[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 200 (Monday, October 16, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61160-61161]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-26458]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Western Area Power Administration


Sundance Energy Project

AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of public scoping meeting on the Sundance Energy Project 
environmental impact statement (EIS).

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SUMMARY: The Western Area Power Administration (Western) is holding a 
public scoping meeting public on the proposed Sundance Energy Project, 
Pinal County, Arizona. The scoping process includes notifying the 
general public and Federal, State, local, and tribal agencies of the 
proposed action. The purpose of the scoping meeting is

[[Page 61161]]

to identify public and agency concerns and alternatives to be 
considered in the EIS.
    One informal public scoping meeting has been scheduled for October 
18, 2000, starting at 7 p.m. at Coolidge Unified School District 
Auditorium. This meeting has been advertised in local newspapers.

DATES: Comments on the scope of the EIS for the proposed transmission 
interconnection and electric generating facility must be received by 
October 31, 2000, to be considered in the EIS.

ADDRESSES: Coolidge Unified School District Auditorium, 800 West 
Northern Avenue, Coolidge, AZ 85228. Written comments may be hand-
delivered, mailed, e-mailed, or faxed to Mr. John Holt, NEPA Compliance 
Officer, Desert Southwest Customer Service Region, Western Area Power 
Administration, P.O. Box 6457, Phoenix, AZ 85005-6457, telephone (602) 
352-2592, fax (602) 352-2780 or (602) 352-2956, 
e-mail wapa.gov">holt@wapa.gov. All documentation developed or retained by 
Western during the course of this public process will be available for 
inspection and copying at this address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John Holt, NEPA Compliance 
Officer, Desert Southwest Customer Service Region, Western Area Power 
Administration, P.O. Box 6457, Phoenix, AZ 85005-6457, telephone (602) 
352-2592, fax (602) 352-2956, 
e-mail holt@;wapa.gov.
    Mr. John Bridges, NEPA Document Manager, Corporate Services Office, 
Western Area Power Administration, P.O. Box 281213, Lakewood, CO 80228-
8213, telephone (720) 962-7255, fax (720) 962-7263, e-mail 
wapa.gov">bridges@wapa.gov.
    For general information on the U.S. Department of Energy's National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review procedures or status of a NEPA 
review contact Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy 
and Compliance, EH-42, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence 
Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585, telephone (202) 586-4600 or (800) 
472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Western intends to prepare an EIS regarding 
the proposal by PPL Global to construct an electric generating facility 
on private property and to interconnect this facility with an existing 
Western transmission line and Western's grid in the vicinity of 
Coolidge, Arizona. Two 4.5-mile long transmission lines would connect 
the proposed power generating facility with a point of interconnection 
on Western's Liberty-Coolidge 230 kilovolt (kV) transmission line west 
of Coolidge. In addition, a 1.5 mile, 230-kV transmission line would 
connect the powerplant with Western's Signal Substation. An existing 
115-kV transmission line from Signal Substation would be upgraded to 
230-kV and other work inside Signal Substation would be required.
    PPL Global proposes to construct the Sundance Energy Project on 
private lands in Pinal County, approximately 5 miles southwest of 
Coolidge, Arizona. The Project would be a nonutility merchant plant 
that would sell power during peak demand periods to wholesale-only 
contract or spot market customers. All economic costs of the project 
will be born by PPL Global.
    The Project would consist of a nominal 600-megawatt natural gas-
fired simple-cycle peaking facility and on-site supporting 
infrastructure including: an administration building, warehouse 
storage, water treatment facilities, inlet air cooling system to 
optimize inlet air combustion, gas conditioning equipment, and new on-
site access roads. The Project would be designed to operate primarily 
during on-peak hours. The Project's water consumption would be about 
600 acre/feet per year. The water source would be excess Central 
Arizona Project water delivered through an existing irrigation canal at 
the site, a new groundwater well, or a combination of both. The 
generating facility and infrastructure would occupy less than 40 acres 
of a 280-acre parcel of rural property controlled by PPL Global. 
Additional proposed on-site facilities would include an interconnection 
with an existing natural gas transmission pipeline that runs through 
the Project property and the construction of 14 miles of natural gas 
pipeline to connect with another existing natural gas transmission 
pipeline southwest of the proposed powerplant.
    The Project would entail construction of new 230-kV transmission 
lines and the upgrade of Western's existing Signal-Coolidge 115-kV 
transmission line to 230-kV to interconnect with Western's existing 
Liberty-Coolidge 230-kV transmission line.
    Because of the potential for incorporating new generation into 
Western's system, and the proposed interconnections with the existing 
system, Western has determined it must prepare an EIS in accordance 
with the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) NEPA Implementing Procedures 
found at 10 CFR 1021, Appendix D6 to Subpart D. Although State and 
local agencies are responsible for the siting and permitting of the 
proposed electric generating facility, the EIS will include the 
analysis of effects from construction and operation of the generating 
facility as part of the proposed action.
    The EIS will be prepared in accordance with the requirement of NEPA 
and DOE's NEPA Implementing Procedures in conjunction with the Council 
on Environmental Quality regulations. Full public participation and 
disclosure are planned for the entire EIS process. Western anticipates 
the EIS process will take about 15 months. It will include public 
information/scoping meetings; coordination and involvement with 
appropriate Federal, State, local, and tribal governments; public 
review and hearing on the published draft EIS; a published final EIS; 
and a Record of Decision (ROD). Publication of the ROD is anticipated 
in the fall of 2001.

    Dated: September 29, 2000.
Michael S. Hacskaylo,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 00-26458 Filed 10-13-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P