Imperial Irrigation District; Notice of Preliminary Determination of a Qualifying Conduit Hydropower Facility and Soliciting Comments and Motions To Intervene, 75142-75143 [2014-29532]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 242 (Wednesday, December 17, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75142-75143]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-29532]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CD15-4-000]


Imperial Irrigation District; Notice of Preliminary Determination 
of a Qualifying Conduit Hydropower Facility and Soliciting Comments and 
Motions To Intervene

    On November 26, 2014, the Imperial Irrigation District filed a 
notice of intent to construct a qualifying conduit hydropower facility, 
pursuant to section 30 of the Federal Power Act (FPA), as amended by 
section 4 of the Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act of 2013 (HREA). 
The proposed Newside Check on Central Main Canal In-Conduit 
Hydroelectric Project would have an installed capacity of 430 kilowatts 
(kW) and would be located on the existing Central Main Canal. This 
conduit transports water for irrigation, municipal, and industrial 
purposes. The project would be located near the city of Imperial in 
Imperial County, California.
    Applicant Contact: Carl Stills, 1651 West Main Street, El Centro, 
CA 92243, Phone No. (760) 339-9701.

[[Page 75143]]

    FERC Contact: Robert Bell, Phone No. (202) 502-6062, email: 
robert.bell@ferc.gov.
    Qualifying Conduit Hydropower Facility Description: The proposed 
project would consist of: (1) one proposed 37.7-foot-long, 16.8-foot-
wide concrete box intake structure with a 10-foot wide gate; (2) a 
proposed 15- by 22-foot powerhouse containing a turbine generator unit 
with an installed capacity of 430 kW; (3) a proposed 36-foot-long, 
16.8-foot-wide concrete box tailrace structure which returns the water 
into the Central Main Canal; and (4) appurtenant facilities. The 
proposed project would have an estimated annual generating capacity of 
2,201 megawatt-hours.
    A qualifying conduit hydropower facility is one that is determined 
or deemed to meet all of the criteria shown in the table below.

      Table 1--Criteria for Qualifying Conduit Hydropower Facility
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Satisfies
       Statutory provision                Description           (Y/N)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FPA 30(a)(3)(A), as amended by     The conduit the facility           Y
 HREA.                              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), as amended by  The facility is                    Y
 HREA.                              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), as amended    The facility has an                Y
 by HREA.                           installed capacity that
                                    does not exceed 5
                                    megawatts.
FPA 30(a)(3)(C)(iii), as amended   On or before August 9,             Y
 by HREA.                           2013, the facility is
                                    not licensed, or
                                    exempted from the
                                    licensing requirements
                                    of Part I of the FPA.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Preliminary Determination: Based upon the above criteria, 
Commission staff preliminarily determines that the proposal 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 45 
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 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 sections 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 385.2001-2005 (2014).
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    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
motions to intervene and comments 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. You must include your name and contact information at the 
end of your comments. For assistance, please contact FERC Online 
Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, (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. 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.
    Locations of Notice of Intent: Copies of the notice of intent can 
be obtained directly from the applicant or such copies can be viewed 
and reproduced at the Commission in its Public Reference Room, Room 2A, 
888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426. The filing may also be 
viewed on the web at https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp using 
the ``eLibrary'' link. Enter the docket number (e.g., CD15-4-000) in 
the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, call 
toll-free 1-866-208-3676 or email FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. For TTY, 
call (202) 502-8659.

    Dated: December 10, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-29532 Filed 12-16-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P