[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 209 (Friday, October 28, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66958-66960]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-27874]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[LLWO300000.L14300000]


Notice of Availability of the Supplement to the Draft 
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Solar Energy 
Development in Six Southwestern States and Notice of Public Meetings

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Department of 
Energy (DOE) (the Agencies) as joint lead agencies announce the 
availability of the Supplement to the Draft Programmatic Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) for Solar Energy Development in Six Southwestern 
States (Supplement) (BLM/DES 11-49, DOE/EIS-0403D-S).

DATES: The Agencies will accept comments for ninety (90) calendar days 
following the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its 
Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The Agencies will hold 
public meetings on the Supplement. The dates and locations of the 
public meetings are listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section 
below.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Supplement by the 
following methods:
     Web site: Using the online comment form available on the 
project Web site: http://solareis.anl.gov. This is the preferred method 
of commenting.
     Mail, addressed to: Solar Energy Draft PEIS, Argonne 
National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue--EVS/240, Argonne, Illinois 
60439.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information on 
the Supplement or general information regarding the BLM National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) process should be directed to 
Shannon Stewart, Senior Planning and Environmental Analyst, BLM 
Washington Office, by email at [email protected], or by 
telephone at 202-912-7219. Requests for additional information on the 
Supplement may also be directed to Jane Summerson, DOE Solar 
Programmatic EIS Document Manager, by email at 
[email protected], or by telephone at 202-287-6188. For general 
information regarding the DOE NEPA process, contact Carol Borgstrom, 
Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance, GC-54, U.S. Department 
of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, by 
telephone at 202-586-4600, leave a message at 1-800-472-2756, or by 
email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Supplement, references, and additional 
information regarding solar energy development are available at the 
project Web site: http://solareis.anl.gov. An electronic copy of the 
Supplement also can be viewed in any BLM State Office public room in 
the six-state study area and is available through the BLM Web site at 
http://www.blm.gov. The Supplement is also available on the DOE NEPA 
Web site at http://energy.gov/nepa. A complete, printed copy is 
available for review at the following BLM offices:
     Arizona State Office, One North Central Avenue, Suite 800, 
Phoenix, Arizona 85004.
     Caliente Field Office, U.S. Highway 93 Building 
1, Caliente, Nevada 89008.
     California Desert District, 22835 Calle San Juan De Los 
Lagos, Moreno Valley, California 92553.
     California State Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Suite W-1623, 
Sacramento, California 95825.
     Colorado State Office, 2850 Youngfield Street, Lakewood, 
Colorado 80215.
     Cedar City Field Office, 176 East D.L. Sargent Drive, 
Cedar City, Utah 84721.
     El Centro Field Office, 1661 S. 4th Street, El Centro, 
California 92243.
     Lake Havasu Field Office, 2610 Sweetwater Avenue, Lake 
Havasu City, Arizona 86406.
     Las Cruces District Office, 1800 Marquess Street, Las 
Cruces, New Mexico 88005.
     Lower Sonoran Field Office, 21605 N. 7th Avenue, Phoenix, 
Arizona 85027.
     Nevada State Office, 1340 Financial Boulevard, Reno, 
Nevada 89502.
     New Mexico State Office, 301 Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, New 
Mexico, 87508.
     Palm Springs--South Coast Field Office, 1201 Bird Center 
Drive, Palm Springs, California 92262.
     San Luis Valley Public Lands Center, 1803 West Highway 
160, Monte Vista, Colorado 81144.
     Southern Nevada District Office, 4701 North Torrey Pines, 
Las Vegas, Nevada 89130.
     Tonopah Field Office, 1553 South Main Street, Tonopah, 
Nevada 89049.
     Utah State Office, 440 West 200 South, Suite 500, Salt 
Lake City, Utah 84101.
    The BLM and the DOE will hold four public meetings on the 
Supplement to provide an overview of the document, answer questions, 
and receive public comments. The meeting site will open to the public 
at 6 p.m. The official meeting will begin at 7 p.m. and close after all 
individuals who wish to speak have been heard. The meeting dates and 
locations are given below. The specific venues will be announced at 
least 15 days in advance via local media, the project Web site (http://solareis.anl.gov/ gov/), and the DOE NEPA Web site (http://energy.gov/nepa).
     Las Vegas, Nevada--Wednesday, November 30, 2011.
     Phoenix, Arizona--Thursday, December 1, 2011.
     El Centro, California--Wednesday, December 7, 2011.
     Palm Desert, California--Thursday, December 8, 2011.
    At these meetings the public will have an opportunity to provide 
oral and written comments. Oral and written comments from the meetings 
and additional comments submitted during the comment period will be 
considered by the Agencies in preparing the Final EIS. Comments 
submitted after the close of the comment period will be considered to 
the extent practicable.

Background

    On December 17, 2010, the Agencies published a Draft Programmatic 
EIS for Solar Energy Development in Six Southwestern States (Arizona, 
California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah). Public comments 
were accepted through May 2, 2011. More than 80,500 comments were 
received. The public, as well as many cooperating agencies, offered 
suggestions on how the Agencies could increase the utility of the 
document, strengthen the proposed BLM Solar Energy Program, and 
increase certainty regarding solar energy development on BLM-
administered lands.
    The Agencies have revised the Solar PEIS to better meet their solar 
energy objectives. The Agencies have prepared a targeted Supplement to 
the Draft Solar Programmatic EIS (Supplement) that includes modified 
and new components of the proposed BLM Solar Energy Program, DOE's 
proposed programmatic environmental guidance, and references to 
relevant portions of the Draft Solar Programmatic EIS. The Agencies 
have prepared this document in accordance with NEPA, as amended; the 
Council on Environmental Quality, the DOE, and the Department of 
Interior (DOI)

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regulations implementing NEPA; and the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act of 1976, as amended. The Supplement also updates the 
environmental effects analysis associated with BLM's modified action 
alternatives.

BLM-Specific Information

    The BLM has identified a need to respond in a more efficient and 
effective manner to the high interest in siting utility-scale solar 
energy development on BLM-administered lands and ensure consistent 
application of measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate the adverse 
impacts of such development. The BLM proposes to develop a new Solar 
Energy Program to further support utility-scale solar energy 
development on BLM-administered lands. The proposed Solar Energy 
Program has been designed to further the BLM's ability to meet the 
requirements for facilitating solar energy development on BLM-
administered lands established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Pub. 
L. 109-58) and Secretarial Order 3285A1 issued by the Secretary of the 
Interior. In particular, the proposed program has been designed to meet 
the requirements of Order 3285A1 to identify and prioritize solar 
energy development in locations best suited for such development, 
called solar energy zones (SEZ). The objectives of the BLM's proposed 
Solar Energy Program include:
     Facilitating near-term utility-scale solar energy 
development on public lands;
     Minimizing potential negative environmental, social, and 
economic impacts;
     Providing flexibility to consider a variety of solar 
energy projects (e.g., by location, facility size, or technology);
     Optimizing existing transmission infrastructure and 
corridors; and
     Standardizing and streamlining the authorization process 
for utility-scale solar energy development on BLM-administered lands.
    The elements of the BLM's proposed Solar Energy Program have been 
expanded from the Draft Solar Programmatic EIS and include:
    1. Continued processing of pending applications for utility-scale 
solar energy development;
    2. Identification of lands to be excluded from utility-scale solar 
energy development in the six-state study area;
    3. Identification of priority areas (i.e., SEZs) that are best 
suited for utility-scale production of solar energy in accordance with 
the requirements of Secretarial Order 3285A1 and the associated 
authorization procedures for applications in these areas;
    4. Establishment of a process to identify new SEZs;
    5. Establishment of a process that allows for responsible utility-
scale solar energy development outside of priority areas (i.e., 
variance process);
    6. Establishment of mitigation requirements for solar energy 
development on public lands to ensure the most environmentally 
responsible development and delivery of solar energy; and
    7. Amendment of BLM land use plans in the six-state study area to 
adopt those elements of the new Solar Energy Program that pertain to 
planning.
    The alternatives being analyzed through the Supplement include the 
no action alternative, and two modified action alternatives, each of 
which would have the BLM establish a comprehensive Solar Energy Program 
to facilitate utility-scale solar energy development on BLM-
administered lands.
    On the basis of further data collection, consultation with 
cooperating agencies and resource managers, and analysis of comments 
submitted on the Draft Solar Programmatic EIS, the BLM has modified its 
preferred alternative to emphasize its commitment to the concept of 
SEZs by eliminating or adjusting SEZs to ensure they are not located in 
high conflict areas, establishing a protocol to identify new SEZs, and 
outlining incentives for projects within SEZs. In addition, the BLM has 
revisited ongoing state-based planning efforts to assure that such 
efforts could result in the identification of new SEZs. While the BLM's 
preferred alternative emphasizes the use and creation of SEZs for 
utility-scale solar energy development, the BLM also proposes a process 
that will accommodate responsible development outside of SEZs.
    Under the modified program alternative (the BLM's preferred 
alternative), the BLM identifies categories of lands to be excluded 
from utility-scale solar energy development and identifies specific 
locations best suited for utility-scale production of solar energy 
(i.e., SEZs) where the BLM would prioritize development. The modified 
program alternative emphasizes and incentivizes development within SEZs 
and proposes a collaborative process to identify additional SEZs. In 
order to accommodate the flexibility described in the BLM's program 
objectives, the modified program alternative allows for utility-scale 
solar development outside of SEZs in accordance with the proposed 
variance process. The modified program alternative also establishes 
authorization policies and procedures for utility-scale solar energy 
development on BLM-administered lands.
    Under the modified SEZ alternative, the BLM would restrict utility-
scale solar energy development applications to SEZs only, and designate 
all other lands as exclusion areas for utility-scale solar energy 
development. The proposed authorization policies that are part of the 
modified program alternative would also apply to applications in SEZs 
under the modified SEZ alternative.
    The no action alternative remains unchanged from the Draft Solar 
Programmatic EIS. The no action alternative continues the issuance of 
right-of-way authorizations for utility-scale solar energy development 
on BLM-administered lands by implementing the requirements of the BLM's 
existing solar energy policies. Lands available for solar energy 
development would include those areas currently allowable under 
existing applicable laws and statutes and in conformance with the 
approved land use plan(s). Future solar energy projects and land use 
plan amendments would continue to be evaluated solely on an individual, 
case-by-case basis.

DOE-Specific Information

    The DOE is required to meet mandates under Executive Order 13212, 
``Actions to Expedite Energy-Related Projects'' (66 FR 28357; May 22, 
2001); Executive Order 13514, ``Federal Leadership in Environmental, 
Energy, and Economic Performance'' (74 FR 52117; October 8, 2009); and 
Section 603 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) 
(Pub. L. 110-140). The DOE's purpose and need is to satisfy both 
executive orders and comply with congressional mandates to promote, 
expedite, and advance the production and transmission of 
environmentally sound energy resources, including renewable energy 
resources and, in particular, cost-competitive solar energy systems at 
the utility scale.
    Specifically, the DOE proposes to further integrate environmental 
considerations into its analysis and selection of solar projects 
through the development of programmatic environmental guidance. The 
proposed DOE guidance, provided in this Supplement, builds on the BLM's 
analysis of potential impacts of utility-scale solar development on the 
environment for all phases of development to provide a technical basis. 
The DOE could use, as appropriate, the programmatic guidance

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for solar projects supported by DOE in any location, not just BLM-
administered lands in the six-state study area.
    The DOE will consider this guidance, including recommended 
environmental practices and mitigation measures, in its investment and 
deployment strategies and decision-making process. This guidance, based 
on the analyses in the Draft Solar Programmatic EIS and other 
information, would provide DOE with a tool for making more informed, 
environmentally sound decisions at the outset, help to streamline 
future environmental analysis and documentation for DOE-supported solar 
projects, and support the DOE's efforts to comprehensively (1) 
Determine where to make technology and resource investments to minimize 
the potential environmental impacts of solar technologies for DOE-
supported solar projects, and (2) establish environmental mitigation 
recommendations for proponents of DOE solar projects to consider in 
project plans.
    Through the Solar Programmatic EIS, the DOE is evaluating two 
alternatives: an action alternative and a no action alternative. Under 
the action alternative, the DOE would develop and adopt programmatic 
environmental guidance that would be used by DOE to further integrate 
environmental considerations into its analysis and selection of 
proposed solar projects. In the Supplement, DOE presents for public 
comment proposed guidance intended to amend its existing case-by-case 
approach, thus facilitating the advancement of solar energy 
development. Under the no action alternative, the DOE would continue 
its existing case-by-case process for addressing environmental concerns 
for solar projects supported by DOE. It would not develop programmatic 
environmental guidance with recommended environmental best management 
practices and mitigation measures that could be applied to DOE-
supported solar projects.

Other Agency Involvement

    Cooperating Federal agencies on the Solar Programmatic EIS include 
the Department of Defense; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the 
National Park Service; the Bureau of Reclamation; the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9; and the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, South Pacific Division. Other cooperating agencies on the 
Solar PEIS include the Arizona Game and Fish Department; the California 
Energy Commission and Public Utilities Commission; the Nevada 
Department of Wildlife, the N-4 Grazing Board, and the Southern Nevada 
Water Authority; the Utah Public Lands Policy Coordination Office; 
Clark, Esmeralda, Eureka, Lincoln, and Nye Counties, Nevada; Saguache 
County, Colorado; and Dona Ana County, New Mexico.
    Before including your address, phone number, email 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.

Michael D. Nedd,
Assistant Director, Minerals and Realty Management, Bureau of Land 
Management.
Henry Kelly,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 
Department of Energy.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1506.6, 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2, and 10 CFR 
1021.313.

[FR Doc. 2011-27874 Filed 10-27-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P