[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 117 (Tuesday, June 20, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39839-39841]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-13072]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 15229-001]


Alabama Power Company; Notice of Intent To File License 
Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document (Pad), Commencement of 
ILP Pre-Filing Process, and Scoping; Request for Comments on the Pad 
and Scoping Document, and Identification of Issues and Associated Study 
Requests

    a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application for 
an Original License and Commencing Pre-filing Process.
    b. Project No.: 15229-001.
    c. Dated Filed: April 14, 2023.
    d. Submitted By: Alabama Power Company (Alabama Power).
    e. Name of Project: Chandler Mountain Pumped Storage Project.
    f. Location: The proposed project would be located on Little Canoe 
Creek East and Chandler Mountain in Etowah and St. Clair Counties, near 
the town of Steele, Alabama. The project would entail the construction 
of a new 1,090-acre lower reservoir on Little Canoe Creek East and a 
526-acre upper reservoir on Chandler Mountain, northwest of the 
existing Chandler Mountain Lake.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of the Commission's 
Regulations.
    h. Applicant Contact: Angie Anderegg, Chandler Licensing Project 
Manager, Alabama Power Company, 600 North 18th Street, Birmingham, 
Alabama 35203; (205) 257-2251; [email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Sarah Salazar at (202) 502-6863, or email at 
[email protected].
    j. Cooperating Agencies: Federal, State, Tribal, and local agencies 
with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to 
environmental issues that wish to cooperate in the preparation of the 
environmental document should follow the instructions for filing such 
requests described in item o below. Cooperating agencies should note 
the Commission's policy that agencies that cooperate in the preparation 
of the environmental document cannot also intervene. See 94 FERC ] 
61,076 (2001).
    k. With this notice, we are initiating informal consultation with: 
(a) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under section 7 of the 
Endangered Species Act and the joint agency regulations, thereunder, at 
50 CFR part 402; and (b) the State Historic Preservation Officer, as 
required by section 106, 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 Alabama Power as the 
Commission's non-Federal representative for carrying out informal 
consultation, pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and 
section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
    m. Alabama Power filed with the Commission a Pre-Application 
Document (PAD, including a proposed process plan and schedule), 
pursuant to 18 CFR 5.6 of the Commission's regulations.
    n. A copy of the PAD may be viewed 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 at 
[email protected], or call (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or 
(202) 502-8659 (TTY). A copy of the PAD is also

[[Page 39840]]

available for public inspection during normal business hours at the 
office of Alabama Power Company, 600 18th Street North, Birmingham, AL 
35203. In addition, a copy of the PAD was distributed to the following 
public libraries near the project: Rainbow City Public Library in 
Etowah County and Steele Public Library in St. Clair County.
    You may 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.
    The Commission's Office of Public Participation (OPP) supports 
meaningful public engagement and participation in Commission 
proceedings. OPP can help members of the public, including landowners, 
environmental justice communities, Tribal members and others, access 
publicly available information and navigate Commission processes. For 
public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as 
interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, the public is 
encouraged to contact OPP at (202) 502-6595, or at [email protected].
    o. With this notice, we are soliciting comments on the PAD and 
Commission staff's Scoping Document 1 (SD1), as well as study requests. 
All comments on the PAD and SD1, as well as study requests should be 
sent to the address above in paragraph h. In addition, all comments on 
the PAD and SD1, study requests, requests for cooperating agency 
status, and all communications to and from Commission staff related to 
the merits of the potential application must be filed with the 
Commission.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
all documents 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. 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. 
All filings must clearly identify the project name and docket number on 
the first page: Chandler Mountain Pumped Storage Project (P-15229-001).
    All filings with the Commission must bear the appropriate heading: 
``Comments on Pre-Application Document,'' ``Study Requests,'' 
``Comments on Scoping Document 1,'' ``Request for Cooperating Agency 
Status,'' or ``Communications to and from Commission Staff.'' Any 
individual or entity interested in submitting study requests, 
commenting on the PAD or SD1, and any agency requesting cooperating 
status must do so by August 12, 2023.
    p. Scoping Process. In accordance with the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA), Commission staff will prepare either an 
environmental assessment (EA) or an environmental impact statement 
(EIS) (collectively referred to as the ``NEPA document''). The NEPA 
document will consider both site-specific and cumulative environmental 
effects, and reasonable alternatives to the proposed action. The 
Commission's scoping process will help determine the required level of 
analysis and satisfy the NEPA scoping requirements, irrespective of 
whether the Commission prepares an EA or EIS.

Scoping Meetings

    Commission staff will hold two public scoping meetings to receive 
input on the scope of the environmental issues that should be analyzed 
in the NEPA document. The daytime scoping meeting will focus on 
resource agency, Native American Tribes, and non-governmental 
organization (NGO) concerns, while the evening scoping meeting will 
focus on receiving input from the public. We invite all interested 
agencies, Native American Tribes, NGOs, and individuals to attend one 
of these meetings to assist us in identifying the scope of 
environmental issues that should be analyzed in the NEPA document. 
Additionally, as noted below, Alabama Power will present a video tour 
of the proposed project area, using drone footage, at the scoping 
meetings. The dates, times and locations of these meetings are as 
follows:

Daytime Scoping Meeting

    Date: Monday, July 10, 2023.
    Time: 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. CDT.
    Place: Rainbow City Community Center.
    Address: 3702 Rainbow Drive, Rainbow City, Alabama 35906.

Evening Scoping Meeting

    Date: Monday, July 10, 2023.
    Time: 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. CDT.
    Place: Rainbow City Community Center.
    Address: 3702 Rainbow Drive, Rainbow City, Alabama 35906.

Virtual Video Tour of the Chandler Mountain Project Area

    A video tour using drone footage will be shown during both the 
Daytime and Evening Scoping Meetings.
    Copies of SD1, outlining the subject areas to be addressed in the 
NEPA document, were distributed to the individuals and entities on the 
Commission's mailing list, as well as Alabama Power's distribution 
list, including 462 potentially interested landowners. Copies of SD1 
will be available at the scoping meetings, or may be viewed on the web 
at http://www.ferc.gov, using the ``eLibrary'' link. Follow the 
directions for accessing information in paragraph n. Based on all oral 
and written comments, a Scoping Document 2 (SD2) may be issued. SD2 may 
include a revised process plan and schedule, as well as a list of 
issues, based on the scoping process.

Environmental Site Review

    The applicant and Commission staff will conduct an environmental 
site review of the proposed project. All interested agencies, Native 
American Tribes, NGOs, and individuals are invited to attend. All 
participants are responsible for their own transportation and must wear 
closed-toe shoes/boots for walking in uneven/sloped terrain around the 
proposed project area. If you plan to attend the environmental site 
review, please contact Dave Anderson with Alabama Power at (205) 257-
1398, or via email at [email protected], on or before 
June 28, 2023. If calling to RSVP, stakeholders should provide their 
name, phone number, and an email address. The time and location of the 
environmental site review is as follows:

Chandler Mountain Project On-Site Environmental Site Review

Date: Tuesday, July 11, 2023
Time: 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. (CDT); meeting time will be 8:45 a.m.
Place: The location to meet for the Environmental Site Review will be 
provided to those that RSVP. Space is limited.

Meeting Objectives

    At the scoping meetings, Commission staff will: (1) initiate 
scoping of the issues; (2) review and discuss existing conditions; (3) 
review and discuss existing information and identify preliminary 
information and study needs; (4) review and discuss the

[[Page 39841]]

process plan and schedule for pre-filing activity that incorporates the 
time frames provided for in part 5 of the Commission's regulations and, 
to the extent possible, maximizes coordination of Federal, State, and 
Tribal permitting and certification processes; and (5) discuss the 
potential of any Federal or State agency or Native American Tribe to 
act as a cooperating agency for development of an environmental 
document. Meeting participants should come prepared to discuss their 
issues and/or concerns. Please review the PAD in preparation for the 
scoping meetings. Directions on how to obtain a copy of the PAD and SD1 
are included in item n of this document.

Meeting Procedures

    The meetings will be recorded by a court reporter and become part 
of the Commission's formal record on the project.
    Agencies, Native American Tribes, NGOs, and individuals with 
environmental expertise and concerns are encouraged to attend the 
meetings and to assist Commission staff in defining and clarifying the 
issues to be addressed in the NEPA document.

    Dated: June 13, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-13072 Filed 6-16-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P