[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 214 (Monday, November 7, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67032-67033]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-24235]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 15233-000]


Nature and People First Arizona PHS, LLS; Notice of Preliminary 
Permit Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Comments, Motions 
To Intervene, and Competing Applications

    On October 5, 2021, Nature and People First Arizona PHS, LLC (NFPA) 
filed an application for a preliminary permit, pursuant to section 4(f) 
of the Federal Power Act (FPA), proposing to study the feasibility of 
Black Mesa Pumped Storage Project North to be located in Navajo County, 
Arizona. The sole purpose of a preliminary permit, if issued, is to 
grant the permit holder priority to file a license application during 
the permit term. A preliminary permit does not authorize the permit 
holder to perform any land-disturbing activities or otherwise enter 
upon lands or waters owned by others without the owners' express 
permission.
    The proposed project would consist of the following: (1) a new 
upper reservoir with a surface area of 3,300 acres and a total storage 
capacity of 100,000 acre-feet at a normal maximum operating elevation 
of 7,910 feet average mean sea level (msl); (2) a new lower reservoir 
west with a surface area of 1,200 acres and a total storage capacity of 
39,000 acre-feet at a normal maximum operating elevation of 5,960 feet 
msl; (3) a new lower reservoir middle with a surface area of 420 acres 
and a total storage capacity of 15,000 acre-feet at a normal maximum 
operating elevation of 5,960 feet msl; (4) a new lower reservoir south 
with a surface area of 1,300 acres and a total storage capacity of 
46,000 acre-feet at a normal maximum operating elevation of 5,960 feet 
msl; (5) a 6,800-foot-long, 23-foot-diameter concrete lined tunnel and 
1,800-foot-long with three 18-foot-diameter concrete lined draft tube 
tunnel penstock connecting the upper and lower reservoir west to the 
powerhouse; (6) a 9,400-foot-long, 23-foot-diameter concrete lined 
tunnel and 2,100-foot-long with three 18-foot-diameter concrete lined 
draft tube tunnel penstock connecting the upper and lower reservoir 
middle to the powerhouse; (7) a 6,750-foot-long, 23-

[[Page 67033]]

foot-diameter concrete lined tunnel and 2,500-foot-long with three 18-
foot-diameter concrete lined draft tube tunnel penstock connecting the 
upper and lower reservoir south to the powerhouse; (8) three 320-foot-
long, 60-foot-wide and 100-foot-high new underground powerhouses 
containing three turbine-generator units each with a total rated 
capacity of 2,250 megawatts; (9) a new 80-mile-long, 230-kilovolt (kV) 
transmission line connecting the powerhouses to either Powell Glen 
Canyon's existing substation or the Navajo Generating Station's 
substation; and (10) appurtenant facilities. The estimated annual power 
generation at the Black Mesa Pumped Storage North would be 4,927.5 
gigawatt-hours.
    Applicant Contact: Mr. Denis Payre, President and CEO, Nature and 
People First Arizona PHS, LLC 405 Waltham St, Suite 145 Lexington, MA 
02421, [email protected].
    FERC Contact: Ousmane Sidibe; Phone: (202) 502-6245.
    Deadline for filing comments, motions to intervene, competing 
applications (without notices of intent), or notices of intent to file 
competing applications: 60 days from the issuance of this notice. 
Competing applications and notices of intent must meet the requirements 
of 18 CFR 4.36.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
comments, motions to intervene, notices of intent, and competing 
applications using the Commission's eFiling system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx. Commenters can submit brief 
comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, using the 
eComment system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx. 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 docket 
number P-15233-000.
    More information about this project, including a copy of the 
application, can be viewed or printed on the ``eLibrary'' link of 
Commission's website at https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/elibrary/overview. Enter the docket number (P-15233) in the docket number field 
to access the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.

    Dated: November 1, 2022.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-24235 Filed 11-4-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P