Green Mountain Power Corporation - Project No. 2674-037

1. Type of Filing:  Notice of Intent to File License Application for a New License and Commencing Pre-filing Process
2. Project No.:  2674-037
3. Date Filed:  May 1, 2024
4. Submitted By:  Green Mountain Power Corporation (GMP)
5. Name of Project:  Vergennes Hydroelectric Project     
6. Location:  The project is located on Otter Creek in the City of Vergennes in Addison County, Vermont.
7. Filed Pursuant to:  18 C.F.R. Part 5 of the Commission’s Regulations
8. Applicant Contact:  John Tedesco, Generation Project Coordinator, Green Mountain Power Corporation, 163 Acorn Lane, Colchester, VT 05446; telephone at (802) 655-8753; email at John.Tedesco@greenmountainpower.com.
9. FERC Contact:  Taconya D. Goar, Project Coordinator, Great Lakes Branch, Division of Hydropower Licensing; telephone at (202) 502-8394; e-mail at Taconya.Goar@ferc.gov.
10. 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).
11. With this notice, we are initiating informal consultation with:  (a) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and the joint agency regulations thereunder at 50 C.F.R., Part 402; and (b) the State Historic Preservation Office, as required by section 106, National Historic Preservation Act, and the implementing regulations of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation at 36 C.F.R. § 800.2.
12. With this notice, we are designating GMP 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.
13. GMP filed with the Commission a Pre-Application Document (PAD), including a proposed process plan and schedule, pursuant to 18 C.F.R. § 5.6 of the Commission’s regulations.
14. A copy of the PAD may be viewed on the Commission’s website (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.  For assistance, contact FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or call toll-free, (866) 208-3676 or TTY, (202) 502-8659.
    
    You may 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.
15. 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 staff related to the merits of the potential application must be filed with the Commission.  

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 August 17, 2024.

Scoping Meetings: Commission staff will hold two scoping meetings for the project to receive input on the scope of the NEPA document.  A daytime meeting will be held at 9:00 a.m. on July 18, 2024, at the Vergennes Opera House in Vergennes, Vermont, and will focus on the concerns of Indian Tribes, resource agencies, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).  An evening meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m. on July 18, 2024, at the Vergennes Opera House in Vergennes, Vermont, and will focus on receiving input from the public.  We invite all interested agencies, Indian Tribes, non-governmental organizations, and individuals to attend one or both meetings.  The times and locations of these meetings are as follows:

Daytime Scoping Meeting

DATE:          Thursday, July 18, 2024
TIME:           9:00 a.m. EST
PLACE:        Vergennes Opera House
ADDRESS:   120 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Vergennes, VT 05491
PHONE:       (802) 655-8753

Evening Scoping Meeting

DATE:          Thursday July 18, 2024
TIME:           6:00 p.m. EST
PLACE:        Vergennes Opera House
ADDRESS:   120 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Vergennes, VT 05491
PHONE:       (802) 655-8753

Environmental Site Visit

The potential applicant and Commission staff will conduct an environmental site visit of the project.  All interested individuals, agencies, Tribes, and NGOs are invited to attend.  Please RSVP Mr. John Tedesco of Green Mountain Power Corporation via email at John.Tedesco@greenmountainpower.com or by phone at (802) 655-8753 on or before July 11, 2024, if you plan to attend the environmental site visit.  The time and location of the environmental site visit is as follows:

Vergennes Project Site Visit

DATE:          Thursday July 18, 2024
TIME:           12:00 p.m. EST
PLACE:        Vergennes Falls Park
ADDRESS:   103 Mechanic Street, Vergennes, VT 05491

Participants should meet at the Vergennes Falls Park public parking lot, located at 103 Mechanic Street, Vergennes.  From there, participants will walk approximately 0.20 mile to the project.  All participants are responsible for their own transportation to the Vergennes Falls Park public parking lot, and should wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes or boots.