Document ID: FERC-2021-0433-0001
Agency: ferc
Document Type: Notice
Title: Preliminary Determination of a Qualifying  Conduit Hydropower Facility: Truckee Meadows Water Authority
Posted Date: 2021-04-14T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 14, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19615-19616]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-07634]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CD21-5-000]

Truckee Meadows Water Authority; Notice of Preliminary 
Determination of a Qualifying Conduit Hydropower Facility and 
Soliciting Comments and Motions To Intervene

    On March 29, 2021, Truckee Meadows Water Authority filed a notice 
of intent to construct a qualifying conduit hydropower facility, 
pursuant to section 30 of the Federal Power Act (FPA). The proposed 
Highland Canal Hydroelectric Project would have an installed capacity 
of 1,000 kilowatts (kW), and would be located on the applicant's 
existing municipal pipeline system in Washoe County, Nevada.
    Applicant Contact: Mr. Michael A. Swiger, Van Ness Feldman, LLP, 
1050 Thomas Jefferson Street NW, Washington, DC 20007, Phone No. (202) 
298-1891, Email: mas@vnf.com.
    FERC Contact: Christopher Chaney, Phone No. (202) 502-6778, Email: 
christopher.chaney@ferc.gov.
    Qualifying Conduit Hydropower Facility Description: The proposed 
project would consist of: (1) Two 500-kW vertical Francis turbines and 
synchronous generators located within the rebuilt Orr Ditch Pumping 
Facility; and (2) appurtenant facilities. The proposed project would 
have an estimated annual generation of approximately 45 megawatt-hours.
    The proposed project would discharge water to the Truckee River, a 
natural body of water. Because only a portion of the discharge would be 
withdrawn downstream by part of the same water supply system, the 
applicant requests waiver of the discharge requirement under 18 CFR 
4.30(b)(30)(iv).
    A qualifying conduit hydropower facility is one that is determined 
or deemed to meet all the criteria shown in the table below.

                          Table 1--Criteria for Qualifying Conduit Hydropower Facility
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                                                                                                      Satisfies
            Statutory provision                                    Description                          (Y/N)
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FPA 30(a)(3)(A)............................  The conduit the facility uses is a tunnel, canal,                 Y
                                              pipeline, aqueduct, flume, ditch, or similar manmade
                                              water conveyance that is operated for the
                                              distribution of water for agricultural, municipal, or
                                              industrial consumption and not primarily for the
                                              generation of electricity..
FPA 30(a)(3)(C)(i).........................  The facility is constructed, operated, or maintained              Y
                                              for the generation of electric power and uses for
                                              such generation only the hydroelectric potential of a
                                              non-federally owned conduit..
FPA 30(a)(3)(C)(ii)........................  The facility has an installed capacity that does not              Y
                                              exceed 40 megawatts..
FPA 30(a)(3)(C)(iii).......................  On or before August 9, 2013, the facility is not                  Y
                                              licensed, or exempted from the licensing requirements
                                              of Part I of the FPA..
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    Preliminary Determination: The proposed Highland Canal 
Hydroelectric Project will not alter the primary purpose of the conduit 
system, which is used to distribute water for municipal consumption. 
Therefore, based upon the above criteria, if the requested discharge 
requirement waiver is granted, Commission staff preliminarily 
determines that the proposal satisfies the requirements for a 
qualifying conduit hydropower facility, which is not required to be 
licensed or exempted from licensing.
    Comments and Motions to Intervene: Deadline for filing comments 
contesting whether the facility meets the qualifying criteria is 30 
days from the issuance date of this notice.
    Deadline for filing motions to intervene is 30 days from the 
issuance date of this notice.
    Anyone may submit comments or a motion to intervene in accordance 
with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR 
385.210 and 385.214. Any motions to intervene must be received on or 
before the specified deadline date for the particular proceeding.
    Filing and Service of Responsive Documents: All filings must (1) 
bear in all capital letters the ``COMMENTS CONTESTING QUALIFICATION FOR 
A CONDUIT HYDROPOWER FACILITY'' or ``MOTION TO INTERVENE,'' as 
applicable; (2) state in the heading the name of the applicant and the 
project number of the application to which the filing responds; (3) 
state the name, address, and telephone number of the person filing; and 
(4) otherwise comply with the requirements of sections 385.2001 through 
385.2005 of the Commission's regulations.\1\ All comments contesting 
Commission staff's preliminary determination that the facility meets 
the qualifying criteria must set forth their evidentiary basis.
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    \1\ 18 CFR 385.2001-2005 (2020).
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    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
motions to intervene and comments 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, you may send 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,

[[Page 19616]]

Rockville, MD 20852. A copy of all other filings in reference to this 
application must be accompanied by proof of service on all persons 
listed in the service list prepared by the Commission in this 
proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 385.2010.
    Locations of Notice of Intent: 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 website at 
http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp. Enter the docket number 
(i.e., CD21-5) in the docket number field to access the document. You 
may also register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filings and issuances 
related to this or other pending projects. Copies of the notice of 
intent can be obtained directly from the applicant. 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, call toll-free 1-866-208-3676 or email 
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. For TTY, call (202) 502-8659.

    Dated: April 8, 2021.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-07634 Filed 4-13-21; 8:45 am]
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