Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Genesis Solar Energy Project and Amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area Resource Management Plan, Riverside County, CA, 69458 [2010-28434]

Agencies

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

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 218 (Friday, November 12, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 69458]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-28434]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CACA-048880, LLCAD060000, L51010000.FX0000, LVRWB09B2520]


Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Genesis 
Solar Energy Project and Amendment to the California Desert 
Conservation Area Resource Management Plan, Riverside County, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability 
of the Record of Decision (ROD)/Approved Amendment to the California 
Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan, the applicable Resource 
Management Plan (RMP) for the project site and the surrounding areas, 
located in the California Desert District. The Secretary of the 
Interior approved the ROD on November 4, 2010, which constitutes the 
final decision of the Department.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD/Approved Amendment to the CDCA Plan are 
available upon request from the Field Manager, Palm Springs-South Coast 
Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, 1201 Bird Center Drive, Palm 
Springs, California 92262 or via the Internet at the following Web 
site: https://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/palmsprings.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Shaffer, BLM Project Manager; 
telephone: (760) 833-7100; mailing address: 1201 Bird Center Drive, 
Palm Springs, California 92262; or e-mail: CAPSSolarNextEraFPL@blm.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Genesis Solar, LLC, a wholly owned 
subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, filed right-of-way (ROW) 
application CACA-048880 for the proposed Genesis Solar Energy Project 
(GSEP). The GSEP is a concentrated solar electrical generating facility 
using parabolic trough technology and facilities. The GSEP site is 
proposed on approximately 1,950 acres of BLM-managed lands in Riverside 
County, California, approximately 27 miles east of the unincorporated 
community of Desert Center and 25 miles west of the Arizona-California 
border city of Blythe. The GSEP consists of 2 independent solar 
electric generating facilities with a net electrical output of 125 
megawatts (MW) each, resulting in a total net electrical output of 250 
MW. In addition to the site, the project includes a distribution line, 
an electrical transmission line, fiber optic lines, a natural gas 
pipeline, and an access road. A double circuit 230-kilovolt (kV) 
transmission line will be constructed to connect to the Southern 
California Edison Colorado River substation via the existing Blythe 
Energy Project Transmission Line between the Julian Hinds and Buck 
substations. The linear facilities will encumber approximately 90 acres 
offsite.
    The project site is in the California Desert District within the 
planning boundary of the CDCA Plan, which is the applicable RMP for the 
project site and the surrounding areas. The CDCA Plan, while 
recognizing the potential compatibility of solar generation facilities 
on public lands, requires that all sites associated with power 
generation or transmission not already identified in that Plan be 
considered through the BLM's land use plan amendment process. As a 
result, prior to approval of a ROW grant for the GSEP, the BLM must 
amend the CDCA Plan to allow the solar generating project on that site. 
The approved Amendment to the CDCA Plan specifically revises the CDCA 
Plan to allow for the development of the GSEP and ancillary facilities 
on land managed by the BLM.
    The BLM preferred alternative would result in the building of 2 
adjacent and independent power block units, capable of generating 
approximately 250 MW of electricity, and the use of dry cooling 
technology, as well as all associated ancillary facilities. This 250 MW 
alternative was evaluated in the Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS). The Notice of Availability of the Final EIS for the GSEP and the 
proposed CDCA Plan amendment was published in the Federal Register on 
August 27, 2010 (75 FR 52736).
    Publication of the Notice of Availability for the Final EIS 
initiated a 30-day protest period for the proposed amendment to the 
CDCA Plan and a 30-day comment period on the Final EIS. At the close of 
the 30-day period on September 27, 2010, 3 timely and complete written 
protests were received and resolved. Their resolution is summarized in 
the Director's Protest Summary Report attached to the ROD. The proposed 
amendment to the CDCA Plan was not modified as a result of the protest 
resolution. In addition, the BLM received 10 comment letters on the 
Final EIS. The BLM's responses to these comments are provided in 
Appendix 1 of the ROD. Simultaneously with the protest period, the 
Governor of California conducted a 30-day consistency review of the 
proposed CDCA Plan amendment to identify any inconsistencies with the 
state or local plan, policies, or programs. The California Governor's 
office did not identify inconsistencies between the proposed amendment 
to the CDCA Plan and state or local plan, policies, or programs.
    Because this decision is approved by the Secretary of the Interior, 
it is not subject to administrative appeal (43 CFR 4.410(a)(3)).

    Authority:  40 CFR 1506.6.

Robert V. Abbey,
Director, Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. 2010-28434 Filed 11-10-10; 8:45 am]
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