Northfield Mountain LLC; Notice Establishing Procedural Schedule for Licensing and Deadline for Submission of Final Amendments, 83544-83545 [2020-28247]

Download as PDF 83544 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 246 / Tuesday, December 22, 2020 / Notices p. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of the notice of ready for environmental analysis. Dated: December 16, 2020. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2020–28235 Filed 12–21–20; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 2485–071] Northfield Mountain LLC; Notice Establishing Procedural Schedule for Licensing and Deadline for Submission of Final Amendments jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES (December 16, 2020) Take notice that the following amended hydroelectric application has been filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection. a. Type of Application: New Major License. b. Project No.: 2485–071. c. Date Material Amendments Filed: December 4, 2020. d. Applicant: Northfield Mountain LLC (Northfield). e. Name of Project: Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Project. f. Location: The existing project is located on the Connecticut River in Windham County, Vermont, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, and Franklin County, Massachusetts. There are no federal lands within the project boundary. g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)–825(r). h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Justin Trudell, Vice President, Operations, Northfield Mountain LLC, 111 South Bedford Street, Suite 103, Burlington, MA 01803; (781) 653–4247 or justin.trudell@firstlightpower.com. i. FERC Contact: Steve Kartalia, (202) 502–6131 or stephen.kartalia@ferc.gov. j. This application is not ready for environmental analysis at this time. k. FirstLight Hydro Generating Company (FirstLight) filed an application for a new license for the Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Project No. 2485 (project) on April 29, 2016. In the license application, FirstLight stated that it could not develop a complete licensing proposal for the project since many of the required environmental studies were not complete as of April 29, 2016. FirstLight indicated that it would VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:30 Dec 21, 2020 Jkt 253001 amend the license application after completing additional field work, consultation, and analyses on the required studies. On July 11, 2019, Commission staff approved the transfer of the license for the project from FirstLight to Northfield Mountain LLC. Northfield Mountain LLC filed material amendments to the final license application on December 4, 2020. l. Project Description: The existing Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Project consists of: (1) A 1-mile-long, 30foot-wide, 30- to 140-foot-high main dam that includes: (i) An intake structure with two 7-foot-wide, 9-foothigh sluice gates and an 8-foot-diameter outlet pipe; and (ii) a 589-foot-long, 2foot-diameter low-level outlet pipe; (2) a 425-foot-long, 25-foot-high dike (North dike); (3) a 2,800-foot-long, 45-foot-high dike (Northwest dike); (4) a 1,700-footlong, 40-foot-long dike (West dike); (5) a 327-foot-long, 10- to 20-foot-high gravity dam; (6) an ungated 550-footlong, 6-foot-high spillway structure with a 20-foot-long notch at an elevation of 1,005.0 feet National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29); (7) a 286acre impoundment (upper reservoir) with a useable storage volume of 12,318 acre-feet between elevations 938.0 feet and 1,000.5 feet NGVD 29; (8) a 2,110acre impoundment (lower reservoir or Turners Falls impoundment); (9) a 1,890-foot-long, 130-foot-wide intake channel with a 63-foot-long, 9-foot-high submerged check dam and two 6-footwide, 2.75-foot-high sluice gates and two 18-foot-wide stoplogs; (10) a 200foot-long, 55-foot-wide, 80-foot-high pressure shaft; (11) an 853-foot-long, 31foot-diameter penstock; (12) two 22foot-diameter, 100- to 150-foot-long penstocks; (13) four 340-foot-long, 9.5to 14-foot-diameter penstocks; (14) a 328-foot-long, 70-foot-wide powerhouse that contains four reversible pump turbine-generator units with a total installed capacity of 1,166.8 megawatts (MW); (15) four 25-foot-long, 11-footdiameter draft tubes that transition to a 20-foot-long, 17-foot-diameter draft tube; (16) a 5,136-foot-long, 33-footwide, 31-foot-high horseshoe-shaped tailrace tunnel; (17) 35-foot-long, 40foot-high trapezoid-shaped stoplogs with 74.3- to 99.5-foot-wide, 48-foothigh trashracks with 6-inch clear-bar spacing; (18) four 26-foot-long, 13.8kilovolt (kV) generator leads that connect the turbine-generator units to four transformers; (19) two 3,000-footlong, 345-kV transmission lines; and (20) (21) appurtenant facilities. The existing Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Project generally operates in pumping mode when electricity demand is low and PO 00000 Frm 00035 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 generating mode when electricity demand is high. In the summer and winter, the project generally operates in a peaking mode in the morning and late afternoon. In the spring and fall, the project may operate in a peaking mode one or two times a day depending on electricity demand. The existing license requires maintaining the upper reservoir between elevations 938.0 feet and 1,000.5 feet NGVD 29 (i.e., a maximum reservoir drawdown of 62.5 feet). Average annual generation at the Northfield Mountain Project from 2011– 2019 was 889,845 MW-hours, and average annual energy consumption for pumping from 2011 to 2019 was 1,189,640 MW-hours. Northfield proposes three changes to the current project boundary: (1) Remove 0.2 acre of land associated with residential property; (2) remove 8.1 acre of land referred to as ‘‘Fuller Farm’’ that includes residential and agricultural structures; and (3) add 135.5 acres of land that includes recreation trails. Northfield proposes to increase the maximum water surface elevation of the upper reservoir to 1,004.5 feet NGVD 29 and decrease the minimum water surface elevation of the upper reservoir to 920.0 feet NGVD 29 (i.e., a maximum reservoir drawdown of 84.5 feet) yearround. Northfield proposes to install a barrier net in the lower impoundment to prevent fish entrainment. Northfield also proposes to periodically dredge the upper reservoir and to construct new recreation access trails. The specific proposed changes are described in the amended application. m. In addition to publishing the full text of this notice in the Federal Register, the Commission provides all interested persons an opportunity to view and/or print the contents of this notice, as well as other documents in the proceeding (e.g., license application) 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 (P–2485). At this time, the Commission has suspended access to the Commission’s Public Reference Room due to the proclamation declaring a National Emergency concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID–19) issued by the President on March 13, 2020. For assistance, contact FERC at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or call toll-free, (866) 208–3676 or (202) 502– 8659 (TTY). n. You may also register online at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/ FERCOnline.aspx to be notified via email of new filings and issuances E:\FR\FM\22DEN1.SGM 22DEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 246 / Tuesday, December 22, 2020 / Notices related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support. o. Procedural Schedule: The application will be processed according to the following preliminary Hydro Licensing Schedule. Revisions to the schedule may be made as appropriate. Milestone Target date Commission issues letters identifying application deficiencies and requesting additional information ........................................... Notice of Acceptance/Notice of Ready for Environmental Analysis ................................................................................................ Filing of recommendations, preliminary terms and conditions, and fishway prescriptions .............................................................. Reply Comments due ....................................................................................................................................................................... p. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of the notice of ready for environmental analysis. Dated: December 16, 2020. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2020–28247 Filed 12–21–20; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. ER21–653–000] jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES Centerfield Cooper Solar, LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes Request for Blanket Section 204 Authorization This is a supplemental notice in the above-referenced proceeding of Centerfield Cooper Solar, LLC’s application for market-based rate authority, with an accompanying rate tariff, noting that such application includes a request for blanket authorization, under 18 CFR part 34, of future issuances of securities and assumptions of liability. Any person desiring to intervene or to protest should file with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426, in accordance with Rules 211 and 214 of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211 and 385.214). Anyone filing a motion to intervene or protest must serve a copy of that document on the Applicant. Notice is hereby given that the deadline for filing protests with regard to the applicant’s request for blanket authorization, under 18 CFR part 34, of future issuances of securities and assumptions of liability, is January 5, 2021. The Commission encourages electronic submission of protests and interventions in lieu of paper, using the FERC Online links at https:// www.ferc.gov. To facilitate electronic service, persons with internet access VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:30 Dec 21, 2020 Jkt 253001 who will eFile a document and/or be listed as a contact for an intervenor must create and validate an eRegistration account using the eRegistration link. Select the eFiling link to log on and submit the intervention or protests. Persons unable to file electronically may mail similar pleadings to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426. Hand delivered submissions in docketed proceedings should be delivered to Health and Human Services, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852. In addition to publishing the full text of this document in the Federal Register, the Commission provides all interested persons an opportunity to view and/or print the contents of this document via the internet through the Commission’s Home Page (https:// ferc.gov) using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the docket number field to access the document. At this time, the Commission has suspended access to the Commission’s Public Reference Room, due to the proclamation declaring a National Emergency concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID–19), issued by the President on March 13, 2020. For assistance, contact the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or call toll-free, (886) 208–3676 or TYY, (202) 502–8659. Dated: December 16, 2020. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2020–28241 Filed 12–21–20; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Combined Notice of Filings Take notice that the Commission has received the following Natural Gas Pipeline Rate and Refund Report filings: Docket Number: CP21–16–000. PO 00000 Frm 00036 Fmt 4703 83545 Sfmt 4703 January 2021. May 2021. July 2021. August 2021. Applicants: Midcontinent Express Pipeline LLC. Description: Joint Abbreviated Application of Midcontinent Express Pipeline LLC et al for Partial Lease Capacity Abandonment Authorization. Filed Date: 12/10/20. Accession Number: 202012105111. Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 1/4/21. Docket Number: PR21–8–000. Applicants: Interstate Power and Light Company. Description: § 284.123 Rate Filing: 2020 Fuel Reimbursement Mechansim Report to be effective N/A. Filed Date: 12/15/20. Accession Number: 202012155048. Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 1/5/21. Docket Number: PR21–9–000. Applicants: Jefferson Island Storage & Hub, L.L.C. Description: § 284.123 Rate Filing: 2020 Fuel Reimbursement Mechansim Report to be effective N/A. Filed Date: 12/15/20. Accession Number: 202012155063. Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 1/5/21. Docket Number: PR21–10–000. Applicants: Valley Crossing Pipeline, LLC. Description: § 284.123 Rate Filing: 2020 Fuel Reimbursement Mechansim Report to be effective N/A. Filed Date: 12/15/20. Accession Number: 202012155075. Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 1/5/21. Docket Numbers: RP21–232–001. Applicants: Cheniere Corpus Christi Pipeline, LP. Description: Compliance filing CCPL Stage 3 Supplemental Compliance Filing CP18–513 to be effective 2/1/ 2021. Filed Date: 12/15/20. Accession Number: 20201215–5078. Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 12/28/20. Docket Numbers: RP21–309–000. Applicants: Portland Natural Gas Transmission System. Description: Compliance filing 2020 Fuel Reimbursement Mechansim Report to be effective N/A. Filed Date: 12/15/20. Accession Number: 20201215–5035. Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 12/28/20. The filings are accessible in the Commission’s eLibrary system (https:// E:\FR\FM\22DEN1.SGM 22DEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 246 (Tuesday, December 22, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 83544-83545]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-28247]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2485-071]


Northfield Mountain LLC; Notice Establishing Procedural Schedule 
for Licensing and Deadline for Submission of Final Amendments

(December 16, 2020)

    Take notice that the following amended hydroelectric application 
has been filed with the Commission and is available for public 
inspection.
    a. Type of Application: New Major License.
    b. Project No.: 2485-071.
    c. Date Material Amendments Filed: December 4, 2020.
    d. Applicant: Northfield Mountain LLC (Northfield).
    e. Name of Project: Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Project.
    f. Location: The existing project is located on the Connecticut 
River in Windham County, Vermont, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, and 
Franklin County, Massachusetts. There are no federal lands within the 
project boundary.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Justin Trudell, Vice President, 
Operations, Northfield Mountain LLC, 111 South Bedford Street, Suite 
103, Burlington, MA 01803; (781) 653-4247 or 
[email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Steve Kartalia, (202) 502-6131 or 
[email protected].
    j. This application is not ready for environmental analysis at this 
time.
    k. FirstLight Hydro Generating Company (FirstLight) filed an 
application for a new license for the Northfield Mountain Pumped 
Storage Project No. 2485 (project) on April 29, 2016. In the license 
application, FirstLight stated that it could not develop a complete 
licensing proposal for the project since many of the required 
environmental studies were not complete as of April 29, 2016. 
FirstLight indicated that it would amend the license application after 
completing additional field work, consultation, and analyses on the 
required studies. On July 11, 2019, Commission staff approved the 
transfer of the license for the project from FirstLight to Northfield 
Mountain LLC. Northfield Mountain LLC filed material amendments to the 
final license application on December 4, 2020.
    l. Project Description: The existing Northfield Mountain Pumped 
Storage Project consists of: (1) A 1-mile-long, 30-foot-wide, 30- to 
140-foot-high main dam that includes: (i) An intake structure with two 
7-foot-wide, 9-foot-high sluice gates and an 8-foot-diameter outlet 
pipe; and (ii) a 589-foot-long, 2-foot-diameter low-level outlet pipe; 
(2) a 425-foot-long, 25-foot-high dike (North dike); (3) a 2,800-foot-
long, 45-foot-high dike (Northwest dike); (4) a 1,700-foot-long, 40-
foot-long dike (West dike); (5) a 327-foot-long, 10- to 20-foot-high 
gravity dam; (6) an ungated 550-foot-long, 6-foot-high spillway 
structure with a 20-foot-long notch at an elevation of 1,005.0 feet 
National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29); (7) a 286-acre 
impoundment (upper reservoir) with a useable storage volume of 12,318 
acre-feet between elevations 938.0 feet and 1,000.5 feet NGVD 29; (8) a 
2,110-acre impoundment (lower reservoir or Turners Falls impoundment); 
(9) a 1,890-foot-long, 130-foot-wide intake channel with a 63-foot-
long, 9-foot-high submerged check dam and two 6-foot-wide, 2.75-foot-
high sluice gates and two 18-foot-wide stoplogs; (10) a 200-foot-long, 
55-foot-wide, 80-foot-high pressure shaft; (11) an 853-foot-long, 31-
foot-diameter penstock; (12) two 22-foot-diameter, 100- to 150-foot-
long penstocks; (13) four 340-foot-long, 9.5- to 14-foot-diameter 
penstocks; (14) a 328-foot-long, 70-foot-wide powerhouse that contains 
four reversible pump turbine-generator units with a total installed 
capacity of 1,166.8 megawatts (MW); (15) four 25-foot-long, 11-foot-
diameter draft tubes that transition to a 20-foot-long, 17-foot-
diameter draft tube; (16) a 5,136-foot-long, 33-foot-wide, 31-foot-high 
horseshoe-shaped tailrace tunnel; (17) 35-foot-long, 40-foot-high 
trapezoid-shaped stoplogs with 74.3- to 99.5-foot-wide, 48-foot-high 
trashracks with 6-inch clear-bar spacing; (18) four 26-foot-long, 13.8-
kilovolt (kV) generator leads that connect the turbine-generator units 
to four transformers; (19) two 3,000-foot-long, 345-kV transmission 
lines; and (20) (21) appurtenant facilities.
    The existing Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Project generally 
operates in pumping mode when electricity demand is low and generating 
mode when electricity demand is high. In the summer and winter, the 
project generally operates in a peaking mode in the morning and late 
afternoon. In the spring and fall, the project may operate in a peaking 
mode one or two times a day depending on electricity demand. The 
existing license requires maintaining the upper reservoir between 
elevations 938.0 feet and 1,000.5 feet NGVD 29 (i.e., a maximum 
reservoir drawdown of 62.5 feet). Average annual generation at the 
Northfield Mountain Project from 2011-2019 was 889,845 MW-hours, and 
average annual energy consumption for pumping from 2011 to 2019 was 
1,189,640 MW-hours.
    Northfield proposes three changes to the current project boundary: 
(1) Remove 0.2 acre of land associated with residential property; (2) 
remove 8.1 acre of land referred to as ``Fuller Farm'' that includes 
residential and agricultural structures; and (3) add 135.5 acres of 
land that includes recreation trails.
    Northfield proposes to increase the maximum water surface elevation 
of the upper reservoir to 1,004.5 feet NGVD 29 and decrease the minimum 
water surface elevation of the upper reservoir to 920.0 feet NGVD 29 
(i.e., a maximum reservoir drawdown of 84.5 feet) year-round. 
Northfield proposes to install a barrier net in the lower impoundment 
to prevent fish entrainment. Northfield also proposes to periodically 
dredge the upper reservoir and to construct new recreation access 
trails. The specific proposed changes are described in the amended 
application.
    m. In addition to publishing the full text of this notice in the 
Federal Register, the Commission provides all interested persons an 
opportunity to view and/or print the contents of this notice, as well 
as other documents in the proceeding (e.g., license application) 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 (P-
2485). At this time, the Commission has suspended access to the 
Commission's Public Reference Room due to the proclamation declaring a 
National Emergency concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) 
issued by the President on March 13, 2020. For assistance, contact FERC 
at [email protected] or call toll-free, (866) 208-3676 or 
(202) 502-8659 (TTY).
    n. You may also register online at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx to be notified via email of new filings and issuances

[[Page 83545]]

related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC 
Online Support.
    o. Procedural Schedule: The application will be processed according 
to the following preliminary Hydro Licensing Schedule. Revisions to the 
schedule may be made as appropriate.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Milestone                           Target date
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commission issues letters identifying          January 2021.
 application deficiencies and requesting
 additional information.
Notice of Acceptance/Notice of Ready for       May 2021.
 Environmental Analysis.
Filing of recommendations, preliminary terms   July 2021.
 and conditions, and fishway prescriptions.
Reply Comments due...........................  August 2021.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    p. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the 
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of the notice 
of ready for environmental analysis.

    Dated: December 16, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-28247 Filed 12-21-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


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