99-34035. Notice of Transfer of Licenses, Substitution of Relicense Applicant, and Soliciting Comments, Motions To Intervene, and Protests

[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 1 (Monday, January 3, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 131-132]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-34035]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission


Notice of Transfer of Licenses, Substitution of Relicense 
Applicant, and Soliciting Comments, Motions To Intervene, and Protests

December 28, 1999.
    Take notice that the following application has been filed with the 
Commission and is available for public inspection:
    a. Application Types: (1) Transfer of Licenses and (2) Request for 
Substitution of Application for New License (in Project No. 2634-007).
    b. Project Nos.: 2458-079, 2520-044, 2572-049, P-2634-012, and 
2634-007.
    c. Date Filed: December 6, 1999.
    d. Applicants: Great Northern Paper, Inc. and GNE, LLC.
    e. Name and Location of Project: The Penobscot Mills, Mattaceunk, 
and Ripogenous Hydroelectric Projects and the Great Northern Storage 
Project are on the West Branch and mainstem of the Penobscot River in 
Penobscot, Piscataquis, Aroostook, and Somerset Counties, Maine. The 
projects do not occupy federal or tribal lands.
    f. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    g. Applicant Contacts: Mr. Brian R. Stetson, Great Northern Paper, 
Inc./GNE, LLC., One Katahdin Avenue, Millinocket, Maine 04462-1398, 
[phone] and Mr. Donald H. Clarke, Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP, 
2300 N Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20037, [phone].
    h. FERC Contact: Any questions on this notice should be addressed 
to James Hunter at [phone], or e-mail address: 
[e-mail].
    i. Deadline for filing comments and/or motions: February 28, 2000.
    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.

[[Page 132]]

    Please include the noted project numbers on any comments or motions 
filed.
    j. Description of Proposal: The applicants state that Great 
Northern Paper, Inc. and Duke Energy Corporation are forming GNE, LLC, 
which will have access to the resources of both corporations for the 
continued operation and management of these four projects.
    The transfer application was filed within five years of the 
expiration of the license for Project No. 2634, which is the subject of 
a pending relicense application. In Hydroelectric Relicensing 
Regulations Under the Federal Power Act (54 FR 23,756; FERC Stats. and 
Regs., Regs. Preambles 1986-1990 30,854 at p. 31,437), the Commission 
declined to forbid all license transfers during the last five years of 
an existing license, and instead indicated that it would scrutinize all 
such transfer requests to determine if the transfer's primary purpose 
was to give the transferee an advantage in relicensing (id. at p. 
31,438 n. 318).
    The transfer application also contains a separate request for 
approval of the substitution of the transferee for the transferor as 
the applicant in the pending relicensing application, filed by the 
transferor on April 28, 1998, in Project No. 2634-007.
    k. Locations of the application: A copy of the application is 
available for inspection and reproduction at the Commission's Public 
Reference Room, located at 888 First Street, NE, Room 2A, Washington, 
DC 20426, or by calling [phone]. The application may be viewed 
on the web at www.ferc.fed.us/online/rims.htm (Call [phone] for 
assistance). A copy is also available for inspection and reproduction 
at the addresses in item g above.
    l. Individuals desiring to be included on the Commission's mailing 
list should so indicate by writing to the Secretary of the Commission.
    Comments, Protests, or Motions to Intervene--Anyone may submit 
comments a protest, or a motion to intervene in accordance with the 
requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR 385.210, .211, 
.214. In determining the appropriate action to take, the Commission 
will consider all protests or other comments 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 comments, protests, or 
motions to intervene must be received on or before the specified 
comment date for the particular application.
    Filing and Service of Responsive Documents--Any filing must bear in 
all capital letters the title ``COMMENTS'', ``RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TERMS 
AND CONDITIONS'', ``PROTEST'', OR ``MOTION TO INTERVENE'', as 
applicable and the Project Number of the particular application to 
which the filing refers. Any of the above-named documents must be filed 
by providing the original and the number of copies provided by the 
Commission's regulations to: The Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. A copy of any 
motion to intervene must also be served upon each representative of the 
Applicant specified in the particular application.
    Agency Comments--Federal, state, and local agencies are invited to 
file comments on the described application. A copy of the application 
may be obtained by agencies directly from the Applicant. If an agency 
does not file comments within the time specified for filing comments, 
it will be presumed to have no comments. One copy of an agency's 
comments must also be sent to the Applicant's representatives.
David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-34035 Filed 12-30-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M