(a) Applicability. This section applies to an applicant for a new license or nonpower license for a project subject to sections 14 and 15 of the Federal Power Act.

(b) Filing requirement. (1) An applicant for a license under this section must file its application at least 24 months before the existing license expires.

(2) An application for a license under this section must meet the requirements of § 4.32 (except that the Director of the Office of Energy Projects may provide more than 90 days in which to correct deficiencies in applications) and, as appropriate, §§ 4.41, 4.51, or 4.61 of this chapter.

(3) The requirements of § 4.35 of this chapter do not apply to an application under this section, except that the Commission will reissue a public notice of the application in accordance with the provisions of § 16.9(d)(1) if an amendment described in § 4.35(f) of this chapter is filed.

(4) If the Commission rejects or dismisses an application pursuant to the provisions of § 4.32 of this chapter, the application may not be refiled after the new license application filing deadline specified in § 16.9(b)(1).

(c) Final amendments. All amendments to an application, including the final amendment, must be filed with the Commission and served on all competing applicants no later than the date specified in the notice issued under paragraph (d)(2).

(d) Commission notice. (1) Upon acceptance of an application for a new license or a nonpower license, the Commission will give notice of the application and of the dates for comment, intervention, and protests by:

(i) Publishing notice in the Federal Register;

(ii) Publishing notice once every week for four weeks in a daily or weekly newspaper published in the county or counties in which the project or any part thereof or the lands affected thereby are situated; and

(iii) Notifying appropriate Federal, state, and interstate resource agencies, Indian tribes, and non-governmental organizations, by electronic means if practical, otherwise by mail.

(2) Within 60 days after the new license application filing deadline, the Commission will issue a notice on the processing deadlines established under § 4.32 of this chapter, estimated dates for further processing deadlines under § 4.32 of this chapter, deadlines for complying with the provisions of § 4.36(d)(2) (ii) and (iii) of this chapter in cases where competing applications are filed, and the date for final amendments and will:

(i) Publish the notice in the Federal Register;

(ii) Provide the notice to appropriate Federal, state, and interstate resource agencies and Indian tribes, by electronic means if practical, otherwise by mail; and

(iii) Serve the notice on all parties to the proceedings pursuant to § 385.2010 of this chapter.

(3) Where two or more mutually exclusive competing applications have been filed for the same project, the final amendment date and deadlines for complying with the provisions of § 4.36(d)(2) (ii) and (iii) of this chapter established pursuant to the notice issued under paragraph (d)(2) of this section will be the same for all such applications.

(4) The provisions of § 4.36(d)(2)(i) of this chapter will not be applicable to applications filed pursuant to this section.