01-5527. Notice of Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests

March 1, 2001.

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

a. Type of Application: Original Minor License.

b. Project No.: 11855-000.

c. Date Filed: July 24, 2000; supplemented on February 14, 2001.

d. Applicant: JLH Hydro, Incorporated.

e. Name of Project: Idols Hydroelectric Project.

f. Location: On the Yadkin River near the town of Clemmons in Davie and Forsyth counties, North Carolina. The project would not utilize federal lands.

g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. §§ 791(a)-825(r).

h. Applicant Contact: James L. Horton, President, JLH Hydro, Inc. at 1800 Statesville Blvd., Salisbury, NC 28144. Telephone [phone].

i. FERC Contact: Jim Haimes, [e-mail]; [phone].

j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protest: 60 days from the issuance date of this notice.

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.

The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure require all persons and entities filing requests to intervene in the subject proceeding to serve a copy of each document they file with the Commission on each person on the official service list for the subject 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.

k. This application is not ready for environmental analysis at this time.

l. Description of the Project: The proposed project would consist of the following existing facilities: (1) a 10-foot-high, 660-foot-long, rubble masonry dam having an ungated 410-foot-long spillway; (2) a 1-mile-long, reservoir with a surface area of 35 acres, and no appreciable storage at normal pool elevation, 672.3 feet mean sea level; (3) a 900-foot-long, 100 to 150-foot-wide tailrace, separated from the main river channel by a 200-foot-long, concrete retaining wall and a mid-channel island; and (4) a 60-foot-long by 39-foot-wide brick utility building, which would contain the project's transformers.

The site's 146-foot-long by 36-foot-wide powerhouse, located at the northeast and of the dam, was a stone masonry and wood structure, which contained 6 vertical Francis-type turbines directly connected to 6 generators having a total installed capacity of 1,411 kilowatts. On February 8, 1998, a major fire destroyed the powerhouse's generators and electrical equipment as well as its wooden roof, walls, and floor.

The applicant proposes: (1) to use the project's existing dam, water intake structures, wicket gates, and turbines; (2) to reconstruct the powerhouse with a steel roof and red concrete block walls; (3) to install 6 generators having a combined capacity of 1,440 kilowatts in the restored powerhouse structure; (4) to install 3 dry-type transformers in the utility building; (5) to improve the existing canoe take-out, portage trail, and put-in area around the dam's west side; and (6) to operate the project in a run-of-river mode to produce an average of 5,866,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.

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

n. Anyone may submit a protest or a motion to intervene in 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.

o. All filings must: (1) Bear in all capital letters the title “PROTEST” or “MOTION TO INTERVENE;” (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. Agencies may obtain copies of the application directly from the applicant. A copy of any protest or motion to intervene must be served upon the representative of the applicant specified in item h, above.

David P. Boergers,

Secretary.