[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 67 (Thursday, April 7, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20387-20388]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-07390]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

[Docket #RUS-22-ELECTRIC-0008]


Next Era Energy Resources, LLC, Notice of Availability of a Final 
Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability of a final environmental impact 
statement.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), 
an agency within the Department of Agriculture (USDA), has prepared a 
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) to meet its 
responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 
RUS's implementing regulations, and other applicable environmental 
requirements related to providing financial assistance for Next Era 
Energy Resources, LLC's (NEER or the Applicant) proposed Skeleton Creek 
Solar and Battery Storage Project (Project). The Project is a proposed 
250-megawatt (MW) solar array, plus 200-MW/800-megawatt-hour (MWh) 
storage facility using photovoltaic (PV) modules on private lands in 
Garfield County. RUS will also use the FEIS to meet its 
responsibilities under Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act, and its implementing regulations, ``Protection of 
Historic Properties''.

DATES: Written comments on this FEIS will be accepted no later than 30 
days following the publication of the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency's notice of receipt of the FEIS in the Federal Register (EPA 
Publication Date April 8, 2022).

ADDRESSES: Submit comments to 
[email protected]. The FEIS and other Project-
related information is available at the Rural Utilities Service website 
located at https://www.rd.usda.gov/environmentalstudy/skeleton-creek-solar-and-battery-storage-project-garfield-county-oklahoma.
    All information related to the Project is available at this 
website. In addition, a hardcopy of the FEIS is available at the Enid 
Public Library, located at 120 W Maine St., Enid, OK 73701. Parties 
wishing to be placed on the mailing list for future information or to 
receive hard or electronic copies of the EIS should send an email to 
[email protected]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To receive copies of the FEIS or 
request information on the Project, the FEIS process, contact: Kristen 
Bastis, Archeologist, USDA, Rural Utilities Service, 1400 Independence 
Ave. SW, Mail Stop 1570, Washington, DC 20250, by phone at 202-692-
4910, or email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: RUS is serving as the lead Federal agency, 
as defined at 40 CFR 1501.7, for preparation of the FEIS. Cooperating 
agencies for this Project include the United States Army Corps of 
Engineers, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a participating 
agency for this Project. The following three federal agencies will use 
this FEIS to inform decisions about funding, authorizing, or permitting 
various components of the Project:
     RUS will evaluate whether or not to provide Project 
financial assistance.
     The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will review the 
Applicant's permit application, as required by Section 404 under the 
Clean Water Act.
     The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will determine the 
likelihood of Project effects on listed species, as required under 
Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act.
    The FEIS addresses the construction and operation of the Project, 
which consists of a 250-MW solar array, plus 200-MW/800-MWh storage 
facility in Garfield County, Oklahoma. The Project consists of four 
major components: Photovoltaic solar arrays, energy storage facilities, 
linear facilities, and transmission interconnection facilities 
(Proposed Action). The energy storage facilities consist of batteries, 
solar trackers, and solar power inverters. Linear facilities include a 
network of internal access roads, communication cables or lines, and a 
distribution power network for construction and operations control 
systems. The transmission interconnection facilities include a 
substation/switchyard that interconnects to the existing OG&E 345-kV 
Woodring Substation via a gen-tie line. These components are explained 
in detail in the FEIS.
    The Applicant is a utility company with more than 180 MW of battery 
energy storage systems in operation across the United States and 
Canada. Since the Applicant entered into a power purchase agreement 
with Western Farmers Electric Cooperative (WFEC) for the Project, the 
Project's purpose and need is focused on meeting the energy buyer's 
(WFEC) needs. WFEC's objective is to provide safe, adequate, and 
reliable power to its members at the lowest reasonable cost. The 
Project would allow the Applicant to provide the additional generation 
capacity needed by WFEC to achieve these goals within the service 
territories of their member cooperatives. Specifically, the Project 
would provide a source of non-dispatchable power via solar panels that 
increase capacity, whereas battery storage would provide a source of 
dispatchable power that increases the reliability of generated power to 
the grid. The pairing of battery storage with solar panels would 
further allow WFEC to meet peak demand needs without adding additional 
fossil fuel consumption to the system. In addition, the Project would 
help WFEC and the Southwest Power Pool to continue to comply with 
Oklahoma legislative declarations to facilitate the delivery of 
renewable energy.
    Two additional alternatives, the Other Action Alternative and the 
No Action alternative, were evaluated in the FEIS. Under the No Action 
alternative, the Project would not be undertaken. Under the Other 
Action Alternative, the Project would be situated on buildable land 
located east of the Proposed Action.
    RUS used input provided by government agencies, private 
organizations, and the public in the preparation of the FEIS. RUS has 
considered all comments received on the Draft EIS and revised the EIS 
accordingly. Following the 30-day comment period for the FEIS, RUS will 
prepare a Record of Decision (ROD). A Notice announcing the 
availability of the ROD will be published in the Federal Register and 
in local newspapers.
    In accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act and its implementing regulation, ``Protection of 
Historic Properties'' (36 CFR 800) and as part of its broad 
environmental review process, RUS must take into account the effect of 
the proposed project on historic properties. Pursuant to 36 CFR 
800.2(d)(3), RUS is using its procedures for public involvement under 
NEPA to meet its responsibilities to solicit and consider the views of 
the public during Section 106 review. Any party wishing to participate 
more directly with RUS as a ``consulting party'' in Section 106 review 
may submit a written request to the RUS contact provided in this 
notice.
    The proposed project involves unavoidable impacts to wetlands and 
floodplains; this Notice of Availability also serves as a statement of 
no

[[Page 20388]]

practicable alternatives to impacts on wetlands and floodplains, in 
accordance with Executive Orders 11990 and 11988, respectively.
    Any final action by RUS related to the Project will be subject to, 
and contingent upon, compliance with all relevant executive orders and 
federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations in 
addition to the completion of the environmental review requirements as 
prescribed in Rural Utilities Service Environmental Policies and 
Procedures, 7 CFR part 1970.

Christopher A. McLean,
Acting Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-07390 Filed 4-6-22; 8:45 am]
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