[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 223 (Tuesday, November 21, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81070-81071]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-25673]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 6440-010]


Lakeport Hydroelectric One, LLC; Notice of Application Accepted 
for Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready for 
Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, Terms 
and Conditions, and Prescriptions

    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 License.
    b. Project No.: 6440-010.
    c. Date Filed: August 30, 2021.
    d. Applicant: Lakeport Hydroelectric One, LLC (Lakeport).
    e. Name of Project: Lakeport Hydroelectric Project (project).
    f. Location: On the Winnipesaukee River in Laconia, Belknap County, 
New Hampshire.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Ms. Jody Smet, Lakeport Hydroelectric One, 
LLC c/o Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC; 7315 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 
1100W; Bethesda, MD 20814; (240) 482-2700; or email at 
[email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Erin Kimsey, (202) 502-8621 or 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments, 
recommendations, terms and conditions, and prescriptions: 60 days from 
the issuance date of this notice; reply comments are due 105 days from 
the issuance date of this notice.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
motions to intervene and protests, comments, recommendations, terms and 
conditions, and prescriptions 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, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via 
any other carrier must be addressed to: 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: Lakeport Hydroelectric Project (P-6440-010).
    The Commission's Rules of Practice require all intervenors 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 
intervenor 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. This application has been accepted and is now ready for 
environmental analysis.
    The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) issued a final rule on 
April 20, 2022, revising the regulations under 40 CFR parts 1502, 1507, 
and 1508 that Federal agencies use to implement the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (see National Environmental Policy Act 
Implementing Regulations Revisions, 87 FR 23453-70). The final rule 
became effective on May 20, 2022. Commission staff intends to conduct 
its NEPA review in accordance with CEQ's new regulations.
    l. The Lakeport Hydroelectric Project consists of the following 
existing facilities: (1) a 359-foot-long, 12.34-foot-high concrete 
gravity dam that includes the following sections: (a) a 60-foot-long 
west abutment section; (b) a 78-foot-long, 4-foot high section topped 
with three 10-foot-high, 18-foot-wide slide gates with a crest 
elevation of 505.31 feet \1\ at the top of the slide gates; (c) an 
approximately 15 foot-long overflow section topped with 6-inch-high 
flashboards with a crest elevation of 504.7 feet at the top of the 
flashboards; (d) an approximately 21-foot-long, 10-foot-wide center 
pier topped with 6-inch-high flashboards with a crest elevation of 
504.7 feet at the top of the flashboards; (e) a 25-foot-long, 12.33-
foot-high stoplog section; (f) a 44-foot-long, 42.17-foot-wide concrete 
section that is integral with the dam and that contains three 200-kW 
vertical submersible Flygt turbine-generator units located on outdoor 
concrete pilings for a total installed capacity of 600 kW and (g) an 
approximately 116-foot-long east abutment section that extends 
upstream; (2) a 220-foot-long stone training wall that extends 
downstream; (3) an impoundment (Lake Winnipesaukee) with a surface area 
of approximately 46,208 acres and a storage capacity of 165,800 acre-
feet at an elevation of 504.32 feet; (4) a 2,800-square-foot forebay 
area; (5) a 44-foot-wide, 13-foot-high concrete and granite intake 
structure that is equipped with three 6-foot-diameter cylindrical 
headgates and a trashrack with 0.75-inch clear bar spacing; (6) a 23-
foot-long, 30.5-foot-wide concrete and lumber control building adjacent 
to the turbine-generator units; (7) an 80-foot-long, 50-foot-wide 
tailrace that discharges into the Winnipesaukee River; (8) a downstream 
fish passage facility that consists of a collection box and a 70-foot-
long, 10-inch-diameter PVC pipe; (9) three 30- to 55-foot-long, 0.48-
kilovolt (kV) generator leads, three 0.48/12.4-kV step-up transformers 
at a substation adjacent to the control building that connect the 
project to the local utility distribution system; and (10) appurtenant 
facilities.
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    \1\ Elevation data are presented using the National Geodetic 
Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD29).
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    The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (New 
Hampshire DES) owns the dam and the land occupied by the project. 
Lakeport leases the project land and dam from the NHDES, and operates 
the project in accordance with NHDES's management objectives. Lake 
Winnipesaukee is managed under the following schedule: Beginning on 
January 1, the lake is

[[Page 81071]]

drawn down from 503.50 to 502.32 feet by the first week of March. Then, 
the lake is refilled to between 504.10 and 504.32 feet by June 1. From 
June 1 to Columbus Day, the lake elevation is maintained between 502.80 
and 504.32 feet for summer recreation. From Columbus Day through 
December 31, the lake elevation is maintained between 503.00 and 503.50 
feet for shoreline maintenance. A year-round minimum flow of 200 cubic 
feet per second (cfs) or greater is provided from the spillway or the 
powerhouse to the Winnipesaukee River.
    The applicant is not proposing any changes to the project 
facilities or project operation.
    m. A copy of the application can be viewed on the Commission's 
website 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, contact FERC Online 
Support.
    n. Anyone may submit comments, a protest, or a motion to intervene 
in accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 
18 CFR 385.210, .211, and .214. In determining the appropriate action 
to take, the Commission will consider all protests or other comments 
filed, but only those who file a motion to intervene in accordance with 
the Commission's Rules may become a party to the proceeding. Any 
comments, protests, or motions to intervene must be received on or 
before the specified comment date for the particular application.
    All filings must: (1) bear in all capital letters the title 
``PROTEST,'' ``MOTION TO INTERVENE,'' ``COMMENTS,'' ``REPLY COMMENTS,'' 
``RECOMMENDATIONS,'' ``TERMS AND CONDITIONS,'' or ``PRESCRIPTIONS;'' 
(2) set forth in the heading the name of the applicant and the project 
number of the application to which the filing responds; (3) furnish the 
name, address, and telephone number of the person submitting the 
filing; and (4) otherwise comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 
385.2001 through 385.2005. All comments, recommendations, terms and 
conditions, or prescriptions must set forth their evidentiary basis and 
otherwise comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 4.34(b). Agencies may 
obtain copies of the application directly from the applicant. Each 
filing must be accompanied by proof of service on all persons listed on 
the service list prepared by the Commission in this proceeding, in 
accordance with 18 CFR 4.34(b) and 385.2010.
    You may also register online at https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview to be notified via email of new filings and issuances related 
to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online 
Support.
    o. The applicant must file no later than 60 days following the date 
of issuance of this notice: (1) a copy of the water quality 
certification; (2) a copy of the request for certification, including 
proof of the date on which the certifying agency received the request; 
or (3) evidence of waiver of water quality certification. Please note 
that the certification request must comply with 40 CFR 121.5(b), 
including documentation that a pre-filing meeting request was submitted 
to the certifying authority at least 30 days prior to submitting the 
certification request. Please also note that the certification request 
must be sent to the certifying authority and to the Commission 
concurrently.
    p. Procedural Schedule: The application will be processed according 
to the following schedule. Revisions to the schedule will be made as 
appropriate.

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                 Milestone                           Target date
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Filing of Comments, Recommendations, Terms  January 2024.
 and Conditions, and Prescriptions.
Filing of Reply Comments..................  February 2024.
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    q. 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 [email protected].

    Dated: November 14, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-25673 Filed 11-20-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P