§ 5.3 - Process selection.

§ 5.3 Process selection.

(a)

(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this part or of parts 4 and 16 of this chapter, a potential applicant for a new, subsequent, or original license may until July 23, 2005 elect to use the licensing procedures of this part or the licensing procedures of parts 4 and 16.

(2) Any potential license applicant that files its notification of intent pursuant to § 5.5 and pre-application document pursuant to § 5.6 after July 23, 2005 must request authorization to use the licensing procedures of parts 4 and 16, as provided for in paragraphs (b)-(f) of this section.

(b) A potential license applicant may file with the Commission a request to use the traditional licensing process or alternative procedures pursuant to this Section with its notification of intent pursuant to § 5.5.

(c)

(1)

(i) An application for authorization to use the traditional process must include justification for the request and any existing written comments on the potential applicant's proposal and a response thereto.

(ii) A potential applicant requesting authorization to use the traditional process should address the following considerations:

(A) Likelihood of timely license issuance;

(B) Complexity of the resource issues;

(C) Level of anticipated controversy;

(D) Relative cost of the traditional process compared to the integrated process;

(E) The amount of available information and potential for significant disputes over studies; and

(F) Other factors believed by the applicant to be pertinent

(2) A potential applicant requesting the use of § 4.34(i) alternative procedures of this chapter must:

(i) Demonstrate that a reasonable effort has been made to contact all agencies, Indian tribes, and others affected by the applicant's request, and that a consensus exists that the use of alternative procedures is appropriate under the circumstances;

(ii) Submit a communications protocol, supported by interested entities, governing how the applicant and other participants in the pre-filing consultation process, including the Commission staff, may communicate with each other regarding the merits of the potential applicant's proposal and proposals and recommendations of interested entities; and

(iii) Provide a copy of the request to all affected resource agencies and Indian tribes and to all entities contacted by the applicant that have expressed an interest in the alternative pre-filing consultation process.

(d)

(1) The potential applicant must provide a copy of the request to use the traditional process or alternative procedures to all affected resource agencies, Indian tribes, and members of the public likely to be interested in the proceeding. The request must state that comments on the request to use the traditional process or alternative procedures, as applicable, must be filed with the Commission within 30 days of the filing date of the request and, if there is no project number, that responses must reference the potential applicant's name and address.

(2) The potential applicant must also publish notice of the filing of its notification of intent, of the pre-application document, and of any request to use the traditional process or alternative procedures no later than the filing date of the notification of intent in a daily or weekly newspaper of general circulation in each county in which the project is located. The notice must:

(i) Disclose the filing date of the request to use the traditional process or alternative procedures, and the notification of intent and pre-application document;

(ii) Briefly summarize these documents and the basis for the request to use the traditional process or alternative procedures;

(iii) Include the potential applicant's name and address, and telephone number, the type of facility proposed to be applied for, its proposed location, the places where the pre-application document is available for inspection and reproduction;

(iv) Include a statement that comments on the request to use the traditional process or alternative procedures are due to the Commission and the potential applicant no later than 30 days following the filing date of that document and, if there is no project number, that responses must reference the potential applicant's name and address;

(v) State that comments on any request to use the traditional process should address, as appropriate to the circumstances of the request, the:

(A) Likelihood of timely license issuance;

(B) Complexity of the resource issues;

(C) Level of anticipated controversy;

(D) Relative cost of the traditional process compared to the integrated process; and

(E) The amount of available information and potential for significant disputes over studies; and

(F) Other factors believed by the commenter to be pertinent; and

(vi) State that respondents must submit comments to the Secretary of the Commission in accordance with filing procedures posted on the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov.

[Order 2002, 68 FR 51121, Aug. 25, 2003; 68 FR 61742, Oct. 30, 2003, as amended by Order 737, 75 FR 43402, July 26, 2010]