[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 67 (Friday, April 7, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20873-20874]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-07386]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 14634-006]


New England Hydropower Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To File 
License Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document, and 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.: 14634-006.
    c. Date Filed: January 17, 2023.
    d. Submitted By: New England Hydropower Company, LLC (NEHC).
    e. Name of Project: Ashton Dam Hydroelectric Project (project).
    f. Location: On the Blackstone River in Providence County, Rhode 
Island. No federal lands are occupied by the project works or located 
within the project boundary.
    g. Filed Pursuant To: 18 CFR 5.3 and 5.5 of the Commission's 
regulations.
    h. Potential Applicant Contact: Ms. Carol Wasserman, New England 
Hydropower Company, LLC, 100 Cummings Center, Suite 451C, Beverly, MA 
01915; Phone at (339) 293-3157, or email at [email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Arash Barsari at (202) 502-6207; or email at 
[email protected].
    j. NEHC filed its request to use the Traditional Licensing Process 
on January 17, 2023, and provided public notice of its request on 
January 19, 2023 and January 26, 2023. In a letter dated March 2, 2023, 
the Director of the Division of Hydropower Licensing approved NEHC'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 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 Rhode Island State Historic Preservation Officer, 
as required by section 106 of the 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 NEHC as the Commission's 
non-federal representative for carrying out informal consultation 
pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and consultation 
pursuant to section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
    m. On January 17, 2023, NEHC 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. For assistance, contact 
FERC Online Support at [email protected], (866) 208-3676 (toll 
free), or (202) 502-8659 (TTY). 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.
    o. The applicant states its unequivocal intent to submit an 
application for an original license for Project No. 14634.

[[Page 20874]]

    p. Register online at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx 
to be notified via email of new filings and issuances related to this 
or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.

    Dated: April 3, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-07386 Filed 4-6-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P