Editor's Note: This article was originally published on HydroWorld.com sister site GenerationHub.com.
On May 19, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission went out for comment on a Feb. 16 application from Rivertec Partners LLC for a preliminary permit under which it would study the feasibility of the Sherman Hydroelectric Project.
This project is to be located at the John Day Dam Juvenile Fish Sampling and Monitoring Facility on the Columbia River near the City of Rufus in Sherman County, Oregon. The sole purpose of a preliminary permit, if issued, is to grant the permit holder priority to file a license application during the three-year permit term.
The project would utilize flows at the existing Juvenile Fish Facility, and would consist of these new features: a 7-foot-diameter, 55-foot-long steel penstock connecting with the Juvenile Fish Facility’s existing screened excess water pipe; a 71.2-foot-long, 26.2-foot-wide, 16.4-foot-high concrete and steel powerhouse; a 4.2-MW turbine generator; a 10.6-foot-diameter, 31.8-foot-long steel draft tube returning flows to the Columbia River; and either a 1,400-foot-long, 13.8-kV transmission line interconnecting with the existing John Day Dam transformer, or an approximately 120-foot-long, 4.16-kV or 13.8-kV transmission line interconnecting with the existing Bonneville Power Administration substation. The estimated annual generation of the Sherman Project would be 33 gigawatt-hours.
The deadline for filing comments, motions to intervene, competing applications (without notices of intent), or notices of intent to file competing applications is 60 days from the issuance of this May 19 notice.