Notice of Public Scoping Meetings for the Hawai'i Interisland Renewable Energy Program: ’Wind Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/EIS-0459), 2095-2096 [2011-479]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 12, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2095-2096]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-479]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Notice of Public Scoping Meetings for the Hawai'i Interisland 
Renewable Energy Program: 'Wind Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement (DOE/EIS-0459)

AGENCY: Department of Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice of public scoping meetings and opportunity to comment.

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SUMMARY: DOE will host four public meetings in the Hawaiian Islands to 
receive comments on the scope of the Hawai`i Interisland Renewable 
Energy Program: Wind Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement 
(hereinafter referred to as the Hawai`i Wind EIS or the EIS). The 
public scoping meetings will be conducted jointly with the State of 
Hawai`i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism 
(DBEDT), which is a co-lead agency with DOE in the preparation of the 
EIS. The EIS will assess the foreseeable environmental impacts that may 
arise from wind energy development under the Hawai`i Interisland 
Renewable Energy Program (HIREP) and the range of reasonable 
alternatives.
    On December 14, 2010, DOE and DBEDT announced in the Federal 
Register (75 FR 77859) their intention to prepare the EIS and opened a 
public scoping period which will close on March 1, 2011.
    During the scoping period, DOE and DBEDT invite the public to 
submit written comments by any of the means listed in the ADDRESSES 
section. Oral as well as written comments may also be provided at the 
public scoping meetings to be held as listed under SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION.

DATES: DOE and DBEDT invite comments on the proposed scope of the EIS 
from all interested parties. The public scoping period began on 
December 14, 2010, and will close on March 1, 2011. Comments on the 
scope of the EIS should be submitted by March 1, 2011. Comments e-
mailed or postmarked after that date will be considered to the extent 
practicable. DOE and DBEDT also invite members of the public to 
participate in public scoping meetings. Requests to speak at any of the 
public scoping meetings should be submitted to Allen Kam as indicated 
in the ADDRESSES section on or before January 28, 2011. Requests to 
speak also may be made at the scoping meetings; however, requests 
received by January 28, 2011, will be given priority in the speaking 
order. For interested parties wishing to speak with a DOE 
representative, see the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this 
announcement.

ADDRESSES: Requests to speak at the public scoping meetings and written 
comments on the proposed scope of the EIS may be submitted by any of 
the following means:
     By e-mail to wind.com">comments@hirep-wind.com.
     By submitting electronic comments on the EIS web page at 
wind.com">https://www.hirep-wind.com.
     By facsimile (fax) to 808-586-2536, Attention Allen G. 
Kam.
     By mail to Allen G. Kam, Esq., AICP, HIREP EIS Manager, 
State of Hawai'i, Department of Business, Economic Development and 
Tourism, Renewable Energy Branch, State Energy Office, P.O. Box 2359, 
Honolulu, HI 96804.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on DOE's proposed 
action, contact Anthony J. Como, DOE NEPA Document Manager, Office of 
Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE-20), U.S. Department of 
Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585; or at 202-
586-5935 or anthony.como@hq.doe.gov.
    For general information about the DOE National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA) process, contact Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA 
Policy and Compliance (GC-54), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585; or at 800-472-2756 or 
askNEPA@hq.doe.gov.
    For information on the Hawai`i Interisland Renewable Energy 
Program, contact Mr. Allen G. Kam, Esq., AICP, HIREP EIS Manager, State 
of Hawai'i, Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, 
Renewable Energy Branch, State Energy Office, P.O. Box 2359, Honolulu, 
HI 96804; or at 808-587-9023 or hirep@dbedt.hawaii.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 14, 2010, DOE published a notice 
in the Federal Register (75 FR 77859) announcing its intention to 
prepare the Hawai'i Wind EIS jointly with the State of Hawai'i and 
opening a scoping period that will close on March 1, 2011. The EIS will 
be prepared pursuant to NEPA, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321-4347), the 
Council on Environmental Quality NEPA regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-
1508), the DOE NEPA implementing procedures (10 CFR part 1021), and the 
Hawai`i Environmental Policy Act (Hawai`i Revised Statutes (HRS) 
chapter 343). The EIS will assess the potential environmental impacts 
from the development of up to 400 megawatts of wind generation 
facilities on one or more of the Maui County islands of Maui, 
L[amacr]na`i, and/or Moloka'i, the transmission of wind-generated 
energy to O`ahu via submarine transmission cables and the required 
improvements to the existing electric transmission infrastructure on 
O'ahu. In the December 14, 2010 notice, DOE and DBEDT also indicated 
that they would hold public scoping meetings and announce the dates and 
locations of them in a subsequent Federal Register notice.
    DOE and DBEDT now announce that they will jointly host the 
following public scoping meetings:
     February 1, 2011--McKinley High School Cafeteria, 1039 
South King Street, Honolulu, HI 96814, from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
     February 2, 2011--Pomaika'i Elementary Cafeteria, 4650 
South Kamehameha Avenue, Kahului, HI 96732, from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

[[Page 2096]]

     February 3, 2011--Mitchell Pauole Community Center, 90 
Ainoa Street, Kaunakakai, Moloka'i, HI 96748, from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
     February 5, 2011--L[amacr]na`i High & Elementary School 
Cafeteria, 555 Fraser Avenue, L[amacr]na`i City, HI 96763, from 9:30 
a.m. to 3 p.m.
    Each scoping meeting will be conducted in two parts: An informal 
``workshop'' discussion period that will not be recorded, and a formal 
commenting session that will be transcribed by a court stenographer. 
Meeting participants may also have their comments entered into the 
record during the informal portion of the meetings, on request. Those 
who do not arrange in advance to speak may register at a meeting 
(preferably at the beginning of the meeting) and may speak after 
previously scheduled speakers. The presiding officer will establish 
procedures to ensure that everyone who wishes to speak has an 
opportunity to do so. Depending on the number of speakers, the 
presiding officer may limit all speakers to a set amount of time 
initially and provide additional opportunities to speak as time 
permits. Speakers may also provide written materials to supplement 
their presentations, and such additional information may be submitted 
in writing by the date listed in the DATES section. Both oral and 
written comments will be considered and given equal weight by DOE and 
DBEDT.
    The formal commenting session will begin with an overview of the 
proposed Wind Phase of the Hawai`i Interisland Renewable Energy Program 
and a description of the State and Federal environmental review 
processes. The presiding officer will establish the order of speakers 
and provide any additional procedures necessary to conduct the formal 
commenting session. Speakers may be asked questions to help ensure that 
DOE and DBEDT fully understand all suggestions and comments.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on January 7, 2011.
Patricia A. Hoffman,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy 
Reliability.
[FR Doc. 2011-479 Filed 1-11-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P