[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 14 (Wednesday, January 22, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 3677]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-00960]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 15008-000]


Notice of Preliminary Permit Application Accepted for Filing and 
Soliciting Comments, Motions To Intervene, and Competing Applications; 
Gridflex Energy, LLC

    On September 23, 2019, Gridflex Energy, LLC filed an application 
for a preliminary permit, pursuant to section 4(f) of the Federal Power 
Act, proposing to study the feasibility of the Sweetwater Pumped 
Storage Hydro Project to be located in San Juan County, New Mexico. 
Gridflex Energy, LLC subsequently amended its application on January 3, 
2020, and again on January 14, 2020. 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 closed-loop pumped hydropower project would consist of 
the following new facilities: (1) A 9,000-foot-long, 40-foot-high dam 
impounding an upper reservoir with a total storage capacity of 5,000 
acre feet, a reservoir surface elevation of 6,770 feet above mean sea 
level (msl), and a reservoir surface area of 120 acres; (2) 1,700-foot-
long, 130-foot-high dam impounding a lower reservoir with a total 
storage capacity of 5,000 acre feet, a reservoir surface elevation of 
5,685 feet msl, and a reservoir surface area of 163 acres; (3) two 
primary conduits including one concrete-lined vertical shaft 1,200 feet 
long by 25 feet in diameter, two concrete-and-steel-lined high pressure 
tunnels 5,000 feet long by 14 feet in diameter, and two concrete-lined 
tailrace tunnels 3,300 feet long by 16 feet in diameter; (4) a 500-
foot-long, 80-foot-wide, 50-foot-high powerhouse complex constructed of 
concrete and metal formwork with three vertical shafts, each housing 
200-megawatt variable-speed reversible pump-turbine and motor-
generators; and (5) a 9.3-mile-long, 345-kilovolt transmission line 
with a tentative point of interconnection at the existing San Juan 
Generating Station; and (6) appurtenant facilities. Initial fill water, 
and make-up water for evaporation loss would be purchased from parties 
holding water rights associated with the San Juan Generating Station or 
otherwise associated with the San Juan River. The estimated annual 
generation of the project would be 1,051,200 megawatt hours.
    Applicant Contact: Mr. Matthew Shapiro, Gridflex energy, LLC, 424 
W. Pueblo St. #A, Boise, ID 83027; phone: (208) 246-9925.
    FERC Contact: Benjamin Mann; Email: benjamin.mann@ferc.gov; phone: 
(202) 502-8127.
    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-15008-000.
    More information about this project, including a copy of the 
application, can be viewed or printed on the eLibrary link of 
Commission's website at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp. 
Enter the docket number (P-15008) in the docket number field to access 
the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.

    Dated: January 15, 2020.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-00960 Filed 1-21-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


