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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 14 (Thursday, January 23, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8019-8020]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-01429]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 3407-088]

Big Wood Canal Company; Notice Soliciting Applications and 
Waiving Regulations

    On January 3, 2022, Big Wood Canal Company, licensee for the Magic 
Dam Hydroelectric Project No. 3407 (project), filed a Notice of Intent 
(NOI) to file an application for a new license for the project pursuant 
to section 15(b)(1) of the Federal Power Act (FPA).\1\ On March 1, 
2022, Commission staff issued public notice of the NOI and approved the 
use of the traditional licensing process to develop the license 
application. The current license for the project expires on December 
31, 2026.\2\
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    \1\ 16 U.S.C. 808(b)(1).
    \2\ Cook Electric, Inc., who transferred the license to Magic 
Reservoir Hydroelectric Inc., who subsequently transferred the 
license to Big Wood Canal Company, was issued a major license for 
the project on January 15, 1987, for a term of 40 years, effective 
the first day of the month in which the order was issued. See Cook 
Electric, Inc., 38 FERC ] 62,034 (1987); Cook Elec., Inc. and Magic 
Reservoir Hydroelectric, Inc., 44 FERC ] 62,144 (1988); Magic 
Reservoir Hydroelectric, Inc. and Big Wood Canal Co., 166 FERC ] 
62,037 (2019). Therefore, the license would expire on December 31, 
2026, and the statutory deadline for filing a new license 
application was December 31, 2024. See FPA 15(c)(1), 16 U.S.C. 
808(c)(1).
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    The 9-megawatt project is located on the Big Wood River in Blaine 
and Camas Counties, Idaho. The project consists of: (1) a 640-foot-
long, 128-foot-high earth-filled dam; (2) a 1,260-foot-long, 50-foot-
high dike; (3) a 1,200-foot-long spillway structure; (4) a 3,740-acre 
reservoir with a storage capacity of approximately 191,500 acre-feet at 
an elevation of 4,798 feet; (5) a 37-foot-high intake tower; (6) a 620-
foot-long, 132-inch-diameter outlet conduit leading to a 170-foot-long, 
132-inch-diameter penstock connecting to a powerhouse; (7) a powerhouse 
containing three generating units with a combined capacity of 9 
megawatts; (8) a 9.2-mile-long, 4.16 kilovolt transmission line; and 
(9) appurtenant facilities. The average annual energy generation of the 
project is approximately 14.3 gigawatt-hours.
    Pursuant to section 15(c)(1) of the FPA \3\ and section 16.9 of the 
Commission's regulations,\4\ an existing licensee must file an 
application for a new license at least 24 months prior to the 
expiration of the current license. As stated above, Big Wood Canal 
Company's NOI indicated that it would file an application for a new 
license; however, it did not file an application for a new license for 
the project by the December 31, 2024 deadline. Instead, on December 31, 
2024, Big Wood Canal Company requested a 3-month extension of time to 
file its final license application.\5\
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    \3\ 16 U.S.C. 808(c)(1).
    \4\ 18 CFR 16.9 (2024).
    \5\ See Big Wood Canal Company December 31, 2024 Request for 
Extension.
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    The statutory date for filing a final license application cannot be 
waived.\6\ Therefore, the request for an extension of time to file a 
final license application for the Magic Dam Hydroelectric Project was 
denied. Pursuant to section 16.25(a) of the Commission's regulations, 
the Commission is soliciting applications from potential applicants. 
This solicitation is necessary because the deadline for filing an 
application for a new license and any competing license applications, 
pursuant to section 16.9 of the Commission's regulations, was December 
31, 2024, and no other license applications for this project were 
filed.
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    \6\ See Pacific Gas and Elec. Co., 98 FERC ] 61,032 (2002), 
reh'g denied, 99 FERC ] 61,045 (2002).
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    With this notice, we are waiving those parts of section 16.24(a) 
and 16.25(a) which bar an existing licensee that missed the two-year 
application filing deadline from filing another application. Further, 
because Big Wood Canal Company completed the pre-filing consultation 
requirements pursuant to Part 4 of the Commission's regulations, we are 
waiving the consultation requirements in section 16.8(b) and (c) for 
the existing licensee. Consequently, Big Wood Canal Company will be 
allowed to file a license application and compete for the license.
    The licensee is required to make available certain information 
described in section 16.7 of the regulations. For more information from 
the licensee, please contact Big Wood Canal Company's authorized agent 
Mr. Peter Josten, 2742 Saint Charles Avenue, Idaho Falls, ID 83404, 
(208) 339-3542.
    Pursuant to section 16.25(b), a potential applicant that files a 
notice of intent within 90 days from the date of this notice: (1) may 
apply for a license under Part I of the FPA and Part 4 (except section 
4.38) of the Commission's regulations within 18 months of the date on 
which it files its notice; and (2) must comply with sections 16.8 and 
16.10 of the Commission's regulations.
    Questions concerning this notice should be directed to Amy Chang at 
(202) 502-6154 or email at [email protected].

[[Page 8020]]

    Dated: January 14, 2025.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2025-01429 Filed 1-22-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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