FERC No. 2556 - Union Gas Project Achieves LIHI Low Impact certification

LIHI Union Gas Projects (FERC No. 2556)

 

October 22, 2010 (Portland, Maine) - At their Annual Meeting  the Governing Board of the Low Impact Hydropower Institute (LIHI) determined that the Union Gas Project meets the LIHI Certification Criteria. In reaching its decision to certify the Project, the Institute’s Governing Board reviewed the application for certification, as well as the Application Reviewer’s report and recommendations. The Board’s vote to certify the  Project was unanimous.

LIHI received no public comments on this application. LIHI certification for the the Union Gas Project is granted for 5-year term beginning on May 9, 2010, with the following Project Specific Conditions:

Condition 1: Within 18 months of the date of issuance of the LIHI certifications for the Union Gas, Rice Rips and Oakland facilities, the applicant shall present to LIHI a copy of an agreement with the Maine Department of Marine Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (“agencies”) in which the applicant and agencies have reached agreement on the final design, construction, operations and maintenance of safe, timely and effective upstream and downstream passage for American eel at the Union Gas facility. This agreement shall include a date to initiate construction of the required upstream and downstream passage that is no later than 12 months after the date on which the agreement has been approved by FERC as a license amendment.

 Condition 2: Thereafter, and in the event that upstream and downstream passage for American eel becomes operational at the Automatic project (the hydropower facility immediately upstream of the Union Gas project which is not owned by the applicant) during the term of this certification, no later than 18 months following installation at the Automatic facility, the applicant shall present to LIHI a copy of an agreement with the Maine Department of Marine Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (“agencies”) in which the applicant and the agencies have reached agreement on the final design, construction, operations and maintenance of safe, timely and effective upstream and downstream passage for American eel at the applicant’s Rice Rips and Oakland facilities. This agreement shall include a date to initiate construction of the required upstream and downstream passage that is no later than 12 months after the date on which the agreement has been approved by FERC as a license amendment.

The effective certification date for the Union Gas, Rice Rips and Oakland Hydroelectric Projects is May 9, 2010 and will expire on May 9, 2014. 

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Portland, Maine (May 9, 2010) – The Low Impact Hydropower Institute (LIHI) announced today that Messalonskee Stream Hydro Associates ("Applicant" or "MSH") has submitted applications for certification of three hydro projects: Oakland, Rice Rips, and Union Gas listed in order from upstream to downstream, are located on Messalonskee Stream, a tributary of the Kennebec River, in Kennebec County, Maine. The Applicant received a new Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ("FERC") license (FERC No. 2556) for all three projects on July 28, 1999.

Oakland: Operation of the Oakland Facility is dependent on inflow to Messalonskee Lake. When inflow to Messalonskee Lake is greater than approximately 570 cfs, the Oakland project is operated as a run-of-river project. When inflow is less than approximately 570 cfs the project is cycled. All water that does not go through the turbines is passed over the spillway. MSH utilizes the top 0.5 feet of Messalonskee Lake as storage for generation during the summer months (1.0 foot during the winter months). The applicant only utilizes the top 0.5 feet because the lake is regulated and operated for recreational purposes. During the summer months, if the lake level is reduced by more then 0.5 feet camp owners on the lake complain because of the effect on their docks. The top 0.5 feet of lake provides roughly 1,500 acre-feet of storage.

Rice Rips: Operation of the Rice Rips Facility is dependent on inflow to Messalonskee Lake and discharge from the upstream Oakland Hydroelectric project. When inflow to Messalonskee Lake is greater than approximately 570 cfs, the Rice Rips project is operated as a run-of-river project. When inflow is less than approximately 570 cfs the project is cycled. 15 cfs is discharged at all times through the Rice Rips bypass. All additional water that does not go through the turbines is passed first through a minimum flow discharge gate set to discharge 15 cfs and then surplus water is discharged over the spillway. MSH utilizes the top 0.5 feet of Messalonskee Lake as storage for generation during the summer months (1.0 foot during the winter months). The applicant only utilizes the top 0.5 feet because the lake is regulated and operated for recreational purposes. During the summer months, if the lake level is reduced by more then 0.5 feet camp owners on the lake complain because of the effect on their docks. The top 0.5 feet of lake provides roughly 1,500 acre-feet of storage.

PUBLIC COMMENT

We encourage public comments on each of these applications. Specifically, we are interested in knowing whether you think these Projects meet our LIHI criteria. Review the program and criteria in greater detail and then review the Project or Projects that you have an interest in. Your comments that are directly tied to specific LIHI criteria (flows, water quality, fish passage, etc) will be most helpful, but all comments will be considered.

Comments may be submitted to the Institute by e-mail (preferred) at info@lowimpacthydro.org with " Oakland Comments", and/or "Rice Rips Comments" and/or "Union Gas Comments"in the subject line; by fax at (206) – 984-3086; or by mail addressed to LIHI, 34 Providence Street, Portland, ME, 04103. Comments must be received at the Institute on or before 5 pm Eastern time on July 9, 2010 to be considered. All comments will be posted to the web site and the applicant will have an opportunity to respond. Any response will also be posted.

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