[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 202 (Friday, October 17, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61902-61903]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-24685]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CACA 47740, LLCAD07000 L51030000]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/
Staff Assessment and Proposed Land Use Plan Amendment for the Proposed 
SES Solar Two Project, Imperial County, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the California Environmental Quality Act 
(CEQA), the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM), together with the California Energy Commission (Energy 
Commission), (hereinafter jointly referred to as the Agencies) intend 
to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/Staff Assessment (EIS/SA), 
and a Proposed Land Use Plan Amendment, for the Stirling Energy Systems 
(SES) Solar Two Project (Project), a Stirling engine systems solar dish 
project in Imperial County, California. SES is seeking approval to 
construct and operate an electrical generating facility with a nominal 
capacity of 750 megawatts (MW), using concentrated solar thermal power. 
The approximately 6,500 acres of land needed to develop the Project 
consists of approximately 6,140 acres of BLM administered public land 
and approximately 360 acres of privately owned land.
    SES has submitted an application to the BLM requesting a right-of-
way (ROW) to construct the Project and related facilities. Pursuant to 
the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan (1980, as amended), 
sites associated with power generation or transmission not identified 
in the CDCA Plan will be considered through the plan amendment process.
    Under Federal law, BLM is responsible for processing requests for 
rights-of-way to authorize such proposed projects and associated 
transmission lines and other appurtenant facilities on land it manages. 
BLM must comply with the requirements of NEPA to ensure that 
environmental impacts associated with construction, operation, and 
decommissioning will be identified, analyzed and considered in the 
application process. In the case of solar thermal power plant projects, 
this will be accomplished through coordination of the state and federal 
application processes, public participation, environmental analysis, 
and the preparation of Draft and Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) in coordination with the Energy Commission and its Preliminary 
and Final Staff Assessments.
    Under California law, the Energy Commission is responsible for 
reviewing the applications for certification filed for thermal power 
plants over 50 MW, and also has the role of lead agency for the 
environmental review of such projects under the CEQA (Public Resources 
Code, section 25500 et seq.; and Public Resources Code, section 21000 
et seq.) The Energy Commission conducts this review in accordance with 
the administrative adjudication provisions of the Administrative 
Procedure Act (Gov. Code, section 11400 et seq.) and its own 
regulations governing site certification proceedings (Cal. Code Regs., 
tit. 20, section 1701 et seq.), which have been deemed CEQA equivalent 
by the Secretary of Resources. SES Solar Two, LLC has submitted an 
Application for Certification (AFC) to the Energy Commission. The AFC 
facilitates analysis and review by staff prior to an Energy Commission 
decision.

DATES: Publication of this notice initiates a public scoping period of 
at least 30 days. During the public scoping period, the Agencies will 
solicit public comments on issues, concerns, potential impacts, 
alternatives, and mitigation measures that should be considered in the 
analysis of the proposed action. In addition, the Agencies expect to 
hold at least one public meeting/workshop during the scoping period to 
encourage public input. The public meeting(s) will be announced through 
the local news media, newspapers, mailings, the BLM Web page (http://www.ca.blm.gov/elcentro) and the Energy Commission Web page (http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/solartwo/) at least 15 days prior to the 
event. While you may have the opportunity to make oral comments, 
comments must also be submitted in writing. In order to be included in 
the Draft EIS/Preliminary Staff Assessment (DEIS/PSA), all comments 
must be received prior to the close of the scoping period or 15 days 
after the last public meeting, whichever is later. Additional 
opportunities for public participation and formal comment occur when 
the DEIS/PSA is issued.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments in a variety of ways: (1) By U.S. 
mail, (2) by electronic mail, (3) or by attending the public scoping 
meeting(s) and submitting written comments at the meeting(s).
    By Mail: Please use first-class postage and be sure to include your 
name and a return address. Please send written comment to: Christopher 
Meyer, Project Manager, Systems Assessment & Facility Siting Division, 
California Energy Commission, 1516 Ninth Street, MS-15, Sacramento, CA 
95814.
    By Electronic Mail: E-mail comments are welcome; however, please 
remember to include your name and return address in the e-mail message. 
E-mail messages should be sent to [email protected].
    Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information regarding the BLM process 
may be obtained from the Bureau of Land Management, 1661 So. 4th 
Street, El Centro, 92243, attention Lynda Kastoll, (760) 337-4421, 
[email protected]; or Erin Dreyfuss, (760) 337-4436, [email protected]. Information regarding the Energy Commission 
process may be obtained from Christopher Meyer, Project Manager, 
Systems Assessment & Facility Siting Division, California Energy 
Commission, 1516 Ninth Street, MS-15, Sacramento, CA 95814, (916) 653-
1639, [email protected]. Information on participating in the 
Commission's review of the project may be obtained through the 
Commission's Public Adviser's Office, at (916) 654-4489 or toll free in 
California, (800) 822-6228, or by email at 
[email protected]. News media inquiries should be 
directed to the Commission's media office at (916) 654-4989, or via 
email at [email protected].
    Status of the proposed project, copies of notices, an electronic 
version of the AFC, and other relevant documents are also available on 
the Commission's internet Web site at http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/solartwo. You can also subscribe to receive e-mail 
notification of all notices at http://www.energy.ca.gov/listservers.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SES Solar Two, LLC has applied to BLM for a 
right-of-way on public lands to

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construct a concentrated solar thermal power plant facility 
approximately 14 miles west of El Centro, CA, in Imperial County. The 
project site is just south of Plaster City between the Union Pacific 
Railroad tracks and the Interstate 8 highway. The facility is expected 
to operate for approximately 30 years. The proposed project would 
utilize SunCatcher technology, consisting of approximately 30,000 25-
kilowatt solar power dishes with a generating capacity of approximately 
750 megawatts (MW) to be built in two phases. The first phase would 
consist up to 12,000 SunCathers configured in 200 1.5 MW solar groups 
of 60 SunCatchers per group and have a net nominal generating capacity 
of 300 MW. The second phase would consist of approximately 18,000 
SunCatchers configured in 500 1.5 MW groups with a net generating 
capacity of 450 MW. Each SunCatcher system consists of an approximate 
38-foot high by 40-foot wide solar concentrator dish that supports an 
array of curved glass mirror facets designed to automatically track the 
sun and focus solar energy onto a Power Conversion Unit which generates 
electricity. Related structures would include a main services complex, 
assembly buildings, a 230-kilovolts (kV) electrical substation, a 10-
mile transmission line, access roads, supply water line, and a 10-mile 
double circuit 230kV transmission line from the project site to San 
Diego Gas and Electric's existing Imperial Valley electrical substation 
interconnecting the project to the existing 500 kV transmission system. 
The 450-MW Phase II is dependent on the approval of the proposed 
Sunrise Powerlink 500kV transmission line that would also interconnect 
with the Imperial Valley electrical substation. The EIS/SA will analyze 
the site-specific impacts on air quality, biological resources, 
cultural resources, water resources, geological resources and hazards, 
hazardous materials handling, land use, noise, paleontological 
resources, public health, socioeconomics, soils, traffic and 
transportation, visual resources, waste management and worker safety 
and fire protection, as well as facility design engineering, 
efficiency, reliability, transmission system engineering and 
transmission line safety and nuisance. The CDCA Plan, while recognizing 
the potential compatibility of solar generation facilities on public 
lands, requires that all sites associated with power generation or 
transmission not identified in the Plan will be considered through the 
Plan Amendment process.
    The following Planning Criteria will be utilized during the plan 
amendment process:
     The plan amendment process will be completed in compliance 
with FLPMA, NEPA, and all other relevant Federal law, Executive orders, 
and management policies of the BLM;
     The plan amendment process will include an EIS that will 
comply with NEPA standards;
     Where existing planning decisions are still valid, those 
decisions may remain unchanged and be incorporated into the new plan 
amendment;
     The plan amendment will recognize valid existing rights;
     Native American Tribal consultations will be conducted in 
accordance with policy and Tribal concerns will be given due 
consideration. The plan amendment process will include the 
consideration of any impacts on Indian trust assets;
     Consultation with the SHPO will be conducted throughout 
the plan amendment process; and
     Consultation with USFWS will be conducted throughout the 
plan amendment process.
    If the ROW and proposed land use plan amendment are approved by 
BLM, the concentrated solar thermal power plant facility on public 
lands would be authorized in accordance with Title V of the Federal 
Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and the Federal Regulations at 
43 CFR part 2800.
    A certificate designating approval of the Energy Commission must be 
obtained by SES before it may construct a power plant and/or electric 
transmission line and related facilities.

    Dated: October 10, 2008.
Thomas Pogacnik,
Deputy State Director, Natural Resources (CA-930), California State 
Office.
[FR Doc. E8-24685 Filed 10-16-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P