Western Area Power Administration February 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Western Area Power Administration (Western), an agency of the DOE intends to prepare a joint environmental impact statement/ environmental impact report (EIS/EIR) for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the proposed Transmission Agency of Northern California (TANC) Transmission Project (Project) in California. Western is issuing this Notice to inform the public and interested parties about the proposed Project, conduct a public scoping process, and invite the public to comment on the scope, proposed action, alternatives, and other issues to be addressed in the EIS/EIR. The EIS/EIR will address the construction, maintenance, and operation of the proposed Project, which would include building and upgrading about 600 miles of 230-kilovolt (kV) and 500-kV transmission lines and associated equipment and facilities in northern California. Portions of the proposed Project may affect floodplains and wetlands in the area. Western and TANC will hold public scoping meetings in 12 locations in the Project area during the public scoping period. At the scoping meetings, Western and TANC will share additional information on the proposed Project and receive comments and suggestions on the scope of the EIS/EIR.

The Western Area Power Administration (Western), an agency within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), intends to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the interconnection of the proposed Deer Creek Station Energy Facility (Project) in South Dakota, in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, DOE NEPA Implementing Procedures (10 CFR 1021), and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations for implementing NEPA (40 CFR 1500-1508). Basin Electric Power Cooperative (Basin Electric) has requested to interconnect the proposed Project to Western's power transmission system. The EIS will address Western's Federal action of whether to allow interconnection at its White Substation, and to make any necessary modifications to Western facilities to accommodate the interconnection. The EIS will also review the potential environmental impacts of constructing, operating, and maintaining Basin Electric's proposed Project, which includes a 300 megawatt (MW) combined-cycle natural gas generation facility and associated electric, natural gas, and water lines that would be constructed east of White in Brookings and Deuel counties, South Dakota. Portions of Basin Electric's proposed Project may affect floodplains and wetlands, so this Notice of Intent also serves as a notice of proposed floodplain or wetland action, in accordance with 10 CFR 1022.12 (a). Western will hold a public scoping meeting near the Project area to share information and receive comments and suggestions on the scope of the EIS.