[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 14, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6542-6544]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-03010]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2680-113]


Consumers Energy Company and DTE Electric Company; Notice of 
Application Accepted for Filing, Soliciting Motions to Intervene and 
Protests, Ready for Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, 
Recommendations, Preliminary Terms and Conditions, and Preliminary 
Fishway Prescriptions

    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.: 2680-113.
    c. Date filed: June 28, 2017.
    d. Applicant: Consumers Energy Company and DTE Electric Company

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(Consumers Energy and DTE Companies).
    e. Name of Project: Ludington Pumped Storage Project.
    f. Location: The existing project is located on the east shore of 
Lake Michigan in the townships of Pere Marquette and Summit, Mason 
County, Michigan, and in Port Sheldon, Ottawa County, Michigan. The 
Ottawa County portion is a 1.8-acre satellite recreation site, located 
about 70 miles south of the project. The project does not affect 
federal lands.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791 (a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: David McIntosh, Consumers Energy Company, 
Hydro and Renewable Generation, 330 Chestnut Street, Cadillac, MI 
49601; Telephone (231) 779-5506, email [email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Shana Wiseman, Telephone (312) 596-4468 and email 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments, 
recommendations, preliminary terms and conditions, and preliminary 
prescriptions: 60 days from the issuance date of this notice; reply 
comments are due 105 days from the issuance date of this notice.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
motions to intervene, protests, comments, recommendations, preliminary 
terms and conditions, and preliminary fishway prescriptions 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 
[email protected], (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-2680-113.
    The Commission's Rules of Practice 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.
    k. This application has been accepted for filing and is now ready 
for environmental analysis.
    l. The Ludington Project is a pumped storage project that consists 
of: (1) An 842-acre upper reservoir with a gross storage capacity of 
82,300 acre-feet at an elevation of 942 feet National Geodetic Vertical 
Datum (NGVD); (2) a concrete intake structure located in the upper 
reservoir; (3) six, 1,300-foot-long steel penstocks varying in diameter 
from 28.5 feet at the intake to 24 feet at the powerhouse; (4) a 
concrete powerhouse with six bays each housing a pump-turbine/motor-
generator unit; (5) a lower reservoir (Lake Michigan) with a surface 
area of about 22,300 square miles and a mean depth of 279 feet; (6) two 
1,600-foot-long jetties; (7) an approximately 1,700-foot-long 
breakwater located about 2,700 feet from the shore; and (8) appurtenant 
facilities. Additionally, a satellite recreation site (Pigeon Lake 
North Pier) is located about 70 miles south of the project. The 
recreation facility includes a parking area and a 4,600-foot-long 
boardwalk.
    The existing Ludington Project is operated to generate during peak 
demand periods. Generation usually occurs during the day with the upper 
reservoir partially replenished at night during pumping. The project 
has an installed capacity of 1,785 megawatts with an average annual 
generation of approximately 2,624,189 megawatt hours.
    m. A copy of the application is available for review at the 
Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the 
Commission's website at http://www.ferc.gov using the eLibrary link. 
Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the docket 
number field to access the document. For assistance, contact FERC 
Online Support. A copy is also available for inspection and 
reproduction at the address in item h above.
    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, contact FERC 
Online Support.
    n. 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.
    All filings must (1) bear in all capital letters the title PROTEST, 
MOTION TO INTERVENE, COMMENTS, REPLY COMMENTS, RECOMMENDATIONS, 
PRELIMINARY TERMS AND CONDITIONS, or PRELIMINARY FISHWAY PRESCRIPTIONS; 
(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, address, and telephone number of the person protesting or 
intervening; and (4) otherwise comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 
385.2001 through 385.2005. All comments, recommendations, terms and 
conditions or prescriptions must set forth their evidentiary basis and 
otherwise comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 4.34(b). Agencies may 
obtain copies of the application directly from the applicant. A copy of 
any protest or motion to intervene must be served upon each 
representative of the applicant specified in the particular 
application. A copy of all other filings in reference to this 
application must be accompanied by proof of service on all persons 
listed in the service list prepared by the Commission in this 
proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 4.34(b) and 385.2010.
    o. Procedural Schedule: The application will be processed according 
to the following revised Hydro Licensing Schedule. Revisions to the 
schedule may be made as appropriate.

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                 Milestone                           Target date
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Filing of recommendations, preliminary      April 2018.
 terms and conditions, and preliminary
 fishway prescriptions.
Commission issues Non-Draft Environmental   September 2018.
 Assessment (EA).
Comments on EA............................  October 2018.
Modified terms and conditions.............  December 2018.
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    p. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the 
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.
    q. A license applicants must file no later than 60 days following 
the date of issuance of the notice of acceptance and ready for 
environmental analysis provided for in 5.22: (1) A copy of the water 
quality certification; (2) a copy of the request for certification, 
including proof of the date on which the certifying agency received the 
request; or (3) evidence of waiver of water quality certification.


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    Dated: February 8, 2018.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-03010 Filed 2-13-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


