Document ID: FERC-2016-0918-0001
Agency: ferc
Document Type: Notice
Title: Preliminary Permit Applications: Seminoe Pumped Storage Project, Black Canyon Hydro, LLC; Seminoe Reservoir, Carbon County, WY
Posted Date: 2016-07-08T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 131 (Friday, July 8, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 44606]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-16167]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 14787-000]

Black Canyon Hydro, LLC; Notice of Preliminary Permit Application 
Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Comments, Motions To Intervene, and 
Competing Applications

    On June 13, 2016, the Black Canyon Hydro, LLC filed an application 
for a preliminary permit, pursuant to section 4(f) of the Federal Power 
Act (FPA), proposing to study the feasibility of the Seminoe Pumped 
Storage Project (project) to be located at the U.S. Bureau of 
Reclamation's (Reclamation) Seminoe Reservoir on the North Platte 
River, near Rawlins, Carbon County, Wyoming. The project would occupy 
lands managed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Bureau of 
Land Management. The sole purpose of a preliminary permit, if issued, 
is to grant the permit holder priority to file a license application 
during the permit term. A preliminary permit does not authorize the 
permit holder to perform any land-disturbing activities or otherwise 
enter upon lands or waters owned by others without the owners' express 
permission.
    The proposed project would consist of the following: (1) Two new 
intake structures located in Reclamation's 20,291-acre Seminoe 
Reservoir; (2) two new concrete-faced, rock-fill upper reservoirs--one 
85 acres and one 63 acres--located on either side of, and about 1,000 
feet above, Seminoe Reservoir; (3) a 3,000-foot-long, 18.8-foot 
diameter, low pressure tunnel and 1,250-foot-long, 18.8-foot-diameter, 
pressure shaft leading to a 250-foot-long, 65-foot-wide, 170-foot-high 
powerhouse located 1,300 feet east of Seminoe Reservoir in an 
underground cavern with a 2,800-foot-long access tunnel and a 1,300-
foot-long, 22.6-foot wide tailrace; (5) a 1,300-foot-long, 22.6-foot-
diameter, low pressure tunnel and 1,800-foot-long, 16.1-foot-diameter 
pressure shaft leading to a 220-foot-long, 55-foot-wide, 120-foot-high 
powerhouse located 2,800 feet north-northwest of Seminoe reservoir in 
an underground cavern with a 800-foot-long access tunnel and a 2,800-
foot-long, 19.3-foot-diameter tailrace; (6) three 133.3-megawatt (MW) 
adjustable-speed, reversible pump turbines in the east powerhouse; and 
(7) three 100-MW adjustable-speed reversible pump-turbines in the west 
powerhouse. The project would also include a double-circuit, 230-
kilovolt (kV) transmission line connecting either at PacifiCorp's 
planned Aeolus Substation located northwest of Medicine Bow, Wyoming, 
or the planned northern terminal for the TransWest Express DC Line near 
Sinclair, Wyoming. If the Aeolus interconnection alternative is built, 
the line would parallel the existing Western Area Power 
Administration's (WAPA) Miracle Mile-Cheyenne-Ault 230-kV transmission 
line. If the TransWest interconnection alternative is built, the line 
would parallel or consist of a rebuild of the existing WAPA Miracle 
Mile-Sinclair, 115 kV transmission line. The estimated annual 
generation would be 1,839,600 MW-hours.
    Applicant Contact: Mr. Matthew Shapiro, Chief Executive Officer, 
Gridflex Energy, LLC, 1210 W. Franklin Street, Suite 2, Boise, ID 
83702, phone: (208) 246-9925.
    FERC Contact: Suzanne Novak; phone: (202) 502-6665.
    Deadline for filing comments, motions to intervene, competing 
applications (without notices of intent), or notices of intent to file 
competing applications: 60 days from the issuance of this notice. 
Competing applications and notices of intent must meet the requirements 
of 18 CFR 4.36.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
comments, motions to intervene, notices of intent, and competing 
applications using the Commission's eFiling system at http://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 http://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 
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, (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 P-14787-000.
    More information about this project, including a copy of the 
application, can be viewed or printed on the ``eLibrary'' link of 
Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp. 
Enter the docket number (P-14787) in the docket number field to access 
the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.

    Dated: June 30, 2016.
 Kimberly D. Bose,
 Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-16167 Filed 7-7-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P