Notice2025-04560
Town of Stowe Electric Department; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing, Intent To Waive Scoping, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready for Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, and Terms and Conditions
Primary source
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Published
March 19, 2025
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 52 (Wednesday, March 19, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 52 (Wednesday, March 19, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12723-12724]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-04560]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 15366-000]
Town of Stowe Electric Department; Notice of Application Accepted
for Filing, Intent To Waive Scoping, Soliciting Motions To Intervene
and Protests, Ready for Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting
Comments, Recommendations, and Terms and Conditions
Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
a. Type of Application: Exemption from Licensing.
b. Project No.: 15366-000.
c. Date Filed: July 2, 2024.
d. Applicant: Town of Stowe Electric Department.
e. Name of Project: Smith's Falls Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location: On the Little River in the Town of Stowe, Lamoille
County, Vermont.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of
1978, 16 U.S.C. 2705, 2708, amended by the Hydropower Regulatory
Efficiency Act of 2013, Public Law 113-23, 127 Stat. 493 (2013).
h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Michael Lazorchak, Manager, Regulatory
Affairs, Town of Stowe Electric Department, P.O. Box 190, Stowe, VT
05672; telephone at (802) 253-7217; email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9cf1f0fde6f3eefff4fdf7dcefe8f3ebf9f9f0f9ffe8eef5ffb2fff3f1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="92fffef3e8fde0f1faf3f9d2e1e6fde5f7f7fef7f1e6e0fbf1bcf1fdff">[email protected]</span></a>.
i. FERC Contact: Joshua Dub, Project Coordinator, Great Lakes
Branch, Division of Hydropower Licensing; telephone at (202) 502-8138;
email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a7edc8d4cfd2c689e3d2c5e7e1e2f5e489c0c8d1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="652f0a160d10044b21100725232037264b020a13">[email protected]</span></a>.
j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments,
recommendations, and terms and conditions: 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 and protests, comments, recommendations, and terms
and conditions 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#eea8abbcada1808287808bbd9b9e9e819c9aae888b9c8dc0898198"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="175152455458797b7e797244626767786563577172657439707861">[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: Smith's Falls Hydroelectric
Project (P-15366-000).
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. This application has been accepted for filing and is now ready
for environmental analysis.
l. Project Description: The proposed project would consist of an
existing concrete dam that includes: (1) a new 10-foot-long south
abutment; (2) an existing spillway that would be modified to include:
(a) a 15-foot-long section with a new 2-foot-high concrete cap with a
crest elevation of 635.8 feet North American Vertical Datum of 1988
(NAVD 88); and (b) a 145-foot-long section with a new 2-foot-high
concrete cap and a new 3-foot-high inflatable rubber crest gate with a
maximum crest elevation of 635.8 feet NAVD 88; (3) a new 10-foot-long
non-overflow section with a 3-foot-long low-level outlet gate; (4) an
existing 27-foot-long non-overflow section formed by a mill building;
and (5) a new 24.9-foot-long intake structure with a 7-foot-long slide
gate and a 22.4-foot-long trashrack with 1-inch clear bar spacing, that
would replace an existing non-operational intake structure.
The existing spillway has a crest elevation of 634.5 to 635.9 feet
NAVD 88, except for an approximately 23.5-foot-long breached section
that has a crest elevation of 633.5 feet NAVD 88. The normal maximum
surface elevation of the existing impoundment is 634.4 feet NAVD 88 and
the surface area is 1.02 acres. The modified dam would create a 1.75-
acre impoundment at a proposed normal maximum surface elevation of
636.0 feet NAVD 88.
From the impoundment, water would flow through the new intake
structure into an approximately 105-foot-long concrete sluiceway that
includes an existing 56-foot-long section and two new sections totaling
approximately 49 feet in length. The sluiceway would convey water to a
new 150-kilowatt vertical Kaplan turbine-generator in a new 22-foot-
long, 15-foot-wide wood and steel powerhouse. Water would be discharged
from the powerhouse to a new 40-foot-long, 12-foot-wide tailrace, where
it would return to the Little River. The project would create an
approximately 170-foot-long bypassed reach of the Little River.
Electricity generated at the project would be transmitted to the
electric grid via a new underground 0.48-kilovolt (kV) generator lead
line and a new 0.48/12.47-kV step-up transformer.
The Town proposes to provide the following recreation facilities:
(1) a hand-carry boat access site on the shoreline of the impoundment;
(2) a hand-carry boat portage route around the dam; and (3) a hand-
carry boat and fishing access site on the riverbank downstream of the
tailrace.
The minimum and maximum hydraulic capacities of the powerhouse
would be 75 and 150 cubic feet per second (cfs), respectively. The
average annual energy production of the project would be approximately
410 megawatt-hours.
The proposed project boundary encompasses approximately 3.3 acres,
including: (1) a 1.75-acre impoundment; (2) 0.5 acre of land associated
with the project facilities described above; (3) 0.7 acre of land
adjacent to the shoreline of the impoundment; (4) 0.25 acre of land
adjacent to the northern bank of the Little River downstream of the
proposed tailrace; and (5) 0.1 acre of land associated with an existing
parking area located approximately 30 feet north of the project dam.
The Town proposes to: (1) operate the project in a run-of-river
mode and maintain the normal maximum surface elevation of the
impoundment at 636.0 feet NAVD 88; and (2) release a continuous minimum
flow of 15 cfs or inflow, whichever is less, over the rubber dam. The
Town also proposes measures to protect, mitigate, and/or enhance
geology and soils, aquatic resources, terrestrial resources, threatened
and endangered species, recreation and aesthetic resources, and
cultural resources.
m. Due to the existing dam and limited scope of the proposed
rehabilitation of the project site; the applicant's close coordination
with federal and state agencies during the preparation of the
application; and completed studies during pre-filing
[[Page 12724]]
consultation, we intend to waive scoping and expedite the exemption
process. Commission staff determined that the issues that need to be
addressed in the environmental document have been adequately identified
during the pre-filing period, which included a public meeting and site
visit, and no new issues are likely to be identified through additional
scoping. Staff's environmental document will evaluate the potential
effects of project construction and operation on geology and soils,
aquatic, terrestrial, threatened and endangered species, recreation,
land use, aesthetic, cultural, and developmental resources.
n. 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
docket number excluding the last three digits in the docket number
field to access the document. 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.
o. Anyone may submit comments, a protest, or a motion to intervene
in accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure,
18 CFR 385.210, .211, .214. In determining the appropriate action to
take, the Commission will consider all protests or other comments
filed, but only those who file a motion to intervene in accordance with
the Commission's Rules may become a party to the proceeding. Any
comments, protests, or motions to intervene must be received on or
before the specified comment date for the particular application.
p. Any qualified applicant desiring to file a competing application
must submit to the Commission, on or before the specified intervention
deadline date, a competing development application, or a notice of
intent to file such an application. Submission of a timely notice of
intent allows an interested person to file the competing development
application no later than 120 days after the specified intervention
deadline date. Applications for preliminary permits will not be
accepted in response to this notice.
A notice of intent must specify the exact name, business address,
and telephone number of the prospective applicant, and must include an
unequivocal statement of intent to submit a development application. A
notice of intent must be served on the applicant(s) named in this
public notice.
q. All filings must (1) bear in all capital letters the title
``PROTEST'', ``MOTION TO INTERVENE'', ``NOTICE OF INTENT TO FILE
COMPETING APPLICATION,'' ``COMPETING APPLICATION,'' ``COMMENTS,''
``REPLY COMMENTS,'' ``RECOMMENDATIONS,'' or ``TERMS AND CONDITIONS;''
(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 of the person submitting the filing; and (4) otherwise comply with
the requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005. All comments,
recommendations, or terms and conditions 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. A copy of any protest or motion to intervene must be
served upon each representative of the applicant specified in the
particular application. A copy of all other filings in reference to
this application 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,
community organizations, 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#ace3fcfceccac9decf82cbc3da"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="541b040414323126377a333b22">[email protected]</span></a>.
r. The applicant must file no later than 60 days following the date
of issuance of this notice: (1) a copy of the water quality
certification; (2) a copy of the request for certification, including
proof of the date on which the certifying agency received the request;
or (3) evidence of waiver of water quality certification.
s. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.
Dated: March 13, 2025.
Carlos D. Clay,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2025-04560 Filed 3-18-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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