Document ID: FERC-2020-1646-0001
Agency: ferc
Document Type: Notice
Title: Preliminary Determination of a Qualifying Conduit Hydropower Facility: Skagit Public Utility District
Posted Date: 2020-12-29T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 249 (Tuesday, December 29, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 85627-85628]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-28715]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CD21-3-000]

Skagit Public Utility District; Notice of Preliminary 
Determination of a Qualifying Conduit Hydropower Facility and 
Soliciting Comments and Motions To Intervene

    On December 16, 2020, Skagit Public Utility District filed a notice 
of intent to construct a qualifying conduit hydropower facility, 
pursuant to section 30 of the Federal Power Act (FPA). The proposed 
Division Booster Pump Station Project would have an installed capacity 
of 25 kilowatts (kW), and would be located in parallel to an existing 
pressure reducing valve within the applicant's municipal water supply 
system in Mount Vernon, Skagit County, Washington.
    Applicant Contact: Susan Priddy, InPipe Energy, 222 NW 8th Ave., 
Portland, OR 97209, Phone No. (503) 380-8487, Email: 
susan@inpipeenergy.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) One 25-kW centrifugal hydroelectric 
turbine; and (2) appurtenant facilities. The proposed project would 
have an estimated annual generation of approximately 94 megawatt-hours.
    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)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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                   Y
                                                   maintained 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            Y
                                                   not 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.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Preliminary Determination: The proposed Division Booster Pump 
Station Project will not alter the primary purpose of the conduit, 
which is used to distribute water for municipal consumption. Therefore, 
based upon the above criteria, 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, 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., CD21-3) in the docket number field to access the document. You 
may also register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/

[[Page 85628]]

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: December 21, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-28715 Filed 12-28-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P