[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 73 (Monday, April 16, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22569-22571]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-9038]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Western Area Power Administration


Interconnection of the Grande Prairie Wind Farm, Holt County, NE

AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement 
and conduct scoping meetings; Notice of potential floodplain and 
wetlands involvement.

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SUMMARY: The Western Area Power Administration (Western), an agency of 
the Department of Energy (DOE), intends to prepare an environmental 
impact statement (EIS) on the proposed interconnection of the Grande 
Prairie Wind Farm (Project) in Holt County, near the city of O'Neill, 
Nebraska. Grande Prairie Wind, LLC (Grande Prairie Wind), a majority-
owned subsidiary of Midwest Wind Energy, LLC, has applied to Western to 
interconnect their proposed wind energy generation project to Western's 
power transmission system. Western's Federal action would be to execute 
an interconnection agreement with Grande Prairie Wind and make any 
necessary modifications to the transmission system to accommodate the 
interconnection at Grande Prairie Wind's expense. Western is issuing 
this notice to inform the public and interested parties about Western's 
intent to prepare an EIS, conduct a public scoping process, and invite 
the public to comment on the scope, proposed action, alternatives, and 
other issues to be addressed in the EIS.
    Construction activities proposed by Grande Prairie Wind may affect 
floodplains and wetlands, so this Notice of Intent (NOI) also serves as 
a notice of proposed floodplain or wetland action in accordance with 
DOE floodplain and wetland environmental review requirements.

DATES: The public scoping period begins with the publication of this 
notice and closes on May 16, 2012. To provide the public an opportunity 
to review the proposal and project information, Western will hold one 
public meeting in O'Neill, Nebraska. Western will announce the date and 
location of the public scoping meeting through local news media, and 
posting on the Western Web site at http://www.wapa.gov/ugp/Environment/default.htm at least 15 days prior to the meeting. While comments will 
be accepted at any time during the EIS process, submission of comments 
by the end of the scoping comment period will ensure full consideration 
in the Draft EIS.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS should be addressed 
to Mr. Matt Marsh, Western Area Power Administration, P.O. Box 35800, 
2900 4th Avenue, North, Billings, MT 59107, fax (406) 255-2900 or email 
at [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Matt Marsh, Western Area Power 
Administration, P.O. Box 35800, 2900 4th Avenue, North, Billings, MT 
59107, telephone (406) 255-2811, or email [email protected]. For 
general information on DOE's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
review procedures or status of a NEPA review, contact Ms. Carol M. 
Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance, GC-54, U.S. 
Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 
20585, telephone (202) 586-4600 or (800) 472-2756, fax (202) 586-7031.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Western, an agency within DOE, markets 
Federal hydroelectric power to preference customers, as specified by 
law. These customers include municipalities, cooperatives, irrigation 
districts, Federal and State agencies, and Native

[[Page 22570]]

American tribes. Western's service territory covers 15 western states, 
including Nebraska. Western owns and operates more than 17,000 miles of 
high-voltage transmission lines. Western offers capacity to deliver 
electricity on its transmission system, when such capacity is 
available, under Western's Open Access Transmission Service Tariff.
    Grande Prairie Wind has applied to Western to interconnect their 
proposed wind energy generation Project to Western's Fort Thompson-
Grand Island transmission line. The proposed Project is subject to 
county and local approvals prior to Project construction.

Grand Prairie Project Description

    Grande Prairie Wind proposes to construct and operate a 400-
megawatt (MW) wind energy generation facility in Holt County in 
northern Nebraska. The Project area would occupy approximately 45,000 
acres in portions of Willowdale, Antelope, Grattan, Iowa, Scott, and 
Steel Creek Townships.
    Grande Prairie Wind proposes to build up to 266 wind turbines. 
Permanent disturbance for each wind turbine generator location would be 
approximately 0.25 acres. Grande Prairie Wind is considering a variety 
of wind turbine generator types, with capacities ranging from 1.5 to 
2.4 MW. Each wind turbine generator would be mounted on a single steel 
tower between 263 and 329 feet tall and have blade sweep diameter 
ranging from 271 to 385 feet, depending on the wind turbine generator 
model selected. Approximate total height at the rotor apex would be 
between 398 and 521 feet.
    Approximately 60 to 80 miles of underground electrical collector 
cable would be required to carry generated power from each wind turbine 
generator to a single Project collection substation. The underground 
collector cables would be buried to a depth that would not interfere 
with farming operations. The collection substation would occupy about 7 
to 15 acres of land. A 6-mile tie-line would be built from the 
collector substation to a point adjacent to Western's existing Fort 
Thompson-Grand Island transmission line.
    Grande Prairie Wind proposes to build about 45 to 60 miles of new 
roads and upgrade 30 to 50 miles of existing roads for construction and 
maintenance access to all turbines and Project facilities. Other 
Project facilities may include two or more permanent meteorological 
towers, a SODAR unit, and an operations and maintenance building.
    Grande Prairie Wind would site wind turbine generators and 
supporting infrastructure to optimize wind and land resources in the 
area while minimizing environmental impacts to the extent practicable. 
The proposed Project would be located on publicly and privately owned 
lands consisting of a mix of rural cropland and grazing land. The 
publicly owned land is owned by the State of Nebraska Board of 
Education Lands and Funds. Grande Prairie Wind would comply with local 
zoning requirements, including setbacks from residences, roads, and 
existing transmission and distribution lines. Grande Prairie Wind 
proposes to begin construction as early as spring 2014. The life of the 
Project is anticipated to be a minimum of 20 years.
    Western's Federal involvement is related to consideration of the 
interconnection request, and any resultant impact to the transmission 
system. However, the EIS will also identify and review the 
environmental impacts of constructing, operating, maintaining, and 
decommissioning Grand Prairie Wind's proposed Project. Grand Prairie 
Wind would be responsible for completing necessary coordination with 
local agencies to permit its proposed Project.

Proposed Action and Alternatives

    Western's proposed Federal action is to execute an interconnection 
agreement to interconnect the proposed Project to the Federal 
transmission system at a new substation adjacent to its Fort Thompson-
Grand Island 345-kilovolt transmission line. Any modification necessary 
to accommodate the proposed interconnection with Western's transmission 
system will be made at Grand Prairie Wind's expense. Western will also 
consider the no-action alternative in the EIS. Under the no-action 
alternative, Western would not interconnect the proposed Project. If 
additional reasonable alternatives are identified during the scoping 
process, they will be analyzed in the EIS.

Agency Responsibilities

    Because interconnection of the proposed Project would incorporate a 
major new generation resource into Western's power transmission system, 
Western has determined that an EIS is required under 10 CFR 
1021.400(a)(3) and (c), and DOE NEPA implementing procedures (10 CFR 
part 1021), Appendix D to Subpart D of part 1021, provision D7. 
Accordingly, Western will prepare an EIS on the interconnection of the 
proposed Project.\1\ Western is the lead Federal agency for preparing 
the EIS, as defined at 40 CFR 1501.5. Western invites other Federal, 
State, local, and tribal agencies with jurisdiction by law or special 
expertise with respect to environmental issues to be cooperating 
agencies on the EIS, as defined at 40 CFR 1501.6. Such agencies may 
also make a request to Western to be a cooperating agency by contacting 
Mr. Marsh at the address listed above in the ADDRESSES section.
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    \1\ On November 16, 2011, DOE's Acting General Counsel delegated 
to Western's Administrator all EIS authorities.
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    Western will consult with affected tribes to jointly evaluate and 
address the potential effects on cultural resources, traditional 
cultural properties, or other resources important to the tribes. These 
consultations will be conducted in accordance with Executive Order 
13175, Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments (65 
FR 67249), the President's memorandum of April 29, 1994, Government-to-
Government Relations with Native American Tribal Governments (59 FR 
22951), DOE-specific guidance on tribal interactions, and applicable 
natural and cultural resources laws and regulations.

Floodplain or Wetland Involvement

    Western's proposed action may affect floodplains or wetlands. This 
notice also serves as notice of proposed floodplain or wetland action, 
in accordance with 10 CFR part 1022. The EIS will include an assessment 
of impacts to floodplains and wetlands, and if required, a statement of 
findings following DOE regulations for compliance with floodplain and 
wetlands environmental review (10 CFR part 1022).

Environmental Issues

    This notice is to inform agencies and the public of Western's 
intent to prepare an EIS and solicit comments and suggestions for 
consideration in the EIS. To help the public frame its comments, the 
following list contains potential environmental issues preliminarily 
identified for analysis in the EIS:

     Impacts on protected, threatened, endangered, or sensitive 
species of animals or plants
     Impacts on migratory birds
     Impacts from noxious weeds, invasive, and non-native 
species
     Impacts on recreation and transportation
     Impacts on land use and farmland
     Impacts on cultural or historic resources and tribal 
values
     Impacts on human health and safety

[[Page 22571]]

     Impacts on air, soil, and water resources (including air 
quality and surface water impacts)
     Visual impacts
     Socio-economic impacts and disproportionately high and 
adverse impacts to minority and low-income populations
    This list is not intended to be all-inclusive or to imply any 
predetermination of impacts. Western invites interested parties to 
suggest specific issues within these general categories, or other 
issues not included above, to be considered in the EIS.

Public Participation

    Interested parties are invited to participate in the scoping 
process to help define the scope of the EIS, significant resources, and 
issues to be analyzed in depth, and to eliminate from detailed study 
issues that are not pertinent. The EIS scoping process will involve all 
interested agencies (Federal, State, county, and local), Native 
American tribes, public interest groups, businesses, affected 
landowners, and individual members of the public.
    Western will hold one public meeting in O'Neill, Nebraska, and will 
announce the EIS scoping meeting details through local news media, 
direct mailings, and by posting on the Western Web site at http://www.wapa.gov/ugp/Environment/default.htm at least 15 days prior to the 
meeting. Attendees will be able to speak directly with Western and 
Grand Prairie Wind representatives at the EIS scoping meetings about 
the proposed Project. Attendees are welcome to come and go at their 
convenience throughout the meeting. If inclement weather should 
prohibit hosting the scoping meeting, an alternate meeting date and 
location will be publicized locally. The meeting location is 
handicapped-accessible. Anyone needing special accommodations should 
contact Mr. Marsh to make arrangements.
    The public is encouraged to provide information and comments on 
issues it believes Western should address in the EIS. Comments may be 
broad in nature or restricted to specific areas of concern. After 
gathering comments on the scope of the EIS, Western will address those 
issues raised during scoping in the EIS. While comments will be 
accepted at any time during the EIS process, submission of comments by 
the end of the scoping comment period will ensure full consideration in 
the Draft EIS. Comments may be submitted at the public scoping meeting 
or sent to Western as described under the ADDRESSES section above. 
Comments received outside of the designated comment periods may be 
addressed in the Draft EIS; otherwise they will be addressed later in 
the process, such as in the Final EIS, if practicable.
    The EIS process will include this NOI, local EIS scoping meeting 
notifications, a public scoping meeting; consultation and coordination 
with appropriate Federal, State, county, and local agencies and tribal 
governments; involvement with affected landowners; distribution of and 
public review and comment on the Draft EIS; a formal public hearing or 
hearings on the Draft EIS; distribution of a published Final EIS; and 
publication of a Record of Decision in the Federal Register.

    Dated: April 6, 2012.
Timothy J. Meeks,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2012-9038 Filed 4-13-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P