Big Wood Canal Company; Notice of Amendment of Application for an Amendment of Conduit Exemption Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Comments, Motions To Intervene, Protests, Recommendations, and Terms and Conditions

Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection:

a. Type of Application: Amendment of Application for Amendment of Conduit Exemption.

b. Project No.: 8046-004.

c. Date Filed: October 24, 2019.

d. Applicant: Big Wood Canal Company.

e. Name of Project: Sagebrush Hydroelectric Project.

f. Location: The project is located on the South Gooding Main Canal in Lincoln County, near Gooding, Idaho. The project occupies federal lands administered by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791a-825r.

h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Nicholas E. Josten, GeoSense LLC, 2742 Saint Charles Ave., Idaho Falls, ID 83404, (208) 528-6152.

i. FERC Contact: Linda Stewart, (202) 502-8184, linda.stewart@ferc.gov.

j. Deadline for filing responsive documents: Due to the small size of the proposed project, as well as the resource agency consultation letters filed with the application, the 60-day timeframe specified in 18 CFR 4.34(b) for filing all comments, motions to intervene, protests, recommendations, terms and conditions, and prescriptions is shortened to 30 days from the issuance date of this notice. All reply comments must be filed with the Commission within 45 days from the issuance date of this notice.

The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file comments, motions to intervene, and protests 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 FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-8659 (TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, please send a paper copy to: Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426. The first page of any filing should include docket number P-8046-004.

The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure require all intervenors 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 intervenor files comments or documents with the Commission relating to the merits of an issue that may affect the responsibilities of a particular resource agency, it must also serve a copy of the document on that resource agency.

k. Description of Request: On September 25, 2019 the Secretary of the Commission issued a Notice of Application for Amendment of Conduit Exemption for the Sagebrush Project. The notice described Big Wood Canal Company's (exemptee) request to amend the conduit exemption, filed on August 22, 2019, and supplemented on September 20, 2019. On October 24, 2019, the exemptee filed additional information to reflect a proposed design change to its amendment application. Instead of removing the existing powerhouse, which contains three turbine generating units with a total installed capacity of 315 kilowatts (kW), and constructing a new powerhouse containing a single 475-kW turbine generating unit immediately downstream of the existing intake system, the exemptee now proposes to partially remove the existing powerhouse and to construct a new powerhouse adjacent to the downstream wall of the existing powerhouse. The new powerhouse would contain a single 475-kW turbine generating unit, as originally proposed by the exemptee. Additionally, instead of removing the approximately 400-foot-long existing, buried penstocks (three pipes) and excavating an open tailrace channel along the route of the existing penstocks, the exemptee now proposes to replace the existing penstocks with a single penstock.

l. Locations of the Application: A copy of the application is available for inspection and reproduction at the Commission's Public Reference Room, located at 888 First Street NE, Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, or by calling (202) 502-8371. This filing may also be viewed on the Commission's website at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp. Enter the docket number, P-8046, in the docket number field to access the document. You may also 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, call 1-866-208-3676 or email FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, for TTY, call (202) 502-8659. A copy is also available for inspection and reproduction at the address in item (h) above.

m. Comments, Protests, or Motions to Intervene: 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 deadline date for the particular application.

n. Any entity who intervened in the amendment proceeding (sub docket P-8046-004) pursuant to the September 25, 2019 Notice of Application for Amendment of Conduit Exemption need not intervene again.

o. Filing and Service of Responsive Documents: Any filing must (1) bear in all capital letters the title “COMMENTS”, “PROTEST”, “MOTION TO INTERVENE,” “REPLY COMMENTS,” “RECOMMENDATIONS,” “TERMS AND CONDITIONS,” or “PRESCRIPTIONS;” (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. All comments, motions to intervene, or protests must set forth their evidentiary basis and otherwise comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 4.34(b). A copy of all other filings in reference to this application must be accompanied by proof of service on all persons listed in the service list prepared by the Commission in this proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 4.34(b) and 385.2010.