2017-12669. CB Energy Park, LLC; Notice of Preliminary Permit Application Accepted For Filing And Soliciting Comments, Motions To Intervene, And Competing Applications

On June 1, 2017, CB Energy Park, LLC filed an application for a preliminary permit, pursuant to section 4(f) of the Federal Power Act, proposing to study the feasibility of the Coffin Butte Pumped Storage Project (project) to be located near Two Dot in Wheatland and Meagher Counties, Montana. The sole purpose of a preliminary permit, if issued, is to grant the permit holder priority to file a license application during the permit term. A preliminary permit does not authorize the permit holder to perform any land-disturbing activities or otherwise enter upon lands or waters owned by others without the owners' express permission.

The proposed project would consist of the following:

Lower Reservoir

(1) A 5,000-foot-long, 50-foot-high earth and roller compacted concrete embankment; (2) a 50-acre lower reservoir with a storage capacity of 2,500-acre-foot at an elevation of 5,200 feet; (3) a temporary pump and pipeline to bring initial fill water to the lower reservoir from Martinsdale Reservoir; (4) a new well; (5) a powerhouse containing two Ternary 125-megawatt (MW) turbine/generator units, for a total installed capacity of 250 MW; and (6) an approximately 10-mile-long, 230-kilovolt transmission line connecting to the proposed Gordon Butte substation.

Upper Reservoir

(1) A 4,600-foot-long, 50-foot-high earth and roller compacted concrete embankment; (2) a 50-acre upper reservoir with a storage capacity of 2,500-acre-foot at an elevation of 6,240 feet; (3) a 12-foot-diameter, 4,000-foot-long steel-lined tunnel connecting the two reservoirs; and (4) appurtenant facilities.

The estimated annual generation of the project would be 880,000 megawatt-hours.

Applicant Contact: Carl Borgquist, CB Energy Park, LLC, 209 South Wilson Avenue, P.O. Box 309, Bozeman, MT 59771, phone: [phone]; Martin J. Weber, P.E., Stanley Consultants, Inc., 5775 Wayzata Blvd., No. 300, Minneapolis, MN 55416, phone: [phone]; or Steve Padula, McMillen Jacobs and Associates, 500 Broadway Street, Suite 606, Vancouver, WA 98660, phone: [phone].

FERC Contact: Kim Nguyen, [phone].

Deadline for filing comments, motions to intervene, competing applications (without notices of intent), or notices of intent to file competing applications: 60 days from the issuance of this notice. Competing applications and notices of intent must meet the requirements of 18 CFR 4.36.

The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file comments, motions to intervene, notices of intent, and competing applications using the Commission's eFiling system at http://www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​efiling.asp. Commenters can submit brief comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, using the eComment system at http://www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​ecomment.asp. You must include your name and contact information at the end of your comments. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at [e-mail], [phone] (toll free), or [phone] (TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, please send a paper copy to: Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426. The first page of any filing should include docket number P-14568-002.

More information about this project, including a copy of the application, can be viewed or printed on the “eLibrary” link of Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​elibary.asp. Enter the docket number (P-14568) in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.

Dated: June 13, 2017.

Kimberly D. Bose,

Secretary.