[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 75 (Wednesday, April 21, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20681-20682]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-08232]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 15021-000]


Bard College, New York; Notice of Application Accepted For 
Filing, Intent To Waive Scoping, and Soliciting Motions To Intervene 
And Protests

    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: Exemption from Licensing.
    b. Project No.: 15021-000.
    c. Date filed: December 23, 2019.
    d. Applicant: Bard College, New York.
    e. Name of Project: Annandale Micro Hydropower Project (Annandale 
Project).
    f. Location: On Saw Kill, a tributary of the Hudson River, in the 
Town of Red Hook, Dutchess County, New York. The project does not 
occupy federal land.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 
1978, 16 U.S.C. 2705, 2708 (2018), amended by the Hydropower Regulatory 
Efficiency Act of 2013, Public Law 113-23, 127 Stat. 493 (2013).
    h. Applicant Contact: Randy Clum, Director, Buildings and Grounds, 
Bard College, 30 Campus Road, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504; and/or 
Joel Herm/Jan Borchert, Current Hydro, Inc., PO Box 224, Rhinebeck, NY 
12572.
    i. FERC Contact: Monir Chowdhury, (202) 502-6736 or 
monir.chowdhury@ferc.gov.
    j. Deadline for filing comments, motions to intervene, and 
protests: 60 days from the issuance date of this notice. All reply 
comments must be filed with the Commission within 75 days from the 
issuance date of this notice.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
motions to intervene and protests using the Commission's eFiling system 
at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx. Commenters can submit 
brief comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, 
using the eComment system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.. 
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, you may submit a paper copy. 
Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to: 
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via 
any other carrier must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, 
Maryland 20852. The first page of any filing should include docket 
number P-15021-000.
    The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure require all 
interveners 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 intervener 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 but is not ready for 
environmental analysis at this time.
    l. The Annandale Project would consist of: (1) An existing 240-
foot-long dam with a maximum height of 13 feet impounding a 3-acre 
reservoir at a normal pool elevation of 148 feet North American 
Vertical datum of 1988; (2) one new 9-foot-wide, 9-foot-long, 8-foot-
high concrete tank with a spiral internal shape and housing a 10-
kilowatt gravitational vortex turbine-generator unit; (3) a new 60-
foot-long, 480-volt underground generator lead connecting the turbine-
generator unit with an electrical panel that is connected to a step-up 
transformer via a new 10-foot-long, 480-volt underground transmission 
line; (4) a new 50-foot-long, 7.6-kilovolt underground transmission 
line connecting the step-up transformer to the local grid; and (5) 
appurtenant facilities. The project is estimated to generate an average 
of 51 megawatt-hours annually. The applicant proposes to operate the 
project in a run-of-river mode.
    m. A copy of the application can be viewed on the Commission's 
website at https://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.
    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. Due to the small size and location of this project, the 
applicant's close coordination with federal and state agencies during 
preparation of the application, and studies completed during pre-filing 
consultation, we intend to waive scoping and expedite the licensing 
process. Based on a review of the application and resource agency 
consultation letters including comments filed to date, Commission staff 
intends to prepare a NEPA document to address resource issues 
identified during the pre-filing period. Commission staff does not 
anticipate that any new issues would be identified through additional 
scoping. The NEPA document will assess the potential effects of project 
operation on geology and soils, aquatic, terrestrial, threatened and 
endangered species, recreation, cultural and historic resources, and 
flooding upstream of the dam.
    o. Any qualified applicant desiring to file a competing application 
must submit to the Commission, on or before the specified intervention 
deadline date, a competing development application, or a notice of 
intent to file such an application. Submission of a timely notice of 
intent allows an interested person to file the competing development 
application no later than 120 days after the specified intervention 
deadline date. Applications for preliminary permits will not be 
accepted in response to this notice.
    A notice of intent must specify the exact name, business address, 
and telephone number of the prospective applicant, and must include an 
unequivocal statement of intent to submit a development application. A 
notice of intent must be served on the applicant(s) named in this 
public notice.
    p. 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,'' ``NOTICE OF INTENT TO FILE 
COMPETING APPLICATION,'' ``COMPETING APPLICATION,'' ``COMMENTS,'' or 
``REPLY COMMENTS;'' (2) set forth in

[[Page 20682]]

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. 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.
    q. Updated procedural schedule and final amendments: The 
application will be processed according to the following procedural 
schedule. Revisions to the schedule may be made as appropriate.

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               Milestone                           Target date
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Issue Notice of Ready for               July 9, 2021.
 Environmental Analysis.
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    Final amendments to the application must be filed with the 
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of the notice 
of ready for environmental analysis.

    Dated: April 15, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-08232 Filed 4-20-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


