[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 196 (Wednesday, October 11, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59760-59761]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-16764]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project Number 11858-002]


Nevada Hydro Company, Inc. and Elsinore Valley Municipal Water 
District; Notice of Modified Transmission Alignment Proposal and Staff 
NEPA Alternatives for the Lake Elsinore Advanced Pumped Storage Project

October 3, 2006.
    On February 2, 2004, the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District 
and Nevada Hydro Company, Inc. (co-applicants) filed an application for 
the Lake Elsinore Advanced Pumped Storage Project (LEAPS Project).
    The proposed LEAPS project would consist of: (1) A new upper 
reservoir (Morrell Canyon) having a 180-foot-high main dam and a gross 
storage volume of 5,750 feet, at a normal reservoir surface elevation 
of 2,880 feet above mean sea level; (2) a powerhouse with two 
reversible pump-turbine units with a total installed capacity of 500 
megawatts; (3) the existing Lake Elsinore as a lower reservoir; (4) 
about 30 miles of 500-kV transmission line connecting the project to an 
existing transmission line owned by Southern California Edison, located 
north of the proposed project, and to an existing San Diego Gas & 
Electric Company transmission line located to the south.
    This notice is being sent to landowners of property crossed by or 
near either the proposed or alternative routes for the transmission 
line and other interested parties to the proceeding. The maps attached 
to this notice show two transmission alignments: (1) The applicant's 
current proposal, modified in response to staff's draft EIS and filed 
with the Commission on June 12, 2006; and (2) the staff alternative 
alignment being considered for the final EIS.
    The February 17, 2006, draft EIS for the proposed LEAPS Project 
shows both the co-applicant's proposed transmission line (figure 2 of 
the draft EIS) and the Commission and U.S.

[[Page 59761]]

Forest Service staff alternative alignment (figure 5 of the draft EIS). 
In response to public comments on the draft EIS, the co-applicants' 
revised their original transmission alignment and now propose to place 
part of the line underground (see the attached co-applicant's modified 
alignment). After considering the co-applicants' modified proposal, as 
well as the comments filed on the draft EIS, Commission and U.S. Forest 
Service staff are proposing to revise their draft EIS alternative 
transmission alignment and consider a revised alignment in the final 
EIS. The staff alternative alignment also includes an underground 
segment along South Main Divide Road as shown by the blue dotted line 
on the staff alternative alignment and the same underground segment 
from the transmission line to the powerhouse as shown by the red dotted 
line on the co-applicants' modified transmission alignment. The final 
EIS will include a response to the comments received on the draft EIS 
and those on this notice and will be used by the Commission in making a 
decision on the proposal.
    Please provide any comments in response to this public notice 
within 30 days of the date of this notice. All documents (original and 
eight copies) should be filed with: Magalie R. Salas, Secretary, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20426, and should have the docket number P-11858-002 in 
the reference heading. Comments may be filed electronically via the 
Internet in lieu of paper. The Commission strongly encourages 
electronic filings. See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions 
on the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the eLibrary 
link.
    The licensing schedule for the project will be revised as follows:

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               Milestone                          Tentative date
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Notice of the availability of the final  December 2006.
 EIS.
Ready for Commission's decision on the   May 2007.
 application.
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    For further information, contact Jim Fargo at (202) 502-6095, 
[email protected].

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E6-16764 Filed 10-10-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P