[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 89 (Tuesday, May 11, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25847-25848]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-09930]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 77-306]


Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Notice of Application Accepted 
for Filing and Soliciting Comments, Motions To Intervene, and Protests

    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection:
    a. Application Type: Application for Temporary Variance of Flow 
Requirements.
    b. Project No: 77-306.
    c. Date Filed: April 23, 2021.
    d. Applicant: Pacific Gas and Electric Company (licensee).
    e. Name of Project: Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: The project is located on the Eel River and East 
Branch Russian River in Lake and Mendocino counties, California.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791a-825r.
    h. Applicant Contact: Ms. Jackie Pope, License Coordinator, Pacific 
Gas and Electric Company, Mail Code: N11D, P.O. Box 770000, San 
Francisco, CA 94177, Phone: (530) 254-4007.
    i. FERC Contact: John Aedo, (415) 369-3335, [email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing comments, motions to intervene, and 
protests: June 4, 2021.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
comments, motions to intervene, and protests 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, you may 
submit a paper copy. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must 
be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. 
Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to: Kimberly 
D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins 
Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852. The first page of any filing should 
include the docket number P-77-306. Comments emailed to Commission 
staff are not considered part of the Commission record.
    The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure require all 
intervenors filing documents with the Commission to serve a copy of 
that document on each person whose name appears 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. Description of Request: The licensee requests a temporary 
variance of the minimum flow requirement in the East Branch Russian 
River and the maximum irrigation releases to the Potter Valley 
Irrigation District (PVID). The licensee states that due to current 
drought conditions and operating restrictions, the storage in Lake 
Pillsbury is severely depleted and is expected to reach critical levels 
later in the summer, whereby bank sloughing in the vicinity of the 
outlet works and impaired flow releases may occur. Therefore, in order 
to conserve water and ensure project operability, the licensee is 
proposing to reduce minimum flow releases to the East Branch Russian 
River from the current dry water year requirement of 25 cubic feet per 
second (cfs) to a critically dry water year requirement of 5 cfs. The 
licensee also requests Commission approval to decrease its license-
required maximum release to PVID of 50 cfs to the exceptionally low 
water year maximum release of 25 cfs through October 15, 2021.

[[Page 25848]]

    The licensee also requests that compliance with the minimum flow 
requirement in the East Branch Russian River be temporarily adjusted to 
a target flow and that compliance with the adjusted maximum diversion 
be temporarily adjusted to a demand-based allotment, with compliance 
based on a cumulative diversion allotment of 9,000 acre-feet (which 
would equate to the alternative 25 cfs maximum diversion). Following 
the conclusion of the irrigation season on October 16, the licensee 
would continue to provide demand-based water deliveries to PVID, but 
they would be limited to an average of 3 cfs. The licensee requests 
that the drought-related variance conclude when Lake Pillsbury storage 
exceeds 36,000 acre-feet following October 1, 2021, or is superseded by 
another variance. Due to the urgent nature of the variance request, 
Commission staff is approving the variance for a limited time (until 
June 21, 2021) until the public has an opportunity to review and 
comment on the licensee's proposal. Following the close of the public 
notice period and consideration of any comments received, Commission 
staff will take action on the remaining timeline associated with the 
licensee's request.
    l. Locations of the Application: This filing 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. 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, call 1-866-208-3676 or email 
[email protected], for TTY, call (202) 502-8659. Agencies may 
obtain copies of the application directly from the applicant.
    m. Individuals desiring to be included on the Commission's mailing 
list should so indicate by writing to the Secretary of the Commission.
    n. Comments, Protests, or Motions to Intervene: 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, 
.214, respectively. 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.
    o. Filing and Service of Documents: Any filing must (1) bear in all 
capital letters the title ``COMMENTS'', ``PROTEST'', or ``MOTION TO 
INTERVENE'' as applicable; (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 commenting, protesting or intervening; and (4) otherwise comply 
with the requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005. All 
comments, motions to intervene, or protests must set forth their 
evidentiary basis. Any filing made by an intervenor 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 
385.2010.

    Dated: May 5, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-09930 Filed 5-10-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P