[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 11 (Tuesday, January 18, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2604-2605]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-00814]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 15244-000]


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

    On October 13, 2021, PacifiCorp filed an application for a 
preliminary permit, pursuant to section 4(f) of the Federal Power Act, 
proposing to study the feasibility of the Rocky Ridge Pumped Storage 
Project (Rocky Ridge Project or project), a closed-loop pumped storage 
project to be located south of the town of Glenrock in Converse and 
Natrona Counties, Wyoming. The proposed project would be located in 
part on federal lands administered by the U.S. Bureau of Land 
Management. 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.
    Three alternatives are being considered for the Rocky Ridge 
Project. Alternative 1 would located about seven miles southeast of the 
town of Glenrock, Wyoming and consist of the following: (1) An upper 
reservoir with a surface area of 164 acres and a storage volume of 
approximately 3,032 acre-feet created by a 1,475-foot-long, 300-foot-
high embankment dam; (2) a lower reservoir with a surface area of 63.5 
acres and a storage volume of approximately 3,100 acre-feet created by 
a 4,600-foot-long, 60-foot-high embankment dam; (3) a 5.2-mile-long, 
20-foot-diameter steel penstock connecting the upper reservoir with the 
powerhouse/pump station; (4) a 150-foot-long, 50-foot-wide concrete 
powerhouse/pump station located on the lower reservoir shoreline 
containing three 167-megawatt (MW) generating/pumping units for a total 
capacity of 500 MW; (5) a 4.2-mile-long, 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission 
line interconnecting to PacifiCorp's Amasa substation; (6) a 11.4-mile-
long, 24-inch-diameter underground pipeline to divert water from the 
North Platte River near Glenrock to the project for initial and 
maintenance fill; and, (7) appurtenant facilities.
    The majority of the facilities for Alternative 2 (i.e., project 
reservoirs, penstock, and powerhouse, etc.) would be located about 
three miles southwest of Alternative 1 and consist of the following: 
(1) An upper reservoir with a surface area of 202 acres and a storage 
volume of approximately 3,096 acre-feet created by a 1,750-foot-long, 
150-foot-high embankment dam; (2) a lower reservoir with a surface area 
of 55.5 acres and a storage volume of approximately 3,100 acre-feet 
created by a 2,950-foot-long, 30-foot-high embankment dam; (3) a 1.6-
mile-long, 20-foot-diameter steel penstock connecting the upper 
reservoir with the powerhouse/pump station; (4) a 150-foot-long, 50-
foot-wide concrete powerhouse/pump station located on the lower 
reservoir shoreline containing three 167-MW generating/pumping units 
for a total capacity of 500 MW; (5) a 7-mile-long, 230-kV transmission 
line interconnecting to PacifiCorp's Amasa substation; (6) a 14.3-mile-
long, 24-inch-diameter underground pipeline to divert water from the 
North Platte River near Glenrock to the project for initial and 
maintenance fill; and, (7) appurtenant facilities.
    The majority of the facilities for Alternative 3 (i.e., project 
reservoirs, penstock, and powerhouse, etc.) would be located about 
three miles southwest

[[Page 2605]]

of Alternative 2 and consist of the following: (1) An upper reservoir 
with either: (a) A surface area of 73.1 acres and a storage volume of 
approximately 3,615 acre-feet created by a 6,100-foot-long, 200-foot-
high embankment dam or (b) with a surface area of 256 acres and a 
storage volume of approximately 3,700 acre-feet created by a 2,400-
foot-long, 240-foot-high embankment dam; (2) a lower reservoir with a 
surface area of 73.1 acres and a storage volume of approximately 3,800 
acre-feet created by a 4,900-foot-long, 130-foot-high embankment dam; 
(3) either a 1.7- or 4.2-mile-long, 20-foot steel penstock with a 
diameter of 20-feet connecting the upper reservoir with the powerhouse/
pump station; (4) a 150-foot-long, 50-foot-wide concrete powerhouse/
pump station located on the lower reservoir shoreline containing three 
167-MW generating/pumping units for a total capacity of 500 MW; (5) a 
10.1-mile-long, 230-kV transmission line interconnecting to 
PacifiCorp's Amasa substation; (6) a 17.8-mile-long, 24-inch-diameter 
underground pipeline to divert water from the North Platte River near 
Glenrock to the project for initial and maintenance fill; and, (7) 
appurtenant facilities.
    The estimated annual generation of the Rocky Ridge Project would be 
1,460 gigawatt-hours.
    Applicant Contact: Tim Hemstreet, Managing Director, Renewable 
Energy Development, PacifiCorp, 825 NE Multnomah, Suite 1800, Portland, 
OR 97232; email: [email protected]; phone: (503) 813-6170.
    FERC Contact: John Matkowski; email: [email protected]; 
phone: (202) 502-8576.
    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. 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-15244-000.
    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-15244) in the docket number field to access 
the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.

    Dated: January 11, 2022.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-00814 Filed 1-14-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


