| Announcements and Notices |
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| Meetings of the Siting Council |
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September 26, 2008
9:00 AM
City of Tigard Water District
8777 SW Burnham
Tigard, Oregon
Meeting Minutes
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| Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line - Notice of Intent |
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The Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) received a Notice of Intent (NOI) from Idaho Power Company (Idaho Power) onAugust 28, 2008 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 the power plant near Boardman, Oregon and the planned Hemingway substation near Murphy, Idaho. The proposed transmission line will cross 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). Idaho Power intends to follow this NOI with an Application for Site Certificate in early 2009. In addition to the EFSC process, there will be a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The NEPA process is required for any proposed action on federally-managed lands. Approximately 86 percent of lands in the proposed project are privately owned, 11 percent are administered by the BLM, two percent are national forest managed by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and one percent is state and other lands.
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 (including maps showing the preliminary route)
ODOE, Idaho Power and BLM have established a joint project website at www.boardmantoheminway.com.
To see or print a copy of NOI, visit the project Web site and follow the links to the ODOE-EFSC page, or click here.
Printed copies of the NOI are available for public review at the ODOE office in Salem, Oregon and at the following public libraries in
In Idaho - Boise and Nampa
In Oregon : Ontario, Baker City, La Grande, Pendleton and Boardman
Exact Route Subject to Change
The route described in the NOI is subject change, as the applicant does additional field work and receives comments from the public.
Public Information Meetings
ODOE and the BLM will hold joint public meetings in mid-October.
The dates and exact locations are to be determined. However, meetings will be held in these cities:
In Oregon – Ontario, Baker City, Lagrande, Pendleton and Boardman
In Idaho -- Marsing
ODOE will issue notice of these meetings and will post the dates and addresses on this website and on the joint project website as soon as they are scheduled.
To comment on the NOI
You can comment either to ODOE, the federal Bureau of Land Management, or both. You can comment on the NOI :
- orally at public information meetings,
- electronically through the project website (www.boardmantohemingway.com), or
- via e-mail, via U.S. Postal mail or by fax (see BLM and ODOE contact information below).
To be most useful for the analysis, please submit comments by November 14, 2008.
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 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 agencies and proponent have of addressing them.
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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.
The Department has issued a public notice on the proposed facility. The Department has scheduled a public informational meeting about this project and the site certificate process.
Public Notice on the Notice of Intent [44 kb pdf]
Public Meeting
September 18, 2008
7:00 PM
Barnes Room
Deschutes County Services Center
1300 NW Wall Street
Bend, Oregon
The public may comment on the proposed NGP at the information meeting on September 18 or by sending written comments to the Department. This comment period ends on September 30, 2008. Written comments or questions can be submitted by regular mail, e-mail or fax. The public will have additional opportunities to comment on the NGP later in the process. Future public comment opportunities will be announced on this web page.
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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| Snake River Ethanol Project - Notice of Intent |
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Snake River Ethanol LLC has submitted a Notice of Intent to apply for a site certificate for the proposed Snake River Ethanol Project.
The facility would produce approximately 130 million gallons per year of ethanol, along with agricultural co-products, using corn and sugar as feedstock. The facility would be located on a previously developed 220 acre industrial site in Nyssa, Oregon. Corn and sugar would be brought in by rail and truck, and ethanol and co-products shipped out by rail and truck. Coal would be the primary energy source used for ethanol production, with other energy sources also available, including products from corn fragmentation. The facility will operate within the limits of existing water rights, waste water discharge permits and air emission permits applicable to the site. In addition to the equipment necessary for ethanol production, the facility will include a rail loop spur for delivery of fuel and feedstock and for shipping of finished ethanol.
Notice of Intent [6.3 MB PDF]
The Notice of Intent will be available for review at the Nyssa City Hall, 301 Main Street in Nyssa, Oregon, and at the Oregon Department of Energy, 625 Marion Street NE in Salem, Oregon.
Comments and Questions
If you have comments or questions about this notice, contact Adam Bless by e-mail or by mail to: Oregon Department of Energy, 625 Marion Street NE, Salem Oregon 97301-3737; Telephone: (503) 378-8692 or (800) 221-8035, extension 226 (toll-free in Oregon), Fax: (503) 373-7806.
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| Helix Wind Power Facility - Application |
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Iberdrola Renewables, Inc., has submitted an application for a site certificate for the proposed Helix Wind Power Facility. The proposed facility is a wind energy facility that would consist of up to 68 wind turbines and that would have a combined peak generating capacity of not more than 102 megawatts. The applicant is applying for a Site Certificate as allowed under ORS 469.320(8), which allows an applicant to obtain a site certificate for a proposed facility that would have an average electric generating capacity of less than 35 megawatts.
The applicant 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. Turbine tower height would not exceed 100 meters (328 feet), and overall height (maximum blade tip height) would not exceed 150 meters (492 feet). In addition to the wind turbines, the facility would include approximately 15 miles of new access roads, a substation, three meteorological towers, an aboveground and underground 34.5-kilovolt collector transmission line system and a communications system.
The facility would be located in Umatilla County on privately-owned land. There are approximately 8,141 acres within the proposed site boundary. The main project area lies approximately 9 miles northwest of Helix, Oregon. A 230-kV transmission line, approximately 13 miles long, would run from the project substation to an interconnection with either the 230-kV PacifiCorp transmission line or the 500-kV Bonneville Power Administration transmission line west of the main project area.
The Preliminary Application is available for public review at the Oregon Department of Energy in Salem, at the Pendleton Public Library, at the Umatilla Public Library and at the Helix Library.
The Department invites public comment on the proposed facility. Comments may be submitted in writing by mail, fax or email. During this open comment period, the Department will consider comments whenever they are received. The Department will announce specific comment periods in the future.
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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| Golden Hills Wind Farm Project - Application |
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On August 4, 2008, the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) issued notice to the public and nearby property owners that Golden Hills Wind Farm LLC (GHWF) has submitted a complete Site Certificate Application for the proposed Golden Hills Wind Project.
Since issuing that notice, ODOE has learned that some properties adjacent to the project have changed hands. Also, GHWF has slightly changed the footprint of its project, so some different individuals are now adjacent property owners. For this reason, ODOE is issuing this second notice of the Golden Hills Project to ensure that all adjacent property owners receive notice.
Application Filed
The Golden Hills Wind Project requires a Site Certificate from the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC). GHWF submitted a preliminary application in August 2007. The preliminary application was not complete, and GHWF submitted supplemental information at ODOE’s request. On August 4, 2008, ODOE deemed the application “complete”. This does not mean a final decision has been made. However, it means the application is considered complete and filed, and ODOE has the information it needs to complete the review of this project.
Description of Golden Hills Project
The Golden Hills Wind Project is a wind energy generation facility with electrical capacity of up to 400 megawatts. The facility could consist of up to 267 wind turbines. The turbine towers would be up to 80 meters (263 feet) tall at the turbine hub and would have an overall height of up to 128 meters (420 feet. The turbines would be sited within 900-foot corridors, and their precise locations within each corridor would be determined by GHWF based on the wind turbine model selected and various siting criteria. The facility would be located on private land subject to long-term wind energy leases that GHWF has negotiated with the landowners.
The project would also include related and supporting facilities including two substations approximately 2 acres in size, an underground power collection system, a 500 kV transmission line west of highway approximately 11 miles long, an Operations and Maintenance building, and approximately 50 miles of access roads. On its western side, GHWF would share a 230 kV transmission line alongSandon Road, which has already been permitted by Iberdrola Renewables in connection with the Hay Canyon wind project. GHWF also proposes up to six permanent meteorological towers. The towers would be unguyed tubular structures about 85 meters (279 feet)
Overview of the EFSC Process
The Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC) must determine whether GHWF meets the applicable regulatory requirements. If the application meets the regulatory requirements then EFSC must approve the application. If the application fails to meet any of the requirements then EFSC will deny the application. EFSC can impose conditions of approval.
The steps in the process are:
Review and Comment Period: ODOE and other state agencies and local governments will review the application and determine if it meets the regulatory requirements. We invite public comment on the application at this time. (This is the step in the process that we are currently in.)
Draft Proposed Order and Public Hearing: After reviewing the application and comments from other agencies and the public, ODOE will write its recommendations in a Draft Proposed Order.
After issuing the Draft Proposed Order, we will hold a public hearing. ODOE will issue public notice with the location and date of the public hearing. The notice will request public comments on the Draft Proposed Order. You can comment either in writing or at the hearing.
Note: only persons who comment on the record of the hearing after the Draft Proposed Order are eligible to participate in the contested case that follows, or appeal EFSC’s final decision. Even if you commented earlier, you must still comment on the record of the hearing on the Draft Proposed Order in order to participate in the contested case.
Contested Case: Following the hearing and issuance of the Proposed Order, EFSC will hold a contested case (a formal evidentiary hearing). Issues in the contested case are limited to those raised orally or in writing on the record of the hearing on the Draft Proposed Order. An independent hearing officer will conduct the contested case.
EFSC Decision: EFSC will hold a meeting to decide whether to issue a site certificate. The Department will give public notice of the meeting.
Extended Comment Period
Because some new property owners were not sent our first notice on August 4, 2008, ODOE is extending the comment period to September 19, 2008. Please address comments to Adam Bless of Oregon Department of Energy at the address or email address below.
Comments must be related to one of the applicable standards. Please state your issues specifically enough so that the Council can address those issues. Note: Even if you comment during this period you must still comment on the record of the public hearing that will take place after ODOE issues its Draft Proposed Order in order to participate in the contested case or to appeal EFSC’s final decision.
To See a Copy of the Application for Site Certificate
GHWF has placed the complete application on its website: www.goldenhillswind.com. Printed copies are available for public review at:
Oregon Department of Energy, 625 Marion St. NE, Salem OR
Wasco City Hall , 1017 Clark St , Wasco OR, and
Sherman County Planning Department, 110 Main St., Moro, OR.
If you cannot get the application from any of these sources, please contact ODOE at the address below and we will arrange to make a copy available.
To Comment or Request Further Information
Please feel free to call ODOE with any questions or comments about either the pipeline or the siting process. The ODOE contact for this project is:
Adam Bless, Oregon Department of Energy
625 Marion St. NE
Salem, OR 97301-3737
Phone: # (503) 378-8692
Fax: (503) 373-7806
Email <adam.bless@state.or.us>
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| Cascade Wind Project - Application |
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On April 10, 2007, First Wind, formerly UPC Wind Development, LLC, submitted a preliminary application for a site certificate for the proposed Cascade Wind Project (Cascade Wind Project). The proposed facility is a wind energy facility that would have a peak generating capacity of approximately 60 megawatts. The proposed site is at Seven Mile Hill, near The Dalles in Wasco County, Oregon. A detailed description is in sections B and C of the Application for Site Certificate. The Department is reviewing the preliminary application and additional information for completeness.
The public may review the application at the Oregon Department of Energy in Salem, at The Dalles Public Library, 722 Court Street, The Dalles, and at the Wasco County Land Use Department, 2705 East Second Street, The Dalles.
The applicant has posted the preliminary application on the Cascade Wind website.
"Incompleteness" Letter to the Applicant [31 kb pdf]
Attachment 1 (ODFW: deer collaring project) [22 kb pdf]
Attachment 2 (ODFW: completeness comments) [33 kb pdf]
Attachment 3 (USFWS comments) [793 kb pdf]
Attachment 4 (Pacific Habitat Services comments) [17 kb pdf]
Attachment 5 (RAI #1) [22 kb pdf]
UPC/First Wind Letter (requesting additional time) [25 kb pdf]
The Department has issued an update on its review of the application.
Comments and Questions
If you have comments or questions about this notice, contact Adam Bless by e-mail or by mail to: Oregon Department of Energy, 625 Marion Street NE, Salem Oregon 97301-3737; Telephone: (503) 378-8692 or (800) 221-8035, extension 226 (toll-free in Oregon), Fax: (503) 373-7806.
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| Cascade Wind Project - name change |
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UPC Wind, the applicant for the Cascade Wind project, has announced that it is changing its name. The name is changed from UPC Wind to First Wind. The company issued this announcment on May 1, 2008. In their announcement, First Wind stated that:
"...you should notice no change in the day-to-day relationships that you have had with UPC Wind. The organizational structure and local project teams will remain the same."
First Wind issued a press release announcing this name change. To see the press release go to:
http://www.firstwind.com/aboutFirstWind/news.cfm?ID=0222c1ec%2Daca0%2D47ce%2D93f9%2Df59032009184
The Department has noted the name change, and will continue to await supplemental information from First Wind regarding the proposed Cascade Wind project.
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| Biglow Canyon Wind Farm - Amendment |
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Portland General Electric Company (PGE) has submitted a Request for Amendment #3 of the Site Certificate for the Biglow Canyon Wind Farm.
Request for Amendment #3, August 2008 [1.0 MB pdf] (main text)
Figures [5.3 MB pdf]
Attachment 1 (proposed changes to site certificate) [1.02 MB pdf]
Attachment 2 (calculations of habitat impacts) [1.24 MB pdf]
Attachment 3 (facility retirement costs) [768 kb pdf]
Attachment 4 (Sherman County setback ordinance) [828 kb pdf]
Attachment 5 (sensitive species survey) [1.81 MB pdf]
Attachment 6 (wetlands and waters survey) [1.74 MB pdf]
Attachment 7 (noise analysis) [846 kb pdf]
The proposed amendment addresses changes needed to accommodate the design of the second phase of construction. The use of Siemens turbines for the second and third phases of construction requires modifications of turbine corridors, access roads, collector lines and temporary crane paths due to the manufacturer’s technical requirements for interconnection of turbines to the collection system and stricter limitations on the allowable grade of the crane paths. The certificate holder proposes to relocate several access roads to reduce the grade and to minimize the division of agricultural fields.
If approved, Amendment #3 would include the following changes:
- Expand the facility site to accommodate the following:
a. Approximately 3 miles of new access roads.
b. Approximately 7.6 miles of new collector lines.
c. Approximately 13.3 miles of temporary crane paths.
d. Northward extension of previously-approved turbine corridors 1, 3 and 20.
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Revise the description of the operations and maintenance facilities.
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Revise Condition 52 to allow limited use of lighting for nighttime construction.
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Revise Condition 59 to address any impacts to Category 3 or Category 4 habitat from construction in the northward extension of Corridor 3.
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Revise Condition 98 to require compliance with any written fire protection recommendations from the Fire Chief of the applicable Rural Fire Protection District.
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Add a new Condition 128 to address Sherman County Ordinance No. 39-2007 regarding setback requirements for wind turbines.
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Add a new Condition 129 to ensure protection of a potential jurisdictional water (stream channel) identified in the amendment request.
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Revise the calculation of habitat impacts and the site restoration cost estimate to address the proposed changes to the facility and the site.
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Remove Conditions 117 and 123 and revise Conditions 102, 105, 108, 116, 119, 120, 121 and 122 to conform to the Council rules as revised effective May 15, 2007.
PGE has described the proposed changes to the Site Certificate in more detail in the amendment request.
The Department invites public comment on the proposed amendment. Please submit your comments in writing by mail, fax or e-mail. We must receive your comments no later than September 5, 2008. After reviewing the amendment request and considering any comments received, the Department will issue a Proposed Order on the amendment request. We will post the Proposed Order on this website. There will be an additional public comment period at that time.
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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