[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 57 (Friday, March 22, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20460-20461]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-06135]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 4678-053]


New York Power Authority; Notice of Application Accepted for 
Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready for 
Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, 
Preliminary Terms and Conditions, and Preliminary Fishway Prescriptions

    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: New Major License.
    b. Project No.: 4678-053.
    c. Date Filed: May 25, 2022.
    d. Applicant: New York Power Authority (NYPA).
    e. Name of Project: Crescent Hydroelectric Project (Crescent 
Project or project).
    f. Location: On the Mohawk River in Saratoga, Albany, and 
Schenectady Counties, New York.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Rob Daly, Director of Licensing, NYPA, 123 
Main Street, White Plains, NY 10601; Telephone: (914) 681-6564 or 
[email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Jody Callihan at (202) 502-8278, or 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments, 
recommendations, preliminary terms and conditions, and preliminary 
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, protests, comments, recommendations, preliminary 
terms and conditions, and preliminary fishway prescriptions using the 
Commission's eFiling system at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp. Commenters can submit brief comments up to 6,000 
characters, without prior registration, using the eComment system at 
http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp. 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: 
Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Acting Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent 
via any other carrier must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, 
Acting 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: Crescent 
Hydroelectric Project (P-4678-053).
    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 for filing and is now ready 
for environmental analysis.
    l. The Crescent Project consists of: (1) Crescent dam, which 
includes two main concrete gravity overflow sections that are 901 feet 
long, 52 feet high (eastern

[[Page 20461]]

section) and 534 feet long, 32 feet high (western section), and a 
smaller 16-foot-high, 530-foot-long dam located immediately downstream 
of the main western dam; (2) an impoundment with a surface area of 
2,108 acres and a gross storage capacity of 50,000 acre-feet at an 
elevation of 184 feet Barge Canal Datum (BCD) (1-foot-high flashboards 
seasonally installed during the navigation season add 2,000 acre-feet 
of storage); (3) a regulating structure consisting of an 8-foot-wide 
sluiceway and a 30-foot-wide Tainter gate located at the main western 
dam; (4) a 73-foot-wide, 180-foot-long brick and concrete powerhouse 
containing two Francis turbine-generator units rated at 2.8 megawatts 
(MW) each and two vertical Kaplan turbine-generator units rated at 3.0 
MW each; (5) navigation lock E-6 of the Erie Canal and Guard Gates 1 
and 2 of the Waterford Flight; (6) a switchyard; (7) generator leads 
and transformer banks; and (8) appurtenant facilities.
    The Crescent Project is operated in a run-of-river mode such that 
outflow from the project approximates inflow, and the impoundment is 
maintained within 6 inches of the dam crest (or top of the flashboards, 
when installed). A year-round, continuous minimum flow of 100 cubic 
feet per second (cfs) is provided at the project. During the navigation 
season (typically mid-May through mid-October), the 100-cfs minimum 
flow is provided as part of a fish passage flow (250 cfs) that is 
released through a notch (absence of flashboards) in the eastern dam; 
during the remainder of the year (non-navigation season), the minimum 
flow is typically provided as part of generation flows. An acoustic 
deterrent system is seasonally deployed upstream of the project, from 
May through October, to guide blueback herring that are migrating 
downstream towards non-turbine routes of passage (notches in the 
flashboards). Average annual generation at the Crescent Project is 
58,250 MW-hours. NYPA is not proposing any new project facilities or 
changes to existing facilities and the operation of the project at this 
time.
    m. This filing may 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,'' ``PRELIMINARY TERMS AND CONDITIONS,'' or 
``PRELIMINARY FISHWAY 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 protesting or intervening; 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. A copy of any protest or 
motion to intervene must be served upon each representative of the 
applicant specified in the particular application. A copy of all other 
filings in reference to this application must be accompanied by proof 
of service on all persons listed in the service list prepared by the 
Commission in this proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 4.34(b) and 
385.2010.
    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].
    You may also 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.
    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.
    p. Procedural Schedule: The application will be processed according 
to the following schedule. Revisions to the schedule may be made as 
appropriate.
    Filing of Comments, Recommendations, Preliminary Terms and 
Conditions, and Preliminary Fishway Prescriptions: May 17, 2024.
    Filing of Reply Comments: July 1, 2024.
    q. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the 
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.

    Dated: March 18, 2024.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-06135 Filed 3-21-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P