The City of Holyoke Gas & Electric Department; Notice of Intent To File License Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document, and Approving Use of the Traditional Licensing Process

a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application and Request to Use the Traditional Licensing Process.

b. Project No.: 2771-012.

c. Date Filed: February 29, 2016.

d. Submitted By: City of Holyoke Gas & Electric Department.

e. Name of Project: Nonotuck Mill Hydroelectric Project.

f. Location: Between the first and second level canals on the Holyoke Canal System adjacent to the Connecticut River, in the city of Holyoke in Hampden County, Massachusetts. The project does not occupy federal land.

g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR 5.3 of the Commission's regulations.

h. Potential Applicant Contact: Paul Ducheney, Superintendent, Holyoke Gas & Electric, 99 Suffolk Street, Holyoke, MA 01040; (413) 536-9340; email—ducheney@hged.com.

i. FERC Contact: Matt Buhyoff at (202) 502-6824; or email at matt.buhyoff@ferc.gov.

j. Holyoke Gas and Electric filed its request to use the Traditional Licensing Process on February 29, 2016. Holyoke Gas and Electric provided public notice of its request on February 26, 2016. In a letter dated April 29, 2016, the Director of the Division of Hydropower Licensing approved Holyoke Gas and Electric's request to use the Traditional Licensing Process.

k. With this notice, we are initiating informal consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and/or NOAA Fisheries under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and the joint agency regulations thereunder at 50 CFR, part 402; and NOAA Fisheries under section 305(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and implementing regulations at 50 CFR 600.920. We are also initiating consultation with the Massachusetts State Historic Preservation Officer, as required by section 106, National Historical Preservation Act, and the implementing regulations of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation at 36 CFR 800.2.

l. With this notice, we are designating Holyoke Gas and Electric as the Commission's non-federal representative for carrying out informal consultation pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

m. Holyoke Gas & Electric filed a Pre-Application Document (PAD; including a proposed process plan and schedule) with the Commission, pursuant to 18 CFR 5.6 of the Commission's regulations.

n. A copy of the PAD is available for review at the Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission's Web site ( http://www.ferc.gov ), using the “eLibrary” link. Enter the docket number, excluding the last three digits in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support at FERCONlineSupport@ferc.gov, (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-8659 (TTY). A copy is also available for inspection and reproduction at the address in paragraph h.

o. The licensee states its unequivocal intent to submit an application for a new license for Project No. 2771. Pursuant to 18 CFR 16.8, 16.9, and 16.10, each application for a new license and any competing license applications must be filed with the Commission at least 24 months prior to the expiration of the existing license. All applications for license for this project must be filed by February 28, 2019.

p. Register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filing and issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.