Merchant Hydro Developers LLC; Notice of Declaration of Intention and Soliciting Comments, Protests, and Motions To Intervene, 8258 [2018-03819]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 38 (Monday, February 26, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 8258]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-03819]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. DI18-2-000]


Merchant Hydro Developers LLC; Notice of Declaration of Intention 
and Soliciting Comments, Protests, and Motions To Intervene

    Take notice that the following application has been filed with the 
Commission and is available for public inspection:
    a. Application Type: Declaration of Intention.
    b. Docket No: DI18-2-000.
    c. Date Filed: February 6, 2018.
    d. Applicant: Merchant Hydro Developers LLC.
    e. Name of Project: Old Forge Bore Hole Reclamation Pump Storage 
Project.
    f. Location: The proposed Old Forge Bore Hole Reclamation Pump 
Storage Project would be located near the Borough of Duryea, in Luzerne 
and Lackawanna counties, Pennsylvania.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Section 23(b)(1) of the Federal Power Act, 16 
U.S.C. 817(b) (2012).
    h. Applicant and Agent Contact: Merchant Hydro Developers LLC, c/o 
Adam R. Rousselle, Sr., 5710 Oak Crest Drive, Doylestown, PA 45150, 
telephone: (267) 254-6107; email: [email protected];
    i. FERC Contact: Any questions on this notice should be addressed 
to Jennifer Polardino, (202) 502-6437, or email: 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing comments, protests, and motions to intervene 
is: 30 days from the issuance date of this notice by the Commission.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
comments, protests, and motions to intervene 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 [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 DI18-2-000.
    k. Description of Project: The proposed closed-loop Old Forge Bore 
Hole Reclamation Pump Storage Project would consist of: (1) A new upper 
reservoir with a surface area of 300 acres and a storage capacity of 
4,500 acre-feet at a surface elevation of approximately 1,356 feet 
above mean sea level (msl) created through construction of a new 
roller-compacted concrete or rock-fill dam; (2) a new lower reservoir 
with a surface area of 300 acres and a storage capacity of 5,014 acre-
feet at a surface elevation of 550 feet msl; (3) four new 5,640-foot-
long, 16-foot-diameter penstocks connecting the upper and lower 
reservoirs; (4) a new 250-foot-long, 150-foot-wide, 50-foot-high 
powerhouse containing two or three turbine-generator units with a total 
rated capacity of 450 megawatts; (5) a new transmission line connecting 
the powerhouse to the 230/69-kilovolt Stanton substation owned by PPL 
Electric Utilities; and (6) appurtenant facilities. Merchant Hydro 
Developers LLC states that it will use only groundwater from an 
underground abandoned mine to initially charge and seasonally refill 
the upper reservoirs. The applicant proposes to transport groundwater 
to its upper reservoirs using underground pumping equipment and 
intakes. The applicant also states the project effectuates an 
interconnection line without crossing the Susquehanna River or any 
other body of water.
    When a Declaration of Intention is filed with the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, the Federal Power Act requires the Commission to 
investigate and determine if the project would affect the interests of 
interstate or foreign commerce. The Commission also determines whether 
or not the project: (1) Would be located on a navigable waterway; (2) 
would occupy public lands or reservations of the United States; (3) 
would utilize surplus water or water power from a government dam; or 
(4) would be located on a non-navigable stream over which Congress has 
Commerce Clause jurisdiction and would be constructed or enlarged after 
1935.
    l. Locations of the Application: This filing may be viewed on the 
Commission's website at https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp. 
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. A copy is 
also available for inspection and reproduction at the address in item 
(h) above and in the Commission's Public Reference Room located at 888 
First Street NE, Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, or by calling (202) 
502-8371.
    m. Individuals desiring to be included on the Commission's mailing 
list should so indicate by writing to the Secretary of the Commission.
    n. 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, 
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.
    o. Filing and Service of Responsive Documents: All filings must 
bear in all capital letters the title COMMENTS, PROTESTS, and MOTIONS 
TO INTERVENE, as applicable, and the Docket Number of the particular 
application to which the filing refers. A copy of any Motion to 
Intervene must also be served upon each representative of the Applicant 
specified in the particular application.
    p. Agency Comments: Federal, state, and local agencies are invited 
to file comments on the described application. A copy of the 
application may be obtained by agencies directly from the Applicant. If 
an agency does not file comments within the time specified for filing 
comments, it will be presumed to have no comments. One copy of an 
agency's comments must also be sent to the Applicant's representatives.

    Dated: February 20, 2018.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-03819 Filed 2-23-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P