[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 181 (Wednesday, September 20, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64906-64907]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-20361]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 15314-000]


County of Coconino, AZ; Notice of Preliminary Permit Application 
Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Comments, Motions To Intervene, and 
Competing Applications

    On June 12, 2023, Western Navajo Pumped Storage 1, LLC, filed an 
application for a preliminary permit, pursuant to section 4(f) of the 
Federal Power Act (FPA), proposing to study the feasibility of the to 
be located near the City of Page in Coconino 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 project is proposed as a closed loop pumped storage 
hydroelectric-generating facility, which would involve the construction 
of new water storage, water conveyance, and generation facilities at 
off-channel locations where no such facilities exist at this time. The 
project would utilize water from Lake Powell to fill and periodically 
refill the project reservoirs. The lower reservoir would be located 
approximately 5,280 feet west from the proposed upper reservoir. A 
zoned rockfill embankment dike approximately 75 feet high and 8,200 
feet long is proposed to be constructed to enclose the perimeter of the 
110-acre lower reservoir with a water surface elevation of 4,125 feet 
mean sea level (msl). The upper reservoir would be located 
approximately 5,280 feet east from the proposed lower reservoir. A 
zoned rockfill embankment dike approximately 75 feet high and 8,000 
feet long is proposed to be constructed to enclose the perimeter of the 
110-acre upper reservoir with a water surface elevation of 4,625 feet 
msl. Both embankment ring dikes would have an impermeable clay core and 
an impermeable concrete liner.
    During pumping operations, water would be drawn through the eight 
reversible Francis pump-turbine units into eight 12-foot-diameter steel 
pipes that would merge into a 34 foot-diameter penstock, which would 
convey water to the upper reservoir. During generation, operations 
would be reversed. The total installed generation capacity would be 396 
megawatts with a hydraulic head of 500 feet.
    The proposed project would also include a new 3-mile-long, 230-
kilovolt overhead transmission line that would extend from a proposed 
substation near the proposed powerhouse to an interconnection point 
with the substation located at the former Navajo Generating Station. 
The 3-mile-long transmission route would follow an approximately 150-
foot-wide corridor southwest towards the former coal plant substation. 
The proposed substation would include two 200-megavolt-ampere Generator 
Step-up Units, relays and controls, breakers, and switches as required 
by the existing substation owner/electric service provider.
    Applicant Contact: Mr. Erik Steimle, Western Navajo Pumped Storage 
1, LLC, 100 S Olive Street, West Palm Beach, FL 33401; 
[email protected]; phone: (503) 998-0230.
    FERC Contact: Everard Baker; email: [email protected]; phone: 
(202) 502-8554.
    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

[[Page 64907]]

assistance with filings such as interventions, comments, or requests 
for rehearing, the public is encouraged to contact OPP at (202) 502-
6595 or [email protected]. Comments, motions to intervene, competing 
applications (without notices of intent), or notices of intent to file 
competing applications should be submitted within 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: 
Secretary Kimberly Bose, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street NE, 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-
15314-000.
    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 http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp. 
Enter the docket number (P-15314) in the docket number field to access 
the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.

    Dated: September 14, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-20361 Filed 9-19-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P