Rural Utilities Service June 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an Agency delivering the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Utilities Programs, hereinafter referred to as Rural Development and/or Agency, has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) related to possible financial assistance to East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC) for the construction of two new combustion turbine electric generating units (CTs) at its existing J.K. Smith Electric Generating Station in southern Clark County, Kentucky. The proposed new units would utilize natural gas as a fuel source and would each have a net electrical output of between 82 and 98 megawatts. The proposed new units are needed to provide additional electric generating capacity that would allow EKPC to meet its projected electrical peaking demand in the 2009- 2011 period. EKPC is also proposing to construct two new electric switching stations, one at its existing J.K. Smith Generating Station and one in western Garrard County, Kentucky; and a 36 mile, 345 kilovolt electric transmission line that would extend through Clark, Madison, and Garrard Counties, Kentucky, between the proposed new switching stations. The proposed new transmission facilities are needed to provide an outlet for the additional electric power that would be generated at the J.K. Smith Station as a result of the installation of the proposed new CTs. EKPC is requesting USDA Rural Development to provide financial assistance for the proposed project.