[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 82 (Thursday, April 28, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25233-25234]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-09116]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2740-053]


Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC; Notice of Intent To File License 
Applications, Filing of Pre-Application Document (Pad), Commencement of 
Pre-Filing Process, Request for Comments on the Pad and Scoping 
Document, Identification of Issues and Associated Study Requests, and 
Virtual Public Scoping Meetings and Virtual Environmental Site Reviews

    a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application for 
New License and Commencing Pre-filing Process.
    b. Project No.: 2740-053.
    c. Date Filed: February 23, 2022.
    d. Submitted By: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (Duke Energy).
    e. Name of Project: Bad Creek Pumped Storage Project (Bad Creek 
Project).
    f. Location: Oconee County, South Carolina.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of the Commission's 
Regulations.
    h. Licensee Contact: Alan Stuart, Licensing Manager, Duke Energy, 
Mail Code EC-12Q 526 S. Church Street, Charlotte, NC 28202; (803) 640-
8765; energy.com">[email protected]energy.com.
    i. FERC Contact: Navreet Deo at (202) 502-6304, or email at 
[email protected].
    j. Cooperating agencies: Federal, state, local, and tribal agencies 
with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to 
environmental issues that wish to cooperate in the preparation of the 
environmental document should follow the instructions for filing such 
requests described in item o below. Cooperating agencies should note 
the Commission's policy that agencies that cooperate in the preparation 
of the environmental document cannot also intervene. See 94 FERC 61,076 
(2001).
    k. With this notice, we are initiating informal consultation with: 
(a) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and/or NOAA Fisheries under 
section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and the joint agency 
regulations thereunder at 50 CFR, Part 402; and (b) the State Historic 
Preservation Officer, as required by section 106, National Historic 
Preservation Act, and the implementing regulations of the Advisory 
Council on Historic Preservation at 36 CFR 800.2.
    l. With this notice, we are designating Duke Energy as the 
Commission's non-federal representative for carrying out informal 
consultation, pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and 
section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
    m. Duke Energy filed with the Commission a Pre-Application Document 
(PAD; including a proposed process plan and schedule), pursuant to 18 
CFR 5.6 of the Commission's regulations.
    n. In addition to publishing the full text of this document in the 
Federal Register, the Commission provides all interested persons an 
opportunity to view and/or print the contents via the internet through 
the Commission's Home Page (http://www.ferc.gov), using the 
``eLibrary'' link. Enter the docket number(s), excluding the last three 
digits in the docket number field, to access the document. At this 
time, the Commission has suspended access to the Commission's Public 
Reference Room, due to the proclamation declaring a National Emergency 
concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), issued by the 
President on March 13, 2020, and continued on February 24, 2021. For 
assistance, contact FERC Online Support at [email protected], 
or call toll-free, (866) 208-3676 or TYY, (202) 502-8659.
    Register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filings and issuances 
related to these or other pending projects. For assistance, contact 
FERC Online Support.
    o. With this notice, we are soliciting comments on the PAD and 
Commission staff's Scoping Document 1 (SD1), as well as study requests. 
All comments on the PAD and SD1, and study requests should be sent to 
the address above in paragraph h. In addition, all comments on the PAD 
and SD1, study requests, requests for cooperating agency status, and 
all communications to and from Commission staff related to the merits 
of

[[Page 25234]]

the potential applications must be filed with the Commission.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
all documents 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]. 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.
    All filings with the Commission must bear the appropriate heading: 
``Comments on Pre-Application Document,'' ``Study Requests,'' 
``Comments on Scoping Document 1,'' ``Request for Cooperating Agency 
Status,'' or ``Communications to and from Commission Staff.'' Any 
individual or entity interested in submitting study requests, 
commenting on the PAD or SD1, and any agency requesting cooperating 
status must do so by June 23, 2022.
    p. Scoping Process.
    The Commission's scoping process will help determine the required 
level of analysis and satisfy the NEPA scoping requirements, 
irrespective of whether the Commission prepares an environmental 
assessment or Environmental Impact Statement. Due to recent concerns 
with large gatherings related to COVID-19, we do not intend to hold in-
person public scoping meetings or an in-person environmental site 
review. Rather, we will hold virtual public scoping meetings and a 
virtual environmental site reviews.

Scoping Meetings

    Commission staff will hold two virtual public scoping meetings. An 
evening meeting will focus on receiving input from the public and a 
daytime meeting will focus on concerns of resource agencies, Native 
American tribes, and NGOs. We invite all interested agencies, Native 
American tribes, NGOs, and individuals to attend one of these meetings 
to assist us in identifying the scope of environmental issues that 
should be analyzed in the NEPA document. The scoping meetings will be 
recorded by a court reporter. All oral and written comments will become 
part of the Commission's public record. Oral comments will be limited 
to 5 minutes in duration.

Date and Time

Meeting for the General Public

Monday, May 16, 2022
7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. EDT
Call in number: 800-779-8625
Participant passcode: 3472916

Meeting for Resource Agencies, Tribes, and NGOs

Tuesday, May 17, 2022
10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. EDT
Call in number: 800-779-8625
Participant passcode: 3472916

    Scoping Document 1 (SD1), which outlines the subject areas to be 
addressed in the environmental document, was mailed to the individuals 
and entities on the Commission's mailing list and Duke Energy's mailing 
list. Copies of SD1 may be viewed on the web at http://www.ferc.gov, 
using the ``eLibrary'' link. Follow the directions for accessing 
information in paragraph n. Based on all oral and written comments, a 
Scoping Document 2 (SD2) may be issued. SD2 may include a revised 
process plan and schedule, as well as a list of issues, identified 
through the scoping process.

Environmental Site Review

    Duke Energy and Commission staff will hold two virtual 
Environmental Site Reviews of the Bad Creek Project on May 16, 2022, 
starting at 6:00 p.m., and May 17, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. Please contact 
Alan Stuart of Duke Energy at (803) 640-8765, or energy.com">[email protected]energy.com, by May 9, 2022 if you plan to attend the environmental site 
review. Meeting details will be provided by Duke Energy staff once 
attendance is confirmed.

Meeting Objectives

    At the scoping meetings, staff will: (1) Briefly describe the 
relicensing process, as well as the projects and their operation; (2) 
initiate scoping of the issues; (3) review existing information and 
identify preliminary information and study needs; and (4) review the 
process plan and schedule for pre-filing activities. Meeting 
participants should come prepared to discuss their issues and/or 
concerns. Please review the PAD in preparation for the scoping 
meetings. Directions on how to obtain a copy of the PAD and SD1 are 
included in item n of this notice.

    Dated: April 22, 2022.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-09116 Filed 4-27-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


