Notice of Application Tendered for Filing With the Commission and Establishing Procedural Schedule for Licensing and Deadline for Submission of Final Amendments: Great Lakes Hydro America, LLC, 84346 [2024-24378]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 204 (Tuesday, October 22, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 84346]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-24378]



[[Page 84346]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2572-141]


Notice of Application Tendered for Filing With the Commission and 
Establishing Procedural Schedule for Licensing and Deadline for 
Submission of Final Amendments: Great Lakes Hydro America, LLC

    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: New Major License.
    b. Project No.: 2572-141.
    c. Date Filed: September 30, 2024.
    d. Applicant: Great Lakes Hydro American, LLC (GLHA).
    e. Name of Project: Ripogenus Hydroelectric Project (project).
    f. Location: On the West Branch of the Penobscot River (West 
Branch) in Piscataquis and Penobscot Counties, Maine.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Michael Scarzello, Licensing Manager, 
Brookfield Renewable U.S., 399 Big Bay Road, Queensbury, NY 12804; 
(315) 566-0197; [email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Allan Creamer, Project Coordinator; telephone at 
(202) 502-8365; email at [email protected].
    j. The application is not ready for environmental analysis at this 
time.
    k. Project Description: The Ripogenus Project is located about 21 
river miles upstream of the Penobscot Mills Project, and consists of: 
(1) the Ripogenus impoundment, which (a) is about 20.8 miles long, (b) 
has a surface area of about 29,270 acres at a normal full pond 
elevation of 941.59 feet National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 
29), and (c) has a usable storage of about 688,705 acre-feet, with a 
maximum drawdown of 44 feet (to elevation 897.59 feet NGVD 29); and (2) 
Umbazooksus Lake, which has a surface area of 1,600 acres. Ripogenus 
Dam is 795 feet long and is located at the outlet of Ripogenus Lake. 
The dam includes two concrete spillway sections, an intake section, a 
gated sluice section, and an earthen section.
    Water flows from the Ripogenus impoundment through an intake 
structure, which directs water through a tunnel and penstocks to the 
powerhouse (McKay Station). The powerhouse contains three turbine-
generating units, with a total rated capacity of 37.5 megawatts. Power 
generated at the project is transmitted to the electric grid via three 
transformers and a 29.4-mile-long transmission line. An additional 
0.75-mile-long transmission line extends from the McKay Substation to 
Ripogenus Dam. The Ripogenus Project also contains one battery energy 
storage site that is used to enhance system reliability. The Ripogenus 
Project is operated as a store-and-release development, with an annual 
seasonal drawdown that allows for management of water levels and flows 
downstream from the project. GLHA releases minimum flows into the 
dewatered section of the West Branch downstream from Ripogenus Dam, as 
well as flows through the McKay Station generating units to protect 
aquatic habitat and to provide whitewater boating opportunities. GLHA 
also releases flows to the West Branch during outages of the generating 
units, and diverts flow to the Holbrook Side Channel to enhance aquatic 
habitat. The project provides some capacity to store water to reduce 
downstream flooding, as well as storage releases during droughts. 
Additional details regarding the Ripogenus Project facilities and 
operations can be found in Exhibit A (Ripogenus Project) and Exhibit B 
of the license application, and can be accessed by following the 
instructions in paragraph l.
    GLHA proposes to continue to operate the Ripogenus Project as a 
store-and-release facility. GLHA would continue to release flows 
ranging between 12 cubic feet per second (cfs) and 100 cfs from 
Ripogenus Dam to the bypassed reach, provide a station outage flow of 
400 cfs downstream from McKay Station, continue to operate and maintain 
the Holbrook Side Channel as habitat for salmon and brook trout, 
maintain the 200-foot conservation buffer and 100-foot vegetation 
buffer around the Ripogenus impoundment, and maintain Umbazooksus Lake 
as wetland and wildlife habitat. In addition, GLHA proposes to provide 
a year-round minimum flow of 1,700 cfs downstream from McKay Station 
for aquatic habitat; provide seasonally-adjusted flows for whitewater 
boating; fund the installation, operation, and maintenance of a USGS 
flow gauge downstream from McKay Station (near Big Eddy); post 
impoundment level and flow information on Brookfield's existing 
SafeWaters website; and develop a recreation plan, shoreline management 
plan, loon management plan, and historic properties management plan.
    l. In addition to publishing 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-2572). For assistance, 
contact FERC at [email protected], (866) 208-3676 (toll free), 
or (202) 502-8659 (TTY). You may also register online at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx to be notified via email of new 
filings and issuances related to this or other pending projects. For 
assistance, contact FERC Online Support.
    m. 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, 
environmental justice communities, 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 public is 
encouraged to contact OPP at (202) 502-6595, or [email protected].
    n. Procedural Schedule: The application will be processed according 
to the following preliminary schedule. Revisions to the schedule will 
be made as appropriate.

Deficiency Letter--October 2024
Additional Information Request--November 2024
Notice of Acceptance--March 2025
Issue Notice of Ready for Environmental Analysis--March 2025

    o. 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: October 15, 2024.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-24378 Filed 10-21-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P