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PROPOSED WORK PLAN <br />The following figure displays the proposed work plan in a schematic form; details of each task are <br />described in the following text. <br />•Grant Application <br />submitted <br />•FERC Exemption <br />•Loan Feasibility <br />•Final Design <br />•NEPA Permitting <br />•Power Purchase <br />Agreement <br />Grant Application to the DOE <br />•Equipment order <br />placed <br />•Utility work <br />completed <br />•Civil <br />Insfrastructure <br />•Turbine <br />Installation <br />A grant application was submitted to the Department of Energy before this study was initiated. The <br />project was found by the DOE to be of significant merit, but funding was not awarded this year. If <br />additional funding is available in FY2012, the project will be reconsidered. The grant application <br />requested $275,000 and the announcement was made in September 2011. See the letter and merit <br />evaluation from DOE in Appendix D. The financial feasibility of the project will be evaluated without <br />grants, assuming that 90% of the project will be funded through a CWCB loan. If the grant is <br />awarded in 2012, the financial feasibility of this project is very favorable. <br />FERC Exemption, Loan Feasibility Study <br />Prior to the announcement of the DOE grant, the RGCWUA decided to begin the permitting process <br />and the loan feasibility study presented here. The FERC permit application was submitted through <br />the Colorado Governor's Energy Office Streamlined FERC permitting program. A final permit is <br />expected by December 2011. <br />Power Purchase Agreement <br />The local utility, Xcel, has been informed of this project and preliminary discussions have already <br />taken place. A letter is attached in Appendix E from Xcel stating that the utility will purchase <br />electricity from small hydropower generators for a price that is economically favorable to the <br />utility. Further discussions will be held finalizing a power purchase agreement and performing the <br />final studies and design required for interconnection. <br />Design, NEPA Permitting <br />Once funding has been finalized and funds become available, the final design will be initiated. If <br />federal funding is awarded NEPA permitting will be initiated. Studies required for NEPA permitting <br />will be ordered and should be completed very quickly, as the impacts of this project are very <br />minimal. <br />Rio Grande Canal Water Users Association � Project Description <br />