[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 100 (Friday, May 23, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 29759]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-12003]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Western Area Power Administration

[DOE/EIS-0438]


Notice of Cancellation of Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Proposed Hermosa West Wind Energy Project, Albany County, Wyoming

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 Shell WindEnergy, Inc. (SWE).

DATES: This cancellation is effective on May 23, 2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information on the 
cancellation of this EIS process, contact Mark Wieringa, NEPA Document 
Manager, Western Area Power Administration, P.O. Box 281213, Lakewood, 
CO 80228-8213, email [email protected], telephone (720) 962-7448. 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: SWE proposed to design, construct, operate, 
and maintain an up to 300-megawatt Hermosa West Wind Energy Project 
(Project) in Albany County, Wyoming, and interconnect that Project with 
Western's transmission system. SWE's interconnection request caused 
Western to initiate a NEPA review of its Federal action to allow the 
interconnection. Western published a Notice of Intent for the EIS in 
the Federal Register on January 14, 2010 (75 FR 2138), and started the 
EIS process. Public scoping meetings were held subsequent to the Notice 
of Intent, and a Draft EIS was approved by Western's acting 
Administrator for public review and comment on September 24, 2012. The 
Environmental Protection Agency's Notice of Availability for the Draft 
EIS was published on October 5, 2012 (77 FR 60986). Public hearings on 
the Draft EIS were held on October 29 and 30, 2012, in Laramie and 
Cheyenne, Wyoming, respectively. SWE has since decided to suspend 
further action on its proposed Project. SWE notified Western of their 
decision to withdraw their interconnection request and Western is now 
terminating the NEPA review process on its interconnection decision and 
SWE's proposed Project. No Final EIS or Record of Decision will be 
issued for the Hermosa West Wind Energy Project. SWE could decide to 
reinitiate the proposed Project at some future date. In that event 
Western would issue a new Notice of Intent, and would initiate an 
entirely new NEPA process.
    On November 16, 2011, the DOE General Counsel re-delegated all EIS 
authorities to Western's Administrator. Under the authority granted by 
that memorandum, I have terminated the NEPA process for SWE's proposed 
Hermosa West Wind Energy Project with the publication of this notice.

    Dated: May 5, 2014.
Mark A. Gabriel,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2014-12003 Filed 5-22-14; 8:45 am]
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