Notice2024-14671
Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready for Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, Preliminary Terms and Conditions, and Preliminary Fishway Prescriptions
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Published
July 3, 2024
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 128 (Wednesday, July 3, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 3, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55257-55259]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-14671]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 96-048]
Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Notice of Application Accepted
for Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready for
Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations,
Preliminary Terms and Conditions, and Preliminary Fishway Prescriptions
Take notice that the following license application has been filed
with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
a. Type of Application: New Major License.
b. Project No.: 96-048.
c. Date filed: November 24, 2020.
d. Applicant: Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E).
e. Name of Project: Kerckhoff Hydroelectric Project (Kerckhoff
Project).
f. Location: The existing project is located on the San Joaquin
River, in Fresno and Madera Counties, California. The project occupies
328.1 acres of Federal land administered by the United States Forest
Service and Bureau of Land Management.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Dave Gabbard, Vice President, Pacific
Generation Pacific Gas and Electric Company, 300 Lakeside Drive,
Oakland, CA 94612.
i. FERC Contact: Evan Williams, (202) 502-8462,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#680d1e0906461f0104040109051b280e0d1a0b460f071e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="533625323d7d243a3f3f3a323e2013353621307d343c25">[email protected]</span></a>.
j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments,
recommendations, preliminary terms and conditions, and preliminary
prescriptions: 60 days from the issuance date of this notice; reply
comments are due 105 days from the issuance date of this notice.
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file
motions to intervene, protests, comments, recommendations, preliminary
terms and conditions, and preliminary fishway prescriptions 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>. For assistance, please
contact FERC Online Support at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f2b4b7a0b1bd9c9e9b9c97a18782829d8086b294978091dc959d84"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="165053445559787a7f787345636666796462567073647538717960">[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: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Acting
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE,
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier
must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Acting Secretary, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland
20852. All filings must clearly identify the project name and docket
number on the first page: Kerckhoff Hydroelectric Project (P-96-048).
The Commission's Rules of Practice 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. This application has been accepted and is ready for
environmental analysis at this time.
l. The existing Kerckhoff Project consists of: (1) a 175-acre, 3-
mile-long impoundment at normal full pond elevation 985.0 feet; (2) a
114.5-foot-high, 507-foot-long concrete arch dam with a spillway crest
of 91 feet that includes: (a) fourteen 14.3-foot-high by 20-foot-wide
radial gates, and (b) three 72-inch-diameter low-level outlet pipes at
an elevation of 897.0 feet, with a maximum combined discharge capacity
of 3,900 cubic feet per second; (3) a 75-foot-long, 18-inch-diameter
instream flow pipe; (4) two powerhouse facilities (Kerckhoff 1 and
Kerckhoff 2); and (5) appurtenant facilities.
The Project's Kerckhoff 1 (K1) powerhouse and associated facilities
include: (1) a 73.3-foot-high, 29.5-foot by 26-foot-wide reinforced
concrete intake structure located in Kerckhoff Reservoir; (2) a 16,913-
foot-long, 17-foot-wide by 17-foot-high unlined tunnel; (3) two
approximately 120-foot-long, 20-foot in cross section adits; (4) one
approximately 507.5-foot-long, 16- to-18-foot in cross section adit;
(5) a 75-foot-high, unlined vertical shaft surge chamber with a 40-foot
maximum diameter lower section and 17-foot maximum diameter upper
section; (6) one 913-foot-long, 84-to- 96-inch-diameter steel penstock;
(7) one 946-foot-long, 84-to- 96-inch-diameter steel penstock; (8) an
approximately 45-foot-wide by 99-foot-long reinforced concrete
powerhouse containing three vertical reaction-type Francis turbine
units; and (9) appurtenant facilities. The project's K1 transmission
facilities include: (1) a switchyard located on a steep hillside
immediately behind the powerhouse; (2) two transformer banks consisting
of one, three-phase and seven, single-phase 6.6/115-kilovolt (kV)
transformers; and (3) three, 115-kV circuit breakers. Three sets of
non-project 115-kV transmission lines exit the switchyard.
K1 Powerhouse Unit No. 2 is not operational and was removed from
the current project license in 2013. K1 Powerhouse Units No. 1 and No.
3 are rated at 11.36 megawatts (MW) each for an authorized installed
capacity of 22.72 MW; however, both units have not operated since 2017.
The three adits were sealed with concrete walls about 200 feet from
their entrances, effectively eliminating access to the adits and to the
tunnel via the adits. K1 penstock No. 2 is no longer operational; it
was abandoned in place and removed from the current project license in
2013. PG&E permanently closed and sealed the main shutoff and bypass
valves at K1 penstock No. 2, removed an approximately 12-foot-long
section of the penstock immediately downstream of the shutoff valve,
removed exposed air valves and cap, and permanently closed the turbine
shutoff valve.
The project's Kerckhoff 2 (K2) powerhouse and associated facilities
include: (1) a 63-foot-high, 43-foot by 52-foot-wide reinforced
concrete intake structure located in Kerckhoff Reservoir; (2) a 21,632-
foot-long, 24-foot-diameter unlined tunnel; (3) an 8-foot-diameter adit
tunnel; (4) a 216.8-foot-high, vertical shaft surge chamber composed of
a 20-foot-diameter lower section, a
[[Page 55258]]
71-foot-diameter middle section, and a 110-foot-diameter upper section,
capped at the surface by a 34-foot-high, 111.5-foot-diameter above-
ground steel surge tank; (5) one approximately 1,013-foot-long penstock
composed of three sections: (a) a 481-foot-long, 20-foot-diameter
concrete-lined upper section; (b) a 338-foot-long, 18-foot-diameter
concrete-lined middle section; and (c) a 194-foot-long, 15-foot-
diameter steel-lined lower section; (6) an approximately 85-foot-
diameter, 124-foot-high three-floor (basement floor, turbine floor, and
generator floor) underground powerhouse chamber containing one vertical
shaft, Francis-type turbine rated at 140 MW; (7) an approximately 531-
foot-long, 25-foot-diameter concrete-lined discharge tunnel, with two
19-foot-high, 13-foot-wide gates; (8) a 40-foot-wide open tailrace
channel; and (9) appurtenant facilities. The project's K2 transmission
facilities include: (1) an approximately 152-foot-wide by 177-foot-long
switchyard located at ground level immediately above the underground
powerhouse; (2) a transformer; and (3) four, 115-kV circuit breakers.
Two sets of non-project 115-kV transmission lines exit the switchyard.
From 1984 to 2019, with both powerhouses in operation, average annual
generation was approximately 471,424 megawatt-hours.
PG&E operates the project for power generation, making use of
available flows from upstream hydroelectric projects. The project
operates in a run-of-river mode because of the project reservoir's
limited storage capacity. Water used by the project for power
generation is released back into the San Joaquin River and flows into
Millerton Lake, a United States Bureau of Reclamation facility, located
immediately downstream of the K2 Powerhouse.
The San Joaquin River basin upstream of the project is extensively
developed for hydroelectric power generation, which influences the
timing and magnitude of inflows into the project. Current operational
requirements include flow requirements to protect American shad and
water temperature requirements to protect smallmouth bass. PG&E is
required to discharge a minimum flow of 25 cubic feet per second (cfs)
downstream of Kerckhoff Dam during normal water years and a minimum
flow of 15 cfs during dry water years. Minimum flows are temporarily
modified in response to operating emergencies and for fishery
management purposes upon agreement between PG&E and the California
Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). Additional releases can be
determined necessary by CDFW to maintain stream temperatures and to
flush sediments in the streambed below Kerckhoff Dam. Kerckhoff
Reservoir has an estimated capacity of 2,434 acre-feet of usable
capacity at normal maximum water surface elevation and is generally
operated as a forebay with no seasonal targets, therefore maintaining
storage relatively constant at near full pool. Although, operational
limitations of the K2 Powerhouse result in an operational storage of
the reservoir of 692 acre-feet. PG&E has primarily operated the K1
Powerhouse only when the K2 Powerhouse is offline, at capacity, or
during the American shad spawning releases; although, the K1 Powerhouse
has not been operational since 2017. The K2 Powerhouse has a rough
operating zone that occurs during flows of approximately 1,750 cfs to
3,200 cfs that generate 45-92 MW. To manage the rough operating zone,
PG&E does not allow the unit to linger in the 45-92 MW range. Instead,
the K2 Powerhouse operates above or below the range, in order to avoid
damaging equipment. Further, the K2 Powerhouse cannot operate with
flows less than approximately 580 cfs.
PG&E proposes to modify the existing project boundary to encompass
all land and facilities necessary for operation and maintenance of the
project and remove land and facilities that are not necessary for
operation and maintenance of the project. PG&E proposes to decrease the
boundary around Kerckhoff Reservoir and Dam, Smalley Cove Recreation
Area and the adjacent dispersed day use area, the K1 and K2
developments, A.G. Wilson powerhouse that includes a non-project 12-
kilvolt line and telephone line, the fiber optics and 12-kV
distribution lines running from the K2 Switchyard to a non-project
substation, and Access Road 6. PG&E proposes to increase the boundary
to encompass the J-2 gage site and its associated facilities, the K2
Penstock Construction Access Tunnel Drainage Channel, the upstream
extent of Kerckhoff Reservoir at its normal maximum surface water
elevation, the proposed, currently-named Vista Day Use Area, the
proposed San Joaquin River above Kerckhoff Reservoir Inflow Gage, and
at various locations around project facilities to facilitate vegetation
management activities. With these proposed changes, the area of PG&E-
owned land within the project boundary will decrease to 125.6 acres,
and Federal lands will decrease to 227.6 acres. The area of private
lands encompassed by the project boundary will increase to 49.4 acres.
PG&E proposes to retire the K1 Powerhouse by making certain
facilities, including turbine-related facilities, Adits 1 and 2, surge
chamber, penstocks, and headworks, inoperable. However, PG&E proposes
to retain, as operable for ongoing project operation and maintenance,
the: (1) K1 intake structure, tunnel, and North Adit to continue
providing instream flow releases; (2) the K1 Powerhouse building for
operations support; and (3) the K1 switchyard because it is part of the
electric transmission system. PG&E does not propose modifications to
the project boundary to remove the K1 powerhouse or associated
facilities.
PG&E proposes to construct a new recreation day use area (currently
named the Vista Day Use Area) with a connecting trail to BLM's existing
San Joaquin River Trail.
PG&E proposes to install one new flow gage upstream of Kerckhoff
Reservoir and downstream of Southern California Edison's Big Creek No.
4 Powerhouse within 4 years of license issuance to measure San Joaquin
River flow data at the location and provide data publicly on the
internet.
PG&E proposes to upgrade two currently manually operated radial
gates on the Kerckhoff Dam to be automatically operated adding a remote
terminal unit to connect to the supervisory control and data
acquisition (or SCADA) system, which would include upgrading the
electronic communications, programming automatic control of the K2
Powerhouse, and calibrating the upgraded gates; and adding a generator
to provide backup power.
PG&E further proposes the following plans and measures to protect
and enhance environmental resources: (1) Proposed Retirement Plan for
Kerckhoff 1 Powerhouse and Associated Facilities; (2) American Shad
Spawning Season Flow Release Regime Measure; (3) Aquatic Resources
Plan; (4) Water Temperature Measure; (5) End-of-Spill Flow Recession
and Whitewater Flow Releases Measure; (6) Subsequent Spill Ramp Down
Measure; (7) Spill Season Flow Measure; (8) Planned Outage Measure; (9)
Flow Notifications Measure; (10) San Joaquin River above Kerckhoff
Reservoir Inflow Gage Measure; (11) Modification of Infrastructure and
Procedures Measure; (12) Wildlife Management Plan; (13) Vegetation
Management and Pest Control Plan; (14) Project Road and Trail
Maintenance Plan; (15) Recreation Management Plan; (16) Whitewater
Notification and Access Measure and (17) Historic Properties Management
Plan.
[[Page 55259]]
m. A copy of the application can be viewed on the Commission's
website at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a> using the ``eLibrary'' link. Enter the
docket number excluding the last three digits in the docket number
field to access the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online
Support at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d2949780919dbcbebbbcb781a7a2a2bda0a692b4b7a0b1fcb5bda4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8ec8cbdccdc1e0e2e7e0ebddfbfefee1fcfacee8ebfceda0e9e1f8">[email protected]</span></a> or call toll-free, (866) 208-3676
or (202) 502-8659 (TTY).
All filings must (1) bear in all capital letters the title
``COMMENTS'', ``REPLY COMMENTS'', ``RECOMMENDATIONS,'' ``TERMS AND
CONDITIONS,'' or ``PRESCRIPTIONS;'' (2) set forth in the heading the
name of the applicant and the project number of the application to
which the filing responds; (3) furnish the name, address, and telephone
number of the person submitting the filing; and (4) otherwise comply
with the requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005. All
comments, recommendations, terms and conditions or prescriptions must
set forth their evidentiary basis and otherwise comply with the
requirements of 18 CFR 4.34(b). Agencies may obtain copies of the
application directly from the applicant. Each filing must be
accompanied by proof of service on all persons listed on the service
list prepared by the Commission in this proceeding, in accordance with
18 CFR 4.34(b) and 385.2010.
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
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#1f504f4f5f797a6d7c31787069"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9fd0cfcfdff9faedfcb1f8f0e9">[email protected]</span></a>.
You may also register online 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, contact FERC
Online Support.
n. The applicant must file no later than 60 days following the date
of issuance of this notice either: (1) evidence of the date on which
the certifying agency received the certification request; (2) a copy of
the water quality certification; or (3) evidence of waiver of water
quality certification.
o. Procedural schedule: The application will be processed according
to the following schedule. Revisions to the schedule will be made as
appropriate.
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Milestone Target date
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Deadline for Filing Comments, August 2024.
Recommendations, and Agency Terms and
Conditions/Prescriptions.
Licensee's Reply to REA Comments........ October 2024.
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p. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.
Dated: June 27, 2024.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-14671 Filed 7-2-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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