[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 123 (Wednesday, June 25, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36066-36070]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-14284]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PT08-1-000]


Southern California Edison Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare 
An Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Devers-Palo Verde 
No. 2 Transmission Line Project, Request for Comments On Environmental 
Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings

June 17, 2008.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that 
will identify and address the environmental impacts that could result 
from the construction and operation of the Devers-Palo Verde No. 2 
Transmission Line Project (DPV2 or Project). The DPV2 is proposed by 
Southern California Edison Company (SCE). The Commission will use the 
EIS in its decision-making process to determine whether or not to 
authorize the Project. This notice describes the

[[Page 36067]]

proposed Project facilities and explains the scoping process that will 
be used to gather input from the public and interested agencies on the 
project. Your input will help determine the issues that need to be 
evaluated in the EIS. Please note that the scoping period for the 
Project will close on August 1, 2008.
    Comments on the Project may be submitted in written form or 
verbally. In lieu of or in addition to sending written comments, you 
are invited to attend the public scoping meetings that have been 
scheduled in the Project area. These meetings are scheduled for July 8, 
2008 in Quartzsite, Arizona and July 9, 2008 in Phoenix, Arizona. 
Further instructions on how to submit comments and additional details 
of the public scoping meetings are provided in the Public Participation 
section of this notice.
    The FERC will be the lead federal agency for the preparation of the 
EIS and will prepare the document to satisfy the requirements of the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The document will be used by 
the FERC to consider the environmental impacts that could result from 
the Commission's use of its supplemental siting authority for 
interstate transmission lines under section 216 of the Federal Power 
Act.\1\ The NEPA document will address the environmental impacts of 
proposed facilities for the entire project; however, the Commission's 
permit review process will be limited solely to the facilities located 
within the Arizona portion of the proposed project. The California 
Public Utilities Commission approved the California portion of the 
facilities on January 25, 2007.
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    \1\ Section 1221of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 amended the 
Federal Power Act by adding a new Section 216.
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    It is the FERC's goal that other federal agencies will participate 
in the environmental review process as cooperating agencies to satisfy 
their respective NEPA responsibilities. With this notice, we \2\ are 
asking federal, state, and local agencies with jurisdiction and/or 
special expertise with respect to environmental issues and tribal 
leaders to cooperate formally with us in the preparation of the EIS. 
These agencies may choose to participate once they have evaluated SCE's 
proposal relative to their responsibilities. Agencies that intend to 
request cooperating status should follow the instructions for filing 
comments described in the Public Participation section of this notice.
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    \2\ ''We,'' ``us,'' and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the FERC's Office of Energy Projects.
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    This notice is being sent to affected landowners; federal, state, 
and local government agencies; elected officials; environmental and 
public interest groups; Native American tribes; other interested 
parties; and local libraries and newspapers. We encourage government 
representatives to notify their constituents of this planned project 
and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted 
by an SCE representative about the acquisition of an easement to 
construct, operate, and maintain the proposed Project facilities. SCE 
would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. However, if 
the Project is approved by the FERC, that approval conveys with it the 
right of eminent domain. Therefore, if easement negotiations fail to 
produce an agreement and only if the project is approved by FERC, the 
company could initiate condemnation proceedings in accordance with 
state law.
    A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``A Guide to the 
Electric Transmission Construction Permit Process'' is available for 
viewing on the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov/industries/electric.asp). This fact sheet addresses a number of typically asked 
questions, including the use of eminent domain and how to participate 
in the FERC's proceedings.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    SCE proposes to construct a new high-voltage electric transmission 
line between Maricopa County, Arizona and Riverside County, California. 
The DPV2 Project consists of 267 miles of new transmission lines which 
include two primary route segments. The Devers-Harquahala Junction 
segment is approximately 225 miles long and would extend from SCE's 
existing Devers Substation, near Palm Springs, California to a new 
Harquahala Junction Switchyard, approximately 50 miles west of Phoenix, 
Arizona. The Devers-Valley No. 2 segment would extend approximately 42 
miles southwesterly from Devers Substation to SCE's Valley Substation, 
near Romoland, California. The entire line would be constructed within 
or adjacent to existing SCE rights-of-way (ROW). Approximately 170 
miles of the Project is located in California and 97 miles is located 
in Arizona.
    In addition, SCE proposes to construct a new Harquahala Junction 
Switchyard in Arizona and an optional Midpoint Substation/Switchyard 
near Blythe, California; expand and/or modify the existing Devers and 
Valley Substations; and install two new 500 kilovolt (kV) series 
capacitor banks, one in Arizona and one in California. The majority of 
the structures used for the Project would be single circuit lattice 
steel towers, typically spanning four structures per mile. The average 
height of these structures would be approximately 150 feet, with 
heights that would vary according to terrain, environmental conditions 
and site-specific mitigation requirements. The Midpoint Substation is 
considered an optional project component; SCE has received a large 
number of interconnection requests for new renewable and new 
conventional gas-fired generation in this area. Development of these 
projects would require construction of the Midpoint Substation. A 
general overview map of the Project area and facilities is provided in 
Appendix 1.\3\
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    \3\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of all appendices are 
available on the Commission's Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) at the ``eLibrary'' link or from the Commission's 
Public Reference Room at (202) 502-8371. For instructions on 
connecting to eLibrary, refer to the Availability of Additional 
Information section of this notice. Copies of the appendices were 
sent to all those receiving this notice in the mail. Requests for 
detailed maps of the proposed facilities should be made directly to 
SCE by calling 1-866-602-3782.
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    Specifically, the facilities proposed by SCE include the following:
     Devers-Harquahala Line--construction of approximately 225 
miles of new 500 kV, single-circuit alternating current transmission 
line from near Palm Springs, California to near Phoenix, Arizona.
     Devers-Valley No. 2 Line--construction of approximately 42 
miles of new 500 kV, single-circuit alternating current transmission 
line from near Palm Springs, California, to near Romoland, California.
     Devers Substation Expansion--installation of new 135-foot-
high by 90 foot-wide dead-end structures, circuit breakers, and 
disconnect switches; a 500 kV shunt line reactor and associated 
disconnect switches; a 500 kV static volt ampere reactive compensator; 
and two MVAR shunt capacitors.
     Valley Substation Modification--installation of dead-end 
structures, circuit breakers, and disconnect switches within the 
existing 500 kV switchrack.
     Harquahala Junction Switchyard--construction of a new 500 
kV switchyard facility on a 40 acre site, near Phoenix, Arizona that 
would include installation of dead-end structures, circuit breakers and 
disconnect switches within a new 500 kV switchrack.
     Optional Midpoint Substation/Switchyard--construction of a 
new 500 kV switchyard facility on a 44 acre site, near Blythe, 
California including

[[Page 36068]]

installation of buses, circuit breakers and disconnect switches. Also, 
installation of a new communications facility that would include three 
new microwave paths and two fiber optic systems, a mechanical-
electrical control room and a microwave tower.
     Series Capacitors--installation of two series capacitor 
banks, one in Arizona and one in California. Major components include 
series capacitors, dead-end structures, telecommunication equipment, 
outdoor lighting, grounding grid, and a mechanical-electrical equipment 
room.
    SCE states that the purpose of the Project is to relieve 
transmission congestion between Arizona and California, provide 
regional economic benefits to California and Arizona, increase 
competition among energy suppliers by increasing the electricity market 
liquidity at the Palo Verde Hub, and provide access to renewable 
energy. SCE anticipates that construction of the DPV2 Project would 
begin in February 2010, with a projected in-service date of December 
2011.

Land Requirements for Construction

    Construction of the proposed electric transmission line and 
associated facilities would require approximately 4,400 acres of land, 
including the construction right-of-way, temporary work areas, access 
roads, storage and contractor yards and substation facilities. 
Following construction, the majority of the land would be retained as 
permanent ROW for the transmission line and operation of the substation 
facility sites.
    SCE would construct 150 miles of the proposed Devers-Harquahala 500 
kV transmission line within a 130-foot-wide ROW granted by the Bureau 
of Land Management (BLM). Of this total, 57.2 miles is in California 
and 92.7 miles is in Arizona. The Devers-Harquahala route on BLM land 
is entirely within the Utility Corridors designated in BLM's Resource 
Management Plans. The ROW also includes land managed by the United 
States Fish and Wildlife Service and the United States Department of 
Defense. The remainder of the Devers-Harquahala line would cross state, 
tribal, and private lands. All lands are vacant and undeveloped. The 
majority of the line would parallel the existing Devers-Palo Verde No. 
1 500 kV transmission line.
    The Devers-Valley No. 2 transmission line located in California 
would be constructed about 130 feet south of the existing Devers-Valley 
No. 1 line. The route would traverse a small portion of the San 
Bernardino National Forest and the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains 
National Monument and is wholly within existing ROWs. The privately-
owned lands that the line would cross are primarily unincorporated 
areas. Portions of the line would be located within undeveloped 
portions of the Cities of Palm Springs (2.1 miles), Banning (0.5 
miles), and Beaumont (0.5 miles).
    Construction of the California portion of the DPV2 transmission 
line would require the expansion of the Devers Substation to the 
northeast on unimproved land that is already owned by SCE. However, it 
would not be necessary to expand the Valley Substation in order to 
accommodate the DPV2 line. Construction of the optional Midpoint 
Substation would require 44 acres of land and an additional 5 acres for 
a temporary laydown area to be located at or near the existing roadway 
at the substation site.
    Construction of the proposed new Harquahala Junction Switchyard in 
Arizona would be on a 40-acre site located in Section 25, Township 2 
north, Range 8 West, near 451st Avenue and the Thomas Road alignment. 
The site is adjacent to the location where the existing DPV1 and 
Harquahala-Hassayampa 500 kV transmission lines intersect. Construction 
of the Harquahala Junction Switchyard would require an agreement among 
SCE, Arizona Public Service Company (APS), and the Harquahala 
Generating Company to allow APS to connect its planned TS-5 
transmission line at the Harquahala Junction Switchyard. SCE does not 
yet have such an agreement, and as an alternative to the termination at 
the Harquahala Junction Switchyard, the Devers-Harquahala transmission 
line could terminate at the Harquahala Generating Station Switchyard, 
which is located approximately five miles west of the proposed 
Harquahala Junction Switchyard. Termination at the Harquahala 
Generating Station Switchyard would require an additional five miles of 
500 kV transmission line and 23 new, single circuit tubular steel 
poles. A 500 kV shunt-line reactor and associated disconnect devices 
would be installed on generation station property on approximately two 
acres of property that would be acquired for this purpose.
    Installation of the proposed two new 500 kV series capacitor banks 
would be on BLM land that is adjacent to DPV1 series capacitor banks. 
The proposed Arizona series capacitor site would be located 
approximately 55 miles west of the Harquahala Junction Switchyard and 
would be accessed from the nearby El Paso natural gas pipeline access 
road. The California series capacitor site would be located 
approximately 64 miles east of the Devers Substation in the Chuckwalla 
Valley. Both facilities would occupy approximately two acres inside the 
fenced site and temporarily use a one-acre fenced area for material 
laydown, storage, and staging.

The EIS Process

    NEPA requires the FERC to take into account the environmental 
impacts that could result from an action whenever it considers the 
issuance of a permit to construct electric transmission facilities. The 
EIS we are preparing is intended to provide FERC and cooperating 
agencies with the necessary information for consideration during each 
respective agency's review of potential environmental impacts.
    Although no formal application has been filed with the FERC, we 
have already initiated our NEPA review under the FERC's pre-filing 
process, which was established in Order No. 689.\4\ The purpose of the 
pre-filing process is to encourage the early involvement of interested 
stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before an application 
is filed with the FERC. A diagram summarizing the permit review process 
and opportunities for public participation for the Project is attached 
to this notice as Appendix 2.
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    \4\ Regulations for Filing Applications for Permits to Site 
Interstate Electric Transmission Facilities, Order No. 689, 71 
Federal Register 69,440 (December 1, 2006), FERC Statutes & 
Regulations ]31,234 (2006) (Final Rule).
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    The FERC staff has already started to meet and communicate with 
SCE, jurisdictional agencies, and other interested stakeholders to 
discuss the Project and identify issues and concerns. We will continue 
the pre-filing process by conducting interagency and public scoping 
meetings in the Project area to solicit comments and concerns about the 
Project.
    By this notice, we are formally announcing our intent to prepare an 
EIS and request additional agency and public comments to help us focus 
the analysis in the EIS on the potentially significant environmental 
issues related to the proposed action. If you provide comments at a 
scoping meeting, you do not need to resubmit the same comments in 
response to this notice.
    Our independent analysis of the issues will be included in a draft 
EIS. The draft EIS will be mailed to federal, state, and local 
government agencies; elected officials; environmental and public 
interest groups; Native American tribes; affected and potentially 
affected landowners; other interested parties; local libraries and 
newspapers; and the FERC's official service list for this proceeding. A 
45-day comment period

[[Page 36069]]

will be allotted for review of the draft EIS. We will consider all 
timely comments on the draft EIS and revise the document, as necessary, 
before issuing a final EIS. The comment period on the draft EIS will be 
coordinated, to the extent possible, with other jurisdictional 
agencies.

Currently Identified Environmental Issues

    The EIS will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of the 
construction and operation of the proposed Project. We have already 
identified a number of issues and alternatives that we think deserve 
attention based on a preliminary review of the proposed facilities, and 
the environmental information provided by SCE. This preliminary list of 
issues and alternatives may be changed based on your comments and our 
additional analysis.
     Geology and Soils:
    [cir] Erosion and sedimentation control.
    [cir] Assessment of invasive weed control plans.
    [cir] Right-of-way restoration.
     Water Resources:
    [cir] Effect of transmission line crossings on perennial and 
intermittent waterbodies, including the Colorado River.
    [cir] Assessment of alternative waterbody crossing methods.
     Fish, Wildlife, and Vegetation:
    [cir] Effect on coldwater and sensitive fisheries.
    [cir] Effect on wildlife resources and their habitat.
    [cir] Effect on birds.
     Special Status Species:
    [cir] Potential effect on federally listed species.
    [cir] Potential effect on state-listed sensitive species.
    [cir] Potential effect on Big Horn sheep.
     Cultural Resources:
    [cir] Potential effect on historic and prehistoric sites.
    [cir] Native American and tribal concerns.
     Land Use, Recreation and Special Interest Areas, and 
Visual Resources:
    [cir] Impacts on recreational and residential areas.
    [cir] Visual impacts.
     Socioeconomics:
    [cir] Effects on transportation and traffic.
    [cir] Effects of construction workforce demands on public services 
and temporary housing.
     Air Quality and Noise:
    [cir] Effects on the local air quality and noise environment from 
construction and operation of the proposed facilities.
     Reliability and Safety:
    [cir] Assessment of hazards associated with electric transmission 
lines.
     Alternatives:
    [cir] Assessment of alternative configurations and alternative 
routes to reduce or avoid environmental impacts.
    [cir] Assessment of alternative substation locations.
     Cumulative Impact:
    [cir] Assessment of the effect of the proposed Project when 
combined with other past, present, or future actions in the same 
region.

Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about SCE's proposal. By becoming a commentor, 
your concerns will be addressed in our EIS and considered during the 
NEPA review. Your comments should focus on the potential environmental 
effects, reasonable alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen the 
environmental impact. The more specific your comments, the more useful 
they will be.
    To expedite our receipt and consideration of your comments, the 
Commission strongly encourages electronic submission of any comments on 
this Project. See Title 18 Code of Federal Regulations 
385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Internet 
Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the link to ``Documents and 
Filings'' and ``eFiling.'' eFiling is a file attachment process and 
requires that you prepare your submission in the same manner as you 
would if filing on paper, and save it to a file on your hard drive. New 
eFiling users must first create an account by clicking on ``Sign up'' 
or ``eRegister.'' You will be asked to select the type of filing you 
are making. This filing is considered a ``Comment on Filing.'' In 
addition, there is a ``Quick Comment'' option available, which is an 
easy method for interested persons to submit text-only comments on a 
project. The Quick-Comment User Guide can be viewed at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling/quick-comment-guide.pdf.
    Quick Comment does not require a FERC eRegistration account; 
however, you will be asked to provide a valid e-mail address. All 
comments submitted under either eFiling or the Quick Comment option are 
placed in the public record for the specified docket or project 
number(s). The Docket Number for the DPV2 Project is PT08-1-000. Your 
comments must be submitted electronically by August 1, 2008.
    If you wish to mail comments, please mail your comments so that 
they will be received in Washington, DC on or before August 1, 2008 and 
carefully follow these instructions:
    Send an original and two copies of your letter to:
     Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First St. NE.; Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426;
     Label one copy of your comments for the attention of OEP/
EIPG; and
     Reference Docket No. PT08-1-000 on the original and both 
copies.
    Once SCE formally files its application with the Commission, you 
may want to become an ``intervenor,'' which is an official party to the 
proceeding. Intervenors play a more formal role in the process and are 
able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard by the courts if 
they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling. An intervenor 
formally participates in a Commission proceeding by filing a request to 
intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are included in the 
User's Guide under the ``e-filing'' link on the Commission's Web site. 
Please note that you may not request intervenor status at this time. 
You must wait until a formal application is filed with the Commission.
    Two public scoping meetings have been scheduled in the Project area 
to provide another opportunity to offer comments on the proposed 
Project. Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to attend the 
meetings and to present comments on the environmental issues they 
believe should be addressed in the EIS. A transcript of the meetings 
will be generated so that your comments will be accurately recorded. 
Meetings will be held at the following locations:

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                   Date                               Location
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July 8, 2008 (7-10 pm)....................  Quartzsite Elementary
                                             School, 930 W. Quail Trail,
                                             Quartzsite, AZ 85346, Tel:
                                             (928) 927-5500.
July 9, 2008 (7-10 pm)....................  Best Western Central Phoenix
                                             Inn, 1100 N. Central
                                             Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85004,
                                             Tel: (602) 252-2100.
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Environmental Mailing List

    Everyone who responds to this notice or provides comments 
throughout the EIS process will be retained on the mailing list. If you 
do not want to send comments at this time but still want to stay 
informed and receive copies of the draft and final EISs, you must 
return the Mailing List Retention Form (Appendix 3). If you do not send 
comments or return the Mailing List Retention Form asking to remain on 
the mailing list, you will be taken off the mailing list.

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Availability of Additional Information

    Additional information about the Project is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs at 1-866-208 FERC or on the 
FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) using the ``eLibrary'' 
link. Click on the eLibrary link, click on ``General Search,'' and 
enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the Docket 
Number field (i.e., PT08-1). Be sure you have selected an appropriate 
date range. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at 
[email protected] or toll free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, 
contact (202) 502-8659. The eLibrary link on the FERC Internet Web site 
also provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by the 
Commission, such as Orders, notices, and rule makings.
    In addition, the FERC offers a free service called eSubscription 
that allows you to keep track of all formal issuances and submittals in 
specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time you spend 
researching proceedings by automatically providing you with 
notification of these filings, document summaries, and direct links to 
the documents. To register for this service, go to http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
    Public meetings or site visits will be posted on the Commission's 
calendar located at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx 
along with other related information.
    To request additional information on the proposed Project or to 
provide comments directly to the Project sponsor, you can contact SCE 
by calling toll free at 1-866-602-3782. Also, SCE has established an 
Internet Web site at http://www.sce.com/dpv2. The Web site includes a 
description of the Project, an overview map of the proposed electric 
transmission route, and links to related documents. SCE will update the 
Web site as the environmental review of its Project proceeds.

Kimberly D. Bose,
 Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E8-14284 Filed 6-24-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P