The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Dec. 12 issued a preliminary permit to Lock+Hydro Friends Fund LLC for a 22-MW hydro project in Alabama.
On April 2, Lock+Hydro Friends Fund filed an application for a preliminary permit to study the feasibility of the Claiborne Hydroelectric Project, which would be located at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Claiborne Lock and Dam on the Alabama River near the town of Monroeville in Monroe County, Ala.
A preliminary permit grants an exclusive right to explore project feasibility, with a license application then needed if the decision is to move forward with the project.
The proposed project would consist of: a concrete lined intake channel with a trash rack system; a 166.5-foot-long, 165.2-foot-wide powerhouse containing two generating units with a total capacity of 22 MW; a 250-foot-long, 165-foot-wide tailrace; a 13.8/115 kV substation; and a 5.5-mile-long, 69-kV transmission line. The project would have an average annual generation of 145,850 megawatt-hours, and operate as directed by the Corps, which controls the water flow that the project will use.
The applicant has previously held a preliminary permit for this site. The commission said it will grant successive permits if it concludes that the applicant has diligently pursued the requirements of its prior permits in good faith. Lock+ Hydro Friends has provided information to commission staff demonstrating that it is currently making progress with the analysis of the project’s feasibility, and towards the development of the project. This information includes the filing of a notice of intent, pre-application document and a draft license application.
The applicant contact is: Wayne Krouse, Lock+ Hydro Friends Fund LLC, 4900 Woodway, Suite 745, Houston, TX 77056; Phone: (877) 556-6566 ext. 709.
