[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 49 (Monday, March 14, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14259-14260]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-05311]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2514-209]


Appalachian Power Company; Notice of Application Tendered for 
Filing With the Commission and Establishing Procedural Schedule for 
Licensing and Deadline for Submission of Final Amendments

    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: New Major License.
    b. Project No.: 2514-209.
    c. Date Filed: February 28, 2022.
    d. Applicant: Appalachian Power Company (Appalachian).
    e. Name of Project: Byllesby-Buck Hydroelectric Project (Byllesby-
Buck Project).
    f. Location: The two-development Byllesby-Buck Project is located 
on the New River in Carroll County, Virginia. The project occupies 7.23 
acres of federal land managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Elizabeth Parcell, Process Supervisor, 
American Electric Power Service Corporation, 40 Franklin Road SW, 
Roanoke, VA 24011; Phone at (540) 985-2441 or email at 
[email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Jody Callihan at (202) 502-8278, or 
[email protected].
    j. This application is not ready for environmental analysis at this 
time.
    k. The Byllesby-Buck Project consists of two developments (Byllesby 
and Buck); the Byllesby Development is located 3 river miles upstream 
of the Buck Development. The current license authorizes a combined 
generating capacity of 30.1 megawatts (MW); however, the actual 
installed capacity is 26.1 MW, which Appalachian proposes to increase 
to 29.8 MW, as described below.
    Between 2016 and 2020, the project had an average annual generation 
of 92,820 megawatt-hours (MWh).
    The Byllesby Development consists of: (1) A 64-foot-high, 528-foot-
long concrete dam, sluice gate, and main spillway section topped with 
four sections of 9-foot-high flashboards, five sections of 9-foot-high 
inflatable Obermeyer crest gates, and six bays of 10-foot-high Tainter 
gates; (2) an auxiliary spillway including six sections of 9-foot-high 
flashboards; (3) a 239-acre impoundment with a gross storage capacity 
of 2,000 acre-feet; (4) a powerhouse containing four turbine-generator 
units with a total installed capacity of 18.0 MW; (5) a control house 
and switchyard; and (6) appurtenant facilities.
    The Buck Development consists of: (1) A 42-foot-high, 353-foot-long 
concrete dam and sluice gate; (2) a 1,005-foot-long, 19-foot-high 
spillway section topped with twenty sections of 9-foot-high 
flashboards, four sections of 9-foot-high inflatable crest gates, and 
six bays of 10-foot-high Tainter gates; (3) a 66-acre impoundment with 
a gross storage capacity of 661 acre-feet; (4) a powerhouse containing 
three turbine-generator units with a total installed capacity of 8.1 
MW; (5) two 2-mile-long overhead 13.2-kilovolt transmission lines 
extending from the Buck powerhouse to the Byllesby control house; and 
(6) appurtenant facilities.
    The Byllesby-Buck Project is currently operated in a run-of-river 
(ROR) mode, with the Byllesby impoundment maintained between elevations 
of 2,078.2 feet and 2,079.2 feet National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 
1929 (NGVD 29) and the Buck impoundment maintained between elevations 
of

[[Page 14260]]

2,002.4 feet and 2,003.4 feet NGVD 29. A minimum flow of 360 cubic feet 
per second (cfs), or project inflow if less, is provided downstream of 
each powerhouse. Article 406 of the current license requires that 
following periods of spill when a spillway gate has been opened 2 feet 
of more, spill flows (into the Buck bypassed reach) must be released 
through a 2-foot gate opening for at least 3 hours, then the gate 
opening must be reduced to 1 foot for at least an additional 3 hours 
prior to closing the gate.
    Appalachian proposes to continue operating the project in a ROR 
mode and providing a 360-cfs minimum flow at each development. However, 
Appalachian proposes to modify the existing ramping rate requirement at 
the Buck Development such that, following periods of spill when a 
spillway gate has been opened 2 feet or more, water would be released 
(into the Buck bypassed reach) through a 2-foot gate opening for at 
least 2 hours, then the gate opening would be reduced to 1 foot for 2 
hours, and finally to 0.5 foot for 2 hours before closing the gate. In 
addition to this measure, which is intended to minimize walleye 
stranding in the Buck bypassed reach, Appalachian proposes 
environmental measures for the protection and enhancement of other 
aquatic resources as well as terrestrial, recreation, and cultural 
resources.
    Appalachian also proposes to upgrade three (of the four) turbine-
generator units at the Byllesby Development and two (of the three) 
turbine-generator units at the Buck Development. The proposed upgrades 
are expected to increase the total installed capacity from 26.1 MW to 
29.8 MW and the project's average annual generation by 25,927 MWh. In 
addition, Appalachian proposes to add to the current project boundary: 
(1) The Byllesby control house and switchyard and (2) two 2-mile-long 
overhead 13.2-kilovolt transmission lines that extend from the Buck 
powerhouse to the Byllesby control house.
    l. A copy of the application can 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 (P-2514). For assistance, contact FERC at 
[email protected], or call toll-free, (866) 208-3676 or (202) 
502-8659 (TTY).
    m. 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. Procedural schedule: The application will be processed according 
to the following preliminary schedule. Revisions to the schedule will 
be made as appropriate.

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                         Milestone                                               Target date
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Issue Deficiency Letter (if necessary).....................  March 2022.
Request Additional Information (if necessary)..............  May 2022.
Notice of Acceptance/Notice of Ready for Environmental       August 2022.
 Analysis.
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    o. 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: March 8, 2022.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-05311 Filed 3-11-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P