
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 194 (Tuesday, October 10, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 46983]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-21724]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. DI17-11-000]


Merchant Hydro Developers LLC; Notice of Declaration of Intention 
and Soliciting Comments, Protests, and Motions To Intervene

    Take notice that the following application has been filed with the 
Commission and is available for public inspection:
    a. Application Type: Declaration of Intention.
    b. Docket No.: DI17-11-000.
    c. Date Filed: September 14, 2017.
    d. Applicant: Merchant Hydro Developers LLC.
    e. Name of Project: Pennsylvania Pump Storage Project.
    f. Location: The proposed Pennsylvania Pump Storage Project would 
be located near the Town of Shenandoah, in Schuylkill County, 
Pennsylvania.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Section 23(b)(1) of the Federal Power Act, 16 
U.S.C. 817(b) (2012).
    h. Applicant and Agent Contact: Merchant Hydro Developers LLC, c/o 
Adam R. Rousselle, Sr., 5710 Oak Crest Drive, Doylestown, PA 45150, 
telephone: (267) 254-6107; email: arousselle@merchanthydro.com.
    i. FERC Contact: Any questions on this notice should be addressed 
to Jennifer Polardino, (202) 502-6437, or email: 
Jennifer.Polardino@ferc.gov.
    j. Deadline for filing comments, protests, and motions to intervene 
is: 30 days from the issuance date of this notice by the Commission.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
comments, protests, and motions to intervene 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 DI17-11-000.
    k. Description of Project: The proposed closed-loop Pennsylvania 
Pump Storage Project would consist of: (1) Two new roller-compacted 
concrete or rock fill dams; (2) two new upper reservoirs with a 
combined surface area of 470 acres and 11,050 acre-feet of usable 
storage capacity at a water surface elevation of about 1,750 feet mean 
sea level (msl); (3) a new lower reservoir, including an existing 
abandoned existing mine pit with a surface area of 135 acres and 13,200 
acre-feet of usage storage capacity at a water surface elevation 
between 1,140-1,210 feet msl; (4) intakes; (5) a 50-foot-high, 175-
foot-long, 100-foot-wide powerhouse with 2 to 3 generating units having 
a total installed capacity of 500 megawatts; (6) four 7-foot-diameter, 
5,280-foot-long penstocks; (7) a transmission line connecting the 
generating units with PPL Electric Utilities' Wheelabrator Frackville 
Energy's electric distribution system and/or the Locust Wind Farm 
adjacent to the proposed project; and (8) appurtenant facilities. 
Merchant Hydro Developers LLC states that it will use only groundwater 
from an underground abandoned mine to initially charge and seasonally 
refill the upper reservoirs. The applicant proposes to transport 
groundwater to its upper reservoirs using underground pumping equipment 
and intakes.
    When a Declaration of Intention is filed with the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, the Federal Power Act requires the Commission to 
investigate and determine if the project would affect the interests of 
interstate or foreign commerce. The Commission also determines whether 
or not the project: (1) Would be located on a navigable waterway; (2) 
would occupy public lands or reservations of the United States; (3) 
would utilize surplus water or water power from a government dam; or 
(4) would be located on a non-navigable stream over which Congress has 
Commerce Clause jurisdiction and would be constructed or enlarged after 
1935.
    l. Locations of the Application: This filing may be viewed on the 
Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp. 
Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the docket 
number field to access the document. You may also register online at 
http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via 
email of new filings and issuances related to this or other pending 
projects. For assistance, call 1-866-208-3676 or email 
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, for TTY, call (202) 502-8659. A copy is 
also available for inspection and reproduction at the address in item 
(h) above and in the Commission's Public Reference Room located at 888 
First Street NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, or by calling (202) 
502-8371.
    m. Individuals desiring to be included on the Commission's mailing 
list should so indicate by writing to the Secretary of the Commission.
    n. Comments, Protests, or Motions to Intervene: Anyone may submit 
comments, a protest, or a motion to intervene in accordance with the 
requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR 385.210, .211, 
and .214. In determining the appropriate action to take, the Commission 
will consider all protests or other comments 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 comments, protests, or 
motions to intervene must be received on or before the specified 
comment date for the particular application.
    o. Filing and Service of Responsive Documents: All filings must 
bear in all capital letters the title ``COMMENTS'', ``PROTESTS'', and 
``MOTIONS TO INTERVENE'', as applicable, and the Docket Number of the 
particular application to which the filing refers. A copy of any Motion 
to Intervene must also be served upon each representative of the 
Applicant specified in the particular application.
    p. Agency Comments: Federal, state, and local agencies are invited 
to file comments on the described application. A copy of the 
application may be obtained by agencies directly from the Applicant. If 
an agency does not file comments within the time specified for filing 
comments, it will be presumed to have no comments. One copy of an 
agency's comments must also be sent to the Applicant's representatives.

    Dated: October 2, 2017.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-21724 Filed 10-6-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


