Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the California Hydrogen Hub (ARCHES), (DOE/EIS-0570), 102881-102884 [2024-30020]
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 243 / Wednesday, December 18, 2024 / Notices
agency. DOE requests data, comments,
views, information, analysis,
alternatives, or suggestions relevant to
the proposed action from the public;
affected Federal, Tribal, State, and local
governments, agencies, and offices; the
scientific community; industry; or any
other interested party.
Specifically, DOE requests
information on the following topics:
1. Potential effects that the proposed
action could have on biological,
physical, socioeconomic, cultural, or
other resources.
2. Other potential reasonable
alternatives to the proposed action that
DOE should consider, including
additional or alternative avoidance,
minimization, and mitigation measures.
3. Information on other current or
planned activities in, or in the vicinity
of, the proposed action, that could
impact one another or contribute to
cumulative impacts.
4. Other information, studies, or
analyses relevant to the proposed action
and its impacts on the human
environment.
To promote informed decisionmaking, comments should be as specific
as possible and should provide as much
detail as necessary to meaningfully and
fully inform DOE of why the issues
raised are important to the agency’s
review of the proposed action.
The draft EIS will include as an
appendix a summary of issues raised in
public scoping comments that DOE
considered in preparing the EIS and
comments outside the scope of the
analysis.
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Signing Authority
This document of the Department of
Energy was signed on December 13,
2024, by Kelly Cummins, Acting
Director, Office of Clean Energy
Demonstrations, pursuant to delegated
authority from the Secretary of Energy.
That document with the original
signature and date is maintained by
DOE. For administrative purposes only,
and in compliance with requirements of
the Office of the Federal Register, the
undersigned DOE Federal Register
Liaison Officer has been authorized to
sign and submit the document in
electronic format for publication, as an
official document of the Department of
Energy. This administrative process in
no way alters the legal effect of this
document upon publication in the
Federal Register.
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Signed in Washington, DC, on December
13, 2024.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S.
Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2024–29994 Filed 12–17–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for
the California Hydrogen Hub
(ARCHES), (DOE/EIS–0570)
Office of Clean Energy
Demonstrations, U.S. Department of
Energy.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement, notice
of scoping meetings, request for
comments.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE) announces its intent to
prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and
applicable NEPA implementing
regulations to assess the potential
environmental impacts of the proposed
action of providing financial assistance
to the Alliance for Renewable Clean
Hydrogen Energy Systems (also referred
to as ARCHES) to facilitate the design,
construction, operation and
maintenance of the California Hydrogen
Hub in the state of California. DOE is
issuing this Notice of Intent to inform
the public about the proposed action;
announce plans to conduct public
scoping meetings; invite public
participation in the scoping process;
and solicit public comments for
consideration in establishing the scope
of the EIS, including the range of
reasonable alternatives and the potential
environmental impacts to be analyzed.
DATES: The public scoping period for
the EIS starts with the publication of
this notice of intent (NOI) and ends on
March 3, 2025. DOE will hold one
virtual public scoping meeting at the
following date and time (pacific time):
• Tuesday, January 28, 2025 from
4:30–7:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
DOE will hold three in-person public
scoping meetings. Dates, times, and
locations are to be determined and will
be shared on the DOE’s web page for
this EIS no less than 15 days before the
meetings.
In addition, DOE will have an open
virtual public meeting space available
for the public. This public meeting
space will open on Monday January 20,
2025, at ocedarcheseis.com and stay
SUMMARY:
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open through the duration of the
scoping period.
All meetings are open to the public
and free to attend. Details on how to
participate in the virtual and in-person
public scoping meetings are available on
the DOE’s web page for this EIS: https://
www.energy.gov/nepa/doeeis-0570california-hydrogen-hub-multiplelocations. In defining the scope of the
EIS, DOE will consider all scoping
comments received or postmarked by
March 3, 2025. Comments received or
postmarked after the scoping period end
date will be considered to the extent
practicable.
ADDRESSES: Oral or written comments
may be provided at the public scoping
meetings or submitted in any of the
following ways:
• Through the regulations.gov web
portal: Navigate to www.regulations.gov
and search for Docket No. DOE–HQ–
2024–0087 and follow the instructions
for submitting comments; or
• Mail or Hand Delivery Service:
Send comments in an envelope labeled
‘‘DOE/EIS–0570’’ and addressed to
Jacobs, Attention: Rosa Esquivel, 2600
Michelson Drive, Suite 500, Irvine, CA
92612–6506.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kristin Welch, Project Manager, Office
of Clean Energy Demonstrations, U.S.
Department of Energy, 1000
Independence Ave. SW, Washington,
DC 20585, email OCED_ARCHES_EIS@
hq.doe.gov, or telephone (240) 981–
0461.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
In the Infrastructure Investment and
Jobs Act, commonly known as the
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL),
Congress established and funded a
Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs
(H2Hubs) program to create regional
networks of hydrogen producers,
consumers, and local connective
infrastructure to accelerate the use of
hydrogen as a clean energy carrier. The
Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations
(OCED) within DOE is implementing the
Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program
and will use the NEPA process to help
it decide whether to provide financial
assistance for the H2Hubs.
Congress directed DOE to select
H2Hubs using certain criteria.
Specifically, Congress directed DOE to
select H2Hubs that will use a diversity
of feedstocks to produce clean
hydrogen, including at least one H2Hub
that will demonstrate the production of
clean hydrogen from fossil fuels, one
H2Hub that will demonstrate the
production of clean hydrogen from
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renewables, and one H2Hub that will
demonstrate the production of clean
hydrogen from nuclear energy. Congress
also directed DOE to select H2Hubs that
will use clean hydrogen in a diversity of
end uses, including at least one H2Hub
that will demonstrate the use of clean
hydrogen in the following sectors:
electric power generation, industrial,
residential and commercial heating, and
transportation. Congress required that
DOE give priority to regional clean
hydrogen hubs that are likely to create
opportunities for skilled training and
long-term employment to the greatest
number of residents of the region.
Congress also directed DOE to include
geographic diversity, directing that DOE
locate H2Hubs in different regions of the
United States, and that the H2Hubs are
to use the energy resources that are
abundant in their respective regions.
Congress further required DOE to select,
to the maximum extent practicable, at
least two H2Hubs in the regions of the
United States with the greatest natural
gas resources.
DOE issued a Funding Opportunity
Announcement (FOA–0002779) to
solicit applications for H2Hubs. DOE
selected the California Hydrogen Hub
for award negotiations following a
rigorous Merit Review process to
identify meritorious applications to the
Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Program
based on the criteria listed in FOA–
0002779. DOE has provided limited
funding in support of preliminary
California Hydrogen Hub planning
activities.
The California Hydrogen Hub, as
proposed, satisfies certain criteria
Congress required in the BIL for the
Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs
program. The California Hydrogen Hub
has the potential to demonstrate the
production of clean hydrogen from
renewable energy resources. The
California Hydrogen Hub proposes to
use clean hydrogen in a diversity of end
uses including but not limited to
electric power generation and
transportation. Further, the California
Hydrogen Hub would create
opportunities for skilled training and
long-term employment for residents of
the region. In addition, the location of
the California Hydrogen Hub in the state
of California meets the criterion
requiring geographic diversity within
the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs
program. The California Hydrogen Hub
also satisfies the criterion that DOE
select hubs that use the energy resources
that are abundant in their respective
regions.
The California Hydrogen Hub is
proposed to consist of a suite of
demonstration projects involving clean
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hydrogen production, transportation,
and end uses located within California.
ARCHES is the primary funding
recipient and lead California Hydrogen
Hub manager. As currently structured,
the California Hydrogen Hub
encompasses approximately 35 projects
including clean hydrogen production
facilities that could produce 450–500
metric tonnes per day of clean hydrogen
from renewable electricity and biogenic
sources, connective infrastructure
including refueling stations and
pipelines, and a range of end uses
including fuel-cell electric trucks, fuelcell electric buses, a marine vessel,
cargo handling equipment, power
generation via turbines, and stationary
fuel cells.
Purpose and Scope of the EIS
DOE will prepare an EIS (DOE/EIS–
0570) to evaluate the potential impacts
to the human environment associated
with funding the California Hydrogen
Hub. The EIS will evaluate the potential
impacts associated with the types of
hydrogen infrastructure and
technologies proposed in the California
Hydrogen Hub, such as impacts from
electricity and water usage and rates of
emissions, that are inherent to the
technologies and infrastructure
regardless of where they may be
deployed. The EIS will help inform
DOE’s decision as to whether to carry
the California Hydrogen Hub forward
for project-specific funding decisions
but will not directly authorize funding
for specific California Hydrogen Hub
projects.
If DOE decides to provide funding for
the construction and operation of the
California Hydrogen Hub, DOE will
analyze the potential site-specific
environmental effects of individual
proposed projects and make site-specific
funding decisions. In addition to being
subject to DOE’s NEPA review, with
associated public scoping and comment
periods as appropriate, individual
projects will be required to adhere to the
requirements of all applicable Federal,
State, and local laws and regulations.
Purpose and Need for the Proposed
Action
The purpose and need for DOE’s
action is to comply with its statutory
mandate in BIL to catalyze investment
in the production, processing, delivery,
storage, and end-use of clean hydrogen,
and contribute to the development of a
national clean hydrogen network. The
proposed action of funding the
California Hydrogen Hub would fulfill
this mandate by accelerating the
deployment of clean hydrogen
technologies and enabling infrastructure
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to attract greater investments from the
private sector and promote substantial
U.S. manufacturing of numerous
hydrogen technologies.
DOE’s purpose and need in funding
the California Hydrogen Hub also
includes funding a clean hydrogen hub
that meets certain BIL criteria for the
Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs
program. The proposed California
Hydrogen Hub meets these criteria by:
• Demonstrating feedstock diversity
by including the production of clean
hydrogen from renewable energy
sources.
• Demonstrating end use diversity by
including the use of clean hydrogen in
the electric power generation and
transportation sectors.
• Enabling DOE to meet the
geographic diversity criterion by being
located in the California region and
using energy resources that are
abundant in that region.
• Creating opportunities for skilled
training and long-term employment for
residents in the region.
Proposed Action, No Action, and
Preliminary Alternatives
Proposed Action
DOE’s proposed action is to provide
funding to support the development of
the California Hydrogen Hub, as
proposed by ARCHES. The proposed
California Hydrogen Hub would include
a variety of hydrogen production
technologies, storage, delivery, and enduse applications. Hydrogen production
technologies being considered include
electrolysis utilizing renewable energy
sources, and generation from biogenic
sources (with possible carbon-dioxide
capture). Methods of hydrogen storage
may include above-ground tanks and/or
tube trailers. Delivery options may
include pipelines, trucking, and
refueling stations, as well as the
delivery of hydrogen derivatives such as
ammonia. A broad variety of end-use
applications are being considered
including fuel-cell electric trucks, fuelcell electric buses, a marine vessel,
cargo handling equipment, power
generation via turbines, stationary fuel
cells, aviation, trains, other fuel-cell
electric vehicles, and ammonia
synthesis.
California Hydrogen Hub projects and
site locations are in development. DOE
will evaluate specific projects and site
locations in subsequent tiered NEPA
reviews.
No Action Alternative
Under the No Action Alternative,
DOE would not provide funding to
ARCHES for the construction and
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operation of the California Hydrogen
Hub, with the assumption that the
H2Hub would not be developed. The no
action alternative provides a benchmark
for comparison with environmental
impacts of the other alternatives.
Preliminary Action Alternatives
The EIS will evaluate reasonable
alternatives that are technically and
economically feasible and meet the
purpose and need for the proposed
action. Preliminarily, DOE has
identified three alternatives that
potentially address the purpose and
need stated previously:
(1) DOE funding for the proposed
California Hydrogen Hub: The proposed
action alternative as described above.
(2) DOE funding for an expanded
California Hydrogen Hub: An action
alternative that considers the hydrogen
technologies and infrastructure in the
proposed action plus reasonably
foreseeable clean hydrogen technologies
and infrastructure that, while not
currently considered in the proposed
action, could be proposed for DOE
funding.
(3) DOE funding for a reduced
California Hydrogen Hub: An action
alternative that is smaller in scope
wherein DOE would fund only a portion
of the proposed action.
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Summary of Potential Impacts
DOE’s analysis in the EIS will focus
on potentially significant environmental
impacts from construction and
operation of the California Hydrogen
Hub’s proposed types of hydrogen
technologies and infrastructure, as well
as the potential cumulative impacts
resulting from reasonably foreseeable
past, present, and future projects in the
same region. Accordingly, in the EIS,
DOE anticipates evaluating potential
non-site-specific impacts related to: (1)
land use and infrastructure, (2)
atmospheric conditions and air quality,
(3) climate change and greenhouse
gasses, (4) hydrologic conditions and
water quality, (5) geology, seismicity
and soils, (6) socioeconomic conditions,
(7) environmental justice, (8) energy
resources, (9) noise and vibration, (10)
transportation and accidents, (11)
intentional destructive acts, and (12)
human health and safety. This list is not
intended to be all-inclusive or to imply
a predetermination of potential impacts.
DOE invites interested stakeholders to
suggest specific issues, including
possible mitigation measures, within
these general categories or others, to be
considered in the EIS.
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Anticipated Permits and Authorizations
DOE does not anticipate that permits
and authorizations will be needed for
agency action because it will not
authorize the construction and
operation of any project to be included
in the California Hydrogen Hub. The
permits and authorizations required for
the California Hydrogen Hub projects
will be identified in subsequent sitespecific NEPA analyses for those
projects.
Schedule for Decision-Making Process
After the draft EIS is completed, DOE
will publish a notice of availability
(NOA) and request public comments on
the draft EIS. DOE currently expects to
issue the NOA in October 2025. After
the public comment period ends, DOE
will review and respond to comments
received and will develop the final EIS.
DOE currently expects to make the final
EIS available to the public in April
2026. A record of decision will be
completed no sooner than 30 days after
the final EIS is released, in accordance
with applicable laws and regulations.
Scoping Process
This NOI commences the public
scoping process to identify issues and
potential alternatives for consideration
in the EIS. Throughout the scoping
process, Federal agencies, Tribes, State
and local governments, and the public
have the opportunity to help DOE
identify significant resources and issues,
reasonable alternatives, mitigation
measures, and other pertinent
information that DOE should consider
in the EIS. DOE will hold public
scoping meetings at the times and dates
described above under the DATES
section. DOE will post information on
how to participate in the virtual and inperson public meetings on the EIS
website listed previously, in advance of
the meetings. The public will have the
opportunity to comment on the scope of
the EIS. DOE representatives will be
available to answer questions and
provide additional information on the
NEPA process to meeting attendees. In
addition to providing comments at the
public scoping meetings, stakeholders
may submit written comments as
described in the ADDRESSES section.
Comments may be broad in nature or
restricted to specific areas of concern,
but they should be directly relevant to
the NEPA process, or potential
environmental impacts. The scoping
process allows the public and interested
parties to shape the EIS impact analysis,
focusing on the areas of greatest
importance and identifying areas
requiring less attention. DOE will
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consider the comments received on the
scope of the EIS during the 75-day
scoping period as it prepares the draft
EIS.
OCED does not consider anonymous
scoping comments. Please include your
name and address as part of your
scoping comment. All scoping
comments, including the names,
addresses, and other personally
identifiable information included in the
comment, will be part of the
administrative record. DOE will protect
privileged or confidential information
that you submit when required by
Exemption 4 of the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA), which applies
to trade secrets and commercial or
financial information that is privileged
or confidential. Please label privileged
or confidential information ‘‘Contains
Confidential Information’’ and consider
submitting such information as a
separate attachment. Information that is
not labeled as privileged or confidential
may be regarded by DOE as suitable for
public release.
DOE will invite Tribal government-togovernment consultations.
Request for Comment on Alternatives
and Effects, as Well as on Relevant
Information, Studies, or Analyses With
Respect to the Proposed Action
Federal, State, and local agencies,
along with Indian Tribal Nations and
other stakeholders that may be
interested in or affected by the proposed
action, are invited to participate in the
scoping process and, if eligible, may
request or be requested by DOE to
participate in the development of the
environmental analysis as a cooperating
agency. DOE requests data, comments,
views, information, analysis,
alternatives, or suggestions relevant to
the proposed action from the public;
affected Federal, Tribal, State, and local
governments, agencies, and offices; the
scientific community; industry; or any
other interested party.
Specifically, DOE requests
information on the following topics:
(1) Potential effects that the proposed
action could have on biological,
physical, socioeconomic, cultural, or
other resources.
(2) Other potential reasonable
alternatives to the proposed action that
DOE should consider, including
additional or alternative avoidance,
minimization, and mitigation measures.
(3) Information on other current or
planned activities in, or in the vicinity
of, the proposed action, that could
impact one another or contribute to
cumulative impacts.
(4) Other information, studies, or
analyses relevant to the proposed action
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and its impacts on the human
environment.
To promote informed decisionmaking, comments should be as specific
as possible and should provide as much
detail as necessary to meaningfully and
fully inform DOE of why the issues
raised are important to the agency’s
review of the proposed action.
The draft EIS will include as an
appendix a summary of issues raised in
public scoping comments that DOE
considered in preparing the EIS and
comments outside the scope of the
analysis.
Signing Authority
This document of the Department of
Energy was signed on December 11,
2024, by Kelly Cummins, Acting
Director, Office of Clean Energy
Demonstrations, pursuant to delegated
authority from the Secretary of Energy.
That document with the original
signature and date is maintained by
DOE. For administrative purposes only,
and in compliance with requirements of
the Office of the Federal Register, the
undersigned DOE Federal Register
Liaison Officer has been authorized to
sign and submit the document in
electronic format for publication, as an
official document of the Department of
Energy. This administrative process in
no way alters the legal effect of this
document upon publication in the
Federal Register.
Signed in Washington, DC, on December
13, 2024.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S.
Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2024–30020 Filed 12–17–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Energy Information Administration
Agency Information Collection
Extension
U.S. Energy Information
Administration (EIA), U.S. Department
of Energy (DOE).
ACTION: Notice of requests for
comments.
AGENCY:
DOE submitted an
information collection request for
extension as required by the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995. The information
collection requests a three-year
extension, with changes, to the Form
NWPA–830G ‘‘Appendix G—Standard
Remittance Advice for Payment of
Fees’’, including annex A to appendix
G, under OMB Control Number 1901–
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SUMMARY:
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0260. Form NWPA–830G is part of the
Standard Contract for Disposal of Spent
Nuclear Fuel and/or High-Level
Radioactive Waste. Generators and
owners of spent nuclear fuel and highlevel radioactive waste of domestic
origin paid fees into the Nuclear Waste
Fund based on net electricity generated
and sold as defined in the Standard
Contract.
DATES: Comments regarding this
proposed information collection must
be received on or before January 17,
2025. If you anticipate that you will be
submitting comments but find it
difficult to do so within the period of
time allowed by this notice, please
advise the DOE Desk Officer at OMB of
your intention to make a submission as
soon as possible. The Desk Officer may
be telephoned at (202) 395–4718.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent
within 30 days of publication of this
notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/
PRAMain. Find this particular
information collection by selecting
‘‘Currently under 30-day Review—Open
for Public Comments’’ or by using the
search function.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If
you need additional information,
contact Guang Wei, Office of Standard
Contract Management, U.S. Department
of Energy, telephone (240) 388–5685, or
by email at standardcontracts@
hq.doe.gov. The forms and instructions
are available on DOE’s website at
https://www.energy.gov/gc/officestandard-contract-management and at
EIA’s website at www.eia.gov/survey/.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
information collection request contains:
(1) OMB No.: 1901–0260;
(2) Information Collection Request
Title: Form NWPA–830G, Standard
Contract for Disposal of Spent Nuclear
Fuel and/or High-Level Radioactive
Waste, Appendix G;
(3) Type of Request: Three-year
extension with changes;
(4) Purpose: The Form NWPA–830G
survey included in the Standard
Contract for Disposal of Spent Nuclear
Fuel and/or High-Level Radioactive
Waste, Appendix G, collects information
on energy resource reserves, production,
demand, technology, and related
economic and statistical information.
The Federal Energy Administration
Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 761 et seq.) and
the DOE Organization Act (42 U.S.C.
7101 et seq.) require EIA to carry out a
centralized, comprehensive, and unified
energy information program. This
program collects, evaluates, assembles,
analyzes, and disseminates information
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on energy resource reserves, production,
demand, technology, and related
economic and statistical information.
This information is used to assess the
adequacy of energy resources to meet
near and longer-term domestic
demands.
As part of its effort to comply with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), EIA provides the
general public and other federal
agencies with opportunities to comment
on collections of energy information
conducted by or in conjunction with
EIA. Also, EIA will later seek approval
for this collection by OMB under
Section 3507(a) of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995.
The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982
(42 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.) required that
DOE enter into Standard Contracts with
all generators or owners of spent nuclear
fuel and high-level radioactive waste of
domestic origin. Form NWPA–830G
Appendix G—Standard Remittance
Advice for Payment of Fees, including
annex A to appendix G, is an Appendix
to this Standard Contract. Appendix G
and annex A to appendix G are
commonly referred to as Remittance
Advice (RA) forms. RA forms must be
submitted quarterly by generators and
owners of spent nuclear fuel and highlevel radioactive waste of domestic
origin who signed the Standard
Contract. Appendix G is designed to
serve as the source document for entries
into DOE accounting records to transmit
data to DOE concerning payment of fees
into the Nuclear Waste Fund for spent
nuclear fuel and high-level waste
disposal. Annex A to appendix G is
used to provide data on the amount of
net electricity generated and sold, upon
which these fees are based.
(4a) Changes to Information
Collection: The reduction of 20 annual
burden hours for Form NWPA–830G
results from the reduction of the number
of total respondents representing
reactors that decreased from 95 to 94.
One reactor permanently shut down
since the last clearance cycle and no
longer is required to pay fees into the
Nuclear Waste Fund nor respond to this
survey.
(5) Annual Estimated Number of
Respondents: 94.
(6) Annual Estimated Number of
Total Responses: 376.
(7) Annual Estimated Number of
Burden Hours: 1,880.
(8) Annual Estimated Reporting and
Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $171,381
(1,880 estimated number of burden
hours times $91.16 per hour current
average loaded wage rate). DOE
estimates that respondents will have no
additional costs associated with the
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 243 (Wednesday, December 18, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 102881-102884]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-30020]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
the California Hydrogen Hub (ARCHES), (DOE/EIS-0570)
AGENCY: Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, U.S. Department of
Energy.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement,
notice of scoping meetings, request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces its intent to
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) pursuant to the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and applicable NEPA
implementing regulations to assess the potential environmental impacts
of the proposed action of providing financial assistance to the
Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (also referred to
as ARCHES) to facilitate the design, construction, operation and
maintenance of the California Hydrogen Hub in the state of California.
DOE is issuing this Notice of Intent to inform the public about the
proposed action; announce plans to conduct public scoping meetings;
invite public participation in the scoping process; and solicit public
comments for consideration in establishing the scope of the EIS,
including the range of reasonable alternatives and the potential
environmental impacts to be analyzed.
DATES: The public scoping period for the EIS starts with the
publication of this notice of intent (NOI) and ends on March 3, 2025.
DOE will hold one virtual public scoping meeting at the following date
and time (pacific time):
Tuesday, January 28, 2025 from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Pacific
Time.
DOE will hold three in-person public scoping meetings. Dates,
times, and locations are to be determined and will be shared on the
DOE's web page for this EIS no less than 15 days before the meetings.
In addition, DOE will have an open virtual public meeting space
available for the public. This public meeting space will open on Monday
January 20, 2025, at ocedarcheseis.com and stay open through the
duration of the scoping period.
All meetings are open to the public and free to attend. Details on
how to participate in the virtual and in-person public scoping meetings
are available on the DOE's web page for this EIS: https://www.energy.gov/nepa/doeeis-0570-california-hydrogen-hub-multiple-locations. In defining the scope of the EIS, DOE will consider all
scoping comments received or postmarked by March 3, 2025. Comments
received or postmarked after the scoping period end date will be
considered to the extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: Oral or written comments may be provided at the public
scoping meetings or submitted in any of the following ways:
Through the regulations.gov web portal: Navigate to
www.regulations.gov and search for Docket No. DOE-HQ-2024-0087 and
follow the instructions for submitting comments; or
Mail or Hand Delivery Service: Send comments in an
envelope labeled ``DOE/EIS-0570'' and addressed to Jacobs, Attention:
Rosa Esquivel, 2600 Michelson Drive, Suite 500, Irvine, CA 92612-6506.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristin Welch, Project Manager, Office
of Clean Energy Demonstrations, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000
Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20585, email
[email protected], or telephone (240) 981-0461.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
In the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, commonly known as
the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), Congress established and
funded a Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs) program to create
regional networks of hydrogen producers, consumers, and local
connective infrastructure to accelerate the use of hydrogen as a clean
energy carrier. The Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) within
DOE is implementing the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program and will
use the NEPA process to help it decide whether to provide financial
assistance for the H2Hubs.
Congress directed DOE to select H2Hubs using certain criteria.
Specifically, Congress directed DOE to select H2Hubs that will use a
diversity of feedstocks to produce clean hydrogen, including at least
one H2Hub that will demonstrate the production of clean hydrogen from
fossil fuels, one H2Hub that will demonstrate the production of clean
hydrogen from
[[Page 102882]]
renewables, and one H2Hub that will demonstrate the production of clean
hydrogen from nuclear energy. Congress also directed DOE to select
H2Hubs that will use clean hydrogen in a diversity of end uses,
including at least one H2Hub that will demonstrate the use of clean
hydrogen in the following sectors: electric power generation,
industrial, residential and commercial heating, and transportation.
Congress required that DOE give priority to regional clean hydrogen
hubs that are likely to create opportunities for skilled training and
long-term employment to the greatest number of residents of the region.
Congress also directed DOE to include geographic diversity, directing
that DOE locate H2Hubs in different regions of the United States, and
that the H2Hubs are to use the energy resources that are abundant in
their respective regions. Congress further required DOE to select, to
the maximum extent practicable, at least two H2Hubs in the regions of
the United States with the greatest natural gas resources.
DOE issued a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA-0002779) to
solicit applications for H2Hubs. DOE selected the California Hydrogen
Hub for award negotiations following a rigorous Merit Review process to
identify meritorious applications to the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs
Program based on the criteria listed in FOA-0002779. DOE has provided
limited funding in support of preliminary California Hydrogen Hub
planning activities.
The California Hydrogen Hub, as proposed, satisfies certain
criteria Congress required in the BIL for the Regional Clean Hydrogen
Hubs program. The California Hydrogen Hub has the potential to
demonstrate the production of clean hydrogen from renewable energy
resources. The California Hydrogen Hub proposes to use clean hydrogen
in a diversity of end uses including but not limited to electric power
generation and transportation. Further, the California Hydrogen Hub
would create opportunities for skilled training and long-term
employment for residents of the region. In addition, the location of
the California Hydrogen Hub in the state of California meets the
criterion requiring geographic diversity within the Regional Clean
Hydrogen Hubs program. The California Hydrogen Hub also satisfies the
criterion that DOE select hubs that use the energy resources that are
abundant in their respective regions.
The California Hydrogen Hub is proposed to consist of a suite of
demonstration projects involving clean hydrogen production,
transportation, and end uses located within California. ARCHES is the
primary funding recipient and lead California Hydrogen Hub manager. As
currently structured, the California Hydrogen Hub encompasses
approximately 35 projects including clean hydrogen production
facilities that could produce 450-500 metric tonnes per day of clean
hydrogen from renewable electricity and biogenic sources, connective
infrastructure including refueling stations and pipelines, and a range
of end uses including fuel-cell electric trucks, fuel-cell electric
buses, a marine vessel, cargo handling equipment, power generation via
turbines, and stationary fuel cells.
Purpose and Scope of the EIS
DOE will prepare an EIS (DOE/EIS-0570) to evaluate the potential
impacts to the human environment associated with funding the California
Hydrogen Hub. The EIS will evaluate the potential impacts associated
with the types of hydrogen infrastructure and technologies proposed in
the California Hydrogen Hub, such as impacts from electricity and water
usage and rates of emissions, that are inherent to the technologies and
infrastructure regardless of where they may be deployed. The EIS will
help inform DOE's decision as to whether to carry the California
Hydrogen Hub forward for project-specific funding decisions but will
not directly authorize funding for specific California Hydrogen Hub
projects.
If DOE decides to provide funding for the construction and
operation of the California Hydrogen Hub, DOE will analyze the
potential site-specific environmental effects of individual proposed
projects and make site-specific funding decisions. In addition to being
subject to DOE's NEPA review, with associated public scoping and
comment periods as appropriate, individual projects will be required to
adhere to the requirements of all applicable Federal, State, and local
laws and regulations.
Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action
The purpose and need for DOE's action is to comply with its
statutory mandate in BIL to catalyze investment in the production,
processing, delivery, storage, and end-use of clean hydrogen, and
contribute to the development of a national clean hydrogen network. The
proposed action of funding the California Hydrogen Hub would fulfill
this mandate by accelerating the deployment of clean hydrogen
technologies and enabling infrastructure to attract greater investments
from the private sector and promote substantial U.S. manufacturing of
numerous hydrogen technologies.
DOE's purpose and need in funding the California Hydrogen Hub also
includes funding a clean hydrogen hub that meets certain BIL criteria
for the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program. The proposed California
Hydrogen Hub meets these criteria by:
Demonstrating feedstock diversity by including the
production of clean hydrogen from renewable energy sources.
Demonstrating end use diversity by including the use of
clean hydrogen in the electric power generation and transportation
sectors.
Enabling DOE to meet the geographic diversity criterion by
being located in the California region and using energy resources that
are abundant in that region.
Creating opportunities for skilled training and long-term
employment for residents in the region.
Proposed Action, No Action, and Preliminary Alternatives
Proposed Action
DOE's proposed action is to provide funding to support the
development of the California Hydrogen Hub, as proposed by ARCHES. The
proposed California Hydrogen Hub would include a variety of hydrogen
production technologies, storage, delivery, and end-use applications.
Hydrogen production technologies being considered include electrolysis
utilizing renewable energy sources, and generation from biogenic
sources (with possible carbon-dioxide capture). Methods of hydrogen
storage may include above-ground tanks and/or tube trailers. Delivery
options may include pipelines, trucking, and refueling stations, as
well as the delivery of hydrogen derivatives such as ammonia. A broad
variety of end-use applications are being considered including fuel-
cell electric trucks, fuel-cell electric buses, a marine vessel, cargo
handling equipment, power generation via turbines, stationary fuel
cells, aviation, trains, other fuel-cell electric vehicles, and ammonia
synthesis.
California Hydrogen Hub projects and site locations are in
development. DOE will evaluate specific projects and site locations in
subsequent tiered NEPA reviews.
No Action Alternative
Under the No Action Alternative, DOE would not provide funding to
ARCHES for the construction and
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operation of the California Hydrogen Hub, with the assumption that the
H2Hub would not be developed. The no action alternative provides a
benchmark for comparison with environmental impacts of the other
alternatives.
Preliminary Action Alternatives
The EIS will evaluate reasonable alternatives that are technically
and economically feasible and meet the purpose and need for the
proposed action. Preliminarily, DOE has identified three alternatives
that potentially address the purpose and need stated previously:
(1) DOE funding for the proposed California Hydrogen Hub: The
proposed action alternative as described above.
(2) DOE funding for an expanded California Hydrogen Hub: An action
alternative that considers the hydrogen technologies and infrastructure
in the proposed action plus reasonably foreseeable clean hydrogen
technologies and infrastructure that, while not currently considered in
the proposed action, could be proposed for DOE funding.
(3) DOE funding for a reduced California Hydrogen Hub: An action
alternative that is smaller in scope wherein DOE would fund only a
portion of the proposed action.
Summary of Potential Impacts
DOE's analysis in the EIS will focus on potentially significant
environmental impacts from construction and operation of the California
Hydrogen Hub's proposed types of hydrogen technologies and
infrastructure, as well as the potential cumulative impacts resulting
from reasonably foreseeable past, present, and future projects in the
same region. Accordingly, in the EIS, DOE anticipates evaluating
potential non-site-specific impacts related to: (1) land use and
infrastructure, (2) atmospheric conditions and air quality, (3) climate
change and greenhouse gasses, (4) hydrologic conditions and water
quality, (5) geology, seismicity and soils, (6) socioeconomic
conditions, (7) environmental justice, (8) energy resources, (9) noise
and vibration, (10) transportation and accidents, (11) intentional
destructive acts, and (12) human health and safety. This list is not
intended to be all-inclusive or to imply a predetermination of
potential impacts. DOE invites interested stakeholders to suggest
specific issues, including possible mitigation measures, within these
general categories or others, to be considered in the EIS.
Anticipated Permits and Authorizations
DOE does not anticipate that permits and authorizations will be
needed for agency action because it will not authorize the construction
and operation of any project to be included in the California Hydrogen
Hub. The permits and authorizations required for the California
Hydrogen Hub projects will be identified in subsequent site-specific
NEPA analyses for those projects.
Schedule for Decision-Making Process
After the draft EIS is completed, DOE will publish a notice of
availability (NOA) and request public comments on the draft EIS. DOE
currently expects to issue the NOA in October 2025. After the public
comment period ends, DOE will review and respond to comments received
and will develop the final EIS. DOE currently expects to make the final
EIS available to the public in April 2026. A record of decision will be
completed no sooner than 30 days after the final EIS is released, in
accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
Scoping Process
This NOI commences the public scoping process to identify issues
and potential alternatives for consideration in the EIS. Throughout the
scoping process, Federal agencies, Tribes, State and local governments,
and the public have the opportunity to help DOE identify significant
resources and issues, reasonable alternatives, mitigation measures, and
other pertinent information that DOE should consider in the EIS. DOE
will hold public scoping meetings at the times and dates described
above under the DATES section. DOE will post information on how to
participate in the virtual and in-person public meetings on the EIS
website listed previously, in advance of the meetings. The public will
have the opportunity to comment on the scope of the EIS. DOE
representatives will be available to answer questions and provide
additional information on the NEPA process to meeting attendees. In
addition to providing comments at the public scoping meetings,
stakeholders may submit written comments as described in the ADDRESSES
section.
Comments may be broad in nature or restricted to specific areas of
concern, but they should be directly relevant to the NEPA process, or
potential environmental impacts. The scoping process allows the public
and interested parties to shape the EIS impact analysis, focusing on
the areas of greatest importance and identifying areas requiring less
attention. DOE will consider the comments received on the scope of the
EIS during the 75-day scoping period as it prepares the draft EIS.
OCED does not consider anonymous scoping comments. Please include
your name and address as part of your scoping comment. All scoping
comments, including the names, addresses, and other personally
identifiable information included in the comment, will be part of the
administrative record. DOE will protect privileged or confidential
information that you submit when required by Exemption 4 of the Freedom
of Information Act (FOIA), which applies to trade secrets and
commercial or financial information that is privileged or confidential.
Please label privileged or confidential information ``Contains
Confidential Information'' and consider submitting such information as
a separate attachment. Information that is not labeled as privileged or
confidential may be regarded by DOE as suitable for public release.
DOE will invite Tribal government-to-government consultations.
Request for Comment on Alternatives and Effects, as Well as on Relevant
Information, Studies, or Analyses With Respect to the Proposed Action
Federal, State, and local agencies, along with Indian Tribal
Nations and other stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by
the proposed action, are invited to participate in the scoping process
and, if eligible, may request or be requested by DOE to participate in
the development of the environmental analysis as a cooperating agency.
DOE requests data, comments, views, information, analysis,
alternatives, or suggestions relevant to the proposed action from the
public; affected Federal, Tribal, State, and local governments,
agencies, and offices; the scientific community; industry; or any other
interested party.
Specifically, DOE requests information on the following topics:
(1) Potential effects that the proposed action could have on
biological, physical, socioeconomic, cultural, or other resources.
(2) Other potential reasonable alternatives to the proposed action
that DOE should consider, including additional or alternative
avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures.
(3) Information on other current or planned activities in, or in
the vicinity of, the proposed action, that could impact one another or
contribute to cumulative impacts.
(4) Other information, studies, or analyses relevant to the
proposed action
[[Page 102884]]
and its impacts on the human environment.
To promote informed decision-making, comments should be as specific
as possible and should provide as much detail as necessary to
meaningfully and fully inform DOE of why the issues raised are
important to the agency's review of the proposed action.
The draft EIS will include as an appendix a summary of issues
raised in public scoping comments that DOE considered in preparing the
EIS and comments outside the scope of the analysis.
Signing Authority
This document of the Department of Energy was signed on December
11, 2024, by Kelly Cummins, Acting Director, Office of Clean Energy
Demonstrations, pursuant to delegated authority from the Secretary of
Energy. That document with the original signature and date is
maintained by DOE. For administrative purposes only, and in compliance
with requirements of the Office of the Federal Register, the
undersigned DOE Federal Register Liaison Officer has been authorized to
sign and submit the document in electronic format for publication, as
an official document of the Department of Energy. This administrative
process in no way alters the legal effect of this document upon
publication in the Federal Register.
Signed in Washington, DC, on December 13, 2024.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2024-30020 Filed 12-17-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
