Notice2021-27776
Notice of Availability of Final Engineering Guidelines for the Evaluation of Hydropower Projects: Chapter 15-Supporting Technical Information Document and Digital Project Archive
Primary source
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Published
December 23, 2021
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 244 (Thursday, December 23, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 244 (Thursday, December 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72948-72949]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-27776]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. AD20-20-000]
Notice of Availability of Final Engineering Guidelines for the
Evaluation of Hydropower Projects: Chapter 15--Supporting Technical
Information Document and Digital Project Archive
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) has prepared a final ``Chapter 15--Supporting Technical
Information Document and Digital Project Archive'' of its Engineering
Guidelines for the Evaluation of Hydropower Projects (Guidelines). This
chapter supersedes the portions of ``Chapter 14--Dam Safety Performance
Monitoring Program'' that pertain to the Supporting Technical
Information Document, and is one of four new chapters of the Guidelines
intended to provide additional guidance related to 18 CFR part 12,
Safety of Water Power Projects and Project Works, Docket No. RM20-9-
000, Order No 880, issued by the Commission on December 16, 2021.
On July 16, 2020, the Commission issued a Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking (NOPR) to revise its part 12 regulations. On the same day,
the Commission solicited public review and comment on four new draft
chapters of its Guidelines. Draft Chapter 15 was part of that issuance.
The Commission received ten comment letters in response to draft
Chapter 15. Most of the comments were submitted by licensees and
individuals through trade associations, including National Hydropower
Association, Dam Safety Interest Group of CEATI International, and U.S.
Society on Dams, as well as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Comments
were also received from individual licensees, corporations, and
individuals, including David L. Mathews, McMillen Jacobs Associates,
City of North Little Rock Electric, Alaska Electric Light and Power
Company, Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District, and
Copper Valley Electric Association.
In all, the ten comment letters consisted of approximately 105
discrete comments. The comments received were varied. Most comments
requested clarification of the information to include in the Supporting
Technical Information Document (STID), when STID updates should be
submitted, and how the information should be stored and filed.
Commenters asked the Commission to:
<bullet> Clarify the use of hyperlinks in the STID;
<bullet> Clarify when STID updates are to be submitted;
<bullet> Clarify the requirement for providing searchable
electronic documents from original hard copies;
<bullet> Consider adding the use of secured shared drives as a
storage option;
<bullet> Reconsider the need for a hard copy of the STID;
<bullet> Avoid the duplication of information included in the
Standard Operating Procedures section that is also included in other
sections of the STID;
<bullet> Provide additional guidance on the type of information and
reports to be included in each section of the engineering analyses; and
<bullet> Clarify the information to be included in the digital
references.
Commission staff has considered all comments in finalizing Chapter
15 of the Engineering Guidelines. Based on the comments received,
Chapter 15 has been revised to:
<bullet> Provide additional guidance on the types of information to
include in the digital references, now termed the Digital Project
Archive (DPA);
<bullet> Clarify how to file the DPA;
<bullet> Clarify the purpose of the STID and the DPA;
<bullet> Clarify the contents and format of the STID;
<bullet> Provide a file structure and organization for the DPA; and
<bullet> Clarify when updates of the STID and DPA should be
submitted.
All information related to ``Chapter 15--Supporting Technical
Information Document and Digital Project Archive,'' including the draft
chapter, all submitted comments, and the final chapter, can be found on
the FERC website (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a>) using the eLibrary link. Click on the
eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket number,
excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number field (i.e., AD20-
20). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. The
Commission also offers a free service called eSubscription which allows
you to keep track of all formal issuances and submittals in specific
dockets. This can reduce the amount of time you spend researching
proceedings by automatically providing you with electronic notification
of these filings and direct links to the documents. Go to the
Commission's website (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a>), select the FERC Online option from
the left-hand column, and click on eSubscription. Users must be
registered in order to use eSubscription.
The final version of Chapter 15 is also available on the
Commission's Division of Dam Safety and Inspections website at:
Engineering Guidelines for the Evaluation of Hydropower Projects [bond]
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (<a href="http://ferc.gov">ferc.gov</a>).
Information Collection Statement
Chapter 15 includes information collection activities for which the
Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3521, requires approval by the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The Commission has included the
burden and cost estimates for information collection activities related
to this chapter in the rulemaking document (Docket No. RM20-9-000,
Order No. 880. The Commission has
[[Page 72949]]
designated the information collection activities in the rule as FERC-
517. Upon final approval of FERC-517, OMB will assign an OMB Control
Number and expiration date.
Send written comments on FERC-517 to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) through <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>, Attention:
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Desk Officer. Please identify the
OMB control number (1902-TBD) in the subject line. Your comments should
be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice in the Federal
Register. OMB submissions must be formatted and filed in accordance
with submission guidelines at <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. Using
the search function under the ``Currently Under Review field,'' select
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; click ``submit'' and select
``comment'' to the right of the subject collection.
For assistance with any of the Commission's online systems, please
contact FERC Online Support at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bafcdfc8d9f5d4d6d3d4dfe9cfcacad5c8cefa86db9ad2c8dfdc87" http: ferc.gov">ferc.gov</a>">FercOnlineSupport@<a href="http://ferc.gov">ferc.gov</a></a> or toll free
at (866) 208-3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8258.
Dated: December 16, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-27776 Filed 12-22-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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