Notice2025-02429
New England Hydropower Company, LLC; Notice of Application Tendered for Filing With the Commission and Soliciting Additional Study Requests and Establishing Procedural Schedule for Licensing
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Published
February 11, 2025
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 27 (Tuesday, February 11, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 27 (Tuesday, February 11, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9323-9324]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-02429]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 14634-008]
New England Hydropower Company, LLC; Notice of Application
Tendered for Filing With the Commission and Soliciting Additional Study
Requests and Establishing Procedural Schedule for Licensing
Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
a. Type of Application: Original Minor License.
b. Project No.: 14634-008.
c. Date Filed: January 21, 2025.
d. Applicant: New England Hydropower Company, LLC (NEHC).
e. Name of Project: Ashton Dam Hydroelectric Project (project).
f. Location: On the Blackstone River in Providence County, Rhode
Island.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Michael Kerr, New England Hydropower
Company, LLC, 100 Cummings Center, Suite 451C, Beverly, MA 01915; Phone
at (978) 360-2547, or email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#117c78727970747d517f74796875637e617e6674633f727e7c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="14797d777c757178547a717c6d70667b647b6371663a777b79">[email protected]</span></a>; or Carol
Wasserman, New England Hydropower Company, LLC, 100 Cummings Center,
Suite 451C, Beverly, MA 01915; Phone at (339) 293-3157, or email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#533032213c3f133d363b2a37213c232436217d303c3e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f59694879a99b59b909d8c91879a85829087db969a98">[email protected]</span></a>.
i. FERC Contact: John Baummer at (202) 502-6837, or
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2e44414640004c4f5b43434b5c6e484b5c4d00494158"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="660c090e08480407130b0b0314260003140548010910">[email protected]</span></a>.
j. Cooperating Agencies: Federal, State, local, and Tribal agencies
with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to
environmental issues that wish to cooperate in the preparation of the
environmental document should follow the instructions for filing such
requests described in item l below. Cooperating agencies should note
the Commission's policy that agencies that cooperate in the preparation
of the environmental document cannot also intervene. See, 94 FERC ]
61,076 (2001).
k. Pursuant to section 4.32(b)(7) of 18 CFR of the Commission's
regulations, if any resource agency, Indian Tribe, or person believes
that an additional scientific study should be conducted in order to
form an adequate factual basis for a complete analysis of the
application on its merit, the resource agency, Indian Tribe, or person
must file a request for a study with the Commission not later than 60
days from the date of filing of the application, and serve a copy of
the request on the applicant.
l. Deadline for filing additional study requests and requests for
cooperating agency status: March 22, 2025.
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file
additional study requests and requests for cooperating agency status
using the Commission's eFiling system at <a href="https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp">https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp</a>. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support
at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#32747760717d5c5e5b5c57614742425d404672545740511c555d44"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="22646770616d4c4e4b4c47715752524d505662444750410c454d54">[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, 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, 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: Ashton Dam
Hydroelectric Project (P-14634-008).
m. The application is not ready for environmental analysis at this
time.
n. The proposed Ashton Dam Hydroelectric Project would consist of:
(1) an existing stone masonry gravity dam that includes: (a) a western
abutment section; (b) a 203-foot-long western spillway section with a
crest elevation of 73.6 feet North American Vertical Datum of 1988
(NAVD 88); (c) an 18-foot-long stone masonry pier that includes two 4-
foot-wide, 8-foot-high existing openings that would be modified to
close the openings; (d) an existing 54-foot-long eastern spillway
section that would be replaced with a new 54-foot-long concrete section
that includes: (i) two new 19.8-foot-wide, horizontal steel trashracks
sloped at 8 degrees to inflow with 0.5-inch clear bar spacing; (ii) two
new 19.7-foot-wide, 60.8-foot-long concrete penstocks, and (iii) four
new hinged, adjustable Obermeyer metal crest gates installed on top of
the new concrete structure with a crest elevation of 73.6 feet NAVD 88;
and (e) an eastern abutment section; (2) an existing impoundment with a
surface area of 35 acres at an elevation of 73.6 feet NAVD 88; (3) four
new submersible StreamDiver Kaplan turbine-generator units (three 224-
kilowatt [kW] and one 121-kW generators) located in the openings of the
new concrete structure, with a total installed capacity of 793 kW; (4)
a new 15.4-foot-long, 8.6-foot-high draft tube and a new 16.9-foot-
long, 6.7-foot-high draft tube; (5) a new 60-foot-long, 41-foot-wide
concrete tailrace and an approximately 30- to 45-foot-long, 44.3-foot-
wide concrete apron; (6) a new 35-foot-long, 16-foot-wide control
building located on the eastern shoreline of the Blackstone River; (7)
a new 1,000 kilo-volt-amperes step-up transformer located on a new 6-
foot-long, 5.3-foot-wide concrete pad; (8) a new 1,410-foot-long
transmission line consisting of an 820-foot-long underground segment
and a 590-foot-long overhead segment connecting the project to the
distribution system owned by the Rhode Island Energy; (9) a new access
road and parking area; and (10) appurtenant facilities.
In addition to the new facilities listed above, NEHC proposes to:
(1) operate the project in a run-of-river mode with an estimated annual
energy production of approximately 3,100 megawatt-hours; (2) release a
continuous minimum flow of 100 cubic feet per second or inflow
whichever is less, over the western spillway; (3) install a downstream
fish passage facility between the crest gates on top of the new
concrete structure; (4) install an upstream eel passage facility at the
project dam; (5) develop an erosion control plan; (6) implement Best
Management Practices to control erosion and sedimentation during
construction; (7) develop a contaminated sediment management and
disposal plan; (8) monitor water quality post construction; (9) restore
and improve an existing canoe portage upstream and downstream of the
dam; (10) develop an invasive species management plan; (11) develop an
historic properties management plan; (12) install interpretive historic
signage for educational purposes at the project; and (13) develop a
project operation and maintenance plan.
o. Copies of the application may 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
docket number excluding the last three digits in the docket number
field to access the
[[Page 9324]]
document (P-14634). For assistance, contact FERC Online Support at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1d5b584f5e5273717473784e686d6d726f695d7b786f7e337a726b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="eaacafb8a9a5848683848fb99f9a9a85989eaa8c8f9889c48d859c">[email protected]</span></a> or call tollfree, (866) 208-3676 or (202)
502-8659 (TTY).
You may also register online at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp">http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp</a> to be notified via email of new filings and issuances
related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, 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,
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#b3fce3e3f3d5d6c1d09dd4dcc5"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a6e9f6f6e6c0c3d4c588c1c9d0">[email protected]</span></a>.
p. Procedural Schedule: The application will be processed according
to the following preliminary schedule. Revisions to the schedule will
be made as appropriate.
Milestone--Target Date
Issue Deficiency Letter (if necessary)--March 2025
Request Additional Information--March 2025
Issue Acceptance Letter--July 2025
Issue Scoping Document 1 for comments--July 2025
Request Additional Information (if necessary)--August 2025
Issue Scoping Document 2--October 2025
Issue Notice of Ready for Environmental Analysis--October 2025
Dated: February 4, 2025.
Debbie Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2025-02429 Filed 2-10-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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