Notice2025-05310

3R Valve; Notice of Preliminary Determination of a Qualifying Conduit Hydropower Facility and Soliciting Comments and Motions To Intervene

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Published
March 28, 2025

Issuing agencies

Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 59 (Friday, March 28, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 59 (Friday, March 28, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14134-14135]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-05310]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CD25-3-000]


3R Valve; Notice of Preliminary Determination of a Qualifying 
Conduit Hydropower Facility and Soliciting Comments and Motions To 
Intervene

    On March 17, 2025, 3R Valve filed a notice of intent to construct a 
qualifying conduit hydropower facility, pursuant to section 30 of the 
Federal Power Act (FPA). The proposed Aquifer Pumped Hydro Project 
would have an installed capacity of 50 kilowatts (kW) and would be 
located at the Willow Springs Water Bank, also know as Antelope Valley 
Water Storage, near Rosamond, Kern County, California.
    Applicant Contact: Lon W. House, Water and Energy Consulting, 10645 
N Oracle Rd., Ste. 121-216, Oro Valley, AZ 85704, 530-409-9702, 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#dbb7b4b5acb3b4aea8be9bbcb6bab2b7f5b8b4b6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8be7e4e5fce3e4fef8eecbece6eae2e7a5e8e4e6">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.
    FERC Contact: Christopher Chaney, 202-502-6778, 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0c6f647e657f78637c64697e226f646d6269754c6a697e6f226b637a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="593a312b302a2d3629313c2b773a3138373c20193f3c2b3a773e362f">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.
    Qualifying Conduit Hydropower Facility Description: The project 
would consist of: (1) one pump as turbine generating unit with a 
capacity of 50 kW and (2) appurtenant facilities. The proposed project 
would have an estimated annual generation of approximately 14.2 
megawatt-hours.
    A qualifying conduit hydropower facility is one that is determined 
or deemed to meet all the criteria shown in the table below.

      Table 1--Criteria for Qualifying Conduit Hydropower Facility
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                          Satisfies  (Y/
      Statutory provision              Description              N)
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FPA 30(a)(3)(A)................  The conduit the                      Y
                                  facility uses is a
                                  tunnel, canal,
                                  pipeline, aqueduct,
                                  flume, ditch, or
                                  similar manmade water
                                  conveyance that is
                                  operated for the
                                  distribution of water
                                  for agricultural,
                                  municipal, or
                                  industrial
                                  consumption and not
                                  primarily for the
                                  generation of
                                  electricity.
FPA 30(a)(3)(C)(i).............  The facility is                      Y
                                  constructed,
                                  operated, or
                                  maintained for the
                                  generation of
                                  electric power and
                                  uses for such
                                  generation only the
                                  hydroelectric
                                  potential of a non-
                                  federally owned
                                  conduit.
FPA 30(a)(3)(C)(ii)............  The facility has an                  Y
                                  installed capacity
                                  that does not exceed
                                  40 megawatts.
FPA 30(a)(3)(C)(iii)...........  On or before August 9,               Y
                                  2013, the facility is
                                  not licensed, or
                                  exempted from the
                                  licensing
                                  requirements of Part
                                  I of the FPA.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 14135]]

    Preliminary Determination: The proposed Aquifer Pumped Hydro 
Project will not alter the primary purpose of the conduit, which is for 
agricultural and municipal use. Therefore, based upon the above 
criteria, Commission staff preliminarily determines that the operation 
of the project described above satisfies the requirements for a 
qualifying conduit hydropower facility, which is not required to be 
licensed or exempted from licensing.
    Comments and Motions to Intervene: Deadline for filing comments 
contesting whether the facility meets the qualifying criteria is 30 
days from the issuance date of this notice. Deadline for filing motions 
to intervene is 30 days from the issuance date of this notice. Anyone 
may submit comments or a motion to intervene in accordance with the 
requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR 385.210 and 
385.214. Any motions to intervene must be received on or before the 
specified deadline date for the particular proceeding.
    Filing and Service of Responsive Documents: All filings must (1) 
bear in all capital letters the ``COMMENTS,'' ``COMMENTS CONTESTING 
QUALIFICATION FOR A CONDUIT HYDROPOWER FACILITY,'' or ``MOTION TO 
INTERVENE,'' as applicable; (2) state in the heading the name of the 
applicant and the project number of the application to which the filing 
responds; (3) state the name, address, and telephone number of the 
person filing; and (4) otherwise comply with the requirements of 
sections 385.2001 through 385.2005 of the Commission's regulations.\1\ 
All comments contesting Commission staff's preliminary determination 
that the facility meets the qualifying criteria must set forth their 
evidentiary basis.
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    \1\ 18 CFR 385.2001-2005 (2024).
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    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 comments or 
motions to intervene, the public is encouraged to contact OPP at (202) 
502-6595 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#26697676664043544508414950"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="49061919092f2c3b2a672e263f">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
motions to intervene and comments using the Commission's eFiling system 
at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp">http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp</a>. Commenters can submit 
brief comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, 
using the eComment system at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp">http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp</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#f6b0b3a4b5b9989a9f9893a5838686998482b690938495d8919980"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d69093849599b8babfb8b385a3a6a6b9a4a296b0b3a4b5f8b1b9a0">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>, (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or 
(202) 502-8659 (TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, you may send 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. A copy of all other filings 
in reference to this application must be accompanied by proof of 
service on all persons listed in the service list prepared by the 
Commission in this proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 385.2010.
    Locations of Notice of Intent: The Commission provides all 
interested persons an opportunity to view and/or print the contents of 
this document via the internet through the Commission's website at 
<a href="http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp">http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp</a>. Enter the docket number 
(i.e., CD25-3) in the docket number field to access the document. 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. Copies of the notice of 
intent can be obtained directly from the applicant. For assistance, 
call toll-free 1-866-208-3676 or email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#094f4c5b4a46676560676c5a7c7979667b7d496f6c7b6a276e667f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c98f8c9b8a86a7a5a0a7ac9abcb9b9a6bbbd89afacbbaae7aea6bf">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>. For 
TTY, call (202) 502-8659.

    Dated: March 21, 2025.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2025-05310 Filed 3-27-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


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Indexed from Federal Register on March 28, 2025.

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