Notice2026-06884
Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment
Primary source
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Published
April 9, 2026
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 68 (Thursday, April 9, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 68 (Thursday, April 9, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Page 17966]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-06884]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 803-129]
Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment
On February 6, 2026, Pacific Gas and Electric Company filed an
application for a temporary variance from the minimum flow requirements
for the DeSabla-Centerville Project No. 803. The project is located on
Butte Creek, West Branch Feather River, and their tributaries in Butte
County, California. The project occupies federal lands managed by the
U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.
The licensee requests that the instantaneous minimum flow
requirement in the West Branch Feather River, below Hendrick Head Dam,
of 15 cubic feet per second (cfs) in a normal water year and 7 cfs in a
dry water year, be temporarily modified to 7 cfs over 48 hours
regardless of water year type. In Philbrook Creek, below Philbrook
Reservoir, it requests that the instantaneous minimum flow requirement
of 2 cfs in both normal and dry water years be temporarily modified to
between 1 and 2 cfs over 48 hours. The modifications would begin on May
4, 2026, and continue through September 30, 2026, however, in the event
that water storage in Philbrook Reservoir has not exceeded 2,116 acre-
feet by April 1, 2026, the licensee would commence modifications in
Philbrook Creek sometime between April 1, 2026, and May 4, 2026, if
supported by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, National
Marine Fisheries Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The
licensee states that the temporary variance would maximize the delivery
of flows released from Philbrook to Butte Creek by eliminating the need
to release additional buffer flows to ensure the requisite
instantaneous minimum instream flows are always met. The proposed
variance would help preserve cold water storage in Philbrook Reservoir,
increase flow to Butte Creek via the Hendricks Canal, and decrease
water residence time in the DeSabla Forebay, thus providing additional
water to Butte Creek during the hot summer months to minimize high
temperature effects to Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon, and to
preserve water for release later in the summer months towards the end
of their holding period when the situation is most critical. A Notice
of Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Comments, Motions to
Intervene, and Protest was issued on February 26, 2026.
This notice identifies Commission staff's intention to prepare an
environmental assessment (EA) under the National Environmental Policy
Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) for the project.\1\ Commission staff plans
to issue an EA by May 29, 2026. Revisions to the schedule may be made
as appropriate.
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\1\ The unique identification number for documents relating to
this environmental review is EAXX-019-20-000-1773149143.
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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#0b445b5b4b6d6e7968256c647d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="77382727371112051459101801">[email protected]</span></a>.
Any questions regarding this notice may be directed to Ms. Joy
Kurtz at (202) 502-6760 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4822273166233d3a3c32082e2d3a2b662f273e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="016b6e782f6a7473757b41676473622f666e77">[email protected]</span></a>.
(Authority: 18 CFR 2.1)
Dated: April 6, 2026.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2026-06884 Filed 4-8-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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