Notice2023-25529
Northern States Power Corporation; Notice Soliciting Scoping Comments
Primary source
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Published
November 20, 2023
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 222 (Monday, November 20, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 222 (Monday, November 20, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80713-80714]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-25529]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2444-042]
Northern States Power Corporation; Notice Soliciting Scoping
Comments
Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
a. Type of Application: Subsequent Minor License.
b. Project No.: 2444-042.
c. Date Filed: July 21, 2023.
d. Applicant: Northern States Power Company.
e. Name of Project: White River Hydroelectric Project (project).
f. Location: On the White River in Ashland and Bayfield Counties,
Wisconsin.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Matthew Miller, Environmental Analyst,
Northern States Power Company--Wisconsin, 1414 W Hamilton Avenue, P.O.
Box 8, Eau Claire, WI 54702; Phone at (715) 737-1353, or email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a5c8c4d1d1cdc0d28bcf8bc8ccc9c9c0d7e5ddc6c0c9c0cbc0d7c2dc8bc6cac8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4c212d383824293b62266221252020293e0c342f29202922293e2b35622f2321">[email protected]</span></a>.
i. FERC Contact: Taconya D. Goar at (202) 502-8394, or
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bbefdad8d4d5c2da95fcd4dac9fbdddec9d895dcd4cd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bce8dddfd3d2c5dd92fbd3ddcefcdad9cedf92dbd3ca">[email protected]</span></a>.
j. Deadline for Filing Scoping Comments: December 13, 2023.
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file
scoping comments using the Commission's eFiling system at <a href="https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx">https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx</a>. Commenters can submit brief
comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, using the
eComment system at <a href="https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx">https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx</a>. You
must include your name and contact information at the end of your
comments. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1b5d5e495854757772757e486e6b6b74696f5b7d7e6978357c746d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2a6c6f786965444643444f795f5a5a45585e6a4c4f5849044d455c">[email protected]</span></a>, (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-
8659 (TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, you may submit 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. All filings must clearly identify the project name and docket
number on the first page: White River Hydroelectric Project P-2444-042.
The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure require all
intervenors filing documents with the Commission to serve a copy of
that document on each person on the official service list for the
project. Further, if an intervenor files comments or documents with the
Commission relating to the merits of an issue that may affect the
responsibilities of a particular resource agency, they must also serve
a copy of the document on that resource agency.
k. The application is not ready for environmental analysis at this
time.
l. Project Description: The White River Project includes an earthen
and concrete dam that includes: (1) a 400-foot-long north earthen
embankment; (2) a concrete section that includes: (a) a north abutment;
(b) a 20-foot-long intake structure equipped with a trashrack; (c) a
35-foot-high spillway with two 25-foot-long bays that each contain a
Tainter gate; and (d) a south abutment; and (3) a 300-foot-long south
earthen embankment. The dam creates an impoundment that has a surface
area of 39.9 acres at a normal elevation of 711.6 feet National
Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29). From the impoundment, water
flows through the intake structure to a 1,345-foot-long concrete pipe
that conveys water to a steel surge tank and two 30-foot-long steel
penstocks. The penstocks provide water to a 700-kilowatt (kW) turbine-
generator and a 500-kW turbine-generator located in a powerhouse, for a
total installed capacity of 1,200 kW. Water is discharged from the
turbines to the White River. Electricity generated at the project is
transmitted to the electric grid via a 220-foot-long, 2.4-kilovolt (kV)
transmission line and a 2.4/69-kV step-up transformer. The average
annual energy production of the White River Project from 2017 through
2022 was 4,927 megawatt-hours.
Project recreation facilities include: (1) a boat access site and
canoe portage take-out site at the north embankment of the dam; (2) an
approximately 2,260-foot-long canoe portage trail; (3) a canoe put-in
site approximately 90 feet downstream of the powerhouse; and (4) a
tailrace fishing area.
The current license requires Northern States Power to operate in a
run-of-river mode and to maintain the impoundment at an elevation
between 710.4 and 711.6 feet NGVD 29. The license also a minimum
bypassed reach flow of 16 cubic feet per second (cfs) or inflow,
whichever is less.
Northern States Power does not propose to add any new project
facilities. However, Northern States Power proposes to decrease the
amount of land and water enclosed by the project boundary from 136.4 to
52.7 acres.
Northern States Power proposes to continue operating the project in
a run-of-river mode and maintaining the surface elevation of the
impoundment between 710.4 and 711.6 feet NGVD 29. Northern States Power
also proposes to: (1) continue releasing a minimum bypassed reach flow
of 16 cfs or inflow, whichever is less; (2) develop an operation
compliance monitoring plan; (3) conduct shoreline erosion surveys every
ten years; (4) develop an invasive species monitoring plan; (5) pass
woody debris from the impoundment to the bypassed reach; (6) replace
recreational signage; (7) maintain project recreation facilities; (8)
implement the State of Wisconsin's broad incidental take permits/
authorizations for Wisconsin cave bats and wood turtles; (9) avoid
vegetation management and construction activities within 660 feet of
bald eagle nests during the nesting season; and (10) develop a historic
properties management plan.
m. A copy of the application can be viewed on the Commission's
website at <a href="https://www.ferc.gov">https://www.ferc.gov</a> using the ``eLibrary'' link. Enter the
project's docket number excluding the last three digits in the docket
number field to access the document (P-2444). For assistance, contact
FERC Online Support.
You may also register at <a href="https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx">https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx</a> to be notified via email of new filings and issuances
related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, please
contact FERC Online Support.
The Commission's Office of Public Participation (OPP) supports
meaningful public engagement and participation in Commission
proceedings. OPP can help members of the public, including landowners,
environmental justice communities, Tribal members and others, access
publicly available information and navigate Commission processes. For
public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as
[[Page 80714]]
interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, the public is
encouraged to contact OPP at (202)502-6595 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#91dec1c1d1f7f4e3f2bff6fee7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="216e717161474453420f464e57">[email protected]</span></a>.
n. Scoping Process: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA), Commission staff will prepare either an environmental
assessment (EA) or an environmental impact statement (EIS)
(collectively referred to as the ``NEPA document'') that describes and
evaluates the probable effects, including an assessment of the site-
specific and cumulative effects, if any, of the proposed action and
alternatives. The Commission's scoping process will help determine the
required level of analysis and satisfy the NEPA scoping requirements,
irrespective of whether the Commission issues an EA or an EIS.
At this time, we do not anticipate holding on-site scoping
meetings. Instead, we are soliciting written comments and suggestions
on the preliminary list of issues and alternatives to be addressed in
the NEPA document, as described in scoping document 1 (SD1), issued
November 13, 2023.
Copies of the SD1 outlining the proposed project and subject areas
to be addressed in the NEPA document were distributed to the parties on
the Commission's mailing list and the applicant's distribution list.
Copies of SD1 may be viewed on the web at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a> using the
``eLibrary'' link (see item m above).
Dated: November 13, 2023.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-25529 Filed 11-17-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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