Pinnacles Hydroelectric License Application Filed
Summary
FERC announces Northbrook Virginia Hydro, LLC and the City of Danville, Virginia have filed a Notice of Intent to submit a new license application for the Pinnacles Hydroelectric Project (No. 10896-027), located on the Dan River in Patrick, Henry, and Pittsylvania counties, Virginia. The Director of the Division of Hydropower Licensing approved their request to use the Traditional Licensing Process on April 17, 2026. The Commission is initiating informal consultation under the Endangered Species Act and National Historic Preservation Act. All license applications for the project must be filed by April 30, 2029.
Hydroelectric operators with licenses expiring within the next five to six years should identify their applicable licensing process pathway and confirm their consultation schedule with relevant federal and state agencies. FERC's designation of Northbrook and the City as non-federal representatives for ESA Section 7 and NHPA Section 106 consultations illustrates the pre-application consultation obligations that similarly-situated project operators will need to satisfy.
What changed
Northbrook Virginia Hydro and the City of Danville have initiated the pre-licensing process for the Pinnacles Hydroelectric Project under FERC's Traditional Licensing Process. The Commission has approved their use of this process and designated them as non-federal representatives for Endangered Species Act Section 7 and National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 consultations. All license applications must be filed by April 30, 2029. Hydroelectric project operators and investors should note the Traditional Licensing Process as an established pathway for license renewals, and parties with projects on similar waterways may monitor this proceeding for FERC's consultation procedures.
Archived snapshot
Apr 22, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Notice
Northbrook Virginia Hydro, LLC; City of Danville, Virginia; Notice of Intent to File License Application, Filing of Pre-Application Document, and Approving Use of the Traditional Licensing Process
A Notice by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on 04/22/2026
PDF
Document Details
- Table of Contents
- Public Comments
- Regulations.gov Data
- Sharing
- Other Formats
- Public Inspection Published Document: 2026-07835 (91 FR 21492) Document Headings ###### Department of Energy
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
- [Project No. 10896-027] a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to File License Application and Request to Use the Traditional Licensing Process.
b. Project No.: 10896-027.
c. Dated Filed: February 27, 2026.
d. Submitted By: Northbrook Virginia Hydro, LLC (Northbrook) and the City of Danville, Virginia (City).
e. Name of Project: Pinnacles Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location: The Pinnacles Project is located on the Dan River in Patrick, Henry, and Pittsylvania counties, Virginia.
g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR 5.3 of the Commission's regulations.
h. Applicant Contact: Chuck Ahlrichs, Northbrook Virginia Hydro, LLC, 14550 N Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard, Suite 101, Scottsdale, Arizona 85260, cahlrichs@nbenergy.com; Jason Grey, Director, Danville Utilities, City of Danville, Virginia, P.O. Box 3300, Danville, Virginia 24543, greyjc@danvilleva.gov.
i. FERC Contact: Silvia Pineda-Munoz at (202) 502-8388; or email at silvia.pineda-munoz@ferc.gov.
j. Northbrook and the City filed their request to use the Traditional Licensing Process on February 27, 2026, and provided public notice of its request on February 25, 2026. In a letter dated April 17, 2026, the Director of the Division of Hydropower Licensing approved Northbrook's and the City'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 under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and the joint agency regulations thereunder at 50 CFR, Part 402. We are also initiating consultation with the State Historic Preservation Officer, Virginia Department of Historic Resources, as required by section 106, National Historic 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 Northbrook and the City as the Commission's non-federal representatives for carrying out informal ( printed page 21493) consultation pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
m. Northbrook and the City 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 may be viewed on the Commission's website (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).
You may register online at https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx to be notified via email of new filings and issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.
o. The licensee states its unequivocal intent to submit an application for a new license for Project No. 10896. 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 April 30, 2029.
p. For public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, contact the Office of Public Participation at (202) 502-6595 or OPP@ferc.gov.
(Authority: 18 CFR 2.1)
Dated: April 17, 2026.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2026-07835 Filed 4-21-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
Published Document: 2026-07835 (91 FR 21492)
CFR references
Mentioned entities
Related changes
Get daily alerts for FR: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Daily digest delivered to your inbox.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
Source
About this page
Every important government, regulator, and court update from around the world. One place. Real-time. Free. Our mission
Source document text, dates, docket IDs, and authority are extracted directly from Energy Department.
The summary, classification, recommended actions, deadlines, and penalty information are AI-generated from the original text and may contain errors. Always verify against the source document.
Classification
Who this affects
Taxonomy
Browse Categories
Get alerts for this source
We'll email you when FR: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission publishes new changes.
Subscribed!
Optional. Filters your digest to exactly the updates that matter to you.