[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 83 (Monday, May 1, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26536-26537]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-09133]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 2853-073]


Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation; Notice 
of Application Accepted for Filing 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: New Major License.
    b. Project No.: 2853-073.
    c. Date Filed: June 30, 2022.
    d. Applicant: Montana Department of Natural Resources and 
Conservation (Montana DNRC).
    e. Name of Project: Broadwater Hydroelectric Project (project).
    f. Location: On the Missouri River near the town of Toston in 
Broadwater County, Montana. The project is adjacent to and includes 
federal lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: David Lofftus, Hydro Power Program Manager, 
Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, 1424 9th 
Avenue, P.O. Box 201601, Helena, Montana 59620; Phone at (406) 444-
6659; or email at [email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Ingrid Brofman at (202) 502-8347, or 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests: June 24, 
2023.
    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. 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, 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 must clearly identify the project name and docket number on the 
first page: Broadwater Hydroelectric Project (P-2853-073).
    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 for filing, but is not ready 
for environmental analysis at this time.
    l. The existing Broadwater Hydroelectric Project consists of: (1) a 
630-foot-long, 24-foot-high concrete gravity dam with a 360-foot-long 
spillway containing seven inflatable rubber gates capable of raising 
the dam's crest elevation by 11 feet; (2) a 275-acre, 9-mile-long 
reservoir; (3) a 160-foot long rock jetty that extends upstream into 
the reservoir that serves to separate inflow to the powerhouse from the 
headworks of the non-project irrigation canal adjacent to the dam; (4) 
an intake integral with the powerhouse and covered by two inclined 
trashracks, each 20 feet wide and 40 feet high, with a clear bar 
spacing of 3 inches; (5) a 160-foot-long, 46-foot-wide, 64-foot high 
powerhouse containing a single Kaplan turbine with a rated capacity of 
9.66 megawatts; (6) a 100-kilovolt, 2.8-mile-long transmission line; 
and (7) appurtenant facilities.
    The project is operated in a run-of-river mode and generates an 
estimated average of 40,669 megawatt-hours per year.
    Montana DNRC proposes to remove the jetty that separates the 
hydropower intake and the irrigation canal intake and install two 
parallel 100-foot-long, 10-foot-wide by 10-foot-high box culverts 
within the irrigation intake canal and a bulkhead near the current 
irrigation headworks. Once these facilities are installed, any water 
diverted for irrigation first pass through a new angled screen with 6-
inch spacing between the bars and then pass through the two new box 
culverts before entering the existing irrigation intake at the dam. The 
existing irrigation intake and facilities at the dam conveying water to 
the Broadwater-Missouri irrigation canal system would remain in place. 
Montana DNRC proposes to include the new tilted screen and box culverts 
as licensed project facilities.
    Montana DNRC also proposes to modernize the project trash rake 
(i.e., replace and recalibrate sensors on the rake) to minimize debris 
buildup on the dam intake and to upgrade its SCADA monitoring system 
(i.e., improving connectivity to the substation, protective relaying, 
and automation upgrades).
    Montana DNRC proposes to continue to operate the project in an 
automated run-of-river mode throughout the year where outflow from the 
project approximates inflow (minus flows diverted for irrigation). 
Montana DNRC proposes to modify its procedures for responding to an 
unplanned unit trip to reduce the potential for fish stranding 
downstream of the project.
    m. A copy of the application is available for review via the 
internet through the Commission's Home Page (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. 
At this time, the Commission has suspended access to the Commission's 
Public Reference Room. For assistance, contact FERC at 
[email protected] or call toll free, (886) 208-3676 or TTY 
(202) 502-8659.
    You may also register online at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx 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 a protest or a motion to intervene in 
accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18 
CFR 385.210, 385.211, and 385.214. In determining the appropriate 
action to take, the Commission will consider all protests 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 protests 
or motions to intervene must be received on or before the specified 
deadline date for the particular application.
    When the application is ready for environmental analysis, the 
Commission will issue a public notice requesting comments, 
recommendations, terms and conditions, or prescriptions.
    All filings must (1) bear in all capital letters the title 
``PROTEST'' or ``MOTION TO INTERVENE;'' (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. 
Agencies may obtain copies of the application directly from the 
applicant.

[[Page 26537]]

A copy of any protest or motion to intervene must be served upon each 
representative of the applicant specified in the particular 
application.
    o. Procedural schedule: The application will be processed according 
to the following schedule. Revisions to the schedule will be made as 
appropriate.
    Issue Notice of Ready for Environmental Analysis: June 2023.
    Deadline for Filing Comments, Recommendations, and Agency Terms and 
Conditions/Prescriptions: July 2023.
    Deadline for Filing Reply Comments: September 2023.

    Dated: April 25, 2023.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-09133 Filed 4-28-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


