Notice2026-19818
Copper Valley Electric Association, Inc.; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing; and Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests; and Scoping Period Requesting Comments on Environmental Issues for the Proposed Solomon Gulch Hydroelectric Project
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Published
September 29, 2026
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 187 (Tuesday, September 29, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 187 (Tuesday, September 29, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61393-61395]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-19818]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2742-040]
Copper Valley Electric Association, Inc.; Notice of Application
Accepted for Filing; and Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests;
and Scoping Period Requesting Comments on Environmental Issues for the
Proposed Solomon Gulch Hydroelectric Project
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.: 2742-040.
c. Date Filed: May 27, 2026.
d. Submitted By: Copper Valley Electric Association, Inc. (CVEA).
e. Name of Project: Solomon Gulch Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location: On Solomon Lake and Solomon Gulch Creek, in the
Chugach Census Area, in Valdez, Alaska. The project occupies 440 acres
of federal lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r)
h. Applicant Contact: Coreen Palacios, Copper Valley Electric, P.O.
Box 45, Mile 187 Glenn Highway, Glenallen, AK 99588; at (907) 822-8301;
or email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1b584b7a777a787274685b786d7e7a3574697c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a4e7f4c5c8c5c7cdcbd7e4c7d2c1c58acbd6c3">[email protected]</span></a>.
i. FERC Contact: Lauren Townson at (202) 502-8572; or email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3c705d494e59521268534b524f53527c5a594e5f125b534a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5c103d292e39327208332b322f33321c3a392e3f723b332a">[email protected]</span></a>.
j. The staff for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) will prepare an environmental document that will discuss
the environmental effects of relicensing the Solomon Gulch
Hydroelectric Project. The Commission will use this environmental
document in its decision-making process to determine whether to issue a
new license for the project.
k. This notice announces the opening of the scoping process the
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested
agencies regarding the project. This notice is intended to advise all
participants as to the potential scope of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) document and to seek additional information pertinent
to this analysis. Commission staff do not intend to issue a separate
scoping document.
As part of the NEPA review process, the Commission takes into
account concerns the public may have about proposals and the
environmental effects
[[Page 61394]]
that could result from its action whenever it considers the issuance of
a hydropower license. This gathering of public input is referred to as
``scoping.'' The main goal of the scoping process is to focus the
analysis in the environmental document on the important environmental
issues.
l. Scoping Comments, Motions to Intervene and Protests, and
Requests for Cooperating Status: By this notice, the Commission
requests written public comments on the scope of issues to address in
the environmental document and solicits for motions to intervene and
protests and requests for cooperating agency status. To ensure that
your scoping comments, motions to intervene and protests, and requests
for cooperating agency status are timely and properly recorded, please
submit them so that the Commission receives them in Washington, DC on
or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on November 23, 2026.
Comments should focus on the potential environmental effects and
reasonable alternatives. Your input will help the Commission staff
determine what issues they need to evaluate in the environmental
document. Commission staff will consider all written comments during
the preparation of the environmental document.
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file
scoping comments, motions to intervene and protests, and requests for
cooperating agency status using the Commission's eFiling system at
<a href="http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp">http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp</a>. Commenters can submit
brief comments up to 10,000 characters, without prior registration,
using the eComment system at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp">http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp</a>. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4e080b1c0d01202227202b1d3b3e3e213c3a0e282b3c2d60292138"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="93d5d6c1d0dcfdfffafdf6c0e6e3e3fce1e7d3f5f6e1f0bdf4fce5">[email protected]</span></a>, (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-
8659 (TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, please send a paper copy via
U.S. Postal Service 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. The first page of any
filing should include docket number P-2742-040.
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.
m. Anyone may submit a protest or a motion to intervene in
accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18
CFR 385.210, 385.211, and 385.214. In determining the appropriate
action to take, the Commission will consider all protests 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 protests
or motions to intervene must be received on or before the specified
deadline date for the particular application.
All filings must (1) bear in all capital letters the title
``PROTEST'' or ``MOTION TO INTERVENE;'' (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
protesting or intervening; and (4) otherwise comply with the
requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005. Agencies may obtain
copies of the application directly from the applicant. 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.
n. This application has been accepted, but is not ready for
environmental analysis at this time.
o. Project Description: The Solomon Gulch Project includes: (1) a
660-acre reservoir with a storage volume of 31,560 acre-feet at the
maximum elevation of 693.5 feet mean sea level; (2) a 400-foot-long and
115-foot-high rockfill dam; (3) a 365-foot-long saddle dike, or
auxiliary dam, with a maximum height of approximately 65 feet, and a
450-foot-long concrete spillway with a nominal crest elevation of 685
feet mean sea level; (4) two 48-inch diameter intake pipes with slide
gates and a trash rack; (5) two 48-inch diameter, concrete-encased
steel penstocks; (6) a 70-foot-long by 60-foot-wide powerhouse
containing two Francis-type turbine/generator units with a total rated
capacity of 12 megawatts (MW); (7) a substation located on the
powerhouse, connecting a 1.68-mile-long transmission line from the
project to the Petro-Star Switch Building; (8) a 300-foot-long by 20-
foot-wide tailrace; (9) two 300-feet-long pipes that supply water to
the nearby Solomon Gulch Hatchery, owned and operated by the Valdez
Fisheries Development Association (VFDA); and (10) appurtenant
facilities. CVEA proposes to continue to generate using stored water
from Solomon Lake to supply energy to CVEA's electrical system serving
Valdez and other communities in the Copper River Basin. CVEA would
continue to maintain reservoir elevations between elevations 615 feet
and 685 feet and maintain continuous minimum flows of 2 cubic feet per
second (cfs) at the head of the project tailrace and 2 cfs at the base
of the lower falls of Solomon Gulch Creek for the protection of fish
resources as it does currently.
Additionally, CVEA proposes to remove approximately 443 acres from
the existing project boundary, including approximately 355 acres of
federal lands located at the southern end of Solomon Lake, and
approximately 91 acres of state-managed lands. Approximately 2 acres of
private land would be added to the proposed project boundary to reflect
the full extent of the existing 100-foot-wide primary transmission line
right of way to the Petro Star Switch Building. Therefore, the proposed
project boundary would total approximately 760 acres, consisting of
approximately 671 acres of state-managed lands, 85 acres of BLM-managed
federal lands, and 3 acres of private lands.
A copy of the application, with the details of the proposed
project, may be viewed on the Commission's website at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://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-2742).
p. NEPA Process and the Environmental Document: Any environmental
document issued by the Commission will discuss effects that could occur
as a result of the project's relicensing under the relevant general
resource areas, such as:
<bullet> geology and soils;
<bullet> water resources;
<bullet> fish resources;
<bullet> aquatic resources;
<bullet> terrestrial resources;
<bullet> recreation resources;
<bullet> land use resources;
<bullet> aesthetic resources;
<bullet> cultural resources;
<bullet> socioeconomic resources; and
<bullet> air quality.
Commission staff will also evaluate reasonable alternatives to the
proposed project or portions of the project and make recommendations on
how to lessen or avoid effects on the various
[[Page 61395]]
resource areas. 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 discussion in the
environmental document.
Following this scoping period, Commission staff will determine
whether to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) or an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS). The EA or EIS will present Commission staff's
independent analysis of the issues. If Commission staff prepares an EA,
a Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment will be
issued. The EA may be issued for an allotted public comment period. The
Commission would consider timely comments on the EA before making its
decision regarding the proposed project. If Commission staff prepares
an EIS, a Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
will be issued. Staff will then prepare a draft EIS which will be
issued for public comment. Commission staff will consider all timely
comments received during the comment period on the draft EIS and revise
the document, as necessary, before issuing a final EIS. Any EA or draft
and final EIS will be available in electronic format in the public
record through eLibrary. If eSubscribed, you will receive instant email
notification when the environmental document is issued (see paragraph
(q) of this notice for instructions on using eSubscription).
q. This notice is being distributed to the Commission's official
mailing list for the project and any additional entities on the
applicant's distribution list. You can access the Commission's official
mailing list for this project at <a href="https://ferconline.ferc.gov/MailListLOR.aspx?Type=MailList&ListVar=P-10198">https://ferconline.ferc.gov/MailListLOR.aspx?Type=MailList&ListVar=P-10198</a>. If you want to receive
future mailings for the project and are not included on the
Commission's official mailing list, or if you wish to be removed from
the Commission's official mailing list, please send your request by
email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#74323126373b1a181d1a11270104041b060034121106175a131b02"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="90d6d5c2d3dffefcf9fef5c3e5e0e0ffe2e4d0f6f5e2f3bef7ffe6">[email protected]</span></a>. In lieu of an email request, you
may submit a paper request. 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 written or emailed
requests must specify your wish to be added to or removed from the
mailing list, and must clearly identify the following on the first
page: Solomon Gulch Hydroelectric Project No. 2742-040.
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.
In addition to publishing the full text of this notice in the
Federal Register, the Commission provides all interested persons an
opportunity to view and/or print the contents of this notice, as well
as other documents in the proceeding (e.g., license application) via
the internet through the Commission's Home Page (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://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-
2742). For assistance, contact FERC at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f4b2b1a6b7bb9a989d9a91a78184849b8680b492918697da939b82"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="fabcbfa8b9b5949693949fa98f8a8a95888eba9c9f8899d49d958c">[email protected]</span></a>,
(866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-8659 (TTY).
r. Procedural schedule: The application will be processed according
to the following schedule. Revisions to the schedule will be made as
appropriate.
Acceptance and Scoping Notice Issued--September 2026
Scoping Comments Due--November 2026
Issue Notice of Ready for Environmental Analysis--February 2027
s. 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#58170808183e3d2a3b763f372e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="36796666765053445518515940">[email protected]</span></a>.
(Authority: 18 CFR 2.1)
Dated: September 23, 2026.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2026-19818 Filed 9-28-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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