Overview
The Sartell facility operates under a license issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Eagle Creek Sartell Hydro, LLC (a subsidiary of Eagle Creek Renewable Energy) is the licensee for the facility. The facility's current license was issued in 1985 and expires in 2025. On February 27, 2020, the licensee filed documents with the FERC (available below) to initiate the relicensing of the project using the Traditional Licensing Process (TLP).
Licensing Process
The licensee is 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 first stage: the licensee has filed a notice of intent, preliminary application document (PAD), request to use TLP, and newspaper notice; and the FERC has approved the use of the TLP. The licensee has scheduled a Joint Agency/Public Meeting (JAM) and Site Visit. The PAD is available for download below. Interested parties will have an opportunity to file written comments and study requests with the FERC and the licensee after the JAM.
Joint Agency/Public Meeting and Site Visit
Due to the current COVID-19 health related concerns, CDC guidelines recommend that social gatherings and discretionary travel be avoided. In order to abide by CDC guidelines, the Joint Meeting will be held via conference call, rather than an in-person meeting and is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 16, 2020. A site visit to the Project has been delayed until Monday, November 16, 2020, assuming that the health and travel related concerns will have abated by that time.
Sartell Hydro requests those agencies and stakeholders, including members of the public, that are planning to participate in the Joint Meeting conference call RSVP with Jane Manibusan at or (920) 293-4628 (ext. 318) by June 9th, 2020. Sartell Hydro will send out meeting information to those that RSVP to include a call-in number, meeting agenda and a copy of the presentation.
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-8315. The licensee is making available its major document submissions and major FERC orders on this website:
Initial filing on February 27, 2020:
- Notice of Intent and Request to Use Traditional Licensing Process (29 pages; 1.60 MB)
- Pre-Application Document (889 pages; 40.3 MB)
Joint Meeting June 16, 2020 & Site Visit November 16, 2020:
- Joint Agency Meeting Summary filed June 30, 2020 (55 pages; 8.6 MB)
- Notification of Site Visit and Request RSVP (7 pages; 441 kB)
Eagle Creek Sartell Hydro, LLC 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 Eagle Creek Sartell Hydro, LLC, care of Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, to request a hard copy of any document.
The licensee will continue to post public information regarding the relicensing of the Sartell facility as the process continues.