
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 182 (Tuesday, September 20, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 64450]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-22603]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 14798-000]


Western Minnesota Municipal Power Agency; Notice of Preliminary 
Permit Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Comments, Motions 
To Intervene, and Competing Applications

    On August 15, 2016, Western Minnesota Municipal Power Agency filed 
an application for a preliminary permit, pursuant to section 4(f) of 
the Federal Power Act (FPA), proposing to study the feasibility of the 
Coon Rapids Hydroelectric Project (Coon Rapids Project or project) 
located on the Mississippi River at River Mile 866.2, about 11.5 miles 
north of downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. The sole purpose of a 
preliminary permit, if issued, is to grant the permit holder priority 
to file a license application during the permit term. A preliminary 
permit does not authorize the permit holder to perform any land-
disturbing activities or otherwise enter upon lands or waters owned by 
others without the owners' express permission.
    The proposed project would consist of the following facilities: (1) 
An existing reservoir with a surface area of 600 square miles at normal 
pool elevation of 830.1 National Geodetic Vertical Datum with no 
storage capacity; (2) the existing 1,455-foot-long, 30.8-foot-high Coon 
Rapids Dam with nine intermediate piers and ten spans with crest gates; 
(3) an array of micro-turbines placed in front of two cast in place 
powerhouses; (4) a 97-foot-long, 18-foot-wide, 19-foot-high reinforced 
concrete powerhouse located immediately downstream of the span 9 
spillway section and a 103-foot-long, 18-foot-wide, 19-foot-high 
reinforced concrete powerhouse located immediately downstream of the 
span 10 spillway section with each powerhouse divided in half resulting 
in four bays in which the micro-turbines would be installed; (5) two 
crane rails spanning the length of each powerhouse to remove the micro-
turbine units for maintenance and lower them in place for generation; 
(6) a tailrace made of steel draft tubes discharging directly into the 
Mississippi River; (7) a third powerhouse 60-foot-wide by 80-foot-long 
containing the controls for the dam's crest gates and necessary 
electrical and mechanical equipment to support the micro-turbines; (8) 
a 550-foot-long, 13.8 kilo-volt underground transmission line 
connecting to an Xcel Energy substation; and (9) appurtenant 
facilities. The estimated annual generation of the proposed Coon Rapids 
Project would be 62,790 megwatt-hours.
    Applicant Contact: Raymond J. Wahle, P.E., Missouri River Energy 
Services, 3724 W. Avera Drive, P.O. Box 88920, Sioux Falls, SD 57109; 
phone: (605) 330-6963; fax: (605) 978-3960; email: rwahle@mrenergy.com.
    FERC Contact: Sergiu Serban; phone: (202) 502-6211; email: 
sergiu.serban@ferc.gov.
    Deadline for filing comments, motions to intervene, competing 
applications (without notices of intent), or notices of intent to file 
competing applications: 60 days from the issuance of this notice. 
Competing applications and notices of intent must meet the requirements 
of 18 CFR 4.36.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
comments, motions to intervene, notices of intent, and competing 
applications using the Commission's eFiling system at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp. Commenters can submit brief 
comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, using the 
eComment system at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp. You 
must include your name and contact information at the end of your 
comments. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at 
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-
8659 (TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, please send a paper copy to: 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20426. The first page of any filing should include 
docket number P-14798-000.
    More information about this project, including a copy of the 
application, can be viewed or printed on the ``eLibrary'' link of 
Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp. 
Enter the docket number (P-14798) in the docket number field to access 
the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.

    Dated: September 12, 2016.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-22603 Filed 9-19-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


