[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 156 (Monday, August 13, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40030-40032]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-17305]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 619-164]
Pacific Gas and Electric Company and City of Santa Clara,
California; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing, Soliciting
Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready for Environmental Analysis,
and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, Preliminary Terms and
Conditions, and Preliminary Fishway Prescriptions
Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
a. Type of Application: Major License.
b. Project No.: 619-164.
c. Date filed: December 12, 2016.
d. Applicant: Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and City of
Santa Clara, California.
e. Name of Project: Bucks Creek Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location: The Bucks Creek Project is located on Bucks, Grizzly,
and Milk Ranch Creeks in Plumas County, California. Portions of the
project are located within the Plumas National Forest.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Alan Soneda, PG&E, Mail Code N13C, P. 0. Box
770000, San Francisco, California 94177-0001; (415) 973-4054.
i. FERC Contact: Alan Mitchnick at (202) 502-6074 or
[email protected].
j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments,
recommendations, preliminary terms and conditions, and preliminary
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
motions to intervene, protests, comments, recommendations, preliminary
terms and conditions, and preliminary fishway prescriptions 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, please send a paper copy to:
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE,
Washington, DC 20426. The first page of any filing should include
docket number P-619-164.
[[Page 40031]]
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 for filing and is now ready
for environmental analysis.
l. Project Description:
Bucks Lake Dam and Reservoir (Bucks Creek Development)
The Bucks Lake Dam consists of a rock-fill with concrete face dam.
It has a structural height of 123 feet and a length of 1,320 feet.
Bucks Creek Dam impounds Bucks Lake, which extends 5 miles from the
dam. Total storage in the 1,827-acre reservoir is approximately 105,605
acre-feet at the normal maximum water surface elevation of
approximately 5,157 feet. From Bucks Lake, the project's water flow is
released immediately downstream into Lower Bucks Lake.
Three Lakes Dam and Reservoir, and Milk Ranch Conduit (Bucks Creek
Development)
The Three Lakes dam consists of a rock-fill dam with a structural
height of 30 feet and a length of 584 feet. Three Lakes Dam impounds
the flow of Milk Ranch Creek, forming Upper Lake, Middle Lake, and
Lower Lake, collectively known as Three Lakes Reservoir. These water
bodies are hydraulically linked and are approximately 0.75 mile from
the dam. Total storage in the 40-acre reservoir is approximately 605
acre-feet at the normal maximum water surface elevation of
approximately 6,078 feet.
Milk Ranch Conduit conveys the project's water flow from Three
Lakes Reservoir and feeder diversions to Lower Bucks Lake. The maximum
capacity of the approximately 8-mile-long conduit is about 70 cubic
foot per second (cfs). It collects additional flow from several
diversions located on unnamed tributaries.
Lower Bucks Lake Dam and Reservoir (Bucks Creek Development)
The Lower Bucks Lake Dam consists of a concrete arch dam with a
structural height of 99 feet and a length of 500 feet. Lower Bucks
Creek Dam impounds Lower Bucks Lake, which extends approximately 1.1
miles from the dam. Total storage in the 136-acre reservoir is
approximately 5,843 acre-feet at the normal maximum water surface
elevation of approximately 5,022 feet. Water is conveyed from Lower
Bucks Lake to the Grizzly Powerhouse by the Grizzly Powerhouse Tunnel.
Grizzly Powerhouse Tunnel (Grizzly Development)
The 12,320-foot-long Grizzly Powerhouse Tunnel (including a 4,900-
foot-long buried penstock) conveys the water flow from Lower Bucks Lake
to Grizzly Powerhouse. The maximum flow capacity is 400 cfs.
Grizzly Powerhouse (Grizzly Development)
The Grizzly Powerhouse is a 65-foot-long by 55-foot-wide, steel
frame and concrete building constructed from reinforced concrete. The
powerhouse contains one turbine-generator with a maximum capacity of 20
megawatts (MW). The powerhouse produces an average annual generation
production of 47.4 gigawatt-hours (GWh). Grizzly Powerhouse discharges
the project's water flow directly into the Grizzly Forebay.
A 4.2-mile-long, 115-kilovolt (kV) transmission line transmits
power from Grizzly Powerhouse to PG&E's 115-kV Caribou-Sycamore
Transmission Line, part of the interconnected system.
Grizzly Forebay Dam and Reservoir (Bucks Creek Development)
The Grizzly Forebay Dam consists of a concrete arch dam with a
structural height of 98 feet and a length of 520 feet. Grizzly Forebay
Dam impounds the Grizzly Forebay, forming the Grizzly Forebay Reservoir
that extends approximately 0.8 mile. Total storage in the 38-acre
reservoir is approximately 1,112 acre-feet at the normal maximum water
surface elevation of approximately 4,316 feet.
Grizzly Forebay Tunnel (Bucks Creek Development)
From Grizzly Forebay, the project's water flow is conveyed through
the horseshoe-shaped Grizzly Forebay Tunnel. The tunnel is 9,575-foot-
long with two 4,786-foot-long penstocks leading to Bucks Creek
Powerhouse. The maximum flow capacity is 400 cfs.
Bucks Creek Powerhouse (Bucks Creek Development)
The project's water flow is conveyed through the Grizzly Forebay
Tunnel to Bucks Creek Powerhouse. The Bucks Creek Powerhouse is a 47-
foot-long by 132-foot-wide, steel frame and concrete building
constructed from reinforced concrete, containing two turbine-generators
with a total maximum capacity of 65 MW. The powerhouse produces an
average annual generation of 223.6 GWh.
There are no associated transmission lines at the Bucks Creek
Powerhouse. The powerhouse connects directly to the non-project
switchyard adjacent to the powerhouse part of the interconnected
transmission system.
Bucks Creek Powerhouse discharges the project's water flow in the
North Fork Feather River, 1 mile upstream of Rock Creek Powerhouse,
part of PG&E's Rock Creek-Cresta Hydroelectric Project (FERC Project
No. 1962).
m. A copy of the application is available for review at the
Commission in the Public Reference Room or 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. For assistance, contact
FERC Online Support. A copy is also available for inspection and
reproduction at the address in item h above.
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. For assistance, contact FERC
Online Support.
n. 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, and .214. 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.
All filings must (1) bear in all capital letters the title
``PROTEST'', ``MOTION TO INTERVENE'', ``COMMENTS,'' ``REPLY COMMENTS,''
``RECOMMENDATIONS,'' ``PRELIMINARY TERMS AND CONDITIONS,'' or
``PRELIMINARY FISHWAY 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 protesting or intervening; 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. A copy of any protest or
[[Page 40032]]
motion to intervene must be served upon each representative of the
applicant specified in the particular application. 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 4.34(b) and
385.2010.
o. Procedural Schedule: The application will be processed according
to the following revised Hydro Licensing Schedule. Revisions to the
schedule may be made as appropriate.
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Milestone Target date
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Filing of recommendations, preliminary October 2018.
terms and conditions, and preliminary
fishway prescriptions.
Commission issues Draft Environmental April 2019.
Statement (EIS).
Comments on draft EIS................... June 2019.
Modified terms and conditions Commission August 2019.
issues final EIS.
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p. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.
q. A license applicant must file no later than 60 days following
the date of issuance of the notice of acceptance and ready for
environmental analysis provided for in 5.22: (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.
Dated: August 6, 2018.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-17305 Filed 8-10-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P