[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 81 (Tuesday, April 28, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23538-23540]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-09938]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Western Area Power Administration


Interconnection of the Grande Prairie Wind Farm, Holt County, 
Nebraska (DOE/EIS-0485)

AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Record of Decision.

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SUMMARY: Western Area Power Administration (Western) received a request 
from Grande Prairie Wind, LLC (Grande Prairie Wind), a subsidiary of 
Geronimo Wind Energy, LLC d.b.a. Geronimo Energy, LLC to interconnect 
their proposed Grande Prairie Wind Farm (Project) to Western's power 
transmission system. The proposed interconnection point would be on 
Western's existing Fort Thompson to Grand Island 345-kilovolt (kV) 
transmission line, approximately seven miles east of the town of 
O'Neill in Holt County, Nebraska. The Project would be built on private 
and State cropland and pasture.

[[Page 23539]]

    On January 16, 2015, the Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Interconnection of the 
Grande Prairie Wind Farm, Holt County, Nebraska (DOE/EIS-0485) was 
published in the Federal Register (80 FR 2414). After considering the 
environmental impacts, Western has decided to execute an 
interconnection agreement with Grande Prairie Wind to interconnect the 
proposed Project to Western's transmission system and to construct, 
own, and operate a new switchyard adjacent to its Fort Thompson to 
Grand Island 345-kV transmission line to accommodate that 
interconnection.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, please 
contact Mr. Rod O'Sullivan, Western Area Power Administration, P.O. Box 
281213, Lakewood, CO 80228-8213, telephone (720) 962-7260, fax (720) 
962-7263, or email: [email protected]. For general information on 
DOE's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process, please 
contact Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and 
Compliance, GC-54, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20585, 
telephone (202) 586-4600 or (800) 472-2756, or email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Western is a Federal agency under the U.S. 
Department of Energy (DOE) that markets and transmits wholesale 
electrical power through an integrated 17,000-circuit mile, high-
voltage transmission system across 15 central and western states. 
Western's Open Access Transmission Service Tariff (Tariff) provides 
open access to its electric transmission system. Considering the 
requester's objectives, Western provides transmission services if there 
is sufficient available capacity and the reliability of the 
transmission system is maintained.

Proposed Federal Action

    Western's Proposed Federal Action is to execute an interconnection 
agreement with Grande Prairie Wind to interconnect the proposed Project 
to Western's transmission system and to construct, own, and operate a 
new switchyard adjacent to its Fort Thompson to Grand Island 345-kV 
transmission line to accommodate that interconnection.

Grande Prairie Wind's Proposed Project

    Grande Prairie Wind proposes to construct and operate a 400-
megawatt (MW) wind energy generation facility in Holt County in 
northern Nebraska. The proposed Project would interconnect to Western's 
345-kV Fort Thompson to Grand Island transmission line at a new 
switchyard constructed, owned and operated by Western. The Project area 
would occupy approximately 54,250 acres in portions of Willowdale, 
Antelope, Grattan, Iowa, Scott, and Steel Creek Townships. Grande 
Prairie Wind proposes to build up to 266 wind turbines, up to 85 miles 
of access roads, an underground electrical power collection system, 
collector substations, a step-up substation, a 14-mile overhead 
transmission line, meteorological towers, maintenance buildings, and 
other associated ancillary facilities. Grande Prairie Wind proposes to 
begin construction as early as spring 2015. The life of the Project is 
anticipated to be a minimum of 20 years.

Description of Alternatives

    Under its Proposed Action Alternative, Western would execute an 
interconnection agreement with Grande Prairie Wind to interconnect 
their proposed Project to Western's transmission system and to 
construct, own, and operate a new switchyard adjacent to its Fort 
Thompson to Grand Island 345-kV transmission line to accommodate that 
interconnection. Grande Prairie Wind would construct and operate the 
400-MW Project northeast of O'Neill in Holt County, Nebraska.
    Under the No Action Alternative, Western would not enter into an 
interconnection agreement and would not construct a switchyard for the 
proposed Project interconnection. Although Grande Prairie Wind could 
still construct and operate their Project, the wind farm would need to 
rely on different means of power transmission. For purposes of the NEPA 
analysis, the No Action Alternative assumed the proposed Project would 
not be built. Western has identified the No Action alternative as its 
environmentally preferred alternative as there would likely be no new 
impacts. Grande Prairie Wind's objectives relating to renewable energy 
development would not be met.

Public Involvement

    The public and interested parties were notified of the proposed 
Project and public comment opportunity through a Notice of Intent 
published in the Federal Register on April 16, 2012 (77 FR 22569). The 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a NOA of the Draft 
EIS in the Federal Register on June 20, 2014 (79 FR 35346). The public 
comment period closed on August, 4, 2014. On January 16, 2015, the EPA 
published a NOA of the Final EIS for the Project in the Federal 
Register (80 FR 2414).\1\
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    \1\ The Final EIS can be found on Western's Web site at: http://www.wapa.gov/ugp/Environment/documents/FEIS_GrandePrairie_2014-12-29.pdf.
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    Each official notification published in the Federal Register was 
accompanied concurrently by direct mailings of notices to State and 
Federal agencies, Tribal governments, landholders and interested 
parties, and widely distributed local notices and advertisements.

Mitigation

    The design features, best management practices (BMPs), and 
avoidance and minimization measures are considered an integral part of 
the proposed Project to be implemented by Grande Prairie Wind as 
requirements of their agreements with their construction contractors. 
These design features, BMPs, and avoidance and minimization measures 
described in detail in the Final EIS reflect all practicable means to 
avoid or minimize environmental harm from Grande Prairie Wind's Project 
and Western's proposed action.
    Each resource section in the Final EIS provides specific mitigation 
measures to address potential impacts of the proposed Project on that 
resource and can be reviewed in detail in chapter 4 of the Final EIS. 
Western's decision to execute an interconnection agreement considers 
Grande Prairie Wind's commitments to implement these design features, 
BMPs, and avoidance and minimization measures, along with the attendant 
reduction in environmental impacts that would result from their 
implementation. A Mitigation Action Plan is not required for Western's 
proposed action.

Endangered Species Act

    Section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended 
(16 United States Code [U.S.C.] 1531 et seq.) requires Federal agencies 
to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on their 
Federal actions and how they may affect federally listed threatened or 
endangered species. Western requested concurrence with their Biological 
Assessment, Formal Conferencing on the Project's effects on Northern 
Long Eared Bat, and Formal Consultation on the Project's effects on the 
American Burying Beetle by letter on October 1, 2014. Subsequently, the 
USFWS issued its Biological Opinion on March 24, 2015, and a separate 
Conferencing Opinion on March 30, 2015.

[[Page 23540]]

National Historic Preservation Act

    Final cultural resource reports and effects determination were sent 
to the Nebraska State Historical Preservation Officer (SHPO) and were 
subsequently approved. A Memorandum of Agreement addressing effects to 
properties on or eligible for listing on the National Register of 
Historic Places for the preservation of eligible properties was signed 
by Grand Prairie Wind, the SHPO, and Western on March 25, 2015, in 
compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act.

Comments on the Final EIS

    One comment was received by the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA). In their February 17, 2015, letter, EPA recommended 
additional alternatives be considered in Western's future NEPA 
documents.

Decision

    Western's decision is to execute an interconnection agreement with 
Grande Prairie Wind to interconnect their proposed Project to Western's 
transmission system and to construct, own, and operate a new switchyard 
adjacent to its Fort Thompson to Grand Island 345-kV transmission line 
to accommodate that interconnection.\2\ Western's decision to grant 
this interconnection request satisfies the agency's statutory mission 
and Grande Prairie Wind's objectives while minimizing harm to the 
environment. Full implementation of this decision is contingent upon 
Grande Prairie Wind's obtaining all other applicable permits and 
approvals as well as executing an interconnection agreement in 
accordance with Western's Tariff. This decision is based on the 
information contained in the Interconnection of the Grande Prairie Wind 
Farm Final EIS. This ROD was prepared pursuant to the requirements of 
the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the 
Procedural Provisions of the NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508) and DOE's 
NEPA Implementing Procedures (10 CFR part 1021).
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    \2\ On November 16, 2011, DOE's Acting General Counsel restated 
the delegations to Western's Administrator of all the authorities of 
the General Counsel respecting Environmental Impact Statements.

    Dated: April 20, 2015.
Mark A. Gabriel,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2015-09938 Filed 4-27-15; 8:45 am]
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