BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2674-037]
Green Mountain Power Corporation; Notice of Intent to File License Application,
Filing of Pre-Application Document (PAD), Commencement of Pre-Filing Process,
and Scoping; Request for Comments on the PAD and Scoping Document, and
Identification of Issues and Associated Study Requests
a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application for a New License
and Commencing Pre-filing Process
b. Project No.: 2674-037
c. Date Filed: May 1, 2024
d. Submitted By: Green Mountain Power Corporation (GMP)
e. Name of Project: Vergennes Hydroelectric Project
f. Location: The project is located on Otter Creek in the City of Vergennes in
Addison County, Vermont.
g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR part 5 of the Commission’s Regulations
h. Applicant Contact: John Tedesco, Generation Project Coordinator, Green
Mountain Power Corporation, 163 Acorn Lane, Colchester, VT 05446; telephone
at (802) 655-8753; email at John.Tedesco@greenmountainpower.com.
i. FERC Contact: Taconya D. Goar, Project Coordinator, Great Lakes Branch,
Division of Hydropower Licensing; telephone at (202) 502-8394; e-mail at
Taconya.Goar@ferc.gov.

j. Cooperating agencies: Federal, State, local, and Tribal agencies with jurisdiction
and/or special expertise with respect to environmental issues that wish to
cooperate in the preparation of the environmental document should follow the
instructions for filing such requests described in item o below. Cooperating
agencies should note the Commission's policy that agencies that cooperate in the
preparation of the environmental document cannot also intervene.
See 94 FERC ¶ 61,076 (2001).
k. With this notice, we are initiating informal consultation with: (a) the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Fisheries under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and the joint agency
regulations thereunder at 50 CFR part 402; and (b) the State Historic Preservation
Office, as required by section 106, National Historic Preservation Act, and the
implementing regulations of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation at 36
CFR 800.2.
l. With this notice, we are designating GMP as the Commission’s non-Federal
representative for carrying out informal consultation pursuant to section 7 of the
Endangered Species Act and section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
m. GMP filed with the Commission a Pre-Application Document (PAD), including a
proposed process plan and schedule, pursuant to 18 CFR 5.6 of the Commission’s
regulations.
n. A copy of the PAD may be viewed on the Commission’s website
(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 FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or
call toll-free, (866) 208-3676 or TTY, (202) 502-8659.
You may register online at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx to be
notified via email of new filings and issuances related to this or other pending
projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.
o. With this notice, we are soliciting comments on the PAD and Commission staff’s
Scoping Document 1 (SD1), as well as study requests. All comments on the PAD
and SD1, and study requests should be sent to the address above in paragraph h.
In addition, all comments on the PAD and SD1, study requests, requests for
cooperating agency status, and all communications to and from staff related to the
merits of the potential application must be filed with the Commission.
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file all documents
using the Commission’s eFiling system at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERC
Online.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 or call toll-free,
(866) 208-3676 or TTY, (202) 502-8659. 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-2674-037.
All filings with the Commission must bear the appropriate heading: “Comments
on Pre-Application Document,” “Study Requests,” “Comments on Scoping
Document 1,” “Request for Cooperating Agency Status,” or “Communications to
and from Commission Staff.” Any individual or entity interested in submitting
study requests, commenting on the PAD or SD1, and any agency requesting
cooperating status must do so by August 19, 2024.
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.
q. Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Commission staff
will prepare either an environmental assessment (EA) or an environmental impact
statement (EIS) (collectively referred to as the “NEPA document”) that describes
and evaluates the probable effects, including an assessment of the site-specific and
cumulative effects, if any, of the proposed action and alternatives. The
Commission’s scoping process will help determine the required level of analysis
and satisfy the NEPA scoping requirements, irrespective of whether the
Commission issues an EA or EIS.
Scoping Meetings

Commission staff will hold two scoping meetings for the project to receive input
on the scope of the NEPA document. A daytime meeting will be held at 9:00 a.m.
on July 18, 2024, at the Vergennes Opera House in Vergennes, Vermont, and will
focus on the concerns of Indian Tribes, resource agencies, and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs). An evening meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m. on
July 18, 2024, at the Vergennes Opera House in Vergennes, Vermont, and will
focus on receiving input from the public. We invite all interested agencies, Indian
Tribes, non-governmental organizations, and individuals to attend one or both
meetings. The times and locations of these meetings are as follows:
Daytime Scoping Meeting
Date: Thursday, July 18, 2024
Time: 9:00 a.m. EST
Place:

Vergennes Opera House

Address:

120 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Vergennes, VT 05491

Phone:

(802) 655-8753

Evening Scoping Meeting
Date: Thursday July 18, 2024
Time: 6:00 p.m. EST
Place:

Vergennes Opera House

Address:

120 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Vergennes, VT 05491

Phone:

(802) 655-8753

Copies of the SD1 outlining the proposed date and subject areas to be addressed in
the NEPA document were distributed to the individuals and entities on the
Commission’s mailing list and GMP’s distribution list. Copies of SD1 may be

viewed on the web at http://www.ferc.gov, using the “eLibrary” link. Follow the
directions for accessing information in paragraph n above. Based on all oral and
written comments, a Scoping Document 2 (SD2) may be issued. SD2 may include
a revised process plan and schedule, as well as a list of issues, identified through
the scoping process.
Environmental Site Visit
The potential applicant and Commission staff will conduct an environmental site
visit of the project. All interested individuals, agencies, Tribes, and NGOs are
invited to attend. Please RSVP Mr. John Tedesco of Green Mountain Power
Corporation via email at John.Tedesco@greenmountainpower.com or by phone at
(802) 655-8753 on or before July 11, 2024, if you plan to attend the environmental
site visit. The time and location of the environmental site visit is as follows:
Vergennes Project Site Visit
Date:

Thursday July 18, 2024

Time:

12:00 p.m. EST

Place:

Vergennes Falls Park

Address:

103 Mechanic Street, Vergennes, VT 05491

Participants should meet at the Vergennes Falls Park public parking lot, located at
103 Mechanic Street, Vergennes. From there, participants will walk
approximately 0.20 mile to the project. All participants are responsible for their
own transportation to the Vergennes Falls Park public parking lot, and should
wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes or boots.
Meeting Objectives

At the scoping meetings, Commission staff will: (1) initiate scoping of the issues;
(2) review and discuss existing conditions; (3) review and discuss existing
information and identify preliminary information and study needs; (4) review and
discuss the process plan and schedule for pre-filing activity that incorporates the
time frames provided for in Part 5 of the Commission’s regulations and, to the
extent possible, maximizes coordination of Federal, State, and Tribal permitting
and certification processes; and (5) discuss the potential of any Federal or State
agency or Indian Tribe to act as a cooperating agency for development of an
environmental document.
Meeting participants should come prepared to discuss their issues and/or concerns.
Please review the PAD in preparation for the scoping meetings. Directions on
how to obtain a copy of the PAD and SD1 are included in item n of this document.
Meeting Procedures
Commission staff are moderating the scoping meetings. The meetings are
recorded by an independent stenographer and become part of the formal record of
the Commission proceeding on the project. Individuals, NGOs, Indian Tribes, and
agencies with environmental expertise and concerns are encouraged to attend the
meeting and to assist the staff in defining and clarifying the issues to be addressed
in the NEPA document.
Dated: June 18, 2024.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 2024-13931 Filed: 6/25/2024 8:45 am; Publication Date: 6/26/2024]