[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 4, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23685-23687]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-10099]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 803-123]
Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Notice of Application for
Temporary Variance of Flow Requirements Accepted for Filing and
Soliciting Comments, Motions To Intervene, and Protests
Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection:
a. Application Type: Application for Temporary Variance of Flow
Requirements.
b. Project No: 803-123.
c. Date Filed: May 6, 2025.
d. Applicant: Pacific Gas and Electric Company (licensee).
[[Page 23686]]
e. Name of Project: DeSabla-Centerville Project.
f. Location: The project is located on Butte Creek, West Branch
Feather River, and their tributaries in Butte County, California. The
project occupies Federal lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and
Bureau of Land Management.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791a-825r.
h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Sky Ramirez-Doble, License Coordinator,
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, P.O. Box 28209, Oakland, CA 94604,
(530) 250-7002.
i. FERC Contact: Joy Kurtz, (202) 502-6760, [email protected].
j. Cooperating agencies: With this notice, the Commission is
inviting Federal, State, local, and Tribal agencies with jurisdiction
and/or special expertise with respect to environmental issues affected
by the proposal, that wish to cooperate in the preparation of any
environmental document, if applicable, to follow the instructions for
filing such requests described in item k below. Cooperating agencies
should note the Commission's policy that agencies that cooperate in the
preparation of any environmental document cannot also intervene. See 94
FERC ] 61,076 (2001).
k. Deadline for filing comments, motions to intervene, and
protests: June 27, 2025.
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file
comments, motions to intervene, and protests using the Commission's
eFiling system at https://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 https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp. 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. The first page of any
filing should include the docket number P-803-123. Comments emailed to
Commission staff are not considered part of the Commission record.
The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure require all
intervenors filing documents with the Commission to serve a copy of
that document on each person whose name appears 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.
l. Description of Request: The licensee requests a temporary
variance of the instantaneous minimum flow requirements in the West
Branch Feather River below the Hendricks Head Dam and in Philbrook
Creek below Philbrook Reservoir. The California Department of Water
Resources declared the water year type as ``normal'' (with it being
unlikely the water year will shift to dry at this time). Specifically,
the licensee requests that the instantaneous water year minimum flow
requirements for a normal water year: (1) in the West Branch Feather
River, of 15 cubic feet per second (cfs), be temporarily modified to 7
cfs, averaged over 48 hours; and (2) in Philbrook Creek, of 2 cfs, be
temporarily modified to a target between 1 and 2 cfs, averaged over 48
hours. The licensee proposes to execute these changes as soon as the
Commission grants approval until September 30, 2025. The licensee
states that the temporary variance would maximize the delivery of flows
released from Philbrook to Butte Creek by eliminating the need to
release additional buffer flows to ensure the requisite instantaneous
minimum instream flows are always met. The proposed variance would help
preserve cold water storage in Philbrook Reservoir, increase flow to
Butte Creek via the Hendricks Canal, and decrease water residence time
in the DeSabla Forebay, thus providing additional water to Butte Creek
during the hot summer months to minimize high temperature effects to
Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon, and to preserve water for
release later in the summer months towards the end of their holding
period when the situation is most critical. Decisions on when and how
to implement variance flows, as well as any changes under the variance,
will be done in consultation and proceed with concurrence of licensee
staff, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, National Marine
Fisheries Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
m. Locations of the Application: This filing may be viewed on the
Commission's website at 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. You may also register
online at https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be
notified via email of new filings and issuances related to this or
other pending projects. For assistance, call 1-866-208-3676 or email
[email protected], for TTY, call (202) 502-8659. Agencies may
obtain copies of the application directly from the applicant.
n. Individuals desiring to be included on the Commission's mailing
list should so indicate by writing to the Secretary of the Commission.
o. Comments, Protests, or Motions to Intervene: 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,
.214, respectively. 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.
p. Filing and Service of Documents: Any filing must (1) bear in all
capital letters the title ``COMMENTS'', ``PROTEST'', or ``MOTION TO
INTERVENE'' as applicable; (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 commenting, protesting or intervening; and (4) otherwise comply
with the requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005. All
comments, motions to intervene, or protests must set forth their
evidentiary basis. Any filing made by an intervenor 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.
q. 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,
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
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public is encouraged to contact OPP at (202) 502-6595 or [email protected].
Dated: May 28, 2025.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2025-10099 Filed 6-3-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P