Notice2026-00982
Brown Bear II Hydro, Inc.; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready for Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, Preliminary Terms and Conditions, and Preliminary Fishway Prescriptions
Primary source
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Published
January 20, 2026
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 12 (Tuesday, January 20, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 12 (Tuesday, January 20, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2342-2343]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-00982]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 3428-205]
Brown Bear II Hydro, Inc.; Notice of Application Accepted for
Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready for
Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations,
Preliminary Terms and Conditions, and Preliminary Fishway 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 Major License.
b. Project No.: 3428-205.
c. Date Filed: November 29, 2023.
d. Applicant: Brown Bear II Hydro, Inc. (Brown Bear Hydro).
e. Name of Project: Worumbo Hydroelectric Project (Worumbo
Project).
f. Location: On the Androscoggin River in Androscoggin County,
Maine.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Mr. David Fox, Senior Director, Regulatory
Affairs, Brown Bear II Hydro, Inc. c/o Eagle Creek Renewable Energy,
7315 Wisconsin Avenue Suite 1100W, Bethesda MD 20814; telephone at
(201) 306-5616, or email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#335752455a571d555c4b735652545f56504156565841561d505c5e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e68287908f82c880899ea68387818a83859483838d9483c885898b">[email protected]</span></a>.
i. FERC Contact: Jody Callihan at (202) 502-8278 or email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d2b8bdb6abfcb1b3bebebbbab3bc92b4b7a0b1fcb5bda4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="deb4b1baa7f0bdbfb2b2b7b6bfb09eb8bbacbdf0b9b1a8">[email protected]</span></a>.
j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments,
recommendations, preliminary terms and conditions, and preliminary
fishway prescriptions: on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on March 16,
2026; reply comments are due on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on
April 29, 2026.
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file
motions to intervene and protests, comments, recommendations,
preliminary terms and conditions, and preliminary fishway 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 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>. For assistance, please
contact FERC Online Support at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#367073647579585a5f585365434646594442765053445518515940"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="581e1d0a1b17363431363d0b2d2828372a2c183e3d2a3b763f372e">[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, Maryland 20852.
All filings must clearly identify the project name and docket number on
the first page: Worumbo Hydroelectric Project (P-3428-205).
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. The Worumbo Project consists of the following existing
facilities: (1) an 870-foot-long concrete gravity dam consisting of a
116-foot-long gated spillway containing four 18-foot-wide and 26-foot-
high vertical lift gates, and three flashboard spillway sections
including (from north to south along the dam): a 233-foot-long ogee
spillway topped by 38 2-foot-high hinged steel flashboard panels with a
top elevation of 99 feet National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929
(NGVD29) that are designed to fail when the pond elevation reaches 101
feet NGVD29, a 167-foot-long concrete gravity section with 11 Obermeyer
air bags controlling 11 2.25-foot-high steel flashboard panels with a
top elevation of 99 feet NGVD29 that are designed to deflate and lower
when the pond elevation reaches 100.44 feet NGVD29, and a 349-foot-long
concrete gravity section with Obermeyer pneumatic flashboards designed
to deflate when the pond elevation reaches 100 feet NGVD29; (2) an
impoundment with a gross storage capacity of 2,000 acre-feet and a
surface area of 240 acres at the normal full-pond elevation of 98.5
feet NGVD29; (3) a 337-foot-long concrete retaining wall with a top
elevation of 108 feet NGVD29 leading to the intake structure; (4) a
concrete intake structure integral with the powerhouse, containing two
vertical slide gates each 33 feet wide and 40 feet high, which are
normally fully open and protected by trash racks; (5) a 105-foot-wide,
145-foot-long reinforced concrete powerhouse containing two Kaplan bulb
turbine-generator units with a total generating capacity of 19.4
megawatts; (6) an approximately 30-foot-high vertical fish-lift, four
vertical attraction pumps, an 8-foot-long and 8-foot-wide hopper lift
tank, and a viewing room; (7) an upstream eel passage system consisting
of two 2-foot-wide, 7-foot-long bristled ramps, and an eel trap; (8) a
downstream fish passage system consisting of three entry way gates with
trash racks, a 36-inch-diameter downstream passage pipe, and a 30-foot-
wide, 20-foot-long, 10-foot-deep plunge pool; (9) an 850-foot-long,
approximately 80-foot-wide, tailrace
[[Page 2343]]
excavated from the downstream powerhouse wall to the State Route 125
bridge, flanked by a 200-foot-long concrete retaining wall on the north
side and a 230-foot-long concrete training wall on the south side; (10)
a 3,540-foot-long, 34.5-kilovolt transmission line leading to the
Central Maine Power Company's Lisbon Falls substation; and (11)
appurtenant facilities. The project has an average annual generation
(from 2013 through 2023) of 87,203 megawatt-hours.
Formal project recreation facilities include a portage trail with a
take-out and put-in along the northern shoreline of the river. Lisbon
Falls Fishing Park, which contains a parking area and shoreline access
trail, is owned by Brown Bear Hydro; however, this facility is
currently within the project boundary of the downstream Pejepscot
Hydroelectric Project (FERC No. 4784). Brown Bear Hydro proposes to
assume the operation and maintenance responsibility of Lisbon Falls
Fishing Park, and requests the Commission modify the current project
boundary to include this facility.
Brown Bear Hydro proposes to continue operating the project in a
run-of-river mode by maintaining the project impoundment at a normal
maximum operating level of 98.5 feet NGVD29 (top of the Obermeyer
pneumatic flashboards) and providing seasonal minimum flows into the
bypassed reach to ensure sufficient downstream water depths for
migratory (diadromous) fishes, such as Atlantic salmon, American shad,
American eel, blueback herring, and alewife. Brown Bear Hydro proposes
continuing current operation of the fish passage facilities described
above. Specifically, the vertical fish lift would begin operating
within 24 hours of the opening of the Brunswick Hydroelectric Project's
(FERC No. 2284) upstream fishway or May 1, whichever comes earlier; the
vertical fish lift would be operated until November 15 of each year,
river conditions permitting. The downstream fish passage facilities
would be operated from April 1 through December 31 each year, as river
and ice conditions allow. Brown Bear Hydro proposes no new project
construction or operational changes at this time.
m. 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 (P-3428). For assistance, contact FERC
Online Support (see item j above).
You may also register online at <a href="https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview">https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview</a> to be notified via email of new filings and issuances related
to this or other pending projects. For assistance, 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,'' ``PRELIMINARY TERMS AND CONDITIONS,'' or
``PRELIMINARY FISHWAY 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.
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#aee1fefeeec8cbdccd80c9c1d8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="fdb2adadbd9b988f9ed39a928b">[email protected]</span></a>.
o. The applicant must file the following on or before 5:00 p.m.
Eastern Time on March 16, 2026: (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. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the
Commission on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on February 13, 2026.
(Authority: 18 CFR 2.1.)
Dated: January 14, 2026.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2026-00982 Filed 1-16-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on January 20, 2026.
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