E9-18916. South Carolina Electric & Gas Company; Notice of Application Ready for Environmental Analysis and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, Terms and Conditions, and Prescriptions

July 31, 2009.

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

a. Type of Application: New Major License.

b. Project No.: P-516-459.

c. Date filed: August 28, 2008.

d. Applicant: South Carolina Electric & Gas Company.

e. Name of Project: Saluda Hydroelectric Project.

f. Location: On the Saluda River in Richland, Lexington, Saluda, and Newberry counties, South Carolina. The project does not occupy any federal lands.

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

h. Applicant Contact: Mr. James M. Landreth, Vice President, Fossil/Hydro Operations South Carolina Electric & Gas Company, 111 Research Drive, Columbia, South Carolina 29203; or Mr. William R. Argentieri, Manager-Civil Engineering, South Carolina Electric & Gas Company, 111 Research Drive, Columbia, South Carolina 29203, [phone].

i. FERC Contact: Lee Emery at [phone], or e-mail at [e-mail].

j. The deadline for filing comments, recommendations, terms and conditions, and prescriptions is 60 days from the issuance of this notice and reply comments are due 105 days from the issuance date of this notice.

All documents (original and eight copies) should be filed with: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.

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

Comments, recommendations, terms and conditions, and prescriptions may be filed electronically via the Internet in lieu of paper. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings. See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Web site (http://www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​ferconline.asp) under the “e-filing” link. For a simpler method of submitting text only comments, click on “Quick Comment.”

k. This application has been accepted and is ready for environmental analysis at this time.

l. Project description: The existing 207.3-megawatt (MW) Saluda Project consists of a single development with the following features: (1) A 7,800-foot-long, 213-foot-high earth-fill dam (Saluda dam), with South Carolina State Highway 6 (Highway 6) running along the top of the dam; (2) a dike that extends 2,550 feet from the north end of the dam, running parallel with Highway 6; (3) a 2,900-foot-long emergency spillway, with six steel Tainter gates, that is located 500 feet from the south end of Saluda dam, and a spillway channel that reconnects with the Saluda River about 0.75 miles downstream from the Saluda powerhouse; (4) a 2,300-foot-long, 213-foot-high roller compacted concrete backup dam located along the downstream toe of the Saluda dam, with (i) a crest elevation of 372.0 feet North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88),^[1] and (ii) rock fill embankment sections on the north and south ends of the backup dam, having a combined length of 5,700 feet; (5) a 41-mile-long, 50,900-acre reservoir (Lake Murray) at a full pool elevation of 358.5 feet NAVD88, with a total usable storage of approximately 635,000 acre-feet; (6) five 223-foot-high intake towers and associated penstocks; (7) a concrete and brick powerhouse containing four vertical Francis turbine generating units (three at 32.5 MW and one at 42.3 MW), and a fifth vertical Francis turbine generating unit (67.5 MW), which is enclosed in a weather-tight housing located on a concrete deck attached to the south end of the main powerhouse; (8) a 150-foot-long tailrace; and (9) appurtenant facilities. There is no transmission line or bypassed reach associated with the project.

m. A copy of the application is available for review at the Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission's Web site at 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] or toll-free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, [phone]. A copy is also available for inspection and reproduction at the address in item h above.

All filings must: (1) Bear in all capital letters the title “COMMENTS”, “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 submitting the filing; 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. Each filing must be accompanied by proof of service on all persons listed on the service list prepared by the Commission in this proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 4.34(b), and 385.2010.

You may also register online at http://www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​esubscription.asp to be notified via e-mail of new filings and issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.

n. A license applicant must file no later than 60 days following the date of issuance of this notice: (1) A copy of the water quality certification; (2) a copy of the request for certification, including proof of the date on which the certifying agency received the request; or (3) evidence of waiver of water quality certification.

Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,

Deputy Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  The license application contains documents that provide elevations based on NAVD88 datum or based on Plant Datum. To convert from Plant Datum to NAVD88 datum, subtract 1.5 feet.