| Announcements and Notices |
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| Meetings of the Siting Council |
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To be announced.
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 http://www.boardmantohemingway.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
Public information/scoping meetings will be held in the following communities in October 2008 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (These are joint meetings held by Oregon Department of Energy and Bureau of Land Management)
- October 21: Marsing, Idaho (Marsing American Legion Community Center, 126 N. Bruneau Highway)
- October 22: Ontario, Oregon (Four Rivers Cultural Center, 676 S.W. 5th Ave)
- October 23: Baker City, Oregon (Baker County Fairgrounds, 2610 Grove St.)
- October 28: Island City, Oregon (OSU Agricultural Service Center, 10507 N. McAlister Rd.)
- October 29: Pendleton, Oregon (Pendleton Convention Center, 1601 Westgate)
- October 30: Boardman, Oregon (Port of Morrow Riverfront Center, 2 Marine Dr.)
The meetings will include introductory presentations at 4:30 and 5:30 p.m., plus open house opportunities. You can submit your comments for the BLM and ODOE via mail, e-mail, online comment form or at the scoping meetings. Comments would be most helpful to the BLM and ODOE if they are submitted by November 14, 2008.
Other public involvement opportunities will go on throughout both processes.
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. The applicant intends to submit a preliminary application in early 2009.
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 issued a public notice on the proposed facility and held a public informational meeting about this project on September 18 in Bend. Future public comment opportunities will be announced on this web page.
Public Notice on the Notice of Intent [44 kb pdf]
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 |
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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]
Project Order {110 kb 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 a preliminary 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.
Site Map (Application Figure C-1) [294 kb pdf]
Location Map (Application Figure C-2) [449 kp pdf]
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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Public Hearing and Request for Comments on Draft Proposed Order for the Golden Hills Wind Farm Project
On October 6, 2008, the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) issued a Draft Proposed Order recommending approval of an Energy Facility Site Certificate for the proposed Golden Hills Wind Farm (GHWF)) facility to be located in Sherman County, near the cities of Moro and Wasco. The project is known as the “Golden Hills Wind Project.” GHWF submitted a Preliminary Application for Site Certificate onAugust 10, 2007. After the applicant submitted supplemental information in July 2008, the application was deemed complete and filed on August 4, 2008.
The Site Certificate, if approved, would be issued by the Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC). ODOE serves as staff to EFSC and reviewed the GHWF application for compliance with applicable regulations of EFSC and other state and local agencies, including land use requirements of Sherman County.
In the Draft Proposed Order, ODOE recommends approval of the site certificate, subject to conditions.
Golden Hills Wind Project Description and Location
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. 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 97 approximately 11 miles long, an Operations and Maintenance building, and approximately 50 miles of access roads. On its Eastern side, GHWF would share a 230 kV transmission line along Sandon Road with the Hay Canyon wind project, which has already received approval from Sherman County. GHWF also proposes up to six permanent meteorological towers.
The project site would occupy about 30,000 acres near Wasco in Sherman County. The site would occupy portions of Township 2 North, Range 17 East, Sections 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 34, 35 and 36; Township 2 North, Range 18 East, Sections 29, 30, 31 and 32; Township 1 North, Range 17 East, Sections 1, 2, 3, 13, 24, 25 and 36; Township 1 North, Range 18 East, Sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36; Township 1 South, Range 17 East, Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 17; and Township 1 South, Range 18 East, Sections 6, 7 and 8, Willamette Meridian, Sherman County, Oregon.
Public Hearing
The Department will hold a public hearing on the Draft Proposed Order on:
October 27 at 7:30 p.m.
Sherman County Community and Senior Center
300 Dewey St.
Moro, Oregon
John W. Burgess, attorney-at-law, of Portland, Oregon, will serve as the hearing officer for this hearing. His address is PO Box 301039, Portland OR 97294.
Public Comment Period
You can comment in writing instead of appearing at the public hearing. The Department must receive written or e-mail comments by 5:00 PM on November 10, 2008. Written comments received by this date will be placed on the record of the public hearing.
Please send comments on the Golden Hills project to:
Adam Bless
Oregon Department of Energy
625 Marion Street NE
Salem, OR 97301-3737
Fax: 503-373-7806
E-mail: adam.bless@state.or.us
This Is a Significant Hearing
Anyone can comment on the Draft Proposed Order. You can comment in person at the hearing on October 27, or by sending in written comments by November 10, 2008. Either method of comment will be treated the same way and will be included on the record of this public hearing.
To raise an issue regarding this Draft Proposed Order on the Golden Hills Wind facility, you must raise your issue on the record of this public hearing. You may raise the issue in writing, or in person at the hearing. If you do not raise an issue on the record of this hearing, that issue is precluded from consideration in a contested case or appeal.
Following the comment period, the Siting Council will hold a Contested Case. You must comment at the hearing on October 27, or send written comments by November 10 in order to participate in the contested case or to appeal the Siting Council’s final decision. Even if you commented earlier in the process, you must still raise your issues on the record of this hearing to be eligible to participate in the contested case.
Comments must be related to one of the applicable Council standards. You must state your issues specifically enough so that the Siting Council can respond to those issues. Also, you must present facts that support your position on the issue.
To See the Draft Proposed Order
Copies of the draft proposed order are available for public inspection at the Department of Energy, 625 Marion St. NE, Salem, Oregon, or at the Sherman County Land Use office in Moro, Oregon.
The Department will post the Draft Proposed Order on its website at:
www.oregon.gov/ENERGY/SITING/review.shtml
Council Decision Process
After the public hearing, the Siting Council will review the draft proposed order at a public meeting. The Council does not receive public comment about the draft proposed order at this meeting, but the ODOE will report to the Council on any public comments received at the public hearing.
Following the Siting Council’s meeting, ODOE will prepare a proposed order on the Golden Hills application. When it issues the proposed order, ODOE will issue a public notice about the contested case phase of the process. After the contested case phase, the Siting Council will take final action on the application at a public meeting.
Information about the Energy Facility Siting Council’s process, announcements and agendas for meetings is on the ODOE website at www.oregon.gov/ENERGY/SITING/announce.shtml.
If you have any questions about this notice, contact Adam Bless at 503-378-8692 or toll-free (in state) at 800-221-8035, extension 226. Questions may also be sent via e-mail to 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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At its meeting on October 31, 2008, the Council approved the request by Portland General Electric Company (PGE) for Amendment #3 of the Site Certificate for the Biglow Canyon Wind Farm. The amendment addresses changes needed to accommodate the design of the second phase of construction. The Final Order describes the changes to the Site Certificate in more detail.
Final Order on Amendment #3, October 2008 [430 kb pdf]
Attachment C (Habitat Mitigation Plan) [79 kb pdf]
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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| Stateline Wind Project - Amendment |
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FPL Energy Vansycle LLC (FPL Vansycle) and FPL Energy Stateline II, Inc. (FPL Stateline) have submitted a request for an amendment of the Site Certificate for the Stateline Wind Project. If approved by the Council, Amendment #4 would authorize a third phase of construction (Stateline 3) and would partially transfer the Site Certificate from the current certificate holder (FPL Vansycle) to FPL Stateline.
As described in the amendment request, Stateline 3 would consist of two design options. The first option would consist of up to 43 Siemens 2.3-MW wind turbines having a combined peak generating capacity of up to 98.9 MW. The second option would consist of up to 67 GE 1.5-MW turbines having a combined peak generating capacity of up to 100.5 MW. Under either design option, Stateline 3 would include related or supporting facilities including a substation, new access roads, an underground 34.5-kW power collection system, an aboveground 230-kV transmission line (to connect the facility to the regional power grid), a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system and an operations and maintenance building. Stateline 3 would be located north of Helix. The permanent facilities would occupy up to 60 acres of land.
In addition, FPL Vansycle and FPL Stateline request a partial transfer of the Site Certificate. The current certificate holder is FPL Vansycle. Under Council rules (OAR 345-027-0100) a transfer of a site certificate is necessary when the person who will have the legal right to possession and control of the site or facility does not have authority under the site certificate to construct, operate or retire the facility. In this case, a “partial transfer” is requested so that FPL Vansycle would retain authority to operate and retire the currently operating Stateline facility while FPL Stateline would have authority under the amended Site Certificate to construct, operate and retire the third phase of construction (Stateline 3). If the Council approves the amendment request, FPL Stateline would become a certificate holder and FPL Vansycle would continue to be a certificate holder. The obligations of the certificate holders as described in the terms and conditions of the Site Certificate would be divided between FPL Vansycle and FPL Stateline so that FPL Vansycle would be responsible for compliance with conditions relating to the first two phases of construction and FPL Stateline would be responsible for compliance with conditions relating to Stateline 3.
Copies of the amendment request will be available for public inspection at the Department of Energy, 625 Marion St. NE, Salem, Oregon, at the Pendleton Public Library, at the Helix Library, at the Umatilla Public Library and at the Milton-Freewater Public Library. The links below include the main text of the amendment request, description of the proposed Stateline 3 facilities and maps of the project area.
Request for Amendment #4 (main text) [416 kb pdf]
Exhibit B (facility description) [625 kb pdf]
Exhibit C (maps) [2.79 MB pdf]
The Stateline Wind Project is located in Umatilla County, north of Helix, Oregon. The project consists of 186 operating wind turbines, as described above, having a combined peak generating capacity of approximately 123 MW. An additional portion of the Stateline project is located in Walla Walla County, Washington. The Washington portion of the project is not within Council jurisdiction and is not covered by the Site Certificate.
The Council issued a Site Certificate for the Stateline Wind Project in September 2001. The first phase of construction was completed in December 2001 and consists of 126 wind turbines, each having a generating capacity of 0.66 megawatts (MW). The Council approved an amendment of the Site Certificate in May 2002 for the second phase of construction. The second phase of construction was completed in December 2004 and consists of 60 wind turbines, each having a generating capacity of 0.66 MW. The Council approved an amendment of the Site Certificate in June 2003 for a third phase of construction. The third phase (consisting of up to 279 wind turbines, each having a generating capacity of 0.66 MW) was never built, and the construction deadline specified in the Site Certificate has expired. The Request for Amendment #4 proposes a reconfiguration of the third phase of construction (Stateline 3).
Earlier Request Withdrawn
This Request for Amendment #4 replaces an amendment request submitted in December 2006. The earlier request was withdrawn without action by the Council.
Request for Public Comments
The Department invites public comment on the proposed amendment. Comments may be submitted in writing by mail, fax or email (see address and contact information below). Comments must be received no later than December 19, 2008.
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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