Notice2026-10658
Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Notice of Scoping Meetings and Request for Comments on Proposed Surrender, Decommissioning, and Non-Project Use of Project Lands
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Published
May 29, 2026
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 103 (Friday, May 29, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 103 (Friday, May 29, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32030-32031]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-10658]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 77-332]
Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Notice of Scoping Meetings and
Request for Comments on Proposed Surrender, Decommissioning, and Non-
Project Use of Project Lands
On July 25, 2025, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (applicant or
PG&E) filed an application to surrender and decommission the Potter
Valley Hydroelectric Project No. 77. The project is located on the Eel
River and East Branch of the Russian River in Lake and Mendocino
counties, California. The project occupies federal lands managed by the
U.S. Forest Service.
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare a document in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) that will discuss the environmental
impacts of the proposed surrender and decommissioning of the project,
as well as PG&E's proposed non-project use of project lands. The
Commission will use this NEPA document in its decision-making process
to identify potential adverse and beneficial impacts of the proposed
project surrender and reasonable alternatives.
This notice initiates the start of a scoping process the Commission
will use to gather input from the public and interested agencies about
issues regarding the proposal. As part of the NEPA review process, the
Commission takes into account concerns the public may have about
proposals and the environmental impacts that could result from its
action. This process is referred to as ``scoping.'' The main goal of
the scoping process is to focus the analysis in the NEPA document on
the important environmental issues. Additional information about the
Commission's NEPA process is described below in the NEPA Process
section of this notice.
By this notice, Commission staff requests public comments on the
scope of issues to address in the NEPA document. Specifically, staff
request comments on potential alternatives and impacts, as well as
identification of any relevant information, studies, or analyses
concerning effects on the quality of the human environment. To ensure
that your comments are timely and properly recorded, please submit your
comments so that the Commission receives them in Washington, DC on or
before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, July 24, 2026. Comments may be
submitted in written or oral form. Further details on how to submit
comments are provided in the Public Participation section of this
notice.
Public Participation
In addition to Commission staff's October 31, 2025 public notice of
the application (soliciting comments, motions to intervene, and
protests), additional opportunities to provide comments are described
below. There are four methods you can use to submit scoping comments to
the Commission. The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments
and has staff available to assist you at (866) 208-3676 or
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1e587b6c7d51707277707b4d6b6e6e716c6a5e787b6c7d30797168"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ca8cafb8a985a4a6a3a4af99bfbabaa5b8be8aacafb8a9e4ada5bc">[email protected]</span></a>. The docket number P-77-332 should be
included on the first page of any comment. Please carefully follow
these instructions so that your comments are properly recorded.
Comments filed in response to Commission staff's October 31, 2025
notice of application do not need to be submitted again as part of
scoping.
(1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment
feature, which is located on the Commission's website (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a>)
under the link to FERC Online. Using eComment is an easy method for
submitting brief, text-only comments on a project;
(2) You can file your comments electronically by using the eFiling
feature, which is located on the Commission's website (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a>)
under the link to FERC Online. With eFiling, you can provide comments
in a variety of formats by attaching them as a file with your
submission. New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking
on ``eRegister.'' You will be asked to select the type of filing you
are making; a comment on a particular project is considered a ``Comment
on a Filing''; or
(3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to
the Commission. 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. The first page of any filing
should include the docket number P-77-332.
(4) Scoping Sessions: Commission staff will hold two public scoping
meetings to collect comments on the scope of the environmental issues
that should be analyzed in the NEPA document. All interested
individuals, resource agencies, Native American Tribes, and non-
governmental organizations (NGOs) are invited to attend one or both of
the meetings to provide comments for the public record. The times and
locations of these meetings are as follows:
Evening Scoping Meeting
Date: Tuesday, June 23, 2026.
Time: 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Pacific Time (PT).
Place: Ukiah Valley Conference Center, Chenin Blanc Room.
Address: 200 South School Street, Ukiah, CA 95482.
Daytime Scoping Meeting
Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
Time: 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (PT).
Place: Ukiah Valley Conference Center, Chenin Blanc Room.
Address: 200 South School Street, Ukiah, CA 95482.
Comments will be recorded by a stenographer and become part of the
formal record of the Commission proceeding on the project. Individuals,
NGOs, Native American Tribes, and agencies with environmental expertise
and concerns are encouraged to assist staff in defining and clarifying
the issues to be addressed in the NEPA document.
Copies of the Scoping Document 1 (SD1) notice, outlining the
subject areas to be addressed in the environmental document, were
mailed to the individuals and entities on the Commission's mailing list
and provided to PG&E's distribution 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. 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.
Additionally, the Commission offers a free service called
eSubscription which makes it easy to stay informed of all issuances and
submittals regarding the dockets/projects to which you subscribe. These
instant email notifications are the fastest way to receive notification
and provide a link to the document files which can reduce the amount of
time you spend researching proceedings. Go to <a href="https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview">https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview</a> to register for eSubscription.
Summary of the Proposed Surrender
For the surrender, decommissioning of the project, and non-project
use of project lands, PG&E proposes to:
[[Page 32031]]
<bullet> Decommission and remove Scott Dam and associated
facilities and features;
<bullet> Remove certain project recreational facilities and restore
associated lands;
<bullet> Decommission and remove Cape Horn Dam and associated
facilities and features except those necessary for the New Eel-Russian
Facility (NERF) to be operated by Eel-Russian Project Authority (ERPA);
<bullet> Once constructed, remove the NERF facility and associated
lands from the existing license; and
<bullet> Restore the remnant inundation zone of Lake Pillsbury and
Van Arsdale Reservoir, including adjacent riparian, wetlands, and
upland areas affected by the decommissioning.
PG&E requests that the Commission include a condition in any
surrender order to remove all lands and project works necessary for the
NERF from the project boundary and jurisdiction immediately after
completion of the following activities: (1) PG&E has completed
decommissioning work at Cape Horn Dam and other works necessary for the
NERF; (2) the NERF has been constructed; and (3) PG&E has filed a
decommissioning report with the Commission on these actions. The
construction of the NERF by the ERPA would occur while the existing
license remains in effect. Following construction, the NERF would allow
for diversion of water from the Eel River through the project's
diversion system to the Russian River watershed.
The NEPA Process
The NEPA document issued by the Commission will discuss impacts
that could occur as a result of the proposed surrender and
decommissioning under the following general resource areas:
<bullet> geology and soils
<bullet> water use and hydrology
<bullet> water quality
<bullet> aquatic resources
<bullet> marine resources
<bullet> botanical resources
<bullet> wildlife resources
<bullet> threatened and endangered species
<bullet> recreation
<bullet> land use
<bullet> aesthetic resources
<bullet> socioeconomics
<bullet> cultural and historic resources
<bullet> Tribal resources
<bullet> air quality and noise
<bullet> traffic
A description of specific potential effects resulting from the
proposed surrender is included in our Scoping Document. Your comments
will help Commission staff identify and focus on the issues that might
have an effect on the human environment and potentially eliminate
others from further study and discussion in the NEPA document.
The NEPA document will present Commission staff's independent
analysis of the issues. Staff will prepare a draft NEPA document which
will be issued for public comment. The comment period will be specified
in the notice of availability of the NEPA document. Commission staff
will consider all timely comments received during the comment period on
the draft NEPA document and revise the document, as necessary, before
issuing a final NEPA document. The draft and final NEPA document will
be available in electronic format in the public record through
eLibrary. If eSubscribed, you will receive email notification when
environmental documents are issued.
Additional Information
Additional information about the project is available on the FERC
website at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a> using the eLibrary link. Click on the eLibrary
link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket number in the
``Docket Number'' field, excluding the last three digits (i.e., P-77).
Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance,
please contact FERC Online Support at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#367053445579585a5f585365434646594442765053445518515940"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="54123126371b3a383d3a31072124243b262014323126377a333b22">[email protected]</span></a> or
(866) 208-3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659. The eLibrary link
also provides access to the texts of all formal documents issued by the
Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.
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#a5eaf5f5e5c3c0d7c68bc2cad3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7d322d2d3d1b180f1e531a120b">[email protected]</span></a>.
If you have further questions, you may also contact Diana Shannon
at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#64000d050a054a170c050a0a0b0a24020116074a030b12"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b4d0ddd5dad59ac7dcd5dadadbdaf4d2d1c6d79ad3dbc2">[email protected]</span></a> or 202-502-6136.
(Authority: 18 CFR 2.1)
Dated: May 22, 2026.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2026-10658 Filed 5-28-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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