Notice2026-02518
Green Mountain Power Corporation; 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
February 9, 2026
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 26 (Monday, February 9, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 26 (Monday, February 9, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5760-5761]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-02518]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2513-091]
Green Mountain Power Corporation; 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.: 2513-091.
c. Date Filed: February 28, 2023.
d. Applicant: Green Mountain Power Corporation (GMP).
e. Name of Project: Essex No. 19 Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location: On the Winooski River, in Chittenden County, Vermont.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Jason Lisai, General Operations, Green
Mountain Power, 163 Acorn Lane, Colchester, Vermont 05446; telephone at
(802) 655-8723; email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c58fa4b6aaabeb89acb6a4ac85a2b7a0a0aba8aab0abb1a4acabb5aab2a0b7eba6aaa8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="460c27352928680a2f35272f0621342323282b29332832272f2836293123346825292b">[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#ed87829e85988cc389988fad8b889f8ec38a829b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c1abaeb2a9b4a0efa5b4a381a7a4b3a2efa6aeb7">[email protected]</span></a>.
j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene, protests, comments,
recommendations, preliminary terms and conditions, and preliminary
fishway prescriptions: April 6, 2026, by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Deadline for filing reply comments: May 20, 2026, by 5:00 p.m. Eastern
Time.
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file
motions to intervene, 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#a9efecfbeae6c7c5c0c7ccfadcd9d9c6dbdde9cfccdbca87cec6df"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1d5b584f5e5273717473784e686d6d726f695d7b786f7e337a726b">[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: Essex 19 Hydroelectric Project (P-2513-091).
The Commission's Rules of Practice 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 existing project includes a 585.9-foot-long, 46-foot-high
dam with three spillways that each include a pneumatic crest gate. Two
of the crest gates have a maximum crest elevation of
[[Page 5761]]
275 feet National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29) and the
other crest gate has a maximum crest elevation of 274.9 feet NGVD 29.
The dam also includes an intake structure with stoplog gates and two
weir gates. The trashracks at the intake structure have 1-inch clear
bar spacing for the upper 14.5 feet and 2-inch clear bar spacing for
the lower 16.8 feet. The dam creates an impoundment that has a water
surface area of approximately 268 acres at an elevation of 275 feet
NGVD 29. From the impoundment, water flows through the intake structure
to six penstocks that convey water to a powerhouse that includes four
1,800-kilowatt (kW) horizontal Francis turbine-generator units and a
850-kW double Francis turbine-generator unit. From the powerhouse,
water flows to a tailrace that discharges into the Winooski River.
Water also flows through a downstream fishway to a plunge pool located
in an approximately 900-foot-long bypassed reach. The project
generators are connected to the regional electric grid by two
transformers and three transmission lines.
Project recreation facilities include: (1) Overlook Park with
parking, picnic tables, trash cans, restrooms, and an access trail to
the bypassed reach; (2) an impoundment access site with parking and an
access trail to the impoundment; (3) a powerhouse access site with
parking and an access trail from the powerhouse to the Winooski River;
and (4) a portage trail extending from the powerhouse access site to
the impoundment access site.
GMP proposes to: (1) continue to operate the project in a run-of-
river mode and maintain the surface elevation of the impoundment at
274.7 feet NGVD 29; (2) continue to release a minimum flow of 50 cubic
feet per second (cfs) or inflow, whichever is less, to the bypassed
reach; (3) continue to release 100 cfs through the downstream fishway
from April 15 through June 30, and from September 15 through December
15; (4) provide upstream fish passage around the project and the
downstream Chace Mill Hydroelectric Project No. 2756 (Chace Mill) by
sharing operation and maintenance costs of the trap and truck facility
(estimated at $15,000 per year) located at the Chace Mill Dam with the
Burlington Electric Department (licensee of the Chace Mill Project);
(5) develop a water level management plan; (6) develop a recreation
management plan; and (7) develop a historic properties management plan.
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 (i.e., P-2513). 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, 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 of the person
submitting the filing; 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#612e313121070413024f060e17"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8ac5dadacaeceff8e9a4ede5fc">[email protected]</span></a>.
o. The applicant must file on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on
April 6, 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. Procedural Schedule: The application will be processed according
to the following preliminary schedule. Revisions to the schedule will
be made as appropriate.
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Milestone Target date
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Filing of Motions to Intervene, Protests, April 2026.
Comments, Recommendations, Preliminary
Terms and Conditions, and Preliminary
Fishway Prescriptions.
Filing of Reply Comments................... May 2026.
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q. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the
Commission on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on March 6, 2026.
(Authority: 18 CFR 2.1)
Dated: February 4, 2026.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2026-02518 Filed 2-6-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on February 9, 2026.
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