Notice2025-22729
Indiana Michigan Power Company; Notice of Intent To File License Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document (Pad), Commencement of Pre-Filing Process and Scoping, Request for Comments on the Pad and Scoping Document, and Identification of Issues and Associated Study Requests
Primary source
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Published
December 15, 2025
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 238 (Monday, December 15, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 238 (Monday, December 15, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57993-57994]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-22729]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2651-059]
Indiana Michigan Power Company; Notice of Intent To File License
Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document (Pad), Commencement of
Pre-Filing Process and Scoping, Request for Comments on the Pad and
Scoping Document, and Identification of Issues and Associated Study
Requests
a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application for
a New License and Commencing Pre-filing Licensing Process.
b. Project No.: 2651-059.
c. Dated Filed: October 10, 2025.
d. Submitted By: Indiana Michigan Power Company (I&M).
e. Name of Project: Elkhart Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location: The project is located on the St. Joseph River in the
City of Elkhart, Elkhart County, Indiana.
g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of the Commission's
regulations.
h. Potential Applicant Contact: Mr. Dave Lucas, VP Generation
Transformation, Strategy, and Growth, Indiana Michigan Power Company, 1
Riverside Plaza, Columbus, OH 43215; (614) 716-2240 or email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#13797e7e7274727f60787a537276633d707c7e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="375d5a5a5650565b445c5e775652471954585a">[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#2e64415d465b4f006a5b4c6e686b7c6d00494158"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="87cde8f4eff2e6a9c3f2e5c7c1c2d5c4a9e0e8f1">[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 o 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. With this notice, we are initiating informal consultation with:
(a) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration--Fisheries under section 7 of the Endangered
Species Act and the joint agency regulations thereunder at 50 CFR, Part
402; and (b) the Indiana State Historic Preservation Officer, as
required by section 106, National Historic Preservation Act, and the
implementing regulations of the Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation at 36 CFR 800.2.
l. With this notice, we are designating I&M as the Commission's
non-federal representative for carrying out informal consultation
pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and section 106 of
the National Historic Preservation Act.
m. I&M filed with the Commission a Pre-Application Document (PAD),
including a proposed process plan and schedule, pursuant to 18 CFR 5.6
of the Commission's regulations.
n. A copy of the PAD is available for review on the Commission's
website (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a>), using the ``eLibrary'' link. Enter the
docket number, excluding the last three digits of the sub-docket in the
docket number field to access the document. For assistance, contact
FERC Online Support at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#11575443525e7f7d787f74426461617e636551777463723f767e67"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5b1d1e091814353732353e082e2b2b34292f1b3d3e2938753c342d">[email protected]</span></a>, (866) 208-3676 (toll
free), or (202) 502-8659 (TTY). A copy is also available via the
contact in paragraph h.
You may 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.
For public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as
interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, contact the Office
of Public Participation at (202) 502-6595 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d59a858595b3b0a7b6fbb2baa3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="94dbc4c4d4f2f1e6f7baf3fbe2">[email protected]</span></a>.
o. With this notice, we are soliciting comments on the PAD and
Commission staff's Scoping Document 1 (SD1), as well as study requests.
All comments on the PAD and SD1, and study requests
[[Page 57994]]
should be sent to the address above in paragraph h. In addition, all
comments on the PAD and SD1, study requests, requests for cooperating
agency status, and all communications to and from Commission staff
related to the merits of the potential application must be filed with
the Commission.
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file
documents 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 10,000 characters, without prior registration, using the
eComment system at <a href="https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx">https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx</a>. You
must include your name and contact information at the end of your
comments. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support. 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, Maryland 20852.
All filings must clearly identify the project name and docket number on
the first page: Elkhart Hydroelectric Project (P-2651-059).
All filings with the Commission must bear the appropriate heading:
``Comments on Pre-Application Document,'' ``Study Requests,''
``Comments on Scoping Document 1,'' ``Request for Cooperating Agency
Status,'' or ``Communications to and from Commission Staff.'' Any
individual or entity interested in submitting study requests,
commenting on the PAD or SD1, and any agency requesting cooperating
status must do so by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, February 9, 2026.
Scoping Process
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA),
Commission staff will prepare either an environmental assessment (EA)
or an environmental impact statement (EIS) (collectively referred to as
the ``NEPA document''). The NEPA document will consider both site-
specific and cumulative environmental effects, if any, of the proposed
action and reasonable alternatives to the proposed action. The
Commission's scoping process will help determine the required level of
analysis and satisfy the NEPA scoping requirements, irrespective of
whether the Commission prepares an EA or EIS.
Scoping Meetings
Commission staff will hold two scoping meetings for the project to
receive input on the scope of the NEPA document. A daytime meeting will
focus on concerns of resource agencies, Tribes, and non-governmental
organizations (NGO); and an evening meeting will focus on input from
the public. We invite all interested agencies, Tribes, NGOs, and the
public to attend one or both meetings to assist staff in identifying
the scope of environmental issues that should be analyzed in the NEPA
document. The dates and times of the scoping meetings are listed below.
Daytime Scoping Meeting
Date: Thursday, January 8, 2026.
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Location: Matterhorn Conference Center, 2041 Cassopolis Street,
Elkhart, IN 46514.
Evening Scoping Meeting
Date: Thursday, January 8, 2026.
Time: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Location: Matterhorn Conference Center, 2041 Cassopolis Street,
Elkhart, IN 46514.
Copies of SD1, outlining the subject areas to be addressed in the
environmental document, were mailed to the individuals and entities on
the Commission's mailing list. Copies of SD1 may be viewed on the web
at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a>, using the ``eLibrary'' link. Follow the
directions for accessing information in paragraph n. Based on all oral
and written comments, a Scoping Document 2 (SD2) may be issued. SD2 may
include a revised process plan and schedule, as well as a list of
issues, identified through the scoping process.
Site Visit
A site visit of the project will be conducted at 330 Johnson
Street, Elkhart, IN 46516, on Thursday, January 8, 2026, from 8:30 a.m.
to 10:30 a.m.
All interested individuals, agencies, Tribes, and NGOs are invited
to attend. Participants should meet at 8:30 a.m. at 330 Johnson Street,
Elkhart, IN 46516. Please contact Justine Penix at (574) 236-1682 or
via email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4d273d282324350d2c283d632e2220"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1e746e7b7077665e7f7b6e307d7173">[email protected]</span></a> on or before December 22, 2025, if you plan
to attend and indicate how many participants will be attending with
you.
Meeting Procedures
Agencies, Tribes, NGOs, and individuals with environmental
expertise and concerns are encouraged to attend the meetings and to
assist the staff in defining and clarifying the issues to be addressed
in the NEPA document. At the start of each meeting, Commission staff
will provide a brief overview of the meeting format and objectives.
Individual oral comments will be taken on a one-on-one basis with a
court reporter (with Commission staff present). This format is designed
to receive the maximum number of oral comments in a convenient way
during the timeframe allotted. If you wish to speak, Commission staff
will hand out numbers in the order of your arrival. If all individuals
who wish to provide comments have had an opportunity to do so,
Commission staff may conclude the meeting a half hour earlier than the
scheduled time. Please see appendix C of the SD1 for additional
information on the session format and conduct.
Scoping comments will be recorded by the court reporter and become
part of the public record for this proceeding. Transcripts will be
publicly available on FERC's eLibrary system. If a significant number
of people are interested in providing oral comments in the one-on-one
settings, a time limit may be implemented for each commentor.
It is important to note that the Commission provides equal
consideration to all comments received, whether filed in writing or
provided orally at a scoping session. Although there will not be a
formal presentation, Commission staff will be available throughout the
scoping meeting(s) to answer your questions about the environmental
review process. Representatives from I&M will also be present to answer
project-specific questions.
(Authority: 18 CFR 2.1)
Dated: December 9, 2025.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2025-22729 Filed 12-12-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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