[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 180 (Friday, September 16, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 57733]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-23783]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Western Area Power Administration


Notice of Cancellation of Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Interconnection of the Hualapai Valley Solar Project, Mohave County, AZ 
(DOE/EIS-0434)

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 the Hualapai Valley Solar, LLC (HVS).

DATES: This cancellation is effective on September 16, 2011.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on the 
cancellation of this EIS process, contact Mr. Matt Blevins, NEPA 
Document Manager, Western Area Power Administration, P.O. Box 281213, 
Lakewood, CO 80228-8213, Fax: (720) 962-7263, phone: at (720) 962-7261 
or (800) 336-7288, or e-mail: [email protected]. For general information 
on the DOE's NEPA review process, contact Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, 
Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance, GC-54, U.S. 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: Western is cancelling the preparation of an 
EIS under the NEPA on an interconnection request by HVS for a proposed 
utility-scale solar generation facility. HVS proposed to design, 
construct, operate, and maintain a 340-megawatt solar generation 
facility, and ancillary facilities including transmission line, access 
roads, and temporary laydown areas, about 27 miles north of Kingman in 
Mohave County, Arizona. HVS applied to interconnect the solar 
generation facility to Western's regional electric transmission system 
at one of two alternative points, (1) the Mead-Phoenix Transmission 
Line; or (2) the Liberty-Mead Transmission Line, thus triggering a NEPA 
review of Western's action to approve or deny HVS's request to 
interconnect its proposed project with Western's transmission system. 
If either one of the interconnection requests were approved, Western 
would have needed to construct and operate an interconnection facility 
at one of the interconnection points. Portions of HVS's proposed 
transmission line, effluent pipeline, and access roads would cross land 
administered by the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM), and would require right-of-way (ROW) authorization 
from BLM. In addition, Western applied to the BLM for an amendment to 
the ROW for its Mead-Liberty transmission line to accommodate a 
proposed new switchyard, and issue ROW for the proposed switchyard 
access road. BLM was a cooperating agency for the preparation of the 
EIS.
    A Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement was 
published in the Federal Register on September 15, 2009 (74 FR 47245). 
Public scoping meetings were held subsequent to the Notice of Intent, 
but a Draft EIS was not produced. The HVS interconnection requests are 
no longer active; accordingly, Western is terminating the NEPA review 
process on its interconnection decision.
    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 an October 4, 1999, 
memorandum. Under the authority granted by that memorandum, I have 
terminated the NEPA process for HVS's proposed project with the 
publication of this notice.

    Dated: September 8, 2011.
Timothy J. Meeks,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2011-23783 Filed 9-15-11; 8:45 am]
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