Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 15 / Tuesday, January 26, 2021 / Notices 7081 

Docket Numbers: ER21–915–000. 

Applicants: Entergy Arkansas, LLC. 

Description: § 205(d) Rate Filing: 

EAL–MSS–4 Replacement Tariff to be 

effective 3/20/2021. 

Filed Date: 1/19/21. 

Accession Number: 20210119–5191. 

Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 2/9/21. 

The filings are accessible in the 

Commission’s eLibrary system (https://

elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/search/ 

fercgensearch.asp) by querying the 

docket number. 

Any person desiring to intervene or 

protest in any of the above proceedings 

must file in accordance with Rules 211 

and 214 of the Commission’s 

Regulations (18 CFR 385.211 and 

385.214) on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern 

time on the specified comment date. 

Protests may be considered, but 

intervention is necessary to become a 

party to the proceeding. 

eFiling is encouraged. More detailed 

information relating to filing 

requirements, interventions, protests, 

service, and qualifying facilities filings 

can be found at: http://www.ferc.gov/ 

docs-filing/efiling/filing-req.pdf. For 

other information, call (866) 208–3676 

(toll free). For TTY, call (202) 502–8659. 

Dated: January 19, 2021. 

Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr., 

Deputy Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2021–01658 Filed 1–25–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket No. ER21–908–000] 

Western Aeon Energy Trading 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 Western 

Aeon Energy Trading 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 February 8, 

2021. 

The Commission encourages 

electronic submission of protests and 

interventions in lieu of paper, using the 

FERC Online links at http://

www.ferc.gov. To facilitate electronic 

service, persons with internet access 

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 (http://

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: January 19, 2021. 

Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr., 

Deputy Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2021–01660 Filed 1–25–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket No. RM21–9–000] 

Financial Assurance Measures for 

Hydroelectric Projects 

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission, Department of Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of inquiry. 

SUMMARY: The Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission (Commission) is 

inviting comments on what changes, if 

any, the Commission should make to its 

practices for requiring financial 

assurance measures in licenses and 

other authorizations for hydroelectric 

projects. 

DATES: Comments are due March 29, 

2021. 

ADDRESSES: Comments, identified by 

Docket No. RM21–9–000, may be filed 

in the following ways: 

• Agency website: Electronic filing 

through http://www.ferc.gov. 

Documents created electronically using 

word processing software should be 

filed in native applications or print-toPDF format and not in a scanned format. 

• Mail: Those unable to file 

electronically may mail comments via 

the U.S. Postal Service to: Federal 

Energy Regulatory Commission, 

Secretary of the Commission, 888 First 

Street NE, Washington, DC 20426. 

Hand-delivered comments or comments 

sent via any other carrier should be 

delivered to: Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, 

Rockville, Maryland 20852. 

Instructions: For detailed instructions 

on submitting comments, see the 

Comment Procedures Section of this 

document. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Elizabeth Bootz (Legal Information) 

Office of the General Counsel—Energy 

Projects, Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission, 888 First Street NE, 

Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502– 

6452, Elizabeth.Bootz@ferc.gov. 

Kelly Houff (Technical Information) 

Office of Energy Projects, Federal 

Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 

First Street NE, Washington, DC 

20426, (202) 502–6393, Kelly.Houff@

ferc.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In this 

Notice of Inquiry, the Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission (Commission) 

seeks comments on whether, and if so, 

how the Commission should require 

additional financial assurance 

7082 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 15 / Tuesday, January 26, 2021 / Notices 

1Use of the word ‘‘license’’ herein refers to both 

licenses and exemptions or licensees and 

exemptees, unless otherwise specified. 2 16 U.S.C. 797(e). 

3 Id. 

4 16 U.S.C. 803(a). 

5 Id. 

6 72 FERC ¶ 61,027, at 61,069 (1995). For 

example, the Commission will impose reasonable 

conditions, regardless of their impact on project 

economics. See City of Tacoma, Wash., 84 FERC 

¶ 61,107 (1998), aff’d in pertinent part, City of 

Tacoma, Wash. v. FERC, 460 F.3d 53 (D.C. Cir. 

2006). 

7See Mead Corp., 72 FERC at 61,068 (explaining 

that long-term economic analyses require many 

assumptions and that even under relatively stable 

conditions, ‘‘such forecasts could never be more 

than a general guide’’). 

8See, e.g., City of Le Claire, Iowa, 74 FERC 

¶ 61,127, at 61,462 (1996). In requiring financing 

plans, the Commission has explained that it is 

concerned not only about potential environmental 

impacts associated with a partially constructed 

project, but also with ensuring that projects are 

developed in a timely and diligent manner. See, 

e.g., Clark Canyon Hydro, LLC, 150 FERC ¶ 61,195, 

at P 44 (2015); see also City of Augusta, Ky., 72 

FERC ¶ 61,114, at 61,594 (1995). 

9E.g., Halecrest Co., 60 FERC ¶ 61,121 (1992). 

10E.g., Marseilles Land and Water Co., 137 FERC 

¶ 62,235, at art. 307 (2011), order on reh’g and 

clarification, 138 FERC ¶ 61,120 (2012). 

11License amendments that approve construction 

for significant modifications to project facilities 

may also include financing plan requirements. See, 

e.g., BMB Enters., Inc., 147 FERC ¶ 62,044, at art. 

206 (2014). 

12E.g., Kenai Hydro, LLC, 168 FERC ¶ 61,125, at 

P 109 and art. 207 (2019). 

13See, e.g., PacifiCorp, 144 FERC ¶ 62,239, at art. 

307 (2013) (requiring license transferee to file 

financial assurance plan to demonstrate it had 

funds necessary to operate and maintain project). 

See also Marseilles Land and Water Co., 137 FERC 

¶ 62,235 at P 80 n.46 (requiring financial assurance 

plan in addition to the financing plan for an 

original license, based on ‘‘a reasonable possibility 

that the licensee could find itself in the position of 

having insufficient funds or project land rights to 

continue constructing or operating the . . . Project 

in the absence of a Financial Assurance Plan’’). 

mechanisms in the licenses 1 and other 

authorizations it issues for hydroelectric 

projects, to ensure that licensees have 

the capability to carry out license 

requirements and, particularly, to 

maintain their projects in safe 

condition. 

I. Background 

1. Section 4(e) of the Federal Power 

Act (FPA) authorizes the Commission to 

issue licenses ‘‘for the purpose of 

constructing, operating, and 

maintaining dams, water conduits, 

reservoirs, power houses, transmission 

lines, or other project works necessary 

or convenient . . . for the development, 

transmission, and utilization of 

power.’’ 2 Approximately 1,600 

hydroelectric projects throughout the 

United States are under Commission 

license. In issuing these hydroelectric 

licenses, the Commission is required to 

consider power and development 

purposes and ‘‘give equal consideration 

to the purposes of energy conservation, 

the protection, mitigation of damage to, 

and enhancement of, fish and wildlife 

(including related spawning grounds 

and habitat), the protection of 

recreational opportunities, and the 

preservation of other aspects of 

environmental quality.’’ 3 Section 10(a) 

of the FPA requires that any project for 

which the Commission issues a license 

be best adapted to a comprehensive plan 

for improving or developing a waterway 

or waterways for the use or benefit of 

interstate or foreign commerce; for the 

improvement and use of waterpower 

development; for the adequate 

protection, mitigation, and 

enhancement of fish and wildlife; and 

for other beneficial public uses, 

including irrigation, flood control, water 

supply, recreation, and other purposes.4

2. Section 10(c) of the FPA also 

requires licensees to ‘‘maintain the 

project works in a condition of repair 

adequate for the purposes of navigation 

and for the efficient operation of said 

works in the development and 

transmission of power, . . . make all 

necessary renewals and replacements, 

. . . establish and maintain adequate 

depreciation reserves for such purposes, 

. . . so maintain and operate said works 

as not to impair navigation, and . . . 

conform to such rules and regulations as 

the Commission may from time to time 

prescribe for the protection of life, 

health, and property.’’ 5

3. In making its public interest 

determination under section 10(a), the 

Commission considers a number of 

factors, including the economic benefits 

of project power. The basic purpose of 

the Commission’s economic analysis is 

to provide a general estimate of the 

potential power benefits and the costs of 

a project, and reasonable alternatives to 

project power. As articulated in Mead 

Corp., project economics is one of many 

factors the Commission considers in 

determining whether or not, and under 

what conditions to issue a license.6

Ultimately, it is up to the applicant to 

decide whether to accept a license as 

conditioned and any financial risks that 

entails. However, the Mead Corp. 

analysis is intended only to provide a 

rough estimate of the cost of project 

power compared to that of alternative 

energy sources: It is not intended to 

show whether and to what degree the 

project will have a positive cash flow 

over the life of the license. The 

Commission has explained that making 

predictions of long-term project 

economics would involve speculation as 

there are many variables, known and 

unknown.7

4. The Commission has taken steps to 

protect against the failure of a project 

sponsor’s financial planning. For 

example, to reduce the risk that a 

project under construction could be 

abandoned before completion of 

construction because of inadequate 

funds, the Commission has required the 

licensee to file a financing plan prior to 

beginning construction.8 Initially, 

financing plans were included in 

original licenses or relicenses with 

extensive new construction to ensure 

that construction could be completed; 9

however, the financing plan article has 

been modified to ensure funds are 

available for operation and maintenance 

in addition to construction.10

Accordingly, the Commission currently 

includes a financing plan article in 

licenses that authorize new 

construction.11 This article requires 

licensees to file a project financing plan 

with the Commission to show that the 

licensee has the necessary funds to 

complete project construction and to 

operate and maintain the project.12 This 

article, however, does not require a 

licensee to demonstrate the ability to 

finance unknown future obligations that 

may arise from environmental concerns 

or significant dam safety issues. 

5. In rare cases, the Commission has 

also included a requirement to file a 

financial assurance plan.13 The 

financial assurance article requires 

licensees to submit a plan that identifies 

the costs of project facilities that would 

be removed, secured in-place, or 

otherwise modified to ensure public 

safety, as well as other measures needed 

to protect environmental resources, in 

the event the licensee cannot complete 

project construction or is unable to 

operate the project once construction is 

complete. After approval of the financial 

assurance plan and before beginning 

ground disturbing activities, the 

licensee must obtain a bond or 

equivalent financial instrument to 

ensure the licensee has the economic 

means to implement the plan. The 

licensee is also required to file annual 

reports to document that the bond or 

equivalent financial instrument remains 

in effect for the ensuing year. 

6. However, the vast majority of 

existing licenses do not include 

requirements addressing whether a 

licensee can afford ongoing operation 

and maintenance expenses, required 

environmental or safety measures, or 

measures required to ensure the facility 

can meet future dam safety 

requirements. 

7. Non-operational or non-compliant 

projects can pose public safety hazards 

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 15 / Tuesday, January 26, 2021 / Notices 7083 

14See Boyce Hydro Power, LLC, 164 FERC 

¶ 61,178 (2018) (revoking the license for the 

Edenville Project No. 10808 due to the licensee’s 

‘‘longstanding failure to increase the project’s 

spillway capacity to safely pass flood flows, as well 

as its failure to comply with its license, the 

Commission’s regulations, and a June 15, 2017 

Compliance Order’’), order on reh’g, 166 FERC 

¶ 61,029 (2019). 

15Section 6.4 of the Commission’s regulations 

gives licensees three years to resolve their nonoperating issues. 18 CFR 6.4. 

16See, e.g., Brentwood Dam Ventures, LLC, 158 

FERC ¶ 61,037 (2017) (terminating the exemption 

for the Exeter River Hydro #1 Project No. 4254 by 

implied surrender because the exemptee did not 

make the necessary repairs to restore project 

operation); see also James Lichoulas Jr., 124 FERC 

¶ 61,255 (2008) (terminating the license for the 

Appleton Trust Project No. 9300 by implied 

surrender because the licensee failed to restore 

project operation after more than a decade), aff’d, 

Lichoulas v. FERC, 600 F.3d 769 (D.C. Cir. 2010). 

in the event of a dam failure or breach, 

as demonstrated by the failure of the 

Edenville and Sanford dams near 

Midland, Michigan, on May 19, 2020. 

The cause of these dam failures is still 

under investigation. Nonetheless, the 

licensee of both projects had for many 

years failed to comply with dam safety 

directives, at least in part due to the 

alleged lack of financial capacity to 

meet Commission requirements, which 

resulted in the Commission revoking the 

license for the Edenville project in 

2018.14 The dam failures created an 

immediate safety hazard requiring 

thousands to evacuate, and estimates to 

repair and restore the dams have been 

more than $300 million dollars, which 

does not include the damages that 

property owners affected by the flooding 

may have suffered. 

8. While significant dam failures have 

fortunately been very rare, the 

Commission has seen increasing 

numbers of projects that are nonoperational or out of compliance with 

their license conditions, where licensees 

have stated that they cannot afford to 

operate or maintain the projects or 

implement required environmental or 

safety measures. Commission staff 

regularly works with these licensees to 

bring these projects back into operation 

or compliance, but only with mixed 

success.15

9. As of December 2020, Commission 

staff is aware of approximately 88 

projects that are non-operational and is 

working with licensees of non-operating 

projects to restore operations. A 

licensee’s lack of financial resources is 

often a key factor in a project becoming 

non-operational. For those licensees that 

cannot restore operation, some licensees 

apply to surrender their licenses. 

However, for those where operating the 

project or bringing the project into 

compliance is too financially 

burdensome, the surrender process may 

also be economically infeasible. Where 

licensees show the inability or 

unwillingness to maintain their projects 

and do not voluntarily seek surrender, 

the Commission has terminated licenses 

by implied surrender.16 But implied 

surrender may not be appropriate where 

environmental or dam safety measures 

need to be taken to leave the project in 

acceptable condition. In addition to 

voluntary and implied surrender, the 

Commission has enforcement 

mechanisms at its disposal, including 

license revocation, the imposition of 

civil penalties, seeking injunction relief 

in federal court, and referral to the 

Department of Justice for criminal 

prosecution. These measures, while 

appropriate in some cases, may not 

result in necessary license compliance. 

10. Based on the concern that 

inadequate financing may result in 

threats to public safety and 

environmental resources, the 

Commission is considering whether 

additional measures should be taken to 

ensure licensees have the financial 

resources to operate and maintain their 

projects for the life of the project, 

including under unforeseen 

circumstances. We recognize that 

imposing additional financial 

requirements may pose difficulties for 

licensees, particularly those operating 

small projects, but are also cognizant of 

our responsibilities to the public. 

Therefore, the Commission is soliciting 

public comment on potential 

mechanisms to ensure that licensees can 

afford required safety measures, ongoing 

project operation and maintenance 

expenses, and license compliance to 

prevent future safety and environmental 

hazards. 

II. Subject of the Notice of Inquiry 

11. The Commission seeks comments 

on whether, and, if so, how the 

Commission should revise its practices 

for requiring financial assurance 

mechanisms in the licenses and other 

authorizations it issues for hydroelectric 

projects. First, we solicit comments 

regarding how and when the 

Commission should require financial 

assurance from licensees. Specifically, 

should a financial assurance 

requirement be included in original 

licenses and/or on relicense? If on 

relicense, should such a requirement be 

included in both new licenses for major 

projects and subsequent licenses for 

minor projects? Should the Commission 

also require financial assurance 

requirements in other authorizations, 

such as all exemptions, amendment 

requests, and transfers? Should the 

Commission reopen licenses to impose 

financial assurance measures? Should 

the Commission require licensees to 

reaffirm or recertify that they have 

adequate financial assurance 

instruments every few years during their 

license term? If so, how often during a 

license term should the Commission 

require licensees to demonstrate that 

they still have adequate finances? 

Should the Commission require 

licensees to notify the Commission if 

the circumstances underlying their 

financial assurance instruments have 

changed? 

12. Below we outline three potential 

options that Commission staff has 

identified for establishing financial 

assurance mechanisms in hydroelectric 

licenses: (1) Requiring licensees to 

obtain bonds to cover the costs of safety 

measures and project operation and 

maintenance; (2) establishing an 

industry-wide trust or remediation fund 

or requiring licensees to maintain an 

individual trust, escrow, or remediation 

fund; or (3) requiring licensees to obtain 

insurance policies for unforeseen safety 

hazards or dam failures. We encourage 

comments on these options as well as 

the suggestion of any other alternatives. 

While the Commission will consider all 

comments filed, the Commission may 

not, and is not required to, take further 

action. 

A. Bonds 

13. The Commission could require 

licensees to obtain bonds to ensure they 

have sufficient funds to pay for 

operation, maintenance, environmental, 

and safety measures throughout the 

duration of the license. The Commission 

seeks comment on this option and the 

following questions: 

i. Should the Commission require 

licensees to obtain bonds as a financial 

assurance mechanism? 

ii. If so, how should the Commission 

determine the amount of the bond or 

what factors should the Commission 

consider when determining the bond 

amount? 

iii. Are bonds within the resources of 

all licensees, including those of small 

hydroelectric projects. Could the 

Commission mitigate these expenses? 

iv. What other challenges would bond 

requirements pose to individual 

licensees, municipal licensees, the 

public, or the Commission? 

B. Trust, Escrow, or Remediation Fund 

14. The Commission could establish 

an industry-wide trust or remediation 

fund to pay for necessary repairs and 

remediation, similar to the 

Environmental Protection Agency’s 

superfund program, or could require 

7084 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 15 / Tuesday, January 26, 2021 / Notices 

1Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation 

(predecessor to Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC), 

22 FERC ¶ 62,029 (1983). 

licensees to maintain an individual trust 

or remediation fund that is similar to 

what is done in the nuclear industry. 

The Commission could also require 

funds to be placed in escrow. The 

Commission seeks comment on this 

option and the following questions: 

i. Should the Commission establish an 

industry-wide trust or fund as a 

financial assurance mechanism? 

ii. If so, how should the Commission 

generate funds for the trust? Should the 

Commission consider using its annual 

charge authority to fund an industrywide trust? 

iii. How should the Commission 

determine the appropriate level of funds 

for an industry-wide trust? 

iv. How should the Commission 

determine how funds are distributed? 

v. Should the Commission require 

licensees to maintain an individual trust 

or escrow fund as a financial assurance 

mechanism? 

vi. For individual trusts, how should 

the Commission determine the 

appropriate level of the trust and what 

factors should the Commission consider 

in determining amounts? 

vii. For individual escrows, should 

the Commission require licensees to 

retain a certain percentage of generation 

receipts in an escrow account? 

viii. What other challenges would an 

industry-wide or individual trust pose 

on individual licensees, small 

hydroelectric project licensees, 

municipal licensees, the public, or the 

Commission? 

C. Insurance 

15. The Commission could require 

licensees to obtain insurance policies to 

cover costs in the event of a safety 

hazard or dam failure. The Commission 

seeks comment on this option and the 

following questions: 

i. Should the Commission require 

licensees to obtain insurance policies as 

a financial assurance mechanism for 

project maintenance? 

ii. How should the Commission 

determine the amount of required 

coverage of an insurance policy or what 

factors should the Commission consider 

when determining the amount of 

coverage? 

iii. What other challenges would a 

requirement to obtain an insurance 

policy pose on individual licensees, 

small hydroelectric project licensees, 

municipal licensees, the public, or the 

Commission? 

III. Comment Procedures 

16. The Commission invites interested 

persons to submit comments and other 

information on the matters, issues, and 

specific questions identified in this 

notice, and any alternative proposals 

that commenters may wish to discuss. 

Comments are due March 29, 2021. 

Comments must refer to Docket No. 

RM21–9–000, and must include the 

commenter’s name, the organization 

they represent, if applicable, and their 

address. 

17. The Commission encourages 

comments to be filed electronically via 

the eFiling link on the Commission’s 

website at http://www.ferc.gov. The 

Commission accepts most standard 

word processing formats. Documents 

created electronically using word 

processing software should be filed in 

native applications or print-to-PDF 

format and not in a scanned format. 

Commenters filing electronically do not 

need to make a paper filing. 

18. In lieu of electronic filing, you 

may submit a paper copy. Submissions 

sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be 

addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, 

Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 

1A, Washington, DC 20426. 

Submissions sent via any other carrier 

must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, 

Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, 

Rockville, Maryland 20852. The first 

page of any filing should include docket 

number RM21–9–000. 

19. All comments will be placed in 

the Commission’s public files and may 

be viewed, printed, or downloaded 

remotely as described in the Document 

Availability section below. Commenters 

on this proposal are not required to 

serve copies of their comments on other 

commenters. 

IV. Document Availability 

20. 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 (http://

www.ferc.gov). At this time, the 

Commission has suspended access to 

the Commission’s Public Reference 

Room due to the President’s March 13, 

2020 proclamation declaring a National 

Emergency concerning the Novel 

Coronavirus Disease (COVID–19). 

21. From the Commission’s Home 

Page on the internet, this information is 

available on eLibrary. The full text of 

this document is available on eLibrary 

in PDF and Microsoft Word format for 

viewing, printing, and/or downloading. 

To access this document in eLibrary, 

type the docket number excluding the 

last three digits of this document in the 

docket number field. 

22. User assistance is available for 

eLibrary and the Commission’s website 

during normal business hours from the 

Commission’s Online Support at (202) 

502–6652 (toll free at 1–866–208–3676) 

or email at ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, 

or the Public Reference Room at (202) 

502–8371, TTY (202) 502–8659. Email 

the Public Reference Room at 

public.referenceroom@ferc.gov. 

By direction of the Commission. 

Issued: January 19, 2021. 

Kimberly D. Bose, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2021–01613 Filed 1–25–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket No. CP21–21–000] 

Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC; 

Notice of Request Under Blanket 

Authorization and Establishing 

Intervention and Protest Deadline 

Take notice that on January 6, 2021, 

Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC 

(Columbia), 700 Louisiana Street, Suite 

700, Houston, Texas 77002–2700, filed 

in the above referenced docket a prior 

notice pursuant to Section 157.205 and 

157.216(b) of the Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission’s regulations 

under the Natural Gas Act and the 

blanket certificate issued to Columbia 

by the Commission in Docket No. CP83– 

76–000,1 seeking authorization to 

abandon ten injection/withdrawal wells 

and associated pipelines and 

appurtenances, located in its Benton, 

Crawford1, Laurel and McArthur 

Storage Fields in Hocking, and Vinton 

Counties, Ohio (2021 Southcentral Ohio 

Well Abandonments Project). Columbia 

states that there will be no change to the 

existing boundary, total inventory, 

reservoir pressure, reservoir and buffer 

boundaries, or the certificated capacity 

of the Benton, Crawford, Laurel and 

McArthur Storage Fields as a result of 

these abandonments. Further, Columbia 

avers that the proposed abandonments 

will not affect any other Columbia 

storage fields, operations, or service, all 

as more fully set forth in the request 

which is on file with the Commission 

and open to public inspection. 

In addition to publishing the full text 

of this document in the Federal 

Register, the Commission provides all 

interested persons an opportunity to