[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 201 (Tuesday, October 19, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64350-64351]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-26264]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVS03000 L51010000.ER0000 LVRWF09 F8770 241A; 10-08807; 
MO4500015810; TAS:14X5017]


Notice of Availability of Record of Decision for the NextLight 
Renewable Power, LLC, Silver State Solar Project Environmental Impact 
Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability 
of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the NextLight Renewable Power, LLC, 
Silver State Solar Project Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The 
Department of the Interior Secretary signed the ROD on October 12, 
2010, which constitutes the final decision of the Department.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD are available upon request from the BLM 
Southern Nevada District Office, 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, 
Nevada 89130, or at the following Web site: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/lvfo.html. Copies of the ROD are also available for public 
inspection at the BLM Southern Nevada District Office and the BLM 
Nevada State Office, 1340 Financial Blvd., Reno, Nevada.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gregory Helseth, Renewable Energy 
Project Manager, phone: (702) 515-5173; address: BLM Southern Nevada 
District Office, 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada 89130; 
e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The applicant, Nextlight Renewable Power, 
LLC, requested a right-of-way (ROW) authorization to construct, 
operate, maintain and decommission a 400-megawatt (MW) solar 
photovoltaic (PV) power plant and facilities. The Notice of 
Availability (NOA) for the Draft EIS analyzing impacts of the project 
and alternatives was released for public comment on April 16, 2010 (75 
FR 19990). Four hundred eighty one comments were received on the Draft 
EIS. The comments were incorporated, where appropriate, to clarify the 
analysis presented in the Final EIS. The Environmental Protection 
Agency published the NOA for the Final EIS in the Federal Register on 
Friday, September 10, 2010 (75 FR 55326). The Final EIS analyzes 3 
alternatives: A No Action Alternative, the Proposed Action, and a 
Modified Site Layout Alternative. These alternatives were shaped in 
part by comments received from the public and internal BLM review.
    Alternative 1--No Action Alternative. Under this alternative, the 
BLM would deny a ROW for construction, operation, maintenance, and 
decommission of a 400-MW solar photovoltaic power plant on public lands 
administered by the BLM.
    Alternative 2--Proposed Action. The Proposed Action Alternative is 
the construction, operation, maintenance and decommission of a solar 
facility utilizing passive PV technology. The project facilities would 
be constructed in 3 separate phases totaling 400-MW with a total 
surface disturbance of 2,967 acres. Phase 1 consists of a 60-MW direct 
current (50-MW alternating current) facility and is independent of the 
facilities identified in Phase 2 and Phase 3, which are inter-dependant 
facilities. Each facility component would be constructed as power 
purchase agreements and transmission infrastructure is in place and 
available to bring generated power to the market. Drainage controls 
would consist of a series of earthen drainage control berms that would 
contain surface runoff flows to existing primary drainages (storm water 
flow corridors) across the site.
    Alternative 3--Modified Site Layout Alternative. The Modified Site 
Layout

[[Page 64351]]

Alternative is similar to the Proposed Action in development sequence 
and facilities, but contains additional drainage control structures to 
manage storm water run-off. Total surface disturbance for this 
alternative is 2,748 acres.
    The ROD approves only the Phase 1 portion of Alternative 2, the 
Proposed Action. Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the Proposed Action are not 
authorized in the ROD and may be considered in the future when the 
necessary electric transmission upgrades are proposed. At that time, 
the BLM will prepare any necessary additional environmental review.

     Authority:  40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10.

Robert V. Abbey,
Director, Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. 2010-26264 Filed 10-18-10; 8:45 am]
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