[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 178 (Thursday, September 15, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 56646]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-19985]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 14797-001]


California Department of Water Resources; Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Assessment

    On November 20, 2019, the California Department of Water Resources 
(California DWR) filed an application for a new major license for the 
existing 279.7-megawatt Devil Canyon Project (FERC No. 14797).\1\ The 
Devil Canyon Project is part of a larger water storage and delivery 
system, the State Water Project (SWP). The Devil Canyon Project is 
located along the East Branch of the SWP Aqueduct, in San Bernardino 
County, California. The project occupies 220.98 acres of federal lands 
administered by the U.S. Forest Service, as part of the San Bernardino 
National Forest.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ The proposed Devil Canyon Project is currently licensed as 
part of the South SWP Hydropower Project (FERC No. 2426). California 
DWR proposes to relicense the Devil Canyon Project separately.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In accordance with the Commission's regulations, on June 15, 2021, 
Commission staff issued a notice that the project was ready for 
environmental analysis (REA Notice). Based on the information in the 
record, including comments filed on the REA Notice, staff does not 
anticipate that licensing the project would constitute a major federal 
action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. 
Therefore, staff intends to prepare a draft and final Environmental 
Assessment (EA) on the application to license the Devil Canyon Project.
    The EA will be issued and circulated for review by all interested 
parties. All comments filed on the EA will be analyzed by staff and 
considered in the Commission's final licensing decision.
    The application will be processed according to the following 
schedule. Revisions to the schedule may be made as appropriate.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ The Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) regulations 
under 40 CFR 1501.10(b)(1) require that EAs be completed within 1 
year of the federal action agency's decision to prepare an EA. This 
notice establishes the Commission's intent to prepare a draft and 
final EA for the Devil Canyon Project. Therefore, in accordance with 
CEQ's regulations, the final EA must be issued within 1 year of the 
issuance date of this notice.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Milestone                           Target Date
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commission issues draft EA................  April 2023.
Comments on draft EA......................  May 2023.
Commission issues final EA................  July 2023.\2\
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Any questions regarding this notice may be directed to Quinn 
Emmering, the Commission's project coordinator for licensing the Devil 
Canyon Project, at (202) 502-6382 or at [email protected].

    Dated: September 9, 2022.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-19985 Filed 9-14-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P