Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 129 / Wednesday, July 5, 2000 / Notices 41451

Resource Programs EIS (DOE/EIS–0162,

February 1993) and ROD; and

• Meeting the objective in the January

2000 Strategic Plan of BPA’s Power

Business Line to acquire at least 150

average MW of new renewable resources

by the end of fiscal year 2006 in order

to meet customer demand for new

renewable resources.

Proposed Action

BPA proposes to execute one or more

power purchase and transmission

services agreements to acquire and

transmit up to the full electrical output

of SeaWest’s proposed Condon Wind

Project. SeaWest proposes to construct

and operate this 24.3 to 24.75 MW wind

generation facility, located in southern

Gilliam County, Oregon, northwest of

the town of Condon. The proposed

project site consists of relatively flat

plateaus located in an area of rolling,

arid hills bisected by canyons. Land

uses within the project site consist of

non-irrigated agriculture—winter wheat

and cattle grazing. The project will be

located entirely on private farmland,

and no project facilities will be

constructed upon lands owned by the

State of Oregon or by the United States.

The approximately 26 to 41 turbines

will be arranged in several ‘‘strings,’’

with generally between 250 to 425 feet

between turbines in each string.

SeaWest is considering using either 600-

kilowatt (kW) turbines similar to those

used at the existing Foote Creek Rim

Wind Project in Wyoming, or larger, up

to 950-kW turbines. If the 600-kW

turbines are used, the turbines will be

about 165 to 197 feet tall at the turbine

hub, and about 236 to 276 feet tall

including the turbine blades. The

diameter of the ‘‘swept area’’ covered by

the rotors will be about 144 to 158 feet.

Each turbine will be mounted on a

tubular steel tower installed on a

reinforced concrete foundation.

Foundations will be either tubular or

pad foundations, ranging from

approximately 15 to 20 feet in width

and extending up to 25 to 30 feet

underground. If the 750-kW, 900-kW, or

950-kW turbines are used, or an

alternative foundation design is utilized,

these dimensions may be slightly

greater. Agricultural activities generally

can continue to take place directly

adjacent to the turbine pads.

Power from all turbines in the project

will be collected by an underground and

overhead cable loop and then fed

underground to a proposed substation to

be located at the project site. The fenced

substation site will occupy

approximately one to two acres. From

the substation site, power from the

project will be transmitted by

approximately two to five miles of new

above-ground lines (likely single-pole

wood structures) to interconnect with

the existing BPA De Moss-Condon 69–

kilovolt (kV) transmission line. Other

facilities required as part of the project

are access roads, an operation and

maintenance (O&M) building, and

onsite storage. Most of the access roads

will consist of improved, graveled,

existing farm roads, with some

construction of new graveled roads in

areas where usable farm roads do not

exist. The O&M building will be on or

near the project site. SeaWest proposes

to begin construction in mid to late

2001. The Condon Wind Project is

scheduled to begin commercial

operation late in 2001, and would

operate for at least 20 years.

Process to Date

Some environmental analyses have

already been conducted by SeaWest.

Surveys for sensitive plant and wildlife

species were initiated in the spring of

2000. Scoping will help identify what

additional studies will be required.

Alternatives Proposed for

Consideration

The alternatives include the proposed

action (executing a power purchase

agreement with SeaWest for up to 24.75

MW of electrical energy from the

proposed Condon Wind Project and

authorizing transmission over BPA

power lines) and the No Action

alternative. In addition, at least two

transmission alternatives will be

examined in the EIS.

Identification of Environmental Issues

For other wind projects, noise, visual

impact, influence on cultural resources,

and effects on sensitive plant and

animal species have been identified as

potential environmental issues. The

scoping process will help identify the

range of environmental issues that

should be addressed in this EIS. Maps

and further information are available

from BPA at the address above. When

completed, the Draft EIS will be

circulated for review and comment, and

BPA will hold public comment

meetings for the Draft EIS. BPA will

consider and respond to comments

received on the Draft EIS in the Final

EIS, expected to be published in mid to

late 2001. BPA’s subsequent decision

will be documented in a Record of

Decision. The EIS will satisfy the

requirements of NEPA.

Issued in Portland, Oregon, on June 27,

2000.

Judith A. Johansen,

Administrator and Chief Executive Officer.

[FR Doc. 00–16929 Filed 7–3–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. EC00–98–001]

Commonwealth Edison Company;

Notice of Filing

June 28, 2000.

Take notice that on June 20, 2000,

Commonwealth Edison Company

(ComEd) tendered for filing an

amendment to the application it filed in

this proceeding on May 31, 2000.

ComEd states that it has, by mail,

served a copy of the amendment on the

Illinois Commerce Commission and on

other identified entities.

Any person desiring to be heard or to

protest such filing should file a motion

to intervene or protest with the Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission, 888

First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426,

in accordance with Rules 211 and 214

of the Commission’s Rules of Practice

and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211 and

385.214). All such motions and protests

should be filed on or before July 11,

2000. Protests will be considered by the

Commission to determine the

appropriate action to be taken, but will

not serve to make protestants parties to

the proceedings. Any person wishing to

become a party must file a motion to

intervene. Copies of this filing are on

file with the Commission and are

available for public inspection. This

filing may also be viewed on the

Internet at http://www.ferc.fed.us/

online/rims.htm (call 202–208–2222 for

assistance).

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–16840 Filed 7–3–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M