[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 91 (Thursday, May 11, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30304-30305]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-10065]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2490-031]


Green Mountain Power Corporation; Notice Soliciting Scoping 
Comments

    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: Subsequent Minor.
    b. Project No.: P-2490-031.
    c. Date Filed: August 30, 2022.
    d. Applicant: Green Mountain Power Corporation (GMP).
    e. Name of Project: Taftsville Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: On the Ottauquechee River in the Village of 
Taftsville, Windsor County, Vermont.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: John Greenan, Green Mountain Power 
Corporation, 2152 Post Road, Rutland, VT 05701; (802) 770-2195; or 
[email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Monte TerHaar at (202) 502-6035; or 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing scoping comments: June 5, 2023.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
scoping comments 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, 
MD 20852. All filings must clearly identify the following on the first 
page: Taftsville Hydroelectric Project (P-2490-031).
    The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure require all 
interveners filing documents with the Commission to serve a copy of 
that document on each person on the official service list for the 
project. Further, if an intervener 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. The application is not ready for environmental analysis at this 
time.
    l. Project Description: (1) an existing 220-foot-long by 16-foot-
high concrete gravity dam; (2) a 194-foot-long spillway section with a 
crest elevation of 637.12 feet National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 
(NGVD 29), topped with 18-inch wooden flashboards; (3) an existing 
4,600-foot-long, 20.5-acre reservoir at normal water surface elevation 
638.6 feet NGVD 29; (4) a powerhouse containing one 0.5-megawatt 
vertical Kaplan generating unit, with a minimum hydraulic capacity of 
95 cubic feet per second (cfs) and maximum hydraulic capacity of 370 
cfs; (5) a 200-foot-long tailrace section; (6) a 40-foot-long 
transmission line connecting the powerhouse to the Distribution 
Substation; (7) the Distribution Substation and Transmission West 
Substation; and (8) appurtenant facilities. Approximately 290 feet of 
the Ottauquechee River, between the dam and tailrace channel, are 
bypassed during normal operations. The project generates 1,038 
megawatt-hours annually.

[[Page 30305]]

    m. GMP proposes no modifications to the existing project 
facilities. GMP proposes to continue to operate the project in run-of-
river mode, provide a 15 cfs release to the bypassed reach via spillage 
over the crest of the spillway, seasonally install wooden flashboards, 
and maintain recreation facilities, as it has under the current 
license, with modifications to: (1) Use no more than 10% of inflow to 
refill the impoundment after maintenance drawdowns; (2) Consult with 
resource agencies prior to conducting maintenance and unplanned 
drawdowns and repair work; (3) Restrict the removal of trees greater 
than or equal to 3 inches in diameter at breast height in the project 
boundary to the period of November 1 through March 31 for protection of 
the northern-long-eared bat; and (4) Update the historic properties 
management plan to address and mitigate project effects on historic 
properties.
    n. Copies of the application can be viewed on the Commission's 
website at https://www.ferc.gov using the ``eLibrary'' link. Enter the 
project's 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].
    You may also register 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, please 
contact FERC Online Support at [email protected].
    o. Scoping Process: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA), Commission staff intends to prepare either an environmental 
assessment (EA) or an environmental impact statement (EIS) 
(collectively referred to as the ``NEPA document'') that describes and 
evaluates the probable effects, including an assessment of the site-
specific and cumulative effects, if any, of the proposed action and 
alternatives. The Commission's scoping process will help determine the 
required level of analysis and satisfy the NEPA scoping requirements, 
irrespective of whether the Commission issues an EA or an EIS. At this 
time, we do not anticipate holding an on-site scoping meeting. Instead, 
we are soliciting written comments and suggestions on the preliminary 
list of issues and alternatives to be addressed in the NEPA document, 
as described in scoping document 1 (SD1), issued May 5, 2023.
    Copies of the SD1 outlining the subject areas to be addressed in 
the NEPA document were distributed to the parties on the Commission's 
mailing list and the applicant's distribution list. Copies of SD1 may 
be viewed on the web 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. For assistance, call 1-866-
208-3676 or for TTY, (202) 502-8659.

    Dated: May 5, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-10065 Filed 5-10-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P