[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 92 (Tuesday, May 12, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27995-27996]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-10105]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2368-059]


Algonquin Northern Maine Generating Company; Notice of 
Application Accepted for Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and 
Protests, Ready for Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, 
Recommendations, Preliminary Terms and Conditions, and Preliminary 
Fishway Prescriptions

    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.: 2368-059.
    c. Date Filed: December 3, 2019.
    d. Applicant: Algonquin Northern Maine Generating Company 
(Algonquin).
    e. Name of Project: Scopan Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: The existing project is located on Scopan Stream in 
the Town of Masardis in Aroostook County, Maine. No federal lands are 
occupied by the project works or located within the project boundary.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791 (a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Ian MacRobbie, Vice President, Operations, 
Algonquin Northern Maine Generating Company, 26 Canal Bank, Windsor 
Locks, Connecticut 06096; Telephone (905) 465-6119.
    i. FERC Contact: John Baummer, (202) 502-6837 or 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments, 
recommendations, preliminary terms and conditions, and preliminary 
fishway prescriptions: 60 days from the issuance date of this notice; 
reply comments are due 105 days from the issuance date of this notice.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
motions to intervene and protests, comments, recommendations, 
preliminary terms and conditions, and preliminary fishway prescriptions 
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 the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
Online Support at [email protected], (866) 208-3676 (toll 
free), or (202) 502-8659 (TTY).
    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. This application has been accepted for filing and is now ready 
for environmental analysis.
    l. Project Description: The existing Scopan Hydroelectric Project 
consists of: (1) A 750-foot-long dam that includes: (a) A 330-foot-
long, 45-foot-high earthen embankment section (north embankment) with a 
194-foot-long, 49-foot-high concrete retaining wall at the downstream 
end of the embankment; (b) a 24-foot-long, 45-foot-high concrete 
gravity spillway section with a crest elevation of 590 feet National 
Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD) and a single 13.5-foot-high 
spillway gate with two 10-inch-diameter minimum flow butterfly valves; 
(c) a 26-foot-long, 48-foot-high concrete intake and powerhouse section 
that includes: (i) Two 12-inch-wide head gates and trashracks with 3-
inch clear-bar spacing; and (ii) a 26-foot-long, 49-foot-high concrete 
powerhouse with a single 1.5-megawatt vertical propeller turbine-
generator unit; and (d) a 370-foot-long, 45-foot-high earthen 
embankment section (south embankment) with a 135.5-foot-long, 45-foot-
high concrete retaining wall at the downstream end of the embankment; 
(2) an approximately 15-mile-long, 5,000-acre impoundment (Scopan Lake) 
with a useable storage volume of 57,920 acre-feet between elevations 
590.5 and 603.2 feet NGVD; (3) three 13.45/2.4-kilovolt transformers 
and switch gear that connect the generator to Emera, Maine's regional 
transmission line; and (4) appurtenant facilities.
    Algonquin operates the project in a store and release mode in which 
the impoundment is drawdown from January through March of each year to 
meet electricity demand in the winter. During the spring and summer, 
the impoundment is maintained at or near the full pond levels to 
protect and enhance fisheries, wetlands, wildlife and recreational 
resources. Algonquin manages the project to augment flows in the 
Aroostook River downstream of the project for generation at the 
Aroostook River Project No. 2367 and the Tinker Falls Project, the 
latter of which is located in New Brunswick Canada and is not a FERC-
licensed project. The Scopan Project had an average annual generation 
of approximately 878,913 kilowatt-hours from 2012 through 2018.
    The project's current license requires Algonquin to: (1) Maintain 
Scopan Lake water levels as follows: (a) From May 15 to July 31, 
fluctuate Scopan Lake by no more than one foot; (b) from July 16 to 
Labor Day, target the elevation of Scopan Lake between 601.0 to 603.0 
feet NGVD; and (c) from October 1 to November 15, maintain the 
elevation of Scopan Lake at or above 601.0 feet NGVD; (2) release 
minimum flows of 21 cubic feet per second (cfs) from December 1 through 
May 15, and 25 cfs from May 16 through November 30; (3) close one of 
the two minimum flow valves if Scopan Lake falls below 601.5 feet NGVD; 
(4) close both minimum flow valves if Scopan Lake falls below 601 feet 
NGVD; and (5) limit the maximum discharge from the project to not more 
than 600 cfs from April 1 to November 30.
    Algonquin proposes to: (1) Maintain Scopan Lake water surface 
elevations as follows: (a) From June 1 to July 31 limit water level 
fluctuations in Scopan Lake

[[Page 27996]]

to no more than 0.5 vertical foot upward or 1.0 vertical foot downward 
within any 28-day period from June 1 through July 31; (b) from August 1 
through Labor Day, maintain the water elevation of Scopan Lake between 
601.0 and 603.0 feet NGVD; (c) from October 1 through November 15, 
maintain the water elevation of Scopan Lake above 601.0 feet NGVD; (d) 
limit winter drawdowns of Scopan Lake to no lower than 595.3 feet NGVD 
from November 16 to May 14; (2) limit the maximum discharge from the 
project to not more than 600 cfs from June 1 to November 30; and (3) 
continue to release a continuous minimum flow of 21 cfs including 
leakage from the minimum flow valves unless water levels in Scopan Lake 
fall below 601.5 feet NGVD from May 16 through November 30, in which 
case one valve would be closed.
    m. In addition to publishing the full text of this notice in the 
Federal Register, the Commission provides all interested persons an 
opportunity to view and/or print the contents of this notice, as well 
as other documents in the proceeding (e.g., license application) via 
the internet through the Commission's Home Page (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 (P-
2368). 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, contact FERC 
at [email protected] or call toll-free, (886) 208-3673 or 
(202) 502-8659 (TTY).
    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. Anyone may submit comments, a protest, or a motion to intervene 
in accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 
18 CFR 385.210, .211, and .214. In determining the appropriate action 
to take, the Commission will consider all protests or other comments 
filed, but only those who file a motion to intervene in accordance with 
the Commission's Rules may become a party to the proceeding. Any 
comments, protests, or motions to intervene must be received on or 
before the specified comment date for the particular application.
    All filings must: (1) Bear in all capital letters the title 
PROTEST, MOTION TO INTERVENE, 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 protesting or intervening; 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. A copy of any protest or motion to intervene must 
be served upon each representative of the applicant specified in the 
particular application. 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.
    o. Procedural Schedule: The application will be processed according 
to the following schedule. Revisions to the schedule will be made as 
appropriate.

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                        Milestone                           Target date
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Filing of interventions, protests, comments,                   July 2020
 recommendations, preliminary terms and conditions, and
 preliminary fishway prescriptions......................
Commission issues Environmental Assessment..............    January 2021
Comments on Environmental Assessment....................   February 2021
Modified terms and conditions...........................      April 2021
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    p. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the 
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.
    q. A license applicant must file no later than 60 days following 
the date of issuance of the notice of acceptance and ready for 
environmental analysis provided for in 18 CFR 5.22: (1) A copy of the 
water quality certification; (2) a copy of the request for 
certification, including proof of the date on which the certifying 
agency received the request; or (3) evidence of waiver of water quality 
certification.

    Dated: May 6, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-10105 Filed 5-11-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P