§ 4.92 - Contents of exemption application.

§ 4.92 Contents of exemption application.

(a) An application for exemption for this subpart must include:

(1) An introductory statement, including a declaration that the facility for which application is made meets the requirements of § 4.30(b)(30), or if the facility qualifies but for the discharge requirement of § 4.30(b)(30)(iv), the introductory statement must identify that fact and state that the application is accompanied by a petition for waiver of § 4.30(b)(30)(iv) filed pursuant to § 385.207 of this chapter;

(2) Exhibits A, E, F, and G.

(3) If the project structures would use or occupy any lands other than federal lands, an appendix containing documentary evidence showing that the applicant has the real property interests required under § 4.31(b); and

(4) Identification of all Indian tribes that may be affected by the project.

(b) Introductory Statement. The introductory statement must be set forth in the following format:

Before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Application for Exemption for Small Conduit Hydroelectric Facility

[Name of applicant] applies to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for an exemption for the [name of facility], a small conduit hydroelectric facility that meets the requirements of [insert the following language, as appropriate: “§ 4.30(b)(30) of this subpart” or “§ 4.30(b)(30) of this subpart, except paragraph (b)(30)(iv)”], from certain provisions of Part I of the Federal Power Act.

The location of the facility is:

State or Territory:

County:

Township or nearby town:

The exact name and business address of each applicant are:

The exact name and business address of each person authorized to act as agent for the applicant in this application are:

[Name of applicant] is [a citizen of the United States, an association of citizens of the United States, a municipality, State, or a corporation incorporated under the laws of (specify the United States or the state of incorporation, as appropriate)].

The provisions of Part I of the Federal Power Act for which exemption is requested are:

[List here all sections or subsections for which exemption is requested.]

[If the facility does not meet the requirement of § 4.30(b)(30)(iv), add the following sentence: “This application is accompanied by a petition for waiver of § 4.30(b)(30)(iv), submitted pursuant to 18 CFR 385.207.”]

(c) Exhibit A. Exhibit A must describe the small conduit hydroelectric facility and proposed mode of operation with appropriate references to Exhibits F and G. To the extent feasible the information in this exhibit may be submitted in tabular form. The following information must be included:

(1) A brief description of any conduits and associated consumptive water supply facilities, intake facilities, powerhouses, and any other structures associated with the facility.

(2) The proximate natural sources of water that supply the related conduit.

(3) The purposes for which the conduit is used.

(4) The number of generating units, including auxiliary units, the capacity of each unit, and provisions, if any, for future units.

(5) The type of each hydraulic turbine.

(6) A description of how the plant is to be operated, manually or automatically, and whether the plant is to be used for peaking.

(7) Estimations of:

(i) The average annual generation in kilowatt hours;

(ii) The average head of the plant;

(iii) The hydraulic capacity of the plant (flow through the plant) in cubic feet per second;

(iv) The average flow of the conduit at the plant or point of diversion (using best available data and explaining the sources of the data and the method of calculation); and

(v) The average amount of the flow described in paragraph (c)(7)(iv) of this section available for power generation.

(8) The planned date for beginning construction of the facility.

(9) If the hydroelectric facility discharges directly into a natural body of water and a petition for waiver of § 4.30(b)(30)(iv) has not been submitted, evidence that a quantity of water equal to or greater than the quantity discharged from the hydroelectric facility is withdrawn from that water body downstream into a conduit that is part of the same water supply system as the conduit on which the hydroelectric facility is located.

(10) If the hydroelectric facility discharges directly to a point of agricultural, municipal, or industrial consumption, a description of the nature and location of that point of consumption.

(11) A description of the nature and extent of any construction of a dam that would occur in association with construction of the proposed small conduit hydroelectric facility, including a statement of the normal maximum surface area and normal maximum surface elevation of any existing impoundment before and after that construction; and any evidence that the construction of the dam would occur for agricultural, municipal, or industrial consumptive purposes even if hydroelectric generating facilities were not installed.

(d) Exhibit G. Exhibit G is a map of the project and boundary and must conform to the specifications of § 4.41(h) of this chapter.

(e) Exhibit E. This exhibit is an Environmental Report. It must be prepared pursuant to § 4.38 and must include the following information, commensurate with the scope and environmental impact of the facility's construction and operation:

(1) A description of the environmental setting in the vicinity of the facility, including vegetative cover, fish and wildlife resources, water quality and quantity, land and water uses, recreational use, socio-economic conditions, historical and archeological resources, and visual resources. The report must give special attention to endangered or threatened plant and animal species, critical habitats, and sites eligible for or included on the National Register of Historic Places. The applicant may obtain assistance in the preparation of this information from State natural resources agencies, the State historic preservation officer, and from local offices of Federal natural resources agencies.

(2) A description of the expected environmental impacts resulting from the continued operation of an existing small conduit hydroelectric facility, or from the construction and operation of a proposed small conduit hydroelectric facility, including a discussion of the specific measures proposed by the applicant and others to protect and enhance environmental resources and to mitigate adverse impacts of the facility on them.

(3) A description of alternative means of obtaining an amount of power equivalent to that provided by the proposed or existing facility.

(4) Any additional information the applicant considers important.

(f) Exhibit F. Exhibit F is a set of drawings showing the structures and equipment of the small conduit hydroelectric facility and must conform to the specifications of § 4.41(g) of this chapter.

[Order 76, 45 FR 28090, Apr. 28, 1980, as amended by Order 413, 50 FR 11686, Mar. 25, 1985; Order 533, 56 FR 23153, May 20, 1991; Order 2002, 68 FR 51121, Aug. 25, 2003; Order 699, 72 FR 45324, Aug. 14, 2007; Order 800, 79 FR 59110, Oct. 1, 2014]