Proposed Settlement Agreement, Stipulation, Order, and Judgment, etc.: Seattle City Light

Seattle City Light; Notice of Settlement Agreement and Soliciting Comments

a. Type of Application: Settlement Agreement.

b. Project No. : 553-244.

c. Date Filed: May 20, 2026.

d. Applicant: Seattle City Light (City Light).

e. Name of Project: Skagit River Hydroelectric Project (project).

f. Location: The project is located on the Skagit River, in Whatcom, Snohomish, and Skagit Counties, Washington. The project occupies federal lands under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service.

g. Filed Pursuant to: Rule 602 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR 385.602.

h. Applicant Contact: Chris Townsend, Director of Natural Resources and Hydropower Licensing, Seattle City Light, P.O. Box 34023, Seattle, WA 98124; telephone (206) 304-1210.

i. FERC Contact: John Baummer, Project Coordinator, Northwest Branch, Division of Hydropower Licensing; telephone at (202) 502-6837; email at [email protected].

j. Deadline for filing comments: July 2, 2026, by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Reply comments due: July 17, 2026, by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file comments 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/QuickComment.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: 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: Skagit River Hydroelectric Project (P-553-244).

The Commission's Rules of Practice 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, they must also serve a copy of the document on that resource agency.

k. City Light filed an Offer of Settlement Agreement for the project's relicense proceeding, on behalf of itself; the National Marine Fisheries Service, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington Department of Ecology, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, Skagit County, Washington, Trout Unlimited, American Whitewater, North Cascades Institute, and the Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group. The purpose of the Settlement Agreement is to resolve among the parties all issues that have or could reasonably have been raised by the parties in connection with the continued operation and maintenance of the project under a new license regarding fish passage, instream flows, water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, flood risk management, recreation, cultural resources, and terrestrial resources. City Light, on behalf of the signatories, requests that the Commission approve the Settlement Agreement and issue a new 50-year license for the project that incorporates, without material modification, proposed license articles set forth in Appendix 1 to the Settlement Agreement.

l. A copy of the Settlement Agreement is available for review on the Commission's website at 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 ( i.e., P-553). 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://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview to be notified via email of new filings and issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.

m. 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)