[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 124 (Thursday, June 27, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53611-53612]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-14047]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 3240-040]


Briar Hydro Associates; Notice of Application 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: New License.
    b. Project No.: 3240-040.
    c. Date Filed: November 30, 2022.
    d. Applicant: Briar Hydro Associates.
    e. Name of Project: Rolfe Canal Hydroelectric Project.
    f. Location: On the Contoocook River, in the City of Concord, 
Merrimack County New Hampshire.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Andrew J. Locke, Essex Hydro Associates, LLC, 
55 Union Street, Boston, MA 02108; (617) 357-0032, or 
[email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Jeanne Edwards at (202) 502-6181; or 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing 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 
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

[[Page 53612]]

up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, using the eComment 
system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx. 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. All filings must 
clearly identify the project name and docket number on the first page: 
Rolfe Canal Project (P-3240-040).
    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.
    l. The Rolfe Canal Project diverts water from the York Dam into the 
Rolfe Canal and consists of the following facilities: (1) the York 
impoundment with a surface area of 50-acres, at elevation of 342.5 feet 
National Geodetic Vertical Datum 1929 (NGVD29); (2) a 300-foot-long, 
10-foot-high diversion dam (York Dam); (3) a 50-foot-wide concrete 
gated intake structure; (4) a 7,000-foot-long, 75-foot-wide, and 9-
foot-deep power canal; (5) an additional impoundment (created by York 
Dam at the end of the power canal), with surface area of 3-acres, at 
elevation of 342.5 feet NGVD29, and a negligible storage capacity; (6) 
a 130-foot-long, 17-foot-high granite block intake dam; (7) a 950-foot-
long underground penstock; (8) a 32-foot-wide by 90-foot-long, concrete 
powerhouse containing one Kaplan turbine-generating unit with a 
capacity of 4.285 megawatts; (9) a 1,200-foot-long tailrace; (10) 
transmission facilities consisting of a three-phase 4.16/34.5- kilovolt 
(kV) transformer; and a 34.5-kV, 650-foot-long transmission line; and 
(11) other appurtenances. The project has a 4,000-foot-long bypassed 
reach.
    The project operates in a run-of-river mode with a minimum flow of 
338 cubic feet per second (cfs), or inflow, whichever is less, into the 
York impoundment, a minimum flow of 50 cfs into the York bypass, and a 
minimum flow of 5 cfs into a historic channel that bypasses the 
penstock. The project had an average annual generation of 19,585,884 
kilowatt-hours between 2014 and 2018. Briar Hydro proposes to increase 
the minimum flow into the York bypass to 100 cfs.
    m. Copies of the application 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 (P-3240). For assistance, contact FERC 
Online Support at [email protected] or call toll-free, (866) 
208-3676 or (202) 502-8659 (TTY).
    All filings must (1) bear in all capital letters the title 
``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.
    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.
    n. 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.
    o. 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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Deadline for Filing Comments,             August 2024.
 Recommendations, and Agency Terms and
 Conditions/Prescriptions.
Licensee's Reply to REA Comments........  October 2024.
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    Dated: June 20, 2024.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-14047 Filed 6-26-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P