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Sundance Energy Project

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

 [Federal Register: October 16, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 200)]
[Notices]
[Page 61160-61161]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16oc00-71]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Western Area Power Administration


Sundance Energy Project

AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of public scoping meeting on the Sundance Energy Project
environmental impact statement (EIS).

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SUMMARY: The Western Area Power Administration (Western) is holding a
public scoping meeting public on the proposed Sundance Energy Project,
Pinal County, Arizona. The scoping process includes notifying the
general public and Federal, State, local, and tribal agencies of the
proposed action. The purpose of the scoping meeting is

[[Page 61161]]

to identify public and agency concerns and alternatives to be
considered in the EIS.
    One informal public scoping meeting has been scheduled for October
18, 2000, starting at 7 p.m. at Coolidge Unified School District
Auditorium. This meeting has been advertised in local newspapers.

DATES: Comments on the scope of the EIS for the proposed transmission
interconnection and electric generating facility must be received by
October 31, 2000, to be considered in the EIS.

ADDRESSES: Coolidge Unified School District Auditorium, 800 West
Northern Avenue, Coolidge, AZ 85228. Written comments may be hand-
delivered, mailed, e-mailed, or faxed to Mr. John Holt, NEPA Compliance
Officer, Desert Southwest Customer Service Region, Western Area Power
Administration, P.O. Box 6457, Phoenix, AZ 85005-6457, telephone (602)
352-2592, fax (602) 352-2780 or (602) 352-2956,
e-mail holt@wapa.gov. All documentation developed or retained by
Western during the course of this public process will be available for
inspection and copying at this address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John Holt, NEPA Compliance
Officer, Desert Southwest Customer Service Region, Western Area Power
Administration, P.O. Box 6457, Phoenix, AZ 85005-6457, telephone (602)
352-2592, fax (602) 352-2956,
e-mail holt@;wapa.gov.
    Mr. John Bridges, NEPA Document Manager, Corporate Services Office,
Western Area Power Administration, P.O. Box 281213, Lakewood, CO 80228-
8213, telephone (720) 962-7255, fax (720) 962-7263, e-mail
bridges@wapa.gov.
    For general information on the U.S. Department of Energy'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, EH-42, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence
Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585, telephone (202) 586-4600 or (800)
472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Western intends to prepare an EIS regarding
the proposal by PPL Global to construct an electric generating facility
on private property and to interconnect this facility with an existing
Western transmission line and Western's grid in the vicinity of
Coolidge, Arizona. Two 4.5-mile long transmission lines would connect
the proposed power generating facility with a point of interconnection
on Western's Liberty-Coolidge 230 kilovolt (kV) transmission line west
of Coolidge. In addition, a 1.5 mile, 230-kV transmission line would
connect the powerplant with Western's Signal Substation. An existing
115-kV transmission line from Signal Substation would be upgraded to
230-kV and other work inside Signal Substation would be required.
    PPL Global proposes to construct the Sundance Energy Project on
private lands in Pinal County, approximately 5 miles southwest of
Coolidge, Arizona. The Project would be a nonutility merchant plant
that would sell power during peak demand periods to wholesale-only
contract or spot market customers. All economic costs of the project
will be born by PPL Global.
    The Project would consist of a nominal 600-megawatt natural gas-
fired simple-cycle peaking facility and on-site supporting
infrastructure including: an administration building, warehouse
storage, water treatment facilities, inlet air cooling system to
optimize inlet air combustion, gas conditioning equipment, and new on-
site access roads. The Project would be designed to operate primarily
during on-peak hours. The Project's water consumption would be about
600 acre/feet per year. The water source would be excess Central
Arizona Project water delivered through an existing irrigation canal at
the site, a new groundwater well, or a combination of both. The
generating facility and infrastructure would occupy less than 40 acres
of a 280-acre parcel of rural property controlled by PPL Global.
Additional proposed on-site facilities would include an interconnection
with an existing natural gas transmission pipeline that runs through
the Project property and the construction of 14 miles of natural gas
pipeline to connect with another existing natural gas transmission
pipeline southwest of the proposed powerplant.
    The Project would entail construction of new 230-kV transmission
lines and the upgrade of Western's existing Signal-Coolidge 115-kV
transmission line to 230-kV to interconnect with Western's existing
Liberty-Coolidge 230-kV transmission line.
    Because of the potential for incorporating new generation into
Western's system, and the proposed interconnections with the existing
system, Western has determined it must prepare an EIS in accordance
with the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) NEPA Implementing Procedures
found at 10 CFR 1021, Appendix D6 to Subpart D. Although State and
local agencies are responsible for the siting and permitting of the
proposed electric generating facility, the EIS will include the
analysis of effects from construction and operation of the generating
facility as part of the proposed action.
    The EIS will be prepared in accordance with the requirement of NEPA
and DOE's NEPA Implementing Procedures in conjunction with the Council
on Environmental Quality regulations. Full public participation and
disclosure are planned for the entire EIS process. Western anticipates
the EIS process will take about 15 months. It will include public
information/scoping meetings; coordination and involvement with
appropriate Federal, State, local, and tribal governments; public
review and hearing on the published draft EIS; a published final EIS;
and a Record of Decision (ROD). Publication of the ROD is anticipated
in the fall of 2001.

    Dated: September 29, 2000.
Michael S. Hacskaylo,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 00-26458 Filed 10-13-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P

 
 

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