[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 64 (Tuesday, April 2, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22709-22710]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-06870]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 15327-000]


New England Hydropower Company, LLC; Notice of Preliminary Permit 
Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Comments, Motions To 
Intervene, and Competing Applications

    a. On October 11, 2023, New England Hydropower Company, LLC, filed 
an application for a preliminary permit, pursuant to section 4(f) of 
the Federal Power Act, proposing to study the feasibility of the 
Middlebury Falls Hydroelectric Project No. 15327 (project), to be 
located on Otter Creek in Addison County, Vermont. 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.
    b. Project Description: The proposed project would consist of the 
following: (1) a new 12-foot-wide, 60-foot-long, and 6-foot-deep intake 
channel equipped with a 12-foot-wide, 6-foot-high sluice gate and 20-
foot-wide, 20-foot long trashrack; (2) a new 30-foot-wide, 40-foot-
long, 50-foot-tall powerhouse that would include a new 500-kilowatt 
Kaplan turbine-generator unit; (3) a new powerhouse access way; (4) a 
new transformer and a new 150-foot-long underground transmission line 
that connect the project to the electric distribution grid; and (5) 
appurtenant facilities. The project would use the natural flow of Otter 
Creek and would not include a dam or impoundment. The estimated annual 
generation of the project would be 3,100 megawatt-hours.
    c. Applicant Contact: Mr. Michael Kerr, New England Hydropower 
Company, LLC, 100 Cummings Center Drive, Suite 451C, Beverly, MA 01915;

[[Page 22710]]

telephone at (978) 360-2547; email at [email protected].
    d. FERC Contact: Arash Barsari, Project Coordinator, Great Lakes 
Branch, Division of Hydropower Licensing; telephone at (202) 502-6207; 
email at [email protected].
    e. The preliminary permit application has been accepted for filing.
    f. Deadline for filing comments, motions to intervene, competing 
applications (without notices of intent), or notices of intent to file 
competing applications: 60 days from the issuance of this notice, May 
25, 2024.
    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: 
Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Acting Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, 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. The first page of any 
filing should include docket number P-15327-000.
    g. 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 filings such as interventions, 
comments, or requests for rehearing, the public is encouraged to 
contact OPP at (202) 502-6595 or [email protected].
    h. More information about this project, including a copy of the 
application, can be viewed on the Commission's website (http://www.ferc.gov) using the ``eLibrary'' link. Enter the docket number (P-
15327) in the docket number field to access the document. For 
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support.

    Dated: March 26, 2024.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-06870 Filed 4-1-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P