[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 97 (Wednesday, May 21, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21770-21771]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-09102]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Project No. 175-032]
Pacific Gas and Electric Company; 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 Major License.
b. Project No.: 175-032.
c. Date Filed: April 18, 2024.
d. Applicant: Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
e. Name of Project: Balch Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location: The existing project is located on the North Fork
Kings River in Fresno County, California, approximately 45 miles
northeast of the City of Fresno. Pacific Gas and Electric's proposed
project boundary would include 491.50 acres of land in the Sierra and
Sequoia National Forests managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
[[Page 21771]]
h. Applicant Contact: Dave Gabbard, Vice President Power
Generation, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, 300 Lakeside Drive,
Oakland, CA 94612; telephone at (650) 207-9705; email at
[email protected].
i. FERC Contact: Benjamin Mann, (202) 502-8127 or
[email protected].
j. Deadline for filing comments, recommendations, terms and
conditions, and prescriptions: on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on
July 14, 2025; reply comments are due on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern
Time on August 28, 2025.
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 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, 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, 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: Balch Hydroelectric Project (P-175-032).
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 ready for
environmental analysis at this time.
l. The existing Balch Hydroelectric Project (project) includes the
following facilities: (1) a 135-foot-high, 396-foot-long diversion dam
with a crest elevation of 4,098 feet that includes a 364-foot-long
ogee-type and 20-foot-long broad-crested weir spillway; (2) the 35-acre
Black Rock Reservoir with a usable storage capacity of 1,260 acre-feet
at a normal water surface elevation of 4,097 feet; (3) an 84.7-foot-
high, concrete tunnel intake; (4) a water conveyance system consisting
of a 19,336-foot-long tunnel with a maximum hydraulic capacity of 760
cubic feet per second (cfs) that includes the 308-foot-long Black Rock
Adit, the 350-foot-long Weir Creek Adit, an unlined surge chamber, and
two sluice channels; (5) a 4,882 foot-long penstock leading to the
Balch No. 1 Powerhouse and a 4,952-foot-long penstock leading to the
Balch No. 2 Powerhouse; (6) the 65.5- foot-long, 80.5-foot-wide Balch
No. 1 Powerhouse housing one turbine-generator unit with an authorized
installed capacity of 31.02 MW and a maximum hydraulic capacity of 213
cfs; (7) the 149-foot-long, 84-foot-wide Balch No. 2 Powerhouse housing
two turbine-generator units with a total authorized installed capacity
of 100.5 MW (each turbine has a rated capacity of 315 cfs at a design
head of 2,293.0 feet, for a total maximum hydraulic capacity of 630
cfs); (8) a 165-foot-high, 27.5-foot-long afterbay dam with a crest
elevation of 1,704 feet that includes a 238-foot-long spillway; (9) a
7-acre afterbay with a usable storage capacity of 135 acre-feet; (10)
project roads and trails; (11) recreation facilities; (12) a 22-mile-
long, 115-kilovolt (kV) transmission line connecting the project with
the grid at Piedra Junction; (13) the 76-acre Balch Camp, which is the
project operating headquarters and includes personnel housing; (14) a
6.2-mile-line, 12-kV distribution line connecting Balch Camp with the
project's diversion dam; and (15) appurtenant facilities. The estimated
average annual generation for Balch No. 1 powerhouse is 110.0 GWh and
Balch No. 2 powerhouse is 514.4 GWh, for a total of 624.4 GWh.
m. A copy of the application is available for review via the
internet through the Commission's Home Page (https://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 at [email protected] or call toll
free, (886) 208-3676 or TTY (202) 502-8659.
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,
community organizations, 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. A license 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.
Deadline for Filing Comments, Recommendations, and Agency Terms and
Conditions/Prescriptions--July 14, 2025
Licensee's Reply to REA Comments--August 28, 2025
Dated: May 15, 2025.
Carlos D. Clay,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2025-09102 Filed 5-20-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P