BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 803-122]
Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing and
Soliciting Comments, Motions to Intervene, and Protests
Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been filed with the
Commission and is available for public inspection:
a. Application Type:

Application for Temporary Variance of Flow Requirements

b. Project No:

803-122

c. Date Filed:

June 13, 2024

d. Applicant:

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (licensee)

e. Name of Project:

DeSabla-Centerville Project

f. Location:

The project is located on Butte Creek, West Branch Feather
River, and their tributaries in Butte County, California. The
project occupies Federal lands managed by the U.S. Forest
Service and Bureau of Land Management

g. Filed Pursuant to:

Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791a-825r

h. Applicant Contact:

Ms. Megan Young, Senior License Coordinator, Pacific Gas
and Electric Company, P.O. Box 28209, Oakland, CA 94604,
Phone: (530) 335-5602

i. FERC Contact:

John Aedo, (415) 369-3335, john.aedo@ferc.gov

j. Deadline for filing comments, motions to intervene, and protests: July 15, 2024

The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file comments, motions to
intervene, and protests 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. 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 the docket number P-803-122. Comments emailed to Commission staff are not
considered part of the Commission record.
The Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure require all intervenors filing
documents with the Commission to serve a copy of that document on each person whose
name appears 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.
k. Description of Request: The licensee requests a temporary variance of the
instantaneous minimum flow requirements in the West Branch Feather River below the
Hendricks Head Dam and in Philbrook Creek below Philbrook Reservoir to be averaged
over 48 hours. Specifically, the licensee requests that the instantaneous normal and dry

year minimum flow requirements: (1) in the West Branch Feather River, of 15 or 7 cubic
feet per second (cfs), respectively, be temporarily modified to between 15 and 7 over 48
hours; and (2) in Philbrook Creek, of 2 cfs (in both water year types), be temporarily
modified to between 1 and 2 cfs over 48 hours. The licensee proposes to execute these
changes as soon as the Commission grants approval until September 30, 2024. The
licensee states that the temporary variance would maximize the delivery of flows released
from Philbrook to Butte Creek by eliminating the need to release additional buffer flows
to ensure the requisite instantaneous minimum instream flows are always met. The
proposed variance would help preserve cold water storage in Philbrook Reservoir,
increase flow to Butte Creek via the Hendricks Canal, and decrease water residence time
in the DeSabla Forebay, thus providing additional water to Butte Creek during the hot
summer months to minimize high temperature effects to Central Valley spring-run
Chinook salmon, and to preserve water for release later in the summer months towards
the end of their holding period when the situation is most critical. Decisions on when and
how to implement variance flows, as well as any changes under the variance, will be
done in consultation and proceed with concurrence of licensee staff, California
Department of Fish and Wildlife, National Marine Fisheries Service, and the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service.
l. Locations of the Application: This filing may be viewed on the Commission's website
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. You may also register
online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via email of
new filings and issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, call 1-

866-208-3676 or e-mail FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, for TTY, call (202) 502-8659.
Agencies may obtain copies of the application directly from the applicant.
m. Individuals desiring to be included on the Commission's mailing list should so
indicate by writing to the Secretary of the Commission.
n. Comments, Protests, or Motions to Intervene: Anyone may submit comments, a
protest, or a motion to intervene in accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice
and Procedure, 18 CFR 385.210, .211, .214, respectively. In determining the appropriate
action to take, the Commission will consider all protests or other comments 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 comments, protests, or motions to intervene
must be received on or before the specified comment date for the particular application.
o. Filing and Service of Documents: Any filing must (1) bear in all capital letters the
title “COMMENTS”, “PROTEST”, or “MOTION TO INTERVENE” as applicable; (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 commenting, protesting or intervening; and (4) otherwise comply
with the requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001 through 385.2005. All comments, motions to
intervene, or protests must set forth their evidentiary basis. Any filing made by an
intervenor must be accompanied by proof of service on all persons listed in the service
list prepared by the Commission in this proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR
385.2010.
p. 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.
Dated: June 14, 2024.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-13722 Filed: 6/21/2024 8:45 am; Publication Date: 6/24/2024]