[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 102 (Thursday, May 26, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32013-32014]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-11329]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 77-311]


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: 77-311.
    c. Date Filed: May 16, 2022.
    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 Fork 
of the Russian River in Lake and Mendocino counties, California.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791a--825r.
    h. Applicant Contact: Jackie Pope, License Coordinator; Pacific Gas 
and Electric Company; Mail Code N11D, P.O. Box 770000, San Francisco, 
CA 94177; Phone: (530) 245-4007.
    i. FERC Contact: Alicia Burtner, (202) 502-8038, 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing comments, motions to intervene, and 
protests: June 9, 2022.
    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-77-311. 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 its minimum flow requirements in the East Fork of the 
Russian River and the maximum irrigation releases to the Potter Valley 
Irrigation District (PVID). Due to ongoing drought conditions and 
operating restrictions, the storage in Lake Pillsbury is severely 
depleted and is expected to reach critical levels by late fall, whereby 
bank sloughing in the vicinity of the outlet works and impaired flow 
releases could occur. In order to conserve water and ensure project 
operability, the licensee is proposing to reclassify the water year 
type to reduce flow releases to Eel River below Scott Dam from the 
current normal water year requirement of 60 cfs to a critical water 
year flow floor set by the minimum opening of the low-level outlet of 
approximately 35 cubic feet per second (cfs); flow releases to the East 
Fork of the Russian River from normal water year requirements of 75 cfs 
to between 5 and 25 cfs based on storage projections; and flow releases 
to the PVID from 50 cfs to a demand-based schedule not to exceed 50 
cfs. The licensee additionally requests that compliance with flow 
requirements to the East Fork of the Russian River be measured as a 
target flow with no buffer versus a minimum flow with a buffer. The 
licensee would operate the project to maintain at least 30,000 acre-
feet of storage in Lake Pillsbury to limit the depletion of the cold-
water pool for salmonid protection. The May 16, 2022

[[Page 32014]]

filing includes provisions for regular water monitoring and 
consultation throughout implementation of the proposed variance. The 
licensee requests that the drought-related variance conclude when Lake 
Pillsbury storage exceeds 36,000 acre-feet following October 1, 2022 or 
is superseded by another variance.
    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. 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, 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 20, 2022.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-11329 Filed 5-25-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P