
[Federal Register: May 12, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 91)]
[Notices]               
[Page 26743-26744]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12my10-43]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 12779-005]

 
Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Notice of Environmental Site 
Review and Technical Meetings To Discuss Information and Monitoring 
Needs for a License Application for a Pilot Project

May 5, 2010.
    a. Type of Application: Draft Pilot License Application.
    b. Project No.: 12779-005.
    c. Applicant: Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
    d. Name of Project: Humboldt WaveConnect Project.
    e. Location: The project would be located in the Pacific Ocean, 2.5 
to 3.0 nautical miles west of Manila on Samoa Peninsula of Humboldt 
Bay, near Eureka, California and within California State waters.
    f. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR 5.3 of the Commission's regulations.
    g. Applicant Contact: Mr. Brian McDonald, Director--Renewable 
Resource Development, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, 77 Beale 
Street, MC B5Q-542, San Francisco, CA 94105-1814, telephone: (415) 973-
2005.
    h. FERC Contact: Kenneth Hogan, phone: (202) 502-8434, e-mail: 
Kenneth.hogan@ferc.gov.
    i. Project Description: The proposed Humboldt WaveConnect Project 
would consist of: (1) Wave Energy Conversion devises (WEC), including 
multi-point catenary moorings and anchors; (2) marker buoys, navigation 
lights, and environmental monitoring instruments; (3) submarine 
electrical cables extending underground onshore to (4) land-based power 
conditioning equipment; (5) an aboveground transmission line and 
interconnection to the electrical grid; and (6) appurtenant facilities. 
WEC types that may be installed may include point absorber buoys, 
attenuator buoys, and floating oscillating water column platforms.
    j. Licensing Process: On March 1, 2010, Pacific Gas and Electric 
Company (PG&E) filed a Notice of Intent and request for waivers of 
certain regulations of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's 
(Commission) Integrated Licensing Process to expedite processing of a 
license application for the Humboldt WaveConnect Pilot Project. PG&E 
expects to file a final license application for a pilot project with 
the Commission by February 28, 2011.

[[Page 26744]]

    k. Notice Purpose: The purpose of this notice is to inform you of 
the opportunity to participate in two upcoming technical meetings and a 
land-based environmental site review (site review) that Commission 
staff in coordination with the California State Lands Commission, and 
PG&E will hold. The site review will allow all interested entities an 
opportunity to tour the specific locations of the proposed land-based 
facilities. The meetings are being held to discuss the proposed 
project, and information and monitoring needs for the final license 
application. The evening meeting is primarily for receiving input from 
the public and the daytime meeting will focus on resource agency, 
Indian tribes, and non-governmental organization concerns. However, we 
invite all interested individuals, organizations, and agencies to 
attend one or both of the meetings.
    The times and locations of the meetings are as follows:

Daytime Meeting

    Wednesday, June 9, 2010, 12 p.m.-4:30 p.m. (local time), Warfinger 
Building, Great Room, Eureka Public Marina, 1 Marina Way, Eureka, CA 
95501.

Evening Meeting

    Wednesday, June 9, 2010, 6:30 p.m.-11 p.m. (local time), Warfinger 
Building, Great Room, Eureka Public Marina, 1 Marina Way, Eureka, CA 
95501.
    For the Environmental Site Review, participants will gather at the 
far end of the Woodley Island Marina parking lot, 601 Startare Drive, 
Eureka, CA 95501, at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, June 8, 2010. Participants are 
responsible for their own transportation.
    Anyone in need of directions may contact Ms. Briana Moseley at: 
(415) 391-7900, or via e-mail at: bmoseley@kearnswest.com.
    To help focus discussions, Commission staff encourages participants 
to review PG&E's draft pilot license application and monitoring plans 
filed with the Commission on March 1, 2010. These materials are 
available for review at the Commission in the Public Reference Room or 
may be viewed on the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov using 
the ``eLibrary'' link. Enter the docket number p-12779-005 to access 
the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support at 
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll-free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, 
(202) 502-8659.
    You may also register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
esubscription.asp to be notified via e-mail of new filings and 
issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, 
please contact FERC Online Support.
    k. Meeting Objectives: At the technical meetings, Commission staff 
will focus the discussion on the information gaps that need to be 
addressed to ensure that sufficient information exists for the 
Commission to make a determination on whether the proposed project 
meets the criteria for a pilot project and for processing a license 
application for a pilot project upon its filing with the Commission.
    l. California Environmental Quality Act Scoping: The California 
State Lands Commission (CSLC) will be the Lead Agency under the 
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Pursuant to Section 15083, 
Title 14, California Code of Regulations, the CSLC will utilize the two 
technical meetings as its public scoping meetings for the proposed 
Project and to receive oral or written testimony at the times and 
places identified above. Copies of the CSLC's Notice of Preparation 
(NOP) will be available on the CSLC Web page: http://www.slc.ca.gov 
(under ``Project Updates''). Due to the time limits mandated by 
California State law, written comments on the CSLC's NOP must be sent 
to the CSLC by Monday, June 14, 2010. Please send your comments at the 
earliest possible date to: Steven Mindt, Staff Environmental Scientist, 
California State Lands Commission, 100 Howe Avenue, Suite 100-South, 
Sacramento, CA 95825. FAX: (916) 574-1885. E-mail: mindts@slc.ca.gov.
    Additionally, please file a copy of your comments on CSLC's NOP 
with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Your comments on the NOP 
may be filed electronically via the Internet (instructions are on the 
Commission's Web site at: http://www.ferc.gov/ docs-filing/
efiling.asp). For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at 
FERCOnlinesupport@ferc.gov; call toll-free at (866) 208-3676; or, for 
TTY, contact (202) 502-8659. Although FERC strongly encourages 
electronic filing, your comments may also be paper-filed. To paper-
file, mail an original and eight copies to: Kimberly Bose, Secretary, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20426. Please put the docket number, P-12779-005 on the 
first page of your response.
    m. Procedures: The meetings will be recorded by a stenographer and 
will become part of the formal record of the Commission proceeding on 
the project.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010-11234 Filed 5-11-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P

