01-1432. Notice of Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Motions To Intervene, Protests, Comments, Recommendations, and Terms and Conditions

January 11, 2001.

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

a. Type of Application: Conduit Exemption.

b. Project No.: 11867-000.

c. Date Filed: December 26, 2000.

d. Applicant: The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

e. Name of Project: Diamond Valley Lake Small Conduit Hydroelectric Project.

f. Location: In Riverside County, California. The project would be located in the Wadsworth Pumping Plant and would utilize water from Diamond Valley Lake. Diamond Valley Lake, an off-stream reservoir, stores water from the Colorado River Aqueduct that the Wadsworth Plant pumps into it from a forebay on the San Diego Canal. The California Aqueduct will be a source of water for the Lake by gravity flow, when construction of the Inland Feeder pipeline is complete. The project would not occupy federal or tribal lands.

g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 USC 791(a)-825(r).

h. Applicant Contact: Mr. Joseph E. Tait, Assistant General Manager, The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, P.O. Box 54153, Los Angeles, CA 90054-0153, [phone].

i. FERC Contact: James Hunter, [phone].

j. Status of Environmental Analysis: This application is ready for environmental analysis at this time—see the following paragraphs about filing responsive documents.

k. Deadline for filing motions to intervene, protests and comments: February 16, 2001.

All documents (original and eight copies) should be filed with: David P. Boergers, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20426. Comments and protests may be filed electronically via the internet in lieu of paper. See, 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's web site at http://www.ferc.fed.us/​efi/​doorbell.htm.

Please include the project number (P-11867-000) on any comments, protests, or motions filed.

The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure require all interveners filing documents with the Commission to serve a copy of that document on each person in the official service list for the project. Further, if an intervener 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.

l. Description of Project: The project would consist of modifying the 12 existing pumps in the Wadsworth Plant to operate in a reverse turbine-generating mode. Energy currently dissipated in pressure control valves as water is released from the Lake into the Canal could then be captured. Each pump/generator would have an installed capacity of 3.3 megawatts (MW), for a total installed capacity of 39.6 MW. The average annual generation would be 30 gigawatt hours.

m. Available Locations of Application: A copy of the application is available for inspection and reproduction at the Commission's Public Reference and Files Maintenance Branch, located at 888 First Street, NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, or by calling [phone]. This filing may be viewed on http://www.ferc.fed.us/​online/​rims.htm (call [phone] for assistance). A copy is also available for inspection and reproduction at the address shown in item h above.

Development Application—Any qualified applicant desiring to file a competing application must submit to the Commission, on or before the specified deadline date for the particular application, a competing development application, or a notice of intent to file such an application. Submission of a timely notice of intent allows an interested person to file the competing development application no later than 120 days after the specified deadline date for the particular application. Applications for preliminary permits will not be accepted in response to this notice.

Notice of intent—A notice of intent must specify the exact name, business address, and telephone number of the prospective applicant, and must include an unequivocal statement of intent to submit, if such an application may be filed, either a preliminary permit application or a development application (specify which type of application). A notice of intent must be served on the applicant(s) named in the public notice.

Protests or Motions to Intervene—Anyone may submit a protest or a motion to intervene is accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR 385.210, 385.211, and 385.214. In determining the appropriate action to take, the Commission will consider all protests 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 protests or motions to intervene must be received on or before the specified deadline date for the particular application.

Filing and Service of Responsive Documents—The application is ready for environmental analysis at this time, and the Commission is requesting comments, reply comments, recommendations, terms and conditions, and prescriptions.

The Commission directs, pursuant to Section 4.34(b) of the Regulations (see Order No. 533 issued May 8, 1991, 56 FR 23108, May 20, 1991) that all comments, recommendations, terms and conditions and prescriptions concerning the application be filed with the Commission within 30 days from the issuance date of this notice. All reply comments must be filed with the Commission within 75 days from the date of this notice.

Anyone may obtain an extension of time for these deadlines from the Commission only upon a showing of good cause or extraordinary circumstances in accordance with 18 CFR 385.2008.

All filings must (1) bear in all capital lettters the title “PROTEST”, “MOTION TO INTERVENE”, “NOTICE OF INTENT TO FILE COMPETING APPLICATION,” “COMPETING APPLICATION,” “COMMENTS,” or “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, recommendations, terms and conditions or prescriptions must set forth their evidentiary basis and otherwise comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 4.34(b). Agencies may obtain copies of the application directly from the applicant. Any of these documents must be filed by providing the original and the number of copies required by the Commission's regulations to: The Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. A copy of any protest or motion to intervene must be served upon each representative of the applicant specified in the particular application. 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.

David P. Boegers,

Secretary.