Notice2025-17575
Village of Swanton, Vermont; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready for Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, Terms and Conditions, and Prescriptions
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 11, 2025
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 174 (Thursday, September 11, 2025)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 174 (Thursday, September 11, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44058-44060]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-17575]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2547-095]
Village of Swanton, Vermont; Notice of Application Accepted for
Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready for
Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, Terms
and Conditions, and Prescriptions
Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
a. Type of Application: New License.
b. Project No.: 2547-095.
c. Date Filed: April 29, 2022.
d. Applicant: Village of Swanton, Vermont (Village).
e. Name of Project: Highgate Falls Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location: On the Missisquoi River in Franklin County, Vermont.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Paul V. Nolan, Energy Consultant, 5515 17th
Street North, Arlington, VA 22205; telephone at (703) 534-5509; email
at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4434322a34322a202d322136042329252d286a272b29"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bacaccd4caccd4ded3ccdfc8faddd7dbd3d694d9d5d7">[email protected]</span></a>.
i. FERC Contact: Arash Barsari, Project Coordinator, Great Lakes
Branch, Division of Hydropower Licensing; telephone at (202) 502-6207;
email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6e2f1c0f1d0640240f020f02072c0f1c1d0f1c072e080b1c0d40090118"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="86c7f4e7f5eea8cce7eae7eaefc4e7f4f5e7f4efc6e0e3f4e5a8e1e9f0">[email protected]</span></a>.
j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene, protests, comments,
recommendations, terms, conditions, and prescriptions: November 7, 2025
by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Deadline for filing reply comments: December
22, 2025 by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file
motions to intervene, protests, comments, recommendations, terms,
conditions, and 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#a2e4e7f0e1edcccecbccc7f1d7d2d2cdd0d6e2c4c7d0c18cc5cdd4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a2e4e7f0e1edcccecbccc7f1d7d2d2cdd0d6e2c4c7d0c18cc5cdd4">[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
[[Page 44059]]
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: Highgate Falls Hydroelectric Project (P-2547-095).
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 project consists of a 496-foot-long,
45-foot-high dam that includes a 42-foot-long intake structure with
trashracks with 1.62-inch clear bar spacing and a 226-foot-long ogee
spillway with a 15-foot-high inflatable rubber crest gate with a
maximum crest elevation of 190.0-foot National Geodetic Vertical Datum
of 1929 (NGVD 29).
The dam creates an impoundment that has a surface area of 262 acres
at a normal maximum surface elevation of 190.0 feet NGVD 29. From the
impoundment, water flows through the intake structure to a conduit that
connects to a penstock. The penstock conveys water to a primary
powerhouse that contains two 1.0-megawatt (MW), one 2.8-MW, and one
6.0-MW vertical Francis turbine-generator units, for a total installed
capacity of 10.8 MW. Water is discharged from the primary powerhouse
directly to the Missisquoi River. The project creates an approximately
1,100-foot-long bypassed reach of the Missisquoi River.
From the impoundment, water also flows through the intake structure
to a penstock that conveys water to a secondary powerhouse that
contains a 0.572-MW crossflow turbine-generator unit. Water is
discharged from the secondary powerhouse to a receiving pool that
discharges to the Missisquoi River immediately downstream of the dam.
The project generators are connected to the regional electric grid
by generator lead lines and a 12.47/48-kV step-up transformer. There
are no project recreation facilities.
Based on the Commission staff's review of the Exhibit G maps and
georeferenced shapefiles, the Village proposes to modify the project
boundary as follows: (1) revise the project boundary around the
impoundment to follow a contour elevation of 190.0 feet NGVD 29, which
would result in the removal of approximately 111 acres from the current
project boundary; (2) remove approximately 2.2 acres of land adjacent
to the south bank of the bypassed reach; and (3) remove approximately
1.8 acres of land adjacent to the north bank of the bypassed reach.
The Village proposes to: (1) operate the project in run-of-river
mode with a 3-inch impoundment fluctuation between March 31 and June
15, and during periods when inflow is 400 cfs or less, instead of
between March 31 and June 1 under current operation; (2) operate the
project in a peaking mode from June 16 through March 30, with a maximum
impoundment drawdown of 24 inches, instead of 30 inches under current
operation; (3) refill the impoundment within 8 hours of each drawdown
for peaking operation; (4) continue to provide a minimum flow of 200
cfs or inflow, whichever is less, downstream of the primary powerhouse,
including the following minimum flows to the bypassed reach: 150 cfs
from April 1 through May 31, 70 cfs from June 1 through June 30, and 35
cfs from July 1 through March 31; (5) develop a freshwater mussel plan
for (a) relocating mussels during impoundment drawdowns and (b)
conducting mussel surveys for state-list species in the project area
every 5 years; (6) develop a plan for protecting horn-leaved riverweed
downstream of the Swanton Dam ledges, which are located approximately 7
miles downstream of the powerhouse; (7) provide aesthetic flows of 1 to
3 inches of spill over the dam during certain holidays; (8) improve an
existing parking area to accommodate 5 to 7 cars for recreation users;
(9) develop a plan to improve access for hand-carry water craft to the
impoundment and downstream of the project; (10) develop a historic
properties management plan to protect historic properties; (11) conduct
a post-licensing evaluation of the feasibility of using the existing
downstream Swanton Dam canal works for upstream fish passage; (12)
develop a recreational maintenance and enhancement plan; (13) install a
warning system to alert recreation users to increases in flow in the
bypassed reach and downstream of the powerhouse; and (14) install an
electric vehicle charging station for 5 vehicles.
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 (P-2547). For assistance, contact FERC
Online Support.
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, please
contact FERC Online Support.
n. 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, and .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.
All filings must (1) bear in all capital letters the title
``PROTEST,'' ``MOTION TO INTERVENE,'' ``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 protesting or
intervening; 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. 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
[[Page 44060]]
public is encouraged to contact OPP at (202) 502-6595 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#632c333323050611004d040c15"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4f001f1f0f292a3d2c61282039">[email protected]</span></a>.
o. The applicant must file on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on
November 7, 2025: (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.
p. Procedural Schedule: The application will be processed according
to the following schedule. Revisions to the schedule will be made as
appropriate.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Milestone Target date
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Filing of Motions to Intervene, November 2025.
Protests, Comments, Recommendations,
Terms, Conditions, and Prescriptions.
Filing of Reply Comments............... December 2025.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
q. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the
Commission on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on October 8, 2025.
Dated: September 8, 2025.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2025-17575 Filed 9-10-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 11, 2025.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.