|
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Also, please visit our |
 |
Draft Programmatic EIS Now Available
The West-Wide Energy Corridor Draft Programmatic EIS was released on November 8, 2007, and is now available for downloading or browsing online. Draft PEIS maps of proposed Section 368 energy corridors are also available. See the Agency Press Release.
For more information, see the West-wide Energy Corridor Programmatic EIS Information Center at:
Schedule for Draft PEIS Comment Submittal
The public comment period opened November 10, 2007 and will continue until Thursday, February 14, 2008. All comments received or postmarked by Thursday, February 14, 2008 will be considered. Comments received or postmarked after that date will be considered to the extent practicable. Written and electronic (i.e., by facsimile or Web) comments will be given equal weight by the Agencies.
Public Meetings
Public meetings for the West-wide Energy Corridor Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) will be held in January and February, 2008.
The U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, and the U.S. Department of Defense (the Agencies) will hold public meetings to obtain comments on the draft PEIS in eleven western states in January and February, 2008. Transcripts of the public meetings will be available for downloading and browsing when they are published.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008, Sacramento CA
California Energy Commission
1516 Ninth Street
Sacramento CA
(916)654-42920
Map/Directions
Thursday, January 10, 2008, Ontario CA
Ayres Hotel & Suites
1945 East Holt Blvd.
Ontario CA
(909) 390-7778
Background
The National Energy Policy Act of 2005 requires the United States Department of Energy (DOE), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and U.S. Forest Service (USFS), in cooperation with the Departments of Commerce and Defense, to designate new right-of-way corridors on federal lands for electricity transmission and distribution facilities, and oil, gas, and hydrogen pipelines. The DOE, BLM, and USFS will prepare a West-wide Energy Corridor Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to evaluate issues associated with designation of energy corridors on federal lands in eleven Western states (see map). Public scoping meetings for the West-wide Energy Corridor PEIS were held in California on November 1, 2005, and the public scoping comment period ended November 28, 2005. Based upon the information and analyses developed in the PEIS, each federal Agency would amend its respective land use plans by designating appropriate energy corridors. More information about the West-wide Energy Corridor PEIS is available on the website: http://corridoreis.anl.gov/index.cfm.
On November 10, 2005, because of the substantial energy-related information developed through the Energy Commission's 2005 Integrated Energy Policy Report proceedings, including the Strategic Transmission Investment Plan, the State of California Resources Agency requested that the Energy Commission represent California in the federal PEIS effort. In this role, the Energy Commission will ensure that the state's energy and infrastructure needs, renewable generation policy goals, and environmental concerns are considered in the PEIS.
The Energy Commission then notified cities, counties, investor-owned and municipal utilities, and several state agencies of the need to submit scoping comments on the PEIS. On December 12, 2005, the BLM and DOE designated the Energy Commission as a Cooperating Agency.
Since that time, the Energy Commission has been working with an interagency team of federal and state agencies to review proposals to designate new and/or expand existing energy corridors and to examine alternatives to these corridors on federal lands in California.
Overview
Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-58)
Section 368
- Mandated by Congress
- No later than August 8, 2007, complete Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for 11 Western States
- Consult with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, states, tribes or local governments, affected utility industries, and other interested parties
- Requisite actions by agencies
- Designate corridors for oil, gas, and hydrogen pipelines, and electricity transmission and distribution facilities on federal lands in 11 Western States
- Perform any environmental reviews required to complete corridor designation
- Incorporate designated corridors into relevant agency land use plans
- Ongoing responsibilities
- Ensure additional corridors on federal lands are promptly identified and designated as necessary
- Expedite applications to construct or modify facilities within such corridors, taking into account prior analyses and environmental reviews
- Scoping period
- Public comment period ended on November 28, 2005
- Two public meetings held in Sacramento on November 1, 2005
- Webpage for PEIS is http://corridoreis/anl.gov/
- Contractor for PEIS is Argonne National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy
- Draft PEIS schedule
- Draft PEIS to be issued in September or October of 2006
- Will consider comments on Draft PEIS in preparing Final EIS
- PEIS leads
- Department of Energy and BLM are co-lead federal agencies
- Forest Service will be a cooperating agency
- California Energy Commission is a cooperating agency
- BLM and Energy Commission have formed an interagency federal and state team
For more information, please contact:
|
Duane Marti Bureau of Land Management, CA-930 2800 Cottage Way, Suite W-1834 Sacramento, CA 95825-1886 916-978-4675 dmarti@ca.blm.gov |
Jim Bartridge California Energy Commission, MS-46 1516 Ninth Street Sacramento, CA 95814-5504 916-654-4169 jbartrid@energy.state.ca.us |