[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 131 (Friday, July 8, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 40354]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-17157]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Western Area Power Administration

[DOE/EIS-0462]


Notice of Cancellation of Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Proposed Crowned Ridge Wind Energy Center Project, Codington and Grant 
Counties, SD

AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of Cancellation of Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Western Area Power 
Administration (Western) is issuing this notice to advise the public 
that it is cancelling the preparation of an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) on 
an interconnection request by NextEra Energy Resources (NextEra).

DATES: This cancellation is effective on July 8, 2011.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information on the 
cancellation of this EIS process, contact Matt Marsh, NEPA Document 
Manager, Upper Great Plains Regional Office, Western Area Power 
Administration, P.O. Box 35800, Billings, MT 59107-5800, e-mail 
[email protected], telephone (800) 358-3415. For general information on 
DOE's NEPA review process, contact Carol M. Borgstrom, Director of NEPA 
Policy and Compliance, GC-54, Department of Energy, 1000 Independence 
Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-0119, telephone (202) 586-4600 or 
(800) 472-2756, facsimile (202) 586-7031.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NextEra proposed to design, construct, 
operate, and maintain a 150-megawatt Crowned Ridge Wind Energy Center 
Project (Project) in Codington and Grant counties, South Dakota, and 
interconnect that Project with Western's transmission system. NextEra's 
interconnection request caused Western to initiate a NEPA review of its 
action to allow the interconnection. Western published a Notice of 
Intent for the EIS in the Federal Register on November 30, 2010 (75 FR 
74040), and started the EIS process. A public scoping meeting was held 
subsequent to the Notice of Intent, but a Draft EIS was not produced 
because NextEra decided to suspend further action on its proposed 
Project. NextEra notified Western of the decision, and Western is now 
terminating the NEPA review process on its interconnection decision and 
NextEra's proposed Project. NextEra could decide to reinitiate the 
proposed Project at some future date. In that event Western would issue 
a new Notice of Intent, and would start an entirely new NEPA process.
    The Assistant Secretary, Environment, Safety and Health granted 
approval authority to Western's Administrator for EISs related to 
integrating major new sources of generation in a October 4, 1999, 
memorandum. Under the authority granted by that memorandum, I have 
terminated the NEPA process for NextEra's proposed Crowned Ridge Wind 
Energy Center Project with the publication of this notice.

    Dated: June 29, 2011.
Timothy J. Meeks,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2011-17157 Filed 7-7-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P