Licenses; Exemptions, Applications, Amendments, etc.: Columbia Basin Hydropower

Columbia Basin Hydropower; Notice of Intent To File License Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document (Pad), Commencement of Pre-Filing Process, and Scoping; Request for Comments on the Pad and Scoping Document, and Identification of Issues and Associated Study Requests

a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application for a New License and Commencing Pre-filing Process.

b. Project No.: 3295-013.

c. Dated Filed: July 1, 2026.

d. Submitted By: Columbia Basin Hydropower (CBH).

e. Name of Project: Summer Falls Hydroelectric Project.

f. Location: The project is located within the Bureau of Reclamation's Main Canal, which is part of Reclamation's Columbia Basin Project irrigation system, 8 miles south of Coulee City in Grant County Washington. The project occupies 82.59 acres of land, managed by the Bureau of Reclamation.

g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of the Commission's Regulations.

h. Potential Applicant Contact: Alan Lackner, Manager, Columbia Basin Hydropower, 107 D Street NW, Ephrata, Washington 98823; phone at (509) 754-2227 or email at [email protected].

i. FERC Contact: John Baummer at (202) 502-6837 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 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 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 CBH 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. CBH 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. 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 [email protected], (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-8659 (TTY). A copy is also available for inspection and reproduction at the address in paragraph h.

Register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filing and issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.

o. With this notice, we are soliciting comments on the PAD and Commission's staff 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 the potential application must be filed with the Commission.

The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file all documents using the Commission's eFiling system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx. Commenters can submit brief comments up to 10,000 characters, without prior registration, using the eComment system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx. 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: Debbie Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, MD 20852. All filings must clearly identify the project name and docket number on the first page: Summer Falls Headworks Hydroelectric Project (P-3295-013).

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 on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on October 29, 2026.

p. Scoping Sessions.

Commission staff will hold two scoping sessions in the vicinity of the project at the time and place noted below. All interested individuals, organizations, and agencies are invited to attend one or both of the sessions to provide oral comments. The times and locations of these sessions are as follows:

Daytime Scoping Session

Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2026.

Time: 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT).

Location: Columbia Basin Hydropower.

Address: 107 D Street NW, Ephrata, Washington 98823.

Evening Scoping Session

Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2026.

Time: 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. PDT.

Location: Columbia Basin Hydropower.

Address: 107 D Street NW, Ephrata, Washington 98823.

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. Copies of SD1 will be available at the scoping sessions, or 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

The applicant and Commission staff will conduct an environmental site review of the project. All interested individuals, agencies, tribes, and NGOs are invited to attend. Please RSVP via email to [email protected] or at (509) 995-3663 on or before September 18, 2026 if you plan to attend the environmental site review. The time and location of the environmental site review is as follows:

Date: Thursday, September 24, 2026.

Time: 9:00 a.m. PDT.

Place: Columbia Basin Hydropower.

Address: 107 D Street NW, Ephrata, Washington 98823.

Participants will meet at Columbia Basin Hydropower's office and depart at 9:00 a.m. (PDT) to the project facilities. All participants are responsible for their own transportation to Columbia Basin Hydropower and the project facilities.

All persons attending the environmental site review must wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes or boots. The applicant will provide hearing protection to attendees for entry into noisy areas, if needed; participants who have their own hardhats should bring them.

Scoping Session Objectives

The primary goal of these scoping sessions is to have you identify the specific environmental issues and concerns that should be considered in the environmental document. Commission staff will prepare either an environmental assessment (EA) or an environmental impact statement (EIS) that will present Commission staff's independent analysis of the issues. 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 EA or an EIS.

Scoping session participants should come prepared to discuss their issues and/or concerns. Please review the PAD and SD1 in preparation for the scoping sessions. Directions on how to obtain a copy of the PAD and SD1 are included in item n. of this document.

Meeting Procedures

The scoping sessions will begin promptly at their respective start times listed above. If you wish to speak, Commission staff will hand out numbers in the order of your arrival. If no additional numbers have been handed out and all individuals who wish to provide comments have had an opportunity to do so, staff may conclude the session a half hour earlier than the scheduled time.

Your oral comments will be recorded by a court reporter (with FERC staff or FERC representative present) and become part of the public record for this proceeding. Transcripts will be publicly available on FERC's eLibrary system (see paragraph (n) of this notice for instructions on using eLibrary). If a significant number of people are interested in providing oral comments in the one-on-one settings, a time limit of 5 minutes may be implemented for each commentor. Although there will not be a formal presentation, Commission staff will be available throughout the scoping session to answer your questions about the environmental review process. Representatives from CBH will also be present to answer project-specific questions.

Proper conduct will help the sessions maintain a respectful atmosphere for attendees to provide comments effectively. Loudspeakers, lighting, oversized visual aids, other visual or audible disturbances, and disruptive video and photographic equipment are not permitted. Recorded interviews are also not permitted within the session space. FERC reserves the right to end the session if disruptions interfere with the opportunity for individuals to provide oral comments or if there is a safety or security risk.

It is important to note that the Commission provides equal consideration to all comments received, whether filed in written form or provided orally at a scoping session.

q. For public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, contact the Office of Public Participation at (202) 502-6595 or [email protected].

(Authority: 18 CFR 2.1)

[FR Doc. 2026-17947 Filed 9-1-26; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-P