| Announcements and Notices |
|
|
|
 |
| Meetings of the Siting Council |
|
|
February 4, 2010
9:00 AM
Teleconference meeting
Next meeting: March 12, 2010 (tentative date)
Meeting Minutes
|
|
|
| Rulemaking - CO2 rules for Non-Base Load Power Plants |
|
At the meeting on November 20, the Council approved the proposed amendment of OAR 345-001-0010 and OAR 345-024-0590. The amendments allow variable power generating plants to report and offset CO2 emissions based on actual measured emissions as an alternative to calculating emissions from hours of operation (OAR 345-024-0590(5)). The amendments change the definition of non-base load plant to allow for plants that are designed to operate at part power (OAR 345-001-0010(38)).
The amendments will become effective upon filing with the Secretary of State.
|
|
|
| Carty Generating Station - Notice of Intent |
|
The Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) received a Notice of Intent (NOI) from Portland General Electric Company (PGE) on August 26, 2009 to apply for an Energy Facility Site Certificate for a natural gas-fired generating facility to be located in Morrow County. The proposed facility is called the Carty Generating Station.
The NOI is not an application; it merely states the applicant’s intention to submit an application in the near future. The NOI is much less detailed than an Application for Site Certificate and the information is preliminary. The NOI does not result in approval or denial of any permits. It enables state agencies, tribes, affected local governments, and the public to identify their applicable requirements and concerns, so the applicant can address them in the Application that will follow. PGE expects to submit its preliminary application for a Site Certificate in December, 2009. The Department issued the Project Order for the Carty Generating Station on November 3, 2009.
Description of the Proposed Facility (Exhibit B of the NOI)
The proposed Carty Generating Station is a combined-cycle generating plant fueled by natural gas that would produce up to 900 megawatts (MW) of electrical power. The applicant proposes to construct the Carty Generating Station in two stages. Each stage would involve construction of a combination of high efficiency combustion turbine generators, heat recovery steam generators, and steam turbine generators, collectively called a “block.”
In addition to the two generating blocks, the proposed facility will include auxiliary boilers, a new switchyard with generator transformers, up to four evaporation ponds, and administrative and water treatment buildings. The Carty Generating Station will also include a transmission line approximately 18 miles long. PGE is considering two options for interconnection with the electrical power grid. The preferred option is to utilize the existing 500-kilovolt (kV) Boardman to Slatt transmission line. The second option is to construct a new transmission line which would be located primarily within the right-of-way for the existing line.
The facility will consume about 150 million cubic feet of natural gas per day upon completion. Natural gas will be supplied to the facility through a lateral pipeline that will be connected to an existing pipeline operated by the Gas Transmission Northwest Corporation (GTN). The lateral pipeline is not included within the scope of the NOI because it will be permitted, owned, and operated by GTN and is outside the jurisdiction of the Council. Natural gas pipelines are permitted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Location of the Proposed Facility (Exhibit C of the NOI)
Carty Generating Station will be located about 13 miles southwest of Boardman, Oregon, adjacent to Boardman coal-fired generating plant (also operated by PGE) in Morrow County. The site is accessed from the Tower Road interchange on Interstate 84 (exit 159). The site boundary will encompass approximately 5,000 acres, including a transmission line that extends about 18 miles west into Gilliam County to the Slatt Substation (operated by the Bonneville Power Administration). The actual generating facility will be located within a fenced area about 55 acres in size. Click here for the project vicinity map.
NOI Public Information Meeting and Public Comment Period
The public comment period for the Carty Generating Station was held from September 4 through October 8, 2009. A public information meeting was held in Boardman, Oregon on September 29, 2009. The Department appreciates the people who took time to come to the meeting and/or provide written comments. At the close of the comment period the Department had received comments from two state agencies, one federal agency, and Morrow County. There will be additional chances to provide comments to the Department and the Council during the application review process, even if you did not submit any comments about the NOI.
Project Order for the Carty Generating Station
The public and agency comments were reviewed and incorporated into the Project Order that was issued by the Department on November 3, 2009. The Project Order identifies statutes, rules and local ordinances that apply to the proposed facility and describes any special information needed for the application. The Project Order defines the analysis areas over which the applicant must assess the facility’s potential impacts. The Applicant reviews the Project Order during preparation of its Application for Site Certificate to ensure that the required information is included in the application. Portland General Electric expects to submit its application in late December, 2009.
To see a copy of the NOI or Project Order
Follow the links to see or print a copy of the Project Order (PDF) or Notice of Intent (PDF). Printed copies of the NOI and Project Order are available for public review at the ODOE offices in Salem and Hermiston, Oregon (please call ahead for an appointment) and at the Boardman Library (please call or check websites below for library operating hours):
Boardman Library
200 South Main Street
Boardman, OR 97818
Phone: 541-481-2665
Web: www.oregontrail.plinkit.org
|
Oregon Department of Energy
245 Main Street, Suite C
Hermiston, OR 97838
Phone: 541-567-3840, ext. 225
|
ODOE Project Officer for the Carty Generating Station:
Sue Oliver
Energy Facility Siting Officer
Oregon Department of Energy
245 Main Street, Suite C
Hermiston, OR 97838
Phone: 541-567-3840, ext. 225
Toll free (Oregon only): 1-800-221-8035
Fax: 541-567-6861
sue.oliver@state.or.us
If you do not comment at this time or attend any of the public meetings, there will be other comment opportunities throughout the review process. However, the earlier you raise any concerns, the better the opportunity the agency and the applicant have of addressing them.
|
|
|
| Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line - Notice of Intent |
|
On August 28, 2008, the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) received a Notice of Intent (NOI) from Idaho Power Company (Idaho Power) to apply for an Energy Facility Site Certificate for a new transmission line, called the Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line Project. The proposed transmission line consists of approximately 298 miles of single circuit 500 kilovolt (kV) transmission line connecting a substation near Boardman, Oregon and the planned Hemingway substation near Murphy, Idaho. The proposed transmission line route is not known yet but will likely cross a combination of federal, state and private lands.
Joint State and Federal Review
The proposed transmission line requires a Site Certificate from the Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC). The EFSC requirements apply on all land in Oregon regardless of ownership.
Any route for this transmission line is likely to include federal land. Therefore, the project requires an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is leading the NEPA process. ODOE and BLM will coordinate the state and federal processes as much as possible.
Note:
The NOI is not the Application for Site Certificate; it merely states Idaho Power’s intent to submit one. The NOI is less detailed than an Application for Site Certificate and the information is preliminary. The purpose of the NOI is to allow state agencies, tribes and affected local governments to identify their applicable requirements and issues of concern, so Idaho Power can address them in the application. The ODOE will also gather public comments so that Idaho Power can address public concerns as well.
To see a copy of the NOI
ODOE, Idaho Power and BLM have established a joint project website at
www.boardmantohemingway.com
Printed copies of the NOI are available for public review at the ODOE office in Salem, Oregon and at public libraries in Boise and Nampa (Idaho) and Ontario, Baker City, La Grande, Pendleton and Boardman (Oregon)
New Route under consideration and subject to change
The route for this project is changing.
In March of 2009, Idaho Power announced that it would withdraw its original route that was proposed in its original Notice of Intent.
Idaho Power has started a Community Advisory Process, where interested people from the community can help design a new route. The new route will probably be different from the original one proposed in August of 2008.
The Community Advisory Process is described in detail on the Project website, www.boardmantohemingway.com
Future Public Meetings
Once a new route is known, Idaho Power and BLM will issue revised Notices of Intent.
BLM and ODOE will hold a series of joint public information meetings in communities along the new route. BLM and ODOE will also announce new comment periods on the new route.
Watch this website and the project website for dates and locations.
To comment on the NOI
You can comment either to ODOE, the federal Bureau of Land Management, or both. You can comment:
- electronically through the project Web site (www.boardmantohemingway.com), or
- via e-mail, via U.S. Postal mail or by fax (see BLM and ODOE contact information below).
NEPA Comments
|
ODOE - EFSC Comments
|
Boardman to Hemingway Project
Attn: Lucas Lucero
Bureau of Land Management
4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89130
Phone: 702-515-5059
Fax: 702-515-5010
lucas_lucero@blm.gov
|
Boardman to Hemingway Project
Attn: Adam Bless
Oregon Department of Energy
625 Marion St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-378-8692
Toll free (Oregon only): 1-800-221-8035
Fax: 503-373-7806
adam.bless@state.or.us
|
If you do not comment at this time, there will be other comment opportunities throughout the review process.
|
|
|
| Newberry Geothermal Project - Notice of Intent |
|
Newberry Geothermal Holdings LLC has submitted a Notice of Intent (NOI) to apply for a site certificate for the proposed Newberry Geothermal Project.
Notice of Intent, July 2008
Part A (applicant information) [906 kb pdf]
Part B (project description and location) [176 kb pdf]
Part C (project location map) [372 kb pdf]
Part D (additional information) [384 kb pdf]
The Newberry Geothermal Project (NGP) would include power generation systems, geothermal fluid systems, transmission lines, access roads, operations and maintenance buildings and other related or supporting facilities. The NGP would have up to four separate electric generating units, each consisting of a turbine, generator, condenser, cooling water pumps, gas removal system, cooling tower and other equipment. Each generation turbine would produce 35 to 45 megawatts. Each generating unit would occupy an area of approximately 5 acres.
Geothermal fluid would be extracted from geothermal production wells located within a couple miles of each generation unit. The fluid would flow through above-ground pipelines to a steam handling system. The steam handling system separates steam from the geothermal fluid at two pressures, producing high pressure (HP) and low pressure (LP) steam used to drive the turbines. The spent fluid would be pumped through other aboveground pipelines to injection wells. Gases that enter the condenser with the steam will accumulate in the condenser and will be evacuated by the non-condensable gas removal system and dispersed in the cooling tower plumes.
Production and injection wells are expected to be drilled to a depth of 6,000 to 10,000 feet. Location of wells would depend on efficient utilization of the geothermal resource, minimizing interference between wells, environmental constraints and other factors. Reservoir management considerations require production wells to be separated from injection wells.
A 230-kilovolt transmission line, approximately 12 miles in length, would carry power from the NGP to a Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) substation near La Pine. The transmission line will be supported on H-frame wood poles, approximately 75 feet high. The applicant has executed transmission service agreements with BPA for long-term transmission of the project’s power output to Pacific Gas & Electric Company (“PG&E”). The Applicant has a contract with PG&E for the sale of 120 MW of NGP output for a period of 20 years beginning as early as 2010.
The facility would be located in Deschutes County. The proposed site is within the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District of the Deschutes National Forest in Deschutes County, south of Bend. The NGP would lie completely outside the boundaries of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. The total area under consideration is approximately 9,000 acres, but the project would occupy less than 5 percent (450 acres) of this total.
Update
The applicant has developed two exploratory wells under permits from the Bureau of Land Management and the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries. The Council does not have jurisdiction over exploratory wells. The applicant suspended on-site activities for the winter. The applicant continues to analyze data from the wells. Additional exploration may continue during 2009, and the applicant will decide whether to proceed with a site certificate application for the proposed energy facility in 2010.
Comments and Questions
If you have comments or questions about this notice, contact John White by e-mail or by mail to: Oregon Department of Energy, 625 Marion Street NE, Salem Oregon 97301-3737, Telephone: 503-378-3194 or (800) 221-8035, extension 295 (toll-free in Oregon); Fax: (503) 373-7806.
|
|
|
| Antelope Ridge Wind Power Project - Notice of Intent |
|
The Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) received a Notice of Intent (NOI) from Horizon Wind Energy LLC (Horizon) on April 27, 2009 to apply for an Energy Facility Site Certificate for a new wind energy facility to be called the Antelope Ridge Wind Power Project.
The NOI is not an application; it merely states the applicant’s intention to submit an application in the near future. The NOI is much less detailed than an Application for Site Certificate and the information is preliminary. The NOI does not result in approval or denial of any permits. It enables state agencies, tribes, affected local governments, and the public to identify their applicable requirements and concerns, so the applicant can address them in the Application that will follow. Horizon expects to submit its preliminary application for a Site Certificate in September, 2009. The Department issued the Project Order for the Antelope Ridge Wind Power Project on June 24, 2009
Horizon submitted a preliminary Application for Site Certificate on October 19, 2009. The preliminary application is currently being reviewed for completeness by local, state, federal, and tribal agencies. When the application is deemed complete it will be sent out for public comment. If you would like to be added to the mailing list so that you receive future notifications about this project please contact the Department’s Project Officer listed below.
Description of the Proposed Facility (Exhibit B of the NOI)
The proposed Antelope Ridge Wind Power Project will use up to 182 wind turbines and have a nominal generating capacity of approximately 300 megawatts (MW) of electricity, although the actual capacity will depend on what model of wind turbine the applicant selects. The average electric generating capacity will be approximately 90 MW. Horizon has not selected a turbine type for the project but is considering turbines in the range of 1.5-MW to 3.0-MW of generating capacity. Overall turbine tip heights would range from 300 feet to 475 feet tall. In addition to the wind turbines, the facility will include access roads, foundations, underground and overhead electrical collection systems, up to 15 meteorological towers, and an operations and maintenance building.
The facility will also include a communication system, a substation, and interconnection facilities to tie into the electrical grid. The transmission feeder line will be an overhead 230 kV (kilovolt) line and will be approximately 10 miles long, depending on which route is chosen. The feeder line poles will range from about 80-120 feet tall and will be run alongside an existing transmission line.
The NOI identified a route to a Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) substation in La Grande as the preferred route from an engineering, visibility, and environmental point of view. However, the preliminary application indicates several alternatives are still being considered for connecting the Antelope Ridge Wind Power Project to the regional electrical grid, including a connection through a North Powder substation operated by Idaho Power Company.
Location of the Proposed Facility (Exhibit C of the NOI)
The proposed Antelope Ridge Wind Farm will be located about 10 miles southeast of La Grande on approximately 47,000 acres of private land in Union County in eastern Oregon. It will be built in the area of Craig Mountain between Highway 237 and Interstate 84. Click here for the project vicinity map.
NOI Public Information Meeting and Public Comment Period
The Public Comment period for the Notice of Intent was held from April 30, 2009 through June 1, 2009. A public information meeting for the proposed Antelope Ridge Wind Farm was held in La Grande, Oregon on May 12, 2009. The Department appreciates the people who took time to come to the meeting and/or provide written comments. In addition to the five written public comments, the Department also received comments from two state agencies, one tribal agency, and one federal agency. There will be additional chances to provide comments to the Department and the Council during the application review process, even if you did not submit any comments about the NOI.
Project Order for the Antelope Ridge Wind Farm
The public and agency comments were reviewed and incorporated into the Project Order that was issued by the Department on June 24, 2009. The Project Order identifies statutes, rules and local ordinances that apply to the proposed facility and describes any special information needed for the application. The Project Order defines the analysis areas over which the applicant must assess the facility’s potential impacts. The Applicant reviews the Project Order during preparation of its Application for Site Certificate to ensure that the required information is included in the application. Horizon Wind Energy submitted a preliminary application on October 19, 2009.
To see a copy of the NOI or Project Order
To see or print a copy of the Notice of Intent, please click here. To see or print a copy of the Project Order, please click here. Printed copies of the NOI and Project Order are available for public review at the ODOE offices in Salem and Hermiston, Oregon (please call ahead for an appointment) and at the Union and La Grande public libraries (please call or check websites for operating hours):
Union Carnegie Public Library
182 N. Main Street
Union, Oregon 97883
Phone: 541-562-5811
Web: www.cityofunion.com
|
|
Maxine and Thomas W. Cook Memorial Library
2006 Fourth Street
La Grande, OR 97850
Phone: 541-962-1339
Web: www.cityoflagrande.org
|
Oregon Department of Energy
625 Marion St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-378-8692
|
|
Oregon Department of Energy
245 Main Street, Suite C
Hermiston, OR 97838
Phone: 541-567-3840, ext. 225
|
ODOE Project Officer for the Antelope Ridge Wind Farm:
Sue Oliver
Oregon Department of Energy
245 Main Street, Suite C
Hermiston, OR 97838
Phone: 541-567-3840, ext. 225
Toll free (Oregon only): 1-800-221-8035
Fax: 541-567-6861
sue.oliver@state.or.us
|
|
|
|
| Summit Ridge Wind Project - Notice of Intent |
|
The Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) received a Notice of Intent (NOI) from LotusWorks – Summit Ridge I, LLC, on May 28, 2009 to apply for an Energy Facility Site Certificate for a new wind energy facility to be called the Summit Ridge Wind Project.
The NOI is not an application; it merely states the applicant’s intention to submit an application in the near future. The NOI is much less detailed than an Application for Site Certificate and the information is preliminary. The NOI does not result in approval or denial of any permits. It enables state agencies, tribes, affected local governments, and the public to identify their applicable requirements and concerns, so the applicant can address them in the Application that will follow. LotusWorks expects to submit its preliminary application for a Site Certificate in August, 2009. The Department issued the Project Order for the Summit Ridge Wind Project on July 30, 2009.
Description of the Proposed Facility (Exhibit B of the NOI)
The proposed Summit Ridge Wind Project includes approximately 87 wind turbines (2.3 MW each) with a total nominal generating capacity of 200 MW of electricity. The total height of the wind turbines will be approximately 430 feet when the rotor blades are in the vertical position. The “hub height” of the wind turbines will be 262 feet (80 meters), with a rotor diameter of 332 feet (101 meters). In addition to the wind turbines, the facility will include about 25 miles of new access roads, foundations, underground electrical collection systems, meteorological towers, and an operations and maintenance building.
The facility will also include a communication system, a substation, and interconnection facilities to tie into the electrical grid. LotusWorks expects to interconnect the Summit Ridge Wind Project to the Bonneville Power Administration’s (BPA) “Big Eddy to Maupin-Redmond” transmission line, located to the west of the project. The transmission feeder line will be an overhead 230 kV (kilovolt) line and will be approximately eight miles long.
Location of the Proposed Facility (Exhibit C of the NOI)
The proposed Summit Ridge Wind Project will be located about ten miles east of Dufur, Oregon on approximately 25,500 acres of private land in Wasco County. Much of the project site is agricultural land used for dry land winter wheat production. The proposed facility would be built on land one to four miles west of the Deschutes River Canyon extending from approximately river mile 7 on the north end of the project boundary (Free Bridge Historical Site) to river mile 31 on the south end (Cedar Island). Click here for the project vicinity map.
NOI Public Information Meeting and Public Comment Period
The public comment period for the Summit Ridge Notice of Intent was held from June 11 through July 13, 2009. A public information meeting was held in Dufur, Oregon on June 25, 2009. The Department appreciates the people who took time to come to the meeting and/or provide written comments. At the close of the comment period the Department had received comments from three state agencies, one federal agency, and two Wasco County departments. There will be additional chances to provide comments to the Department and the Council during the application review process, even if you did not submit any comments about the NOI.
Project Order for the Summit Ridge Wind Project
The public and agency comments were reviewed and incorporated into the Project Order that was issued by the Department on July 30, 2009. The Project Order identifies statutes, rules and local ordinances that apply to the proposed facility and describes any special information needed for the application. The Project Order defines the analysis areas over which the applicant must assess the facility’s potential impacts. The Applicant reviews the Project Order during preparation of its Application for Site Certificate to ensure that the required information is included in the application. LotusWorks expects to submit its application in late August, 2009.
To see a copy of the NOI or Project Order
To see or print a copy of the Notice of Intent, please click here.To see or print a copy of the Project Order, please click here. Printed copies of the NOI and Project Order are available for public review at the ODOE offices in Salem and Hermiston, Oregon (please call ahead for an appointment) and at The Dalles-Wasco County Library and the Dufur School/Community Library (please call or check websites below for library operating hours):
Dufur School/Community Library
802 NE 5th Street
Dufur, OR 97021
(541) 467-2509
|
The Dalles-Wasco County Library
722 Court Street
The Dalles, Or 97058
(541) 296-2815
|
Oregon Department of Energy
625 Marion St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-378-8692
|
Oregon Department of Energy
245 Main Street, Suite C
Hermiston, OR 97838
Phone: 541-567-3840, ext. 225
|
ODOE Project Officer for the Summit Ridge Wind Project:
Sue Oliver
Energy Facility Siting Officer
Oregon Department of Energy
245 Main Street, Suite C
Hermiston, OR 97838
Phone: 541-567-3840, ext. 225
Toll free (Oregon only): 1-800-221-8035
Fax: 541-567-6861
sue.oliver@state.or.us
If you do not comment at this time or attend any of the public meetings, there will be other comment opportunities throughout the review process. However, the earlier you raise any concerns, the better the opportunity the agency and the applicant have of addressing them.
|
|
|
| Saddle Butte Wind Park - Notice of Intent |
|
The Department has issued a Project Order for the proposed Saddle Butte Wind Park. The Project Order contains instructions to the applicant regarding the information to include in the site certificate application. The Project Order describes applicable statutes, administrative rules, related permits and approvals and local government ordinances as well as applicable requirements from OAR Chapter 345, Division 21. The Project Order summarizes public and reviewing agency comments on the applicant's Notice of Intent.
Project Order, October 2009 [113 kb pdf]
Notice of Intent
On August 7, 2009, Saddle Butte Wind LLC submitted a Notice of Intent (NOI) to apply for a site certificate for the proposed Saddle Butte Wind Park.
Notice of Intent, August 2009
(the main content is available for download from the following links)
Exhibits A - D [97 kb pdf]
Exhibits I - O [193 kb pdf]
Exhibit G, page G-2, site map [450 kb pdf]
Exhibit G, page G-4, study areas [522 kb pdf]
Exhibit G, page G-7, land capability map [325 kb pdf]
The main content of the NOI is available from the links listed above. Full copies of the NOI are available for public inspection at the Oregon Department of Energy, 625 Marion St. NE, Salem, Oregon, at the Gilliam County Library, 310 S. Main in Condon, at the Arlington Public Library, 500 W. First Street in Arlington and at the Boardman Library, 200 S. Main in Boardman.
The Proposed Facility
The proposed Saddle Butte Wind Park would be a wind energy facility consisting of up to 171 wind turbines and related facility components (including a substation, a field workshop, meteorological towers, access roads, and aboveground and underground transmission lines). The facility would have a peak generating capacity of up to 565 megawatts. The proposed facility site is entirely on private lands located in Morrow County and Gilliam County approximately 20 miles south of the Columbia River between Eightmile Canyon and State Highway 74. The NOI contains a more detailed description of the proposed facility.
The applicant intends to connect the facility to the regional transmission system through a Bonneville Power Administration substation adjacent to the Slatt Switching Station. The applicant has proposed a single transmission corridor running approximately 19 miles to the BPA Slatt interconnection facility. In the NOI, the applicant explains that alternate corridors are not proposed because the described corridor is the shortest route and reduces impacts by sharing transmission structures previously approved for the Shepherds Flat Wind Farm. In the site certificate application, the applicant may propose adjustments to the corridor.
Comments and Questions
If you have comments or questions about the proposed facility or the Council's permitting process, contact John White by e-mail (click this link) or by mail to: Oregon Department of Energy, 625 Marion Street NE, Salem Oregon 97301-3737, Telephone: 503-378-3194 or (800) 221-8035, extension 295 (toll-free in Oregon); Fax: (503) 373-7806.
|
|
|
| Montague Wind Power Facility - Application |
|
Iberdrola Renewables, Inc., has submitted a preliminary application for a site certificate for the proposed Montague Wind Power Facility.
The proposed facility is a wind energy facility consisting of 134 to 269 wind turbines and related facility components (including substations, operations and maintenance buildings, meteorological towers, access roads, and aboveground and underground transmission lines). The facility would have a peak generating capacity of up to 404 megawatts. The applicant is considering turbine sizes in the range of 1.5-MW to 3.0-MW.
The proposed facility site is entirely on private lands located in Gilliam County south of Arlington. Most of the proposed site lies east of Highway 19, but the site includes a western turbine area west of Highway 19 and south of Cedar Springs Lane. The applicant intends to connect the facility to the regional transmission system through the Bonneville Power Administration's Slatt Substation. The applicant has proposed preferred and alternate 230-kV transmission line routes between Slatt and a facility substation in the central part of the facility.
The application is available for public inspection at the Oregon Department of Energy, 625 Marion St. NE, Salem, Oregon, at the Gilliam County Library, 310 S. Main in Condon, at the Arlington Public Library, 500 W. First Street in Arlington, and at the Boardman Library, 200 South Main Street in Boardman. The application will be available at the Department’s Hermiston Field Office, 245 E. Main Street, Suite C, in Hermiston (please call for an appointment, 541-567-3840).
The application is a very large document is not available for download from this website. The following sections of the application contain the information that the Department believes is of most interest to the public. Additional information is available at the locations listed above.
Table of Contents
Exhibit B (General Information about the Proposed Facility)
Exhibit C (Proposed Location)
Figure C-1 (Site Map)
Figure C-2 (Facility Location, 1.5-MW Turbine Layout)
Figure C-6 (Facility Location, 3.0-MW Turbine Layout)
Exhibit K (Land Use)
Exhibit P (Fish and Wildlife Habitat)
Attachment P-8 (Cumulative Impacts Study, October 2008)
Exhibit Q (Threatened and Endangered Species)
Exhibit BB (Other Information - Response to NOI Comments)
The Department is reviewing the application. Comments on the application may be submitted to the Department's Project Officer (contact information below). At this time, the application is not considered complete.
Comments and Questions
If you have comments or questions about this notice, contact John White by e-mail (click on this link) or by mail to: Oregon Department of Energy, 625 Marion Street NE, Salem Oregon 97301-3737, Telephone: 503-378-3194 or (800) 221-8035, extension 295 (toll-free in Oregon); Fax: (503) 373-7806.
|
|
|
| Boardman Power Plant - Amendment |
|
The Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC) will add consideration of PGE’s Request for Amendment #8 for the Boardman Power Plant Site Certificate to the agenda of its next public meeting. The meeting will be held on September 11, 2009 at the Hood River Inn.
Amendment #8 to the Boardman Site Certificate would remove land from the Boardman site. No new land would be added and no other changes would occur. The only change to the site certificate would be the removal of land from the site. That land would be available for other uses.
On July 24, 2009, the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) issued a proposed order recommending approval of this amendment. In its public notice ODOE requested comments on the Proposed Order by August 24, 2009. ODOE received no comments. Therefore, at the September 11 meeting, ODOE will recommend that EFSC approve the amendment.
|
|
|
| Port Westward Generating Facility - Amendment |
|
Proposed Order on Port Westward Request for Site Certificate Amendment #7 Issued - January 13, 2010
The Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) has issued a Proposed Order on a request by Portland General Electric (PGE) to amend the site certificate for its Port Westward Generating Project (PWGP). The Port Westward Generating Project is a nominal 650 MW electric generation plant located in the Port Westward area, about 4.5 miles north of Clatskanie, OR.
The Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC) issued the Site Certificate for this generating plant on November 8, 2002. This amendment, if granted, would be amendment #7.
An amendment to the site certificate requires EFSC approval. ODOE serves as staff to EFSC, and has recommended approval of the amendment with conditions suggested by PGE. ODOE issued the Proposed Order on January 13, 2010.
The review process for this request is described in Oregon Administrative Rule OAR 345-027-0070. PGE submitted this request on September 18, 2009. ODOE mailed out notice of PGE’s request to interested persons, affected property owners and reviewing state and local agencies on Seotember 21, 2009. ODOE requested comments on the application by October 21, 2009.
Summary of PGE’s Request
The PWGP facility was originally approved as a base load generating plant, with two combined cycle combustion turbine units. The original permitted capacity of the facility was 650 MW including duct firing. PGE began construction on Unit 1 in 2005 and completed construction in 2007. The generating capacity of Unit 1 is 425 MW out of the originally permitted 650.
In its request for amendment 7, PGE proposes to change the remaining permitted capacity from a base load to a variable load generating plant. PGE states that it needs the flexibility of a variable power plant to integrate the variable power level available from wind and other renewable forms of generation. The variable power plant would be permitted as a non base load power plant as defined in OAR 345-001-0010(38).
The design for Unit 2 would be either a set of reciprocating engines, or a set of simple cycle combustion turbines each having nominal capacity of 100 MW, or some combination of recoprocating and combustion turbines adding up to a total of 200 MW.
The new design for Unit 2 requires PGE to request an expansion of the energy facility site by 8.5 acres. The additional acres would be adjacent to the existing energy facility site, and were analysed for temporary impacts in the original Final Order granting the site certificate. PGE has proposed additional habitat mitigation to compensate for an additional 8.5 acres.
Unit 2 would also require additional water for cooling. In its amendment request PGE requested a transfer of 3.0 cubic feet per second of water from its existing water right at the former Trojan nuclear plant to its intake structure for Port Westward and Beaver. The existing intake structure has enough capacity for this water and no changes to it are proposed. In the Propsoed Order, ODOE recommends a finding that the water right transfer meets all requirements of the Water Resources Department.
In its Proposed Order, ODOE recommends that the amendment be approved with conditions.
To see ODOE’s Proposed Order
The Proposed Order for this amendment is posted on this website at : http://Oregon.gov/ENERGY/SITING/PWG.shtml
ODOE will mail or email copies of the Proposed Order on request. To request a copy, contact Adam Bless at the address below.
To Comment or Request a Contested Case Hearing
Any person may comment on the Proposed Order, or request that EFSC hold a contested case hearing. A request for contested case must describe the issues to be contested, state the facts that are at issue, and include the requestor's name and mailing address. The EFSC will determine whether the request for contested case raises a significant issue that justifies a contested case, in accordance with OAR 345-027-0070(6).
Comments on the Proposed Order and requests for a contested case must be in writing. ODOE must receive your comment or request by 5:00 PM on Feb.12, 2010 It should be addressed to Adam Bless at the address or email address below.
EFSC Decision Meeting
EFSC will consider the Proposed Order at a public meeting on March 12, 2010. EFSC will consider any requests for contested case at this meeting. Anyone requesting a contested case should appear at the EFSC meeting to state why a contested case is warranted. Participation by phone can be arranged if necessary. If there is no request for a contested case, EFSC will reach a final decision on this amendment.
To comment, request a Contested Case, obtain a copy of the Proposed Order, or for more information about the proposed project or the EFSC approval process, contact:
Adam Bless, Oregon Department of Energy
625 Marion Street, NE
Salem, Oregon 97301
e-mail: adam.bless@state.or.us
phone : 503-378-8692 fax: 503-373-7806
|
|
|
| Shepherds Flat North - Amendment |
|
The Department has issued a proposed order recommending that the Council approve the request by North Hurlburt Wind LLC for amendment of the site certificate for Shepherds Flat North.
Proposed Order on Amendment #1 [475 kb pdf]
Attachment D, Amendment Request Comments and Department Responses [157 kb pdf]
The proposed amendment would expand the site boundary to accommodate an alternative route for a 230-kV transmission line to connect the facility to the regional transmission system at the Bonneville Power Administration’s Slatt Substation. The amendment would add approximately 1,161 acres to the site, of which 1,152 acres are within the previously-approved site boundary of SFC. The permanent footprint of facility components would decrease from approximately 52 acres to approximately 50 acres. The 230-kV interconnection lines for Shepherds Flat North, Shepherds Flat Central and Shepherds Flat South would be jointly owned. All three facilities would use the same transmission line corridor.
In addition, the amendment would provide an exception to Condition 40(d) of the site certificate. This condition requires a minimum setback distance of 110-percent of maximum blade tip height from facility wind turbines to “the nearest boundary of the certificate holder’s lease area.” The proposed exception would apply to a corral and storage area that is excluded from the certificate holder’s lease with the landowner.
Right to Request a Contested Case
Any person who disagrees with any of the Department’s proposed order may request a contested case hearing. As required under OAR 345-027-0070(6), a request for a contested case must include: (1) a description of the issues that you contest, (2) a statement of the facts that you believe to be at issue and (3) your mailing address.
A contested case is not automatic. The Council will allow a contested case only if the request raises a significant issue of fact or law that may affect the Council’s determination that the facility, with the changes proposed by the amendment, meets an applicable standard. The Council will consider the general standards in OAR 345, Division 22 and specific standards in Division 24.
Deadline for Comments or Contested Case Requests
The Department is accepting public comments on the proposed orders. We must receive comments or requests for a contested case no later than March 8, 2010. Comments or contested case requests must be submitted in writing by mail, fax, hand-delivery or e-mail and must be received by the Department no later than the deadline. Please address comments or contested case requests to John G. White (contact information below).
Comments and Questions
If you have comments or questions about the proposed amendment or the Council's permitting process, contact John White by e-mail (click this link) or by mail to: Oregon Department of Energy, 625 Marion Street NE, Salem Oregon 97301-3737, Telephone: 503-378-3194 or (800) 221-8035, extension 295 (toll-free in Oregon); Fax: (503) 373-7806.
|
|
|
| Shepherds Flat Central - Amendment |
|
The Department has issued a proposed order recommending that the Council approve the request by South Hurlburt Wind LLC for amendment of the site certificate for Shepherds Flat Central.
Proposed Order on Amendment #1 [524 kb pdf]
Attachment A, Wildlife Monitoring and Mitigation Plan [178 kb pdf]
Attachment C, Habitat Mitigation Plan [105 kb pdf]
Attachment D, Amendment Request Comments and Department Responses [157 kb pdf]
The proposed amendment would expand the site boundary to accommodate an alternative route for a 230-kV transmission line to connect the facility to the regional transmission system at the Bonneville Power Administration’s Slatt Substation. The 230-kV interconnection lines for Shepherds Flat North, Shepherds Flat Central and Shepherds Flat South (SFS) would be jointly owned. All three facilities would use the same transmission line corridor.
The amendment would add approximately 4,834 acres to the facility site, of which approximately 2,413 acres are within the previously-approved site boundary of SFS. The permanent footprint of facility components would increase from approximately 52 acres to approximately 72 acres. The expansion of the site would accommodate additional wind turbines and related components. The amendment would increase the maximum generating capacity of the facility to 290 MW (from 231 MW) and would increase the maximum number of wind turbines to 116 (from 77).
In addition, the amendment would provide an exception to Condition 40(d) of the site certificate. This condition requires a minimum setback distance of 110-percent of maximum blade tip height from facility wind turbines to “the nearest boundary of the certificate holder’s lease area.” The proposed exception would apply to two isolated areas that are excluded from the certificate holder’s lease with the landowner.
Right to Request a Contested Case
Any person who disagrees with any of the Department’s proposed order may request a contested case hearing. As required under OAR 345-027-0070(6), a request for a contested case must include: (1) a description of the issues that you contest, (2) a statement of the facts that you believe to be at issue and (3) your mailing address.
A contested case is not automatic. The Council will allow a contested case only if the request raises a significant issue of fact or law that may affect the Council’s determination that the facility, with the changes proposed by the amendment, meets an applicable standard. The Council will consider the general standards in OAR 345, Division 22 and specific standards in Division 24.
Deadline for Comments or Contested Case Requests
The Department is accepting public comments on the proposed orders. We must receive comments or requests for a contested case no later than March 8, 2010. Comments or contested case requests must be submitted in writing by mail, fax, hand-delivery or e-mail and must be received by the Department no later than the deadline. Please address comments or contested case requests to John G. White (contact information below).
Comments and Questions
If you have comments or questions about the proposed amendment or the Council's permitting process, contact John White by e-mail (click this link) or by mail to: Oregon Department of Energy, 625 Marion Street NE, Salem Oregon 97301-3737, Telephone: 503-378-3194 or (800) 221-8035, extension 295 (toll-free in Oregon); Fax: (503) 373-7806.
|
|
|
| Shepherds Flat South - Amendment |
|
The Department has issued a proposed order recommending that the Council approve the request by Horseshoe Bend Wind LLC for amendment of the site certificate for Shepherds Flat South.
Proposed Order on Amendment #1 [507 kb pdf]
Attachment A, Wildlife Monitoring and Mitigation Plan [177 kb pdf]
Attachment D, Amendment Request Comments and Department Responses [157 kb pdf]
The proposed amendment would expand the site boundary to accommodate an alternative route for a 230-kV transmission line to connect the facility to the regional transmission system at the Bonneville Power Administration’s Slatt Substation. The 230-kV interconnection lines for Shepherds Flat North, Shepherds Flat Central (SFC) and Shepherds Flat South (SFS) would be jointly owned. All three facilities would use the same transmission line corridor.
The amendment would remove approximately 1,123 acres from the SFS site. This area would be added to SFC. Approximately 785 acres within the previously-approved SFC site would be added to the SFS site as part of the alternate transmission corridor for SFS. In addition, the amendment would add new lands (lands lying outside the previously-approved SFS or SFC site boundaries) to the facility site totaling approximately 4,855 acres. The permanent footprint of facility components would decrease from approximately 66 acres to approximately 62 acres. The new land would allow the certificate holder to reconfigure the turbine layout. The amendment would decrease the maximum generating capacity of the facility to 290 MW (from 360 MW) and would decrease the maximum number of wind turbines to 116 (from 120).
Right to Request a Contested Case
Any person who disagrees with any of the Department’s proposed order may request a contested case hearing. As required under OAR 345-027-0070(6), a request for a contested case must include: (1) a description of the issues that you contest, (2) a statement of the facts that you believe to be at issue and (3) your mailing address.
A contested case is not automatic. The Council will allow a contested case only if the request raises a significant issue of fact or law that may affect the Council’s determination that the facility, with the changes proposed by the amendment, meets an applicable standard. The Council will consider the general standards in OAR 345, Division 22 and specific standards in Division 24.
Deadline for Comments or Contested Case Requests
The Department is accepting public comments on the proposed orders. We must receive comments or requests for a contested case no later than March 8, 2010. Comments or contested case requests must be submitted in writing by mail, fax, hand-delivery or e-mail and must be received by the Department no later than the deadline. Please address comments or contested case requests to John G. White (contact information below).
Comments and Questions
If you have comments or questions about the proposed amendment or the Council's permitting process, contact John White by e-mail (click this link) or by mail to: Oregon Department of Energy, 625 Marion Street NE, Salem Oregon 97301-3737, Telephone: 503-378-3194 or (800) 221-8035, extension 295 (toll-free in Oregon); Fax: (503) 373-7806.
|
|
|
| Wind Energy Projects in the Columbia Plateau Region |
|
An updated list of wind energy projects in the Columbia Plateau Region of Oregon and Washington is available from this link. You can also get to the list from the Energy Facility Siting home page. Click on the "Wind Energy in the Columbia Plateau Region" link in the "Public Interest" section.
|
|
|
| Health Effects of Electric and Magnetic Fields |
|
EMF REPORT
A Review of the Current Scientific Literature on Health Effects of Electric and Magnetic Fields
|
|
| |
|
|
