Billing Code 6717-01-P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 15339-000]
Gravity Storage LLC; Notice of Preliminary Permit Application Accepted for Filing
and Soliciting Comments, Motions to Intervene, and Competing Applications
On January 11, 2024, Gravity Storage, LLC (Gravity Storage), filed an application
for a preliminary permit, pursuant to section 4(f) of the Federal Power Act (FPA),
proposing to study the feasibility of the Escondido Canyon Pumped Storage Project.1
The proposed project is a 2,000-megawatt (MW) closed-loop pumped storage project
would be located 13 miles south of Alamogordo in Otero County, New Mexico. 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 new facilities: (1) a 15,340foot-long, 75-foot-high rolled concrete dam that would impound a 176-acre upper
reservoir with a storage capacity of 11,300 acre-feet at a water surface elevation of 7,560
feet above mean sea level (msl); (2) a 3,793-foot-long, 80-foot-high rockfill/concrete dam
that would impound a 147-acre lower reservoir with a storage capacity of 11,300 acrefeet at a water surface elevation of 4,300 feet msl; (3) a 6,800-foot-long, 42-foot-diameter

Gravity Storage filed an amendment to the application on April 19, 2024, in
which it changed the requested term of the permit from 36 to 48 months.
concrete penstock from the upper reservoir to eight 330-foot-long, 15-foot-diameter
turbine penstocks; (4) a 1,600-foot-long, 150-foot-wide, 60-foot-high underground
concrete powerhouse containing eight 250-MW pump-turbine generators; (5) a 2,750foot-long, 42-foot-diameter concrete tailrace; (6) a 1-mile-long steel well water supply
pipeline connecting to existing wells for initial fill water; (7) an 11.7-mile-long, 345kilovolt transmission line; and (8) appurtenant facilities. Additionally, Gravity Storage
proposes to install Solar Power plants on the surface of the upper and lower reservoirs to
minimize evaporation due to the arid desert climate. The proposed project would have an
estimated annual generation of 8,000 gigawatt-hours.
Applicant Contact: Mr. David Drips, Manager, Gravity Storage LLC, 10958 E.
Cordova Street, Gold Canyon, AZ 85118; email: dedrips@msn.com; phone: (385) 2277272.
FERC Contact: Jane Dalgliesh; email: jane.dalgiesh@ferc.gov; phone: (503) 5522718.
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’s Office of Public Participation (OPP) supports meaningful
public engagement and participation in Commission proceedings. OPP can help
members of the public, including landowners, environmental justice communities, Tribal
members and others, access publicly available information and navigate Commission
processes. For public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as interventions,

comments, or requests for rehearing, the public is encouraged to contact OPP at
(202) 502-6595 or OPP@ferc.gov.
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 https://ferconline.ferc.gov/eFiling.aspx. Commenters
can submit brief comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, using the
eComment system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx. You must include
your name and contact information at the end of your comments. For assistance, please
contact FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, (866) 208-3676 (toll
free), or (202) 502-8659 (TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, you may submit a paper
copy. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne
A. Reese, Acting Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE,
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be
addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Acting Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852. The first page of any
filing should include docket number P-15339-000.
More information about this project, including a copy of the application, can be
viewed or printed on the "eLibrary" link of Commission's website at
https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/search. Enter the docket number (P-15339) in the
docket number field to access the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online
Support.
Dated: June 7, 2024.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 2024-12983 Filed: 6/12/2024 8:45 am; Publication Date: 6/13/2024]