[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 73 (Monday, April 16, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22569-22571]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-9038]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Western Area Power Administration
Interconnection of the Grande Prairie Wind Farm, Holt County, NE
AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement
and conduct scoping meetings; Notice of potential floodplain and
wetlands involvement.
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SUMMARY: The Western Area Power Administration (Western), an agency of
the Department of Energy (DOE), intends to prepare an environmental
impact statement (EIS) on the proposed interconnection of the Grande
Prairie Wind Farm (Project) in Holt County, near the city of O'Neill,
Nebraska. Grande Prairie Wind, LLC (Grande Prairie Wind), a majority-
owned subsidiary of Midwest Wind Energy, LLC, has applied to Western to
interconnect their proposed wind energy generation project to Western's
power transmission system. Western's Federal action would be to execute
an interconnection agreement with Grande Prairie Wind and make any
necessary modifications to the transmission system to accommodate the
interconnection at Grande Prairie Wind's expense. Western is issuing
this notice to inform the public and interested parties about Western's
intent to prepare an EIS, conduct a public scoping process, and invite
the public to comment on the scope, proposed action, alternatives, and
other issues to be addressed in the EIS.
Construction activities proposed by Grande Prairie Wind may affect
floodplains and wetlands, so this Notice of Intent (NOI) also serves as
a notice of proposed floodplain or wetland action in accordance with
DOE floodplain and wetland environmental review requirements.
DATES: The public scoping period begins with the publication of this
notice and closes on May 16, 2012. To provide the public an opportunity
to review the proposal and project information, Western will hold one
public meeting in O'Neill, Nebraska. Western will announce the date and
location of the public scoping meeting through local news media, and
posting on the Western Web site at http://www.wapa.gov/ugp/Environment/default.htm at least 15 days prior to the meeting. While comments will
be accepted at any time during the EIS process, submission of comments
by the end of the scoping comment period will ensure full consideration
in the Draft EIS.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS should be addressed
to Mr. Matt Marsh, Western Area Power Administration, P.O. Box 35800,
2900 4th Avenue, North, Billings, MT 59107, fax (406) 255-2900 or email
at [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Matt Marsh, Western Area Power
Administration, P.O. Box 35800, 2900 4th Avenue, North, Billings, MT
59107, telephone (406) 255-2811, or email [email protected]. For
general information on DOE's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
review procedures or status of a NEPA review, contact Ms. Carol M.
Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance, GC-54, U.S.
Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC
20585, telephone (202) 586-4600 or (800) 472-2756, fax (202) 586-7031.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Western, an agency within DOE, markets
Federal hydroelectric power to preference customers, as specified by
law. These customers include municipalities, cooperatives, irrigation
districts, Federal and State agencies, and Native
[[Page 22570]]
American tribes. Western's service territory covers 15 western states,
including Nebraska. Western owns and operates more than 17,000 miles of
high-voltage transmission lines. Western offers capacity to deliver
electricity on its transmission system, when such capacity is
available, under Western's Open Access Transmission Service Tariff.
Grande Prairie Wind has applied to Western to interconnect their
proposed wind energy generation Project to Western's Fort Thompson-
Grand Island transmission line. The proposed Project is subject to
county and local approvals prior to Project construction.
Grand Prairie Project Description
Grande Prairie Wind proposes to construct and operate a 400-
megawatt (MW) wind energy generation facility in Holt County in
northern Nebraska. The Project area would occupy approximately 45,000
acres in portions of Willowdale, Antelope, Grattan, Iowa, Scott, and
Steel Creek Townships.
Grande Prairie Wind proposes to build up to 266 wind turbines.
Permanent disturbance for each wind turbine generator location would be
approximately 0.25 acres. Grande Prairie Wind is considering a variety
of wind turbine generator types, with capacities ranging from 1.5 to
2.4 MW. Each wind turbine generator would be mounted on a single steel
tower between 263 and 329 feet tall and have blade sweep diameter
ranging from 271 to 385 feet, depending on the wind turbine generator
model selected. Approximate total height at the rotor apex would be
between 398 and 521 feet.
Approximately 60 to 80 miles of underground electrical collector
cable would be required to carry generated power from each wind turbine
generator to a single Project collection substation. The underground
collector cables would be buried to a depth that would not interfere
with farming operations. The collection substation would occupy about 7
to 15 acres of land. A 6-mile tie-line would be built from the
collector substation to a point adjacent to Western's existing Fort
Thompson-Grand Island transmission line.
Grande Prairie Wind proposes to build about 45 to 60 miles of new
roads and upgrade 30 to 50 miles of existing roads for construction and
maintenance access to all turbines and Project facilities. Other
Project facilities may include two or more permanent meteorological
towers, a SODAR unit, and an operations and maintenance building.
Grande Prairie Wind would site wind turbine generators and
supporting infrastructure to optimize wind and land resources in the
area while minimizing environmental impacts to the extent practicable.
The proposed Project would be located on publicly and privately owned
lands consisting of a mix of rural cropland and grazing land. The
publicly owned land is owned by the State of Nebraska Board of
Education Lands and Funds. Grande Prairie Wind would comply with local
zoning requirements, including setbacks from residences, roads, and
existing transmission and distribution lines. Grande Prairie Wind
proposes to begin construction as early as spring 2014. The life of the
Project is anticipated to be a minimum of 20 years.
Western's Federal involvement is related to consideration of the
interconnection request, and any resultant impact to the transmission
system. However, the EIS will also identify and review the
environmental impacts of constructing, operating, maintaining, and
decommissioning Grand Prairie Wind's proposed Project. Grand Prairie
Wind would be responsible for completing necessary coordination with
local agencies to permit its proposed Project.
Proposed Action and Alternatives
Western's proposed Federal action is to execute an interconnection
agreement to interconnect the proposed Project to the Federal
transmission system at a new substation adjacent to its Fort Thompson-
Grand Island 345-kilovolt transmission line. Any modification necessary
to accommodate the proposed interconnection with Western's transmission
system will be made at Grand Prairie Wind's expense. Western will also
consider the no-action alternative in the EIS. Under the no-action
alternative, Western would not interconnect the proposed Project. If
additional reasonable alternatives are identified during the scoping
process, they will be analyzed in the EIS.
Agency Responsibilities
Because interconnection of the proposed Project would incorporate a
major new generation resource into Western's power transmission system,
Western has determined that an EIS is required under 10 CFR
1021.400(a)(3) and (c), and DOE NEPA implementing procedures (10 CFR
part 1021), Appendix D to Subpart D of part 1021, provision D7.
Accordingly, Western will prepare an EIS on the interconnection of the
proposed Project.\1\ Western is the lead Federal agency for preparing
the EIS, as defined at 40 CFR 1501.5. Western invites other Federal,
State, local, and tribal agencies with jurisdiction by law or special
expertise with respect to environmental issues to be cooperating
agencies on the EIS, as defined at 40 CFR 1501.6. Such agencies may
also make a request to Western to be a cooperating agency by contacting
Mr. Marsh at the address listed above in the ADDRESSES section.
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\1\ On November 16, 2011, DOE's Acting General Counsel delegated
to Western's Administrator all EIS authorities.
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Western will consult with affected tribes to jointly evaluate and
address the potential effects on cultural resources, traditional
cultural properties, or other resources important to the tribes. These
consultations will be conducted in accordance with Executive Order
13175, Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments (65
FR 67249), the President's memorandum of April 29, 1994, Government-to-
Government Relations with Native American Tribal Governments (59 FR
22951), DOE-specific guidance on tribal interactions, and applicable
natural and cultural resources laws and regulations.
Floodplain or Wetland Involvement
Western's proposed action may affect floodplains or wetlands. This
notice also serves as notice of proposed floodplain or wetland action,
in accordance with 10 CFR part 1022. The EIS will include an assessment
of impacts to floodplains and wetlands, and if required, a statement of
findings following DOE regulations for compliance with floodplain and
wetlands environmental review (10 CFR part 1022).
Environmental Issues
This notice is to inform agencies and the public of Western's
intent to prepare an EIS and solicit comments and suggestions for
consideration in the EIS. To help the public frame its comments, the
following list contains potential environmental issues preliminarily
identified for analysis in the EIS:
Impacts on protected, threatened, endangered, or sensitive
species of animals or plants
Impacts on migratory birds
Impacts from noxious weeds, invasive, and non-native
species
Impacts on recreation and transportation
Impacts on land use and farmland
Impacts on cultural or historic resources and tribal
values
Impacts on human health and safety
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Impacts on air, soil, and water resources (including air
quality and surface water impacts)
Visual impacts
Socio-economic impacts and disproportionately high and
adverse impacts to minority and low-income populations
This list is not intended to be all-inclusive or to imply any
predetermination of impacts. Western invites interested parties to
suggest specific issues within these general categories, or other
issues not included above, to be considered in the EIS.
Public Participation
Interested parties are invited to participate in the scoping
process to help define the scope of the EIS, significant resources, and
issues to be analyzed in depth, and to eliminate from detailed study
issues that are not pertinent. The EIS scoping process will involve all
interested agencies (Federal, State, county, and local), Native
American tribes, public interest groups, businesses, affected
landowners, and individual members of the public.
Western will hold one public meeting in O'Neill, Nebraska, and will
announce the EIS scoping meeting details through local news media,
direct mailings, and by posting on the Western Web site at http://www.wapa.gov/ugp/Environment/default.htm at least 15 days prior to the
meeting. Attendees will be able to speak directly with Western and
Grand Prairie Wind representatives at the EIS scoping meetings about
the proposed Project. Attendees are welcome to come and go at their
convenience throughout the meeting. If inclement weather should
prohibit hosting the scoping meeting, an alternate meeting date and
location will be publicized locally. The meeting location is
handicapped-accessible. Anyone needing special accommodations should
contact Mr. Marsh to make arrangements.
The public is encouraged to provide information and comments on
issues it believes Western should address in the EIS. Comments may be
broad in nature or restricted to specific areas of concern. After
gathering comments on the scope of the EIS, Western will address those
issues raised during scoping in the EIS. While comments will be
accepted at any time during the EIS process, submission of comments by
the end of the scoping comment period will ensure full consideration in
the Draft EIS. Comments may be submitted at the public scoping meeting
or sent to Western as described under the ADDRESSES section above.
Comments received outside of the designated comment periods may be
addressed in the Draft EIS; otherwise they will be addressed later in
the process, such as in the Final EIS, if practicable.
The EIS process will include this NOI, local EIS scoping meeting
notifications, a public scoping meeting; consultation and coordination
with appropriate Federal, State, county, and local agencies and tribal
governments; involvement with affected landowners; distribution of and
public review and comment on the Draft EIS; a formal public hearing or
hearings on the Draft EIS; distribution of a published Final EIS; and
publication of a Record of Decision in the Federal Register.
Dated: April 6, 2012.
Timothy J. Meeks,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2012-9038 Filed 4-13-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P