| Announcements and Notices |
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| Meetings of the Siting Council |
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January 22, 2010
(tentative date)
Location, time and agenda to be announced.
Meeting Minutes
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| Rulemaking - CO2 rules for Non-Base Load Power Plants |
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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.
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| Carty Generating Station - Notice of Intent |
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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
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Oregon Department of Energy
245 Main Street, Suite C
Hermiston, OR 97838
Phone: 541-567-3840, ext. 225
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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.
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| Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line - Notice of Intent |
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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
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ODOE - EFSC Comments
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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
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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
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If you do not comment at this time, there will be other comment opportunities throughout the review process.
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| Newberry Geothermal Project - Notice of Intent |
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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.
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| Antelope Ridge Wind Power Project - Notice of Intent |
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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
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Maxine and Thomas W. Cook Memorial Library
2006 Fourth Street
La Grande, OR 97850
Phone: 541-962-1339
Web: www.cityoflagrande.org
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Oregon Department of Energy
625 Marion St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-378-8692
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Oregon Department of Energy
245 Main Street, Suite C
Hermiston, OR 97838
Phone: 541-567-3840, ext. 225
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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
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| Summit Ridge Wind Project - Notice of Intent |
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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
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The Dalles-Wasco County Library
722 Court Street
The Dalles, Or 97058
(541) 296-2815
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Oregon Department of Energy
625 Marion St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-378-8692
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Oregon Department of Energy
245 Main Street, Suite C
Hermiston, OR 97838
Phone: 541-567-3840, ext. 225
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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.
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| Saddle Butte Wind Park - Notice of Intent |
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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.
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| Montague Wind Power Facility - Notice of Intent |
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Iberdrola Renewables, Inc., has submitted a Notice of Intent to apply for a site certificate for the proposed Montague Wind Power Facility.
Notice of Intent [3.68 MB pdf]
Revised Figure G-2 (facility layout) [430 kb pdf]
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 and Morrow County approximately 5 miles 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 and an eastern turbine area east of Highway 74 near Cecil. The applicant intends to connect the facility to the regional transmission system through the Bonneville Power Administration substation now under construction near the Slatt Switching Station. 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. Transmission corridors would connect the western and eastern turbine areas to the central area.
Informational Meeting
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
7:00 PM
Arlington Grade School Cafeteria
1200 Main Street
Arlington, Oregon
The Department will hold an informational meeting on the NOI on December 9, 2009, in Arlington. At the meeting, the Department will explain the site certificate review process and opportunities for public participation. The applicant will answer questions. The public may comment on the proposed facility and may ask questions about the facility and the site certificate process.
The informational meeting is not a contested case hearing. Instead, it is an opportunity to ask questions and give comments about the proposed MWPF at a very early stage in the process. A formal public hearing (described in OAR 345-015-0220) will be scheduled much later in the process after the Department has issued a Draft Proposed Order. Failure to comment in person or in writing on the record of that future public hearing precludes participation in any later contested case proceeding and the right to appeal the Council’s final decision. However, any comments made at the informational meeting on December 9 do not preserve these rights.
Public Notice on the NOI [96 kb pdf]
Deadline for Comments
The Department is accepting public comment on the NOI. We must receive any public comments no later than December 21, 2009. Comments must be submitted in writing by mail, fax, hand-delivery or e-mail. Comments must be received by the Department no later than the deadline. Please address comments or contested case requests to the Department's Project Officer, John White (addresses below).
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.
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| Boardman Power Plant - Amendment |
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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.
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| Port Westward Generating Facility - Amendment |
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On September 21, 2009, Portland General Electric (PGE) submitted a request for Amendment #7 to its Energy Facility Site Certificate for the Port Westward Generating Plant (PWGP), located near Clatskanie, Oregon. The Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC) will review PGE’s request in accordance with Oregon Administrative Rules in OAR 345-027-0050 through 0070.
Description of the PWGP and Proposed Amendment
The PWGP is a natural gas fired combustion turbine electric generating plant located at the Port Westward Industrial Area, about 4.5 miles north of Clatskanie Oregon. The original site certificate was issued in November 2002 and authorized up to 650 megawatts of capacity.
The site certificate authorized construction of two combustion turbine units, to be built in two phases. Construction on the first combustion turbine unit began in February 2005 and that unit was declared operational in July 2007. Construction on Unit 2 was deferred.
Unit 2 was originally planned as a base load generating plant. PGE now proposes to build Unit 2 as a set of small generators that operate at variable power in order to match the variable output from wind generation elsewhere on the electrical grid. Unit 2 would include multiple reciprocating engine-generator sets and/or aeroderivative combustion turbine generators (“CTGs”) and associated equipment with a combined nominal generating capacity of up to approximately 200 megawatts (MW). Unit 2 will operate on natural gas. Reciprocating engines, if used, may also use distillate oil for their micro-pilot systems. The new design would be required to meet EFSC standards for carbon dioxide emissions.
PGE’s request contains some changes that are needed to accommodate the new design. These include an 8.5 acre expansion of the. Also, water for the energy facility would be provided under a permanent transfer of an existing water right from PGE’s Trojan Nuclear Plant, Certificate No. 73396, rather than under a contract with the Port of St. Helens.
EFSC Review Process
EFSC will review PGE’s request in accordance Oregon Administrative Rules at OAR 345-027-0070. The Oregon Department of Energy ("ODOE") serves as staff to EFSC and will review the request in consultation with other State agencies and affected local governments.
ODOE will issue a proposed order, which will recommend approval or disapproval of the amendment request, and will include any new conditions that should be added to the Site Certificate if the request is approved. EFSC will approve or deny ODOE’s recommendation at a regularly scheduled public meeting.
Opportunity for Public Review and Comment
The public is invited to review and comment on PGE’s request for amendment.
Printed copies of the proposal are available for public review at the Oregon Department of Energy, 625 Marion St. NE in Salem, or at the Clatskanie Public Library. Persons who cannot obtain copy through these methods can contact the Oregon Department of Energy at the address, email address or phone number below.
Opportunity to Request Contested Case
After reviewing the PGE request and all public comments, ODOE will issue a proposed order, recommending either approval, denial, or approval with conditions. Persons on the mailing list will receive notice of this proposed order.
After the proposed order is issued, any person may ask EFSC to hold a contested case hearing on the proposed order by making a written request to the Oregon Department of Energy within 30 days of the date the proposed order is issued. A person requesting a contested case hearing shall describe the issues to be contested and provide a statement of the facts believed to be at issue and the person's mailing address. The EFSC will consider the request for contested case according to the requirements in OAR 345-027-0070(4).
Due Date for Public Comment
We request written comments on PGE’s request by October 21, 2009. You may comment by letter, fax or email. Comments should be addressed to
Adam Bless, Oregon Department of Energy
625 Marion St. N.E.
Salem OR 97301
phone (503) 378-8692
fax: (503) 373-7806
email: adam.bless@state.or.us
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| Leaning Juniper II - Amendment |
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At the meeting on November 20, the Council approved a request by Leaning Juniper Wind Power II LLC for Amendment #1 for the Leaning Juniper II Wind Power Facility.
The amendment add approximately 7,962 acres to the site and would authorizes the construction and operation of up to 84 wind turbines and related infrastructure within the new area. The new area lies generally southeast of the previously-approved facility site. The previously-approved site lies southwest of Arlington, in Gilliam County, Oregon. The Arlington city limit boundary is adjacent to the site boundary. The certificate holder refers to the facility components in the new area as “Leaning Juniper IIB” (LJIIB) and the facility components in the previously-approved area as “Leaning Juniper IIA” (LJIIA). The amendment would decrease the overall number of wind turbines authorized for construction at the facility from 133 to 127 and would decrease the maximum generating capacity of the facility from 279 MW to 277 MW.
The amendments includes the option to build a new substation in the LJIIB area and a 230-kV aboveground transmission line from the new substation to the previously-authorized LJIIA substation near the Bonneville Power Administration’s Jones Canyon Switching Station. Alternatively, power generated from the LJIIB turbines would be transmitted to the LJIIA substation on two parallel, double-circuit 34.5-kV aboveground transmission lines.
In addition, the amendment extends the deadline for completing construction of the facility to September 24, 2013.
Final Order on Amendment #1 [892 kb pdf]
Attachment A (Wildlife Monitoring and Mitigation Plan) [230 kb pdf]
Attachment B (Revegetation Plan) [90 kb pdf]
Attachment C (Habitat Mitigation Plan) [130 kb pdf]
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.
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| Shepherds Flat North - Amendment |
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North Hurlburt Wind LLC has submitted a “Request to Amend the Site Certificate for Shepherds Flat North” (Amendment #1).
Request for Amendment #1 [2.74 MB pdf]
The amendment request includes the following changes to the facility:
1. The 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 operated by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). The point of interconnection is a BPA substation currently under construction next to BPA’s Slatt Switching Station. The previously-approved route (Option A) runs west from the SFN substation directly to the BPA substation. The proposed alternative route (Option B) would south from the SFN substation to the Shepherds Flat Central (SFC) substation and from there, west to the BPA substation. Use of Option B would eliminate crossing an existing high-voltage power line and a county road in the SFN area. Option B would add approximately 1,167 acres to the facility site. The area overlaps the SFC site and includes approximately 1,158 acres within the previously-approved SFC site boundary.
Companion amendment requests are being submitted to the Council by South Hurlburt Wind LLC for SFC and by Horseshoe Bend Wind LLC for Shepherds Flat South (SFS). The 230-kV interconnection lines for SFN, SFC and SFS would be jointly-owned by the certificate holders for the three facilities, and the power from the three facilities would be carried on the same lines. Contracts among the three certificate holders or with a third party would address transmission line maintenance. All three facilities would use the same transmission line corridor. The certificate holders would select either Option A or Option B.
2. The amendment would create an exception to Site Certificate Condition 40(d). 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. The excluded area (approximately 8.3 acres) and the surrounding land is owned by the same landowner, who is in agreement with the proposed exception to the setback requirement.
The Department is accepting public comment on the amendment request. We must receive any public comments no later than December 11, 2009. Comments must be submitted in writing by mail, fax, hand-delivery or e-mail. Comments must be received by the Department no later than the deadline. Please address comments or contested case requests to the Department's Project Officer, John White (addresses 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.
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| Shepherds Flat Central - Amendment |
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South Hurlburt Wind LLC has submitted a “Request to Amend the Site Certificate for Shepherds Flat Central” (Amendment #1).
Request for Amendment #1 [4.45 MB pdf]
The amendment request includes the following changes to the facility:
1. The 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 operated by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). The point of interconnection is a BPA substation currently under construction next to BPA’s Slatt Switching Station. The previously-approved route (Option A) overlaps the site of Shepherds Flat North (SFN). It runs from the SFC substation north to the SFN substation and then west to the BPA substation. The proposed alternative route (Option B) would run west from the SFC substation directly to the new BPA substation. Use of Option B would eliminate crossing an existing high-voltage power line and a county road in the SFN area. Option B would add approximately 8.8 acres to the facility site.
Companion amendment requests are being submitted to the Council by North Hurlburt Wind LLC for SFN and by Horseshoe Bend Wind LLC for Shepherds Flat South (SFS). The 230-kV interconnection lines for SFN, SFC and SFS would be jointly-owned by the certificate holders for the three facilities, and the power from the three facilities would be carried on the same lines. Contracts among the three certificate holders or with a third party would address transmission line maintenance. All three facilities would use the same transmission line corridor. The certificate holders would select either Option A or Option B.
2. The amendment would expand the site boundary to add a transmission corridor across Eightmile Canyon. The new corridor would allow shorter transmission line runs and would eliminate two ninety-degree line turns compared to the previously-approved crossing of Eightmile Canyon. The new corridor would add approximately 16.2 acres to the facility site.
3. In addition to the new areas described above, the amendment would add approximately 4,809 acres to the facility site, including approximately 2,413 acres that lie within the previously-approved SFS site boundary. This new area would allow SFC to have up to 116 wind turbines (increasing the maximum number of turbines by 39) and would increase the maximum peak generating capacity of SFC to 290 MW. This new area also includes a transmission corridor that would be shared with SFS. A companion amendment request is being submitted to the Council by the SFS certificate holder. The SFS amendment request includes a modification of the SFS site boundary to remove 1,123 acres from the SFS site (to be added to SFC), while retaining 1,290 acres within the SFS site for the shared transmission corridor.
The remaining new areas (totalling approximately 2,421 acres) lie next to the previously-approved transmission and access corridor between SFC and SFS. These new areas would allow the certificate holder to reconfigure the transmission line and would expand the micrositing area for turbine locations. These areas were included in the lands proposed to be included in the Saddle Butte Wind Park, as described in the Notice of Intent submitted by Saddle Butte Wind LLC in August 2009.
4. The amendment would create exceptions to Site Certificate Condition 40(d). 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.” One proposed exception would apply to two areas: a cultural or historic resource area (approximately 17.5 acres) and an area occupied by the landowner’s drill-rig and used for storage (approximately 18.5 acres). Both of these areas are excluded from the certificate holder’s lease with the landowner. The excluded areas and the surrounding land are owned by the same landowner, who is in agreement with the proposed exception to the setback requirement. In addition, the certificate holder proposes a general exception to Condition 40(d) where the adjacent land (outside of the certificate holder’s lease area) is subject to a separate wind development lease and the wind leaseholders on both parcels have entered into a setback agreement acceptable to the Department.
Public Notice on the Request for Amendment #1 [73 kb pdf]
The Department is accepting public comment on the amendment request. We must receive any public comments no later than December 11, 2009. Comments must be submitted in writing by mail, fax, hand-delivery or e-mail. Comments must be received by the Department no later than the deadline. Please address comments or contested case requests to the Department's Project Officer, John White (addresses 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.
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| Shepherds Flat South - Amendment |
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Horseshoe Bend Wind LLC has submitted a “Request to Amend the Site Certificate for Shepherds Flat South” (Amendment #1).
Request for Amendment #1 [5.38 MB pdf]
The amendment request includes the following changes to the facility:
1. The 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 operated by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). The point of interconnection is a BPA substation currently under construction next to BPA’s Slatt Switching Station. The previously-approved route (Option A) overlaps the sites of Shepherds Flat Central (SFC) and Shepherds Flat North (SFN). It runs from the SFS substation north to the SFN substation and then west to the BPA substation. The proposed alternative route (Option B) would run from the SFS substation north to the SFC sustation and then west to the BPA substation. Use of Option B would eliminate crossing an existing high-voltage power line and a county road in the SFN area. Option B would add approximately 785 acres to the facility site.
Companion amendment requests are being submitted to the Council by North Hurlburt Wind LLC for SFN and by South Hurlburt Wind LLC for SFC. The 230-kV interconnection lines for SFN, SFC and SFS would be jointly-owned by the certificate holders for the three facilities, and the power from the three facilities would be carried on the same lines. Contracts among the three certificate holders or with a third party would address transmission line maintenance. All three facilities would use the same transmission line corridor. The certificate holders would select either Option A or Option B.
2. The amendment would remove approximately 1,123 acres from the facility site. A companion amendment request is being submitted to the Council by the SFC certificate holder. The SFC amendment would add these 1,123 acres to the SFC site to accommodate new turbine locations in SFC. In addition, both facilities would share a 1,290-acre transmission corridor within the previously-approved SFS site boundary, but no SFS turbines would be located within the corridor.
3. In addition to the areas described above, the amendment would add new areas to the facility site (totaling approximately 4,855 acres). These new areas would allow the certificate holder to reconfigure the transmission line and turbine layout. These areas were included in the lands proposed to be included in the Saddle Butte Wind Park, as described in the Notice of Intent submitted by Saddle Butte Wind LLC in August 2009. The amendment would allow SFS to have up to 116 wind turbines (reducing the maximum number of turbines previously approved by four) and would reduce the facility’s maximum peak generating capacity to 290 MW.
4. The amendment would create an exception to Site Certificate Condition 40(d). 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 certificate holder proposes a general exception to Condition 40(d) where the adjacent land (outside of the certificate holder’s lease area) is subject to a separate wind development lease and the wind leaseholders on both parcels have entered into a setback agreement acceptable to the Department.
Public Notice on the Request for Amendment #1 [72 kb pdf]
The Department is accepting public comment on the amendment request. We must receive any public comments no later than December 11, 2009. Comments must be submitted in writing by mail, fax, hand-delivery or e-mail. Comments must be received by the Department no later than the deadline. Please address comments or contested case requests to the Department's Project Officer, John White (addresses 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.
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| Wind Energy Projects in the Columbia Plateau Region |
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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.
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