[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 156 (Tuesday, August 13, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65875-65876]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-17967]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CD24-4-000]


Skagit Public Utility District; Notice of Preliminary 
Determination of a Qualifying Conduit Hydropower Facility and 
Soliciting Comments and Motions To Intervene

    On July 26, 2024, Skagit Public Utility District filed a notice of 
intent to construct a qualifying conduit hydropower facility, pursuant 
to section 30 of the Federal Power Act (FPA). The proposed Mt. Vernon 
High School Energy Recovery Project would have an installed capacity of 
56 kilowatts (kW) and would be located along the applicant's existing 
water supply system in Mt. Vernon, Skagit County, Washington.
    Applicant Contact: Gregg Semler, InPipe Energy, 830 NE Holladay 
St., Portland, OR 97232, 503-341-0004, [email protected].
    FERC Contact: Christopher Chaney, 202-502-6778, 
[email protected].
    Qualifying Conduit Hydropower Facility Description: The project 
would consist of: (1) one 56-kW centrifugal pump as turbine generating 
unit and (2) appurtenant facilities. The proposed project would have an 
estimated annual generation of approximately 290 megawatt-hours.
    A qualifying conduit hydropower facility is one that is determined 
or deemed to meet all the criteria shown in the table below.

      Table 1--Criteria for Qualifying Conduit Hydropower Facility
------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Statutory provision              Description       Satisfies (Y/N)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FPA 30(a)(3)(A)................  The conduit the                      Y
                                  facility uses is a
                                  tunnel, canal,
                                  pipeline, aqueduct,
                                  flume, ditch, or
                                  similar manmade water
                                  conveyance that is
                                  operated for the
                                  distribution of water
                                  for agricultural,
                                  municipal, or
                                  industrial
                                  consumption and not
                                  primarily for the
                                  generation of
                                  electricity.
FPA 30(a)(3)(C)(i).............  The facility is                      Y
                                  constructed,
                                  operated, or
                                  maintained for the
                                  generation of
                                  electric power and
                                  uses for such
                                  generation only the
                                  hydroelectric
                                  potential of a non-
                                  federally owned
                                  conduit.
FPA 30(a)(3)(C)(ii)............  The facility has an                  Y
                                  installed capacity
                                  that does not exceed
                                  40 megawatts.
FPA 30(a)(3)(C)(iii)...........  On or before August 9,               Y
                                  2013, the facility is
                                  not licensed, or
                                  exempted from the
                                  licensing
                                  requirements of Part
                                  I of the FPA.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Preliminary Determination: The proposed Mt. Vernon High School 
Energy Recovery Project will not alter the primary purpose of the 
conduit, which is for municipal water supply. Therefore, based upon the 
above criteria, Commission staff preliminarily determines that the 
operation of the project described above satisfies the requirements for 
a qualifying conduit hydropower facility, which is not required to be 
licensed or exempted from licensing.
    Comments and Motions to Intervene: Deadline for filing comments 
contesting whether the facility meets the qualifying criteria is 30 
days from the issuance date of this notice.
    Deadline for filing motions to intervene is 30 days from the 
issuance date of this notice.
    Anyone may submit comments or a motion to intervene in accordance 
with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR 
385.210 and 385.214. Any motions to intervene must be received on or 
before the specified deadline date for the particular proceeding.
    Filing and Service of Responsive Documents: All filings must (1) 
bear in all capital letters the ``COMMENTS

[[Page 65876]]

CONTESTING QUALIFICATION FOR A CONDUIT HYDROPOWER FACILITY'' or 
``MOTION TO INTERVENE,'' as applicable; (2) state in the heading the 
name of the applicant and the project number of the application to 
which the filing responds; (3) state the name, address, and telephone 
number of the person filing; and (4) otherwise comply with the 
requirements of Sec. Sec.  385.2001 through 385.2005 of the 
Commission's regulations.\1\ All comments contesting Commission staff's 
preliminary determination that the facility meets the qualifying 
criteria must set forth their evidentiary basis.
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    \1\ 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005 (2023).
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    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
motions to intervene and comments 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 send 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, MD 20852. 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 385.2010.
    Locations of Notice of Intent: The Commission provides all 
interested persons an opportunity to view and/or print the contents of 
this document via the internet through the Commission's website at 
http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp. Enter the docket number 
(i.e., CD24-4) in the docket number field to access the document. You 
may also register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filings and issuances 
related to this or other pending projects. Copies of the notice of 
intent can be obtained directly from the applicant. For assistance, 
call toll-free 1-866-208-3676 or email [email protected]. For 
TTY, call (202) 502-8659.

    Dated: August 6, 2024.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-17967 Filed 8-12-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P