Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/Staff Assessment and Land Use Plan Amendment for the SES Solar One Project, San Bernardino County, CA, 27176-27178 [E9-13320]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management
• Land Management Bureau

[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 108 (Monday, June 8, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27176-27178]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-13320]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CACA 49539, CACA 49537, LLCAD08000, L51030000]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/
Staff Assessment and Land Use Plan Amendment for the SES Solar One 
Project, San Bernardino County, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the California Environmental Quality Act 
(CEQA), the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM), together with the California Energy Commission, (hereinafter 
jointly referred to as the Agencies) intend to prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement/Staff Assessment (EIS/SA), and a Proposed Land Use 
Plan Amendment for the Stirling Energy Systems (SES) Solar One Project 
(Project), a Stirling engine systems solar dish project in San 
Bernardino County, California. SES is seeking approval to construct and 
operate an electrical generating facility with a nominal capacity of 
850 megawatts (MW), using concentrated solar thermal power. 
Approximately 8,230 acres of BLM administered public land are needed to 
develop the Project. SES has submitted an application to the BLM 
requesting a right-of-way (ROW) to construct the Project and related 
facilities. Pursuant to BLM's California Desert Conservation Area 
(CDCA) Plan (1980, as amended), sites associated with power generation 
or transmission not identified in the CDCA Plan will be considered 
through the plan amendment process.
    Under Federal law, BLM is responsible for processing requests for 
rights-of-way to authorize solar projects and associated transmission 
lines and other appurtenant facilities on the land it manages. BLM must 
comply with the requirements of NEPA to ensure that environmental 
impacts associated with construction, operation, and decommissioning 
will be identified, analyzed and considered in the application process. 
This will be accomplished through preparation of Draft and Final 
Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) in coordination with the Energy 
Commission.
    Under California law, the Energy Commission is responsible for 
reviewing the Application for Certification (AFC) filed for thermal 
power plants over 50 MW, and also has the role of lead agency for the 
environmental review of such projects under the CEQA (Pub. Res. Code, 
sections 21000 et seq., 25500 et seq.) The Energy Commission conducts 
this review in accordance with the administrative adjudication 
provisions of California's Administrative Procedure Act (Government 
Code section 11400 et seq.) and its own regulations governing site 
certification proceedings (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 20, section 1701 et 
seq.), which have been deemed CEQA equivalent by the Secretary of 
Resources. SES Solar One, LLC, has submitted an AFC to the Energy 
Commission. The AFC facilitates analysis and review by staff prior to 
an Energy Commission decision on the proposed project.

DATES: Publication of this notice initiates a public scoping period of 
at least 30 days. During the formal public scoping period, the Agencies 
will solicit public comments on issues, concerns, potential impacts, 
alternatives, and mitigation measures that should be considered in the 
analysis of the proposed action. In addition, the Agencies expect to 
hold one BLM public scoping meeting/Energy Commission information 
hearing during the formal scoping period to encourage public input. The 
public scoping meeting will be held in Barstow, California on June 22, 
2009 with further details to be announced through the local news media, 
newspapers, mailings, the BLM Web page [https://www.ca.blm.gov/barstow] 
and the Energy Commission Web page [https://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/solarone/] at least 15 days prior to the event. While you 
may have the opportunity to make oral comments at the June 22nd BLM 
public scoping meeting, written comments are strongly encouraged to be 
submitted. In order to be included in the Draft EIS/Preliminary Staff 
Assessment (DEIS/PSA), all comments must be received prior to the close 
of the formal scoping period which will be July 7, 2009. Additional 
opportunities for public participation and formal comment occur when 
the DEIS/PSA is issued. BLM will also utilize and coordinate the NEPA 
commenting process to satisfy the public involvement process for 
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (16 U.S.C.

[[Page 27177]]

470f) as provided for in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3).

ADDRESSES: 
     California Energy Commission: Christopher Meyer, Project 
Manager, Siting, Transmission and Environmental Protection Division, 
California Energy Commission, 1516 Ninth Street, MS-15, Sacramento, CA 
95814 [cmeyer@energy.state.ca.us].
     Bureau of Land Management: Jim Stobaugh, P.O. Box 12000, 
Reno, NV 89520 or by phone, (775) 861-6478, or email [Jim_Stobaugh@blm.gov].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    Jim Stobaugh, BLM project manager, at (775) 861-6478. See also 
ADDRESSES, above.
    Christopher Meyer, Energy Commission project manager, at (916) 653-
1639. See also ADDRESSES.
    Information on participating in the Commission's review of the 
project may be obtained through the Commission's Public Adviser's 
Office, at (916) 654-4489 or toll free in California, (800) 822-6228, 
or by email: [publicadviser@energy.state.ca.us]
    News media inquiries should be directed to the Commission's media 
office at (916) 654-4989, or via email at 
[mediaoffice@energy.state.ca.us].
    Status of the proposed project, copies of notices, an electronic 
version of the AFC, and other relevant documents are also available on 
the Commission's Internet Web site at [https://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/solarone]. You can also subscribe to receive email 
notification of all notices at [https://www.energy.ca.gov/listservers].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Stirling Energy Systems (SES) formed limited 
liability corporations (LLC) for three applications to develop solar 
energy facilities in three adjacent areas along Interstate 40 between 
Newberry Springs and Hector, CA. Two of these adjacent applicants, SES 
Solar Three, LLC and SES Solar Six, LLC, have applied to BLM for 
rights-of-way (ROW) on public lands to construct a concentrated solar 
thermal power plant facility (Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the proposed Solar 
One project). The eastern portion of the proposed Solar One Project 
Area was subsequently withdrawn from application because it was located 
within the Pisgah Area of Critical Environmental Concern. The reduction 
of this land from the Solar One project area and the recognition of the 
value of development of the project adjacent to existing transmission 
lines first, resulted in SES combining the Solar Three LLC and Solar 
Six LLC application areas under one project area to meet its overall 
goal of an 850 MW solar facility at this site. For purposes of the 
filings, Solar Three, LLC and Solar Six, LLC are considered the 
``Applicant.'' The name of the proposed project is the Solar One 
Project.
    The proposed Solar One Project would be constructed on an 
approximate 8,230-acre site located in San Bernardino County, 
California. The project site is approximately 37 miles east of Barstow, 
17 miles east of Newberry Springs, 57 miles northeast of Victorville, 
and approximately 115 miles east of Los Angeles. The proposed SES Solar 
One Project would be a nominal 850-megawatt (MW) Stirling engine 
project, with construction planned to begin in late 2010 if the project 
is approved by the Energy Commission and rights-of way grants are 
issued by the BLM. Although construction would take approximately 40 
months to complete, renewable power would be available to the grid as 
each 60-unit group is completed. The primary equipment for the 
generating facility would include the 25-kilowatt Stirling solar dish 
systems (referred to as SunCatchers), their associated equipment and 
systems, and their support infrastructure. Each SunCatcher consists of 
a solar receiver heat exchanger and a closed-cycle, high-efficiency 
Solar Stirling Engine specifically designed to convert solar power to 
rotary power then driving an electrical generator to produce grid-
quality electricity.
    The facility would be built in two phases and would be expected to 
operate for approximately 20 years based on the Purchase Power 
Agreement signed by SES with Southern California Edison (SCE). The 
first phase would consist of up to 20,000 SunCatchers configured in 334 
units, with 1.5 MW solar groups of 60 SunCatchers per unit and have a 
net nominal generating capacity of 500 MW on 5,838 acres of Federal 
lands. The second phase would consist of approximately 14,000 
SunCatchers configured in 233 units with a net generating capacity of 
350 MW on 2,392 acres of Federal lands. Each SunCatcher system consists 
of an approximate 38-foot high by 40-foot wide solar concentrator dish 
that supports an array of curved glass mirror facets designed to 
automatically track the sun and focus solar energy onto a power 
conversion unit which generates electricity.
    Related structures for the project would include the construction 
of a new 230-kV substation located approximately in the center of the 
project site. This new substation would be connected to the existing 
SCE Pisgah Substation adjacent to the project site via approximately 
two miles of single-circuit, 230-kV transmission line. Other than this 
interconnection transmission line that will be constructed by SES, the 
proposed project would require SCE to expand and upgrade the existing 
230-kV SCE Pisgah Substation to support the increase in voltage to 500-
kV, loop the Eldorado-Lugo 500-kV line into the SCE Pisgah Substation 
and demolish 65 miles of the existing Lugo-Pisgah No.2 230-kV 
transmission and replace it with towers and conductor. In addition, 
modifications within the SCE Eldorado and Lugo substations will be 
required.
    SCE proposes to construct the new Lugo-Pisgah No.2 500-kV 
transmission line for 57 of the 67 miles needed for the upgrade from 
the existing Pisgah substation to the Victorville substation within the 
existing ROW of the 230-kV transmission line that would be replaced and 
upgraded.
    The last 10 miles of this new Lugo-Pisgah No. 2 500-kV line to the 
Victorville substation, located south of Victorville would be 
constructed within a new ROW area.
    The EIS/SA will analyze the site-specific impacts on air quality, 
biological resources, cultural resources, water resources, geological 
resources and hazards, hazardous materials handling, land use, noise, 
paleontological resources, public health, socioeconomics, soils, 
traffic and transportation, visual resources, waste management and 
worker safety and fire protection, as well as facility design 
engineering, efficiency, reliability, transmission system engineering 
and transmission line safety and nuisance. The BLM CDCA Plan of 1980, 
as amended, while recognizing the potential compatibility of solar 
generation facilities on public lands, requires that all sites 
associated with power generation or transmission not identified in the 
1980 Plan will be considered through the plan amendment process.
    The following planning criteria will be utilized during the plan 
amendment process:
     The plan amendment process will be completed in compliance 
with FLPMA, NEPA, and all other relevant Federal laws, Executive 
orders, and management policies of the BLM;
     The plan amendment process will include an EIS that will 
comply with NEPA standards;
     Where existing planning decisions are determined to be 
valid, those decisions will remain unchanged and will be incorporated 
into any new plan amendment;

[[Page 27178]]

     The plan amendment will recognize valid existing rights;
     Native American Tribal consultations will be conducted in 
accordance with policy and Tribal concerns will be given due 
consideration. The plan amendment process will include the 
consideration of any impacts on Indian trust assets;
     Consultation with the SHPO will be conducted throughout 
the plan amendment process; and
     Consultation with USFWS will be conducted throughout the 
plan amendment process.
    If the ROW and proposed land use plan amendment are approved by 
BLM, the concentrated solar thermal power plant facility on public 
lands would be authorized in accordance with Title V of the Federal 
Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and the BLM's ROW Regulations at 
43 CFR part 2800. A certificate designating approval of the Energy 
Commission must be obtained by SES before it may construct a power 
plant and/or electric transmission line and related facilities.
    You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria in writing 
at the public scoping meeting, or you may submit them via e-mail (see 
ADDRESSES section above). To be most helpful, you should submit 
comments within 30 days after the public scoping meeting. Before 
including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal 
identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your 
entire comment--including your personal identifying information--may be 
made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your 
comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public 
review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Robert Doyel,
Acting Deputy State Director for Natural Resources, California State 
Office.
[FR Doc. E9-13320 Filed 6-5-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P