Overview
The Great Falls facility operates under a license issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The City of Paterson, NJ and Great Falls Hydroelectric Company (a subsidiary of Eagle Creek Renewable Energy) are the co-licensees for the facility. The facility's current license was issued in 1981 and expires in 2021. On February 26, 2016, the co-licensees submitted documentation to the FERC to initiate the process of re-licensing the Great Falls facility.
Licensing Process
The licensees are following a FERC process known as the Traditional Licensing Process (TLP). The TLP is one of three approved processes, described on the FERC website here: https://www.ferc.gov/industries/hydropower/gen-info/licensing/licen-pro.asp. Currently, the process is in the third stage: the licensees filed a final application with the FERC on February 28, 2019.
Final License Application
On February 28, 2019, the licensees filed with the FERC a Final License Application (FLA). This FLA, along with all prior filings, is available for download below. The FLA has been filed in three volumes: Volume 1 (split into two files below) contains all parts of the application that are available to the public. Some of the information presented in the Final License Application is considered Critical Energy Infrastructure Information (CEII), as defined by 18 CFR § 388.113(c). Such information has been removed from the public version Final License Application (Volume 1). In accordance with the FERC's filing guidelines, all CEII is included in a separate volume (Volume 2). In addition, some information included in the Final License Application is privileged information and has been filed in a separate volume (Volume 3).
On May 14, 2019, the Commission issued a letter of Deficiency of License Application and Additional Information Request (AIR) concerning the FLA. On August 12, 2019, the licensees provided supplemental information addressing the FERC's Deficiency and AIR request. The August 12 filing documents are available for download below, with the exception of the revised Exhibit F drawings which are considered CEII.
Documents
All filings related to the relicensing process are available from the FERC's eLibrary website: elibrary.ferc.gov. Search for filings by project number: P-2814.
The licensees are making available major document submissions major FERC orders, and other relevant documents on this website.
Final License Application
Initial filing February 28, 2019:
- Final License Application Volume 1 (122 pages; 12.8 MB)
- Final License Application Volume 1 - Appendices (169 pages; 43.8 MB)
Supplemental filing to address Deficiencies and AIRs August 12, 2019:
- Cover Letter (2 pages; 124 kB)
- Deficiency and AIR responses (42 pages; 14.5 MB)
- NJDEP 2012 Water Monitoring Report (169 pages; 20.2 MB)
- NJHDG 2010 Water Quality Report (20 pages; 7.79 MB)
- PVWC 2017 Water Quality Report (8 pages; 1.66 MB)
- NJDFW Freshwater Fish Management Database Reports (40 pages; 4.97 MB)
- FWS Letter Regarding Threatened and Endangered Species (3 pages; 855 kB)
- Aesthetic Flow Study Photos (64 pages; 33.1 MB)
- Paterson Raceway Rehabilitation and Improvements Concept Design Report (January 2018 Draft) (240 pages; 29.8 MB)
- Revised FLA Exhibit A (18 pages; 1.24 MB)
Supplemental filing to address Deficiencies and AIRs May 26, 2020:
- Response to February 25, 2020 Deficiency Notice and AIR (84 pages; 11.5 MB)
Past Submissions and Orders
Initial Submission on February 26, 2016:
- A request to use the Traditional Licensing Process (4 pages; 2.3 MB)
- A transmittal letter for the NOI and PAD listed below (2 pages; 1.0 MB)
- A Notice of Intent (NOI) to file for re-licensing (18 pages; 9.8 MB)
- A Pre-Application Document (PAD), Volume I (277 pages; 76.6 MB)
FERC Issuance on June 10, 2016:
- Authorization to use the Traditional Licensing Process (4 pages; 12 kB)
- Notice of Intent, of Filing of Pre-Application Document, and of Approval of TLP (4 pages; 11 kB)
Materials Distributed by Licensee at Joint Agency Stakeholder Meeting, August 3, 2016:
- Stakeholder Meeting Presentation (35 pages; 5.7 MB)
Draft License Application identified in letter dated November 8, 2018:
- Draft License Application (242 pages; 30.0 MB)
These documents are available on this site via the links above.
Great Falls Hydroelectric Company will also provide hard copies of any of the above documents upon request. A reproduction cost fee of $0.25/page will apply to such requests. Please use the link below to download a request form and mail the completed form, along with a check for the reproduction cost fee, to Great Falls Hydroelectric Company, care of Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, to request a hard copy of any document.
Contact and Communications
The co-licensees will continue to post public information regarding the relicensing of the Great Falls facility as the process continues.
The co-licensees will accept public comments during this process through this website. Please use the link below to submit comments to us.