2017-22532. Notice of Intent To File License Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document, Approving Use of the Traditional Licensing Process; Pacific Gas & Electric Company

a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application and Request to Use the Traditional Licensing Process.

b. Project No.: 1061-098.

c. Date Filed: August 22, 2017.

d. Submitted By: Pacific Gas & Electric Company.

e. Name of Project: Phoenix Hydroelectric Project.

f. Location: On the South Fork Stanislaus River and in the Tuolumne River Basin, in Tuolumne County, California. The project occupies public lands administered by the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.

g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR 5.3 of the Commission's regulations.

h. Potential Applicant Contact: Debbie Powell, Sr. Director Power Generation, Pacific Gas & Electric Company, P.O. Box 770000, MCN11D-1138m, San Francisco, CA 94177; [phone]; email—[e-mail].

i. FERC Contact: Jim Hastreiter at [phone]; or email at [e-mail].

j. Pacific Gas & Electric Company filed its request to use the Traditional Licensing Process on August 22, 2017. Pacific Gas & Electric Company provided public notice of its request on August 22, 2017. In a letter dated October 23, 2017, the Director of the Division of Hydropower Licensing approved Pacific Gas & Electric Company's request to use the Traditional Licensing Process.

k. With this notice, we are initiating informal consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and/or NOAA Fisheries under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and the joint agency regulations thereunder at 50 CFR, Part 402; and NOAA Fisheries under section 305(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and implementing regulations at 50 CFR 600.920. We are also initiating consultation with the California State Historic Preservation Officer, as required by section 106, National Historical Preservation Act, and the implementing regulations of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation at 36 CFR 800.2.

l. With this notice, we are designating Pacific Gas & Electric Company as the Commission's non-federal representative for carrying out informal consultation pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and section 305(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act; and consultation pursuant to section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

m. Pacific Gas & Electric Company filed a Pre-Application Document (PAD; including a proposed process plan and schedule) with the Commission, pursuant to 18 CFR 5.6 of the Commission's regulations.

n. A copy of the PAD is available for review at the Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission's Web site (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. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support at [e-mail], [phone] (toll free), or [phone] (TTY). A copy is also available for inspection and reproduction at the address in paragraph h.

o. The licensee states its unequivocal intent to submit an application for a new license for Project No. 1061-098. Pursuant to 18 CFR 16.8, 16.9, and 16.10 each application for a new license and any competing license applications must be filed with the Commission at least 24 months prior to the expiration of the existing license. All applications for license for this project must be filed by August 31, 2020.

p. Register online at http://www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filing and issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.

Dated: October 12, 2017.

Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,

Deputy Secretary.