[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 119 (Thursday, June 24, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 33276]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-13300]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. P-2735-100]


Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Notice of Intent To File 
License Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document, Approving Use 
of The Traditional Licensing Process

    a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application and 
Request to Use the Traditional Licensing Process.
    b. Project No.: P-2735-100.
    c. Date Filed: April 19, 2021.
    d. Submitted By: Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E).
    e. Name of Project: Helms Pumped Storage Project.
    f. Location: About 50 miles northeast of the city of Fresno, on the 
North Fork Kings River and Helms Creek, in Fresno and Madera Counties, 
California. The project occupies 3,354.59 acres of National Forest 
Service land, 28.36 acres of Bureau of Reclamation land, 0.84 acres of 
Bureau of Land Management land.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR 5.3 and 5.5 of the Commission's 
regulations.
    h. Potential Applicant Contact(s): Maureen Zawalick, 77 Beale 
Street, San Francisco, CA 94105; (805) 545-4242; 
[email protected]; or Jennifer Post, Esq., 77 Beale Street, San 
Francisco, CA 94105; (415) 973-9809; [email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Evan Williams at (202) 502-8462 or 
[email protected].
    j. PG&E filed its request to use the Traditional Licensing Process 
on April 19, 2021, and provided public notice of its request on April 
17, 2021 and April 18, 2021. In a letter dated June 16, 2021, the 
Director of the Division of Hydropower Licensing approved PG&E's 
request to use the Traditional Licensing Process.
    k. With this notice, we are initiating informal consultation with 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and/or NOAA Fisheries under section 
7 of the Endangered Species Act and the joint agency regulations 
thereunder at 50 CFR, part 402; and NOAA Fisheries under section 305(b) 
of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and 
implementing regulations at 50 CFR 600.920. We are also initiating 
consultation with the California State Historic Preservation Officer, 
as required by section 106, National Historic Preservation Act, and the 
implementing regulations of the Advisory Council on Historic 
Preservation at 36 CFR 800.2.
    l. With this notice, we are designating PG&E as the Commission's 
non-federal representative for carrying out informal consultation 
pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and section 305(b) 
of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act; and 
consultation pursuant to section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act.
    m. PG&E filed a Pre-Application Document (PAD; including a proposed 
process plan and schedule) with the Commission, pursuant to 18 CFR 5.6 
of the Commission's regulations.
    n. A copy of the PAD may be viewed and/or printed on the 
Commission's website (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 on March 13, 2020. For 
assistance, contact FERC Online Support at [email protected], 
(866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-8659 (TTY).
    o. The licensee states its unequivocal intent to submit an 
application for a new license for Project No. P-2735-100. Pursuant to 
18 CFR 16.8, 16.9, and 16.10 each application for a new license and any 
competing license applications must be filed with the Commission at 
least 24 months prior to the expiration of the existing license. All 
applications for license for this project must be filed by April 30, 
2024.
    p. Register online at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx 
to be notified via email of new filing and issuances related to this or 
other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.

    Dated: June 17, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-13300 Filed 6-23-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P