtenant facilities.
Twine Mill Development
    The Twine Mill Development is located approximately 0.5 mile 
downstream from the Dane Perkins Development and consists of: (1) An 
18-foot-high, 223-foot-long concrete gravity dam with an 81-foot-long 
spillway section that has a crest elevation of 68.8 feet msl plus 3.0-
foot-high flashboards; (2) a 12-acre impoundment with a normal maximum 
elevation of 71.8 feet msl; (3) a powerhouse containing a single 
turbine-generator unit rated at 300 kW; (4) a generator lead connecting 
the turbine-generator unit to the

[[Page 21427]]

regional grid; and (5) appurtenant facilities.
Kesslen Development
    The Kesslen Development is located approximately 2.5 miles 
downstream from the Twine Mill Development and consists of: (1) An 18-
foot-high, 140-foot-long concrete gravity dam with a 114-foot-long 
spillway section that has a crest elevation of 42.2 feet msl plus 1.5-
foot-high flashboards; (2) a 20-acre impoundment with a normal maximum 
elevation of 43.7 feet msl; (3) a powerhouse containing a single 
turbine-generator unit rated at 150 kW; (4) a generator lead connecting 
the turbine-generator unit to the regional grid; and (5) appurtenant 
facilities.
    The current license requires an instantaneous minimum flow of 60 
cubic feet per second (cfs) or inflow, whichever is less, downstream of 
the Kesslen Development from April 1 through June 1 each year; and a 
minimum flow of 5 cfs or inflow downstream of the Kesslen Development 
from June 2 through March 31. The licensee operates the project in a 
run-of-river mode on a voluntary basis.
    America First Hydro proposes to increase the installed generation 
capacity at the Dane Perkins Development by replacing the existing 150-
kW turbine-generator unit with two turbine-generator units that have a 
combined capacity of 270 kW. America First Hydro proposes to disconnect 
the generating equipment at the Kesslen Development and allow all flow 
to pass over the dam. America First Hydro also proposes to continue 
operating the project in a run-of-river mode.
    m. Locations of the Application: A copy of the application 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. At this time, 
the Commission has suspended access to the Commission's Public 
Reference Room, due to the proclamation declaring a National Emergency 
concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), issued by the 
President on March 13, 2020. For assistance, please contact FERC Online 
Support at [email protected], (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or 
(202) 502-8659 (TTY).
    n. 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.
    o. Procedural Schedule: On December 19, 2019, Commission staff 
suspended the Integrated Licensing Process for the project until 
America First Hydro filed the final license application. The suspension 
held the pre-filing process in abeyance, including the milestones for 
the study process. In accordance with 18 CFR 5.20, Commission staff 
will notify America First Hydro on or before April 29, 2020, as to 
whether or not the application substantially conforms to the pre-filing 
consultation and filing requirements of the Commission's regulations. 
To the extent that the application is not patently deficient, 
Commission staff will issue a revised process plan and schedule that 
includes milestones and dates for the filing and review of America 
First Hydro's outstanding study reports. After America First Hydro 
completes and files the outstanding study reports, Commission staff 
will issue a revised procedural schedule with target dates for the 
post-filing milestones listed below.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Milestone                           Target date
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notice of Acceptance/Notice of Ready for    TBD.
 Environmental Analysis.
Filing of recommendations, preliminary      TBD.
 terms and conditions, and fishway
 prescriptions.
Commission issues Environmental Assessment  TBD.
 (EA).
Comments on EA............................  TBD.
Modified terms and conditions.............  TBD.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    p. 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: April 13, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-08184 Filed 4-16-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P