Document ID: FERC-2020-0916-0001
Agency: ferc
Document Type: Notice
Title: Preliminary Determination of a Qualifying  Conduit Hydropower Facility: Los Angeles County Public Works
Posted Date: 2020-07-17T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 138 (Friday, July 17, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43576-43577]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-15484]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CD20-7-000]

Los Angeles County Public Works; Notice of Preliminary 
Determination of a Qualifying Conduit Hydropower Facility and 
Soliciting Comments and Motions To Intervene

    On July 8, 2020, as supplemented on July 9, 2020, Los Angeles 
County Public Works filed a notice of intent to construct a qualifying 
conduit hydropower facility, pursuant to section 30 of the Federal 
Power Act (FPA). The proposed M5E Pressure Reducing Station 
Hydroelectric Project would have an installed capacity of 430 kilowatts 
(kW), and would be located along an existing municipal water pipeline 
belonging to the applicant near Palmdale, Los Angeles County, 
California.
    Applicant Contact: Eric Melander, 5500 Blue Heron Lane, Deming, 
Washington 98244, Phone No. (360) 592-5552, Email: 
eric.melander@canyonhydro.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 215-kW turbine-generators within an 
existing an approximately 51-foot by 38-foot building at the M5E 
Pressure Reducing Station; and (2) appurtenant facilities. The proposed 
project would have an estimated annual generation of approximately 
1,236 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
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               Satisfies
       Statutory provision                Description            (Y/N)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FPA 30(a)(3)(A)..................  The conduit the facility           Y
                                    uses is a tunnel, canal,
                                    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                    Y
                                    constructed, operated,
                                    or 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                Y
                                    installed capacity that
                                    does not exceed 40
                                    megawatts.
FPA 30(a)(3)(C)(iii).............  On or before August 9,             Y
                                    2013, the facility is
                                    not licensed, or
                                    exempted from the
                                    licensing requirements
                                    of Part I of the FPA.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Preliminary Determination: The proposed M5E Pressure Reducing 
Station Hydroelectric Project will not alter the primary purpose of the 
conduit, which is to supply potable water to the City of Palmdale and 
surrounding areas. 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

[[Page 43577]]

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 (2019).
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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, Maryland 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., CD20-7) 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: July 13, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-15484 Filed 7-16-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P