Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 164 / Thursday, August 24, 2006 / Notices 50051 

marked with Docket EA–260–B. 

Additional copies are to be filed directly 

with Lee Bui, Transaction Accounting 

Assistant, EPCOR Energy Marketing 

(U.S.) Inc., EPCOR Place, 8th Floor, 505 

2nd Street, SW., Calgary, Alberta T2P 

1N8, Canada and Sandra E. Rizzo, Esq. 

Preston Gates Ellis, & Rouvelas Meeds, 

LLP, 1735 New York Avenue, NW., 

Suite 500, Washington, DC 20006. 

A final decision will be made on this 

application after the environmental 

impacts have been evaluated pursuant 

to the National Environmental Policy 

Act of 1969, and a determination is 

made by the DOE that the proposed 

action will not adversely impact on the 

reliability of the U.S. electric power 

supply system. 

Copies of this application will be 

made available, upon request, for public 

inspection and copying at the address 

provided above or by e-mailing Odessa 

Hopkins at Odessa.hopkins@hq.doe.gov. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on August 17, 

2006. 

Anthony J. Como, 

Director, Permitting and Siting Office of 

Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability. 

[FR Doc. E6–14044 Filed 8–23–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Notice of Availability; Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Orlando Gasification Project 

AGENCY: Department of Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of availability and public 

hearings. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of 

Energy (DOE) announces the availability 

of the document, Draft Environmental 

Impact Statement for the Orlando 

Gasification Project (DOE/EIS–0383), for 

public comment. The draft 

environmental impact statement (EIS) 

analyzes the potential environmental 

consequences of providing federal 

funding for the design, engineering, 

construction, and operation of facilities 

at Orlando Utilities Commission’s 

(OUC’s) existing Stanton Energy Center 

near Orlando, Florida. The project has 

been selected by DOE for further 

consideration under the Clean Coal 

Power Initiative (CCPI) to demonstrate 

advanced power generation systems 

using Integrated Gasification Combined 

Cycle (IGCC) technology. DOE has 

awarded a cooperative agreement to SCS 

for a project definition phase during 

which SCS will complete a detailed 

Project Management Plan, prepare 

environmental information and permit 

applications, and perform Front-End 

Engineering Design activities. 

The Department prepared this draft 

EIS in accordance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 

(NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the 

Council on Environmental Quality 

(CEQ) regulations that implement the 

procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR 

parts 1500–1508), and the DOE 

procedures implementing NEPA (10 

CFR part 1021). 

DOE’s proposed action (and preferred 

alternative) is to provide cost-shared 

funding to design, construct, and 

operate the Orlando Gasification Project. 

Although DOE funding would support 

only the Orlando Gasification Project 

(i.e., coal gasifier, synthesis gas cleanup 

systems, and supporting infrastructure), 

the project would be integrated with a 

planned, privately funded, combinedcycle unit, which together would 

constitute the IGCC facilities. The 

facilities would convert coal into 

synthesis gas to drive a gas combustion 

turbine, and hot exhaust gas from the 

gas turbine would generate steam in a 

heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) to 

drive a steam turbine. Combined, the 

two turbines would generate 285 MW 

(megawatts) of electricity. The potential 

environmental impacts of this action are 

evaluated in this Draft EIS. DOE also 

analyzed the No-Action Alternative (not 

funding the demonstration), including a 

scenario reasonably expected to result 

as a consequence of the no-action 

alternative. Without DOE participation, 

Southern Company and/or OUC could 

reasonably pursue at least one option. 

The combined-cycle facilities could be 

built at the Stanton Energy Center 

without the gasifier, synthesis gas 

cleanup systems, and supporting 

infrastructure. 

DATES: DOE invites the public to 

comment on the Draft EIS during the 

public comment period, which ends 

October 10, 2006. DOE will consider all 

comments postmarked or received 

during the public comment period in 

preparing the Final EIS, and will 

consider late comments to the extent 

practicable. 

DOE will hold a public hearing on 

September 13, 2006, at Timber Creek 

High School, 1001 Avalon Park 

Boulevard, Orlando, Florida, 7 p.m. to 9 

p.m. An informational session will be 

held at the same location from 5 p.m. to 

7 p.m., preceding the public hearing on 

the date noted above. 

ADDRESSES: Requests for information 

about this Draft EIS or to receive a copy 

of the Draft EIS should be directed to: 

Richard A. Hargis, Jr., NEPA Document 

Manager, U.S. Department of Energy, 

National Energy Technology Laboratory, 

M/S 922–342C, P.O. Box 10940, 

Pittsburgh, PA 15236. Additional 

information about the Draft EIS may 

also be requested by telephone at: (412) 

386–6065, or toll-free at: (888) 322–

7436, x6065. 

The Draft EIS will be available at 

http://www.eh.doe.gov/nepa/. Copies of 

the Draft EIS are also available for 

review at the locations listed in the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of 

this Notice. Written comments on the 

Draft EIS can be mailed to Richard A. 

Hargis, Jr., NEPA Document Manager, at 

the address noted above. Written 

comments may also be submitted by fax 

to: (412) 386–4775, or submitted 

electronically to: hargis@netl.doe.gov. 

Oral comments on the Draft EIS will be 

accepted only during the public hearing 

scheduled for the date and location 

provided in the DATES section of this 

Notice. Requests to speak at the public 

hearing can be made by calling or 

writing the EIS Document Manager (see 

ADDRESSES). Requests to speak that have 

not been submitted prior to the hearing 

will be accepted in the order in which 

they are received during the hearing. 

Speakers are encouraged to provide a 

written version of their oral comments 

for the record. Each speaker will be 

allowed five minutes to present 

comments unless more time is requested 

and available. Comments will be 

recorded by a court reporter and will 

become part of the public hearing 

record. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information on the proposed 

project or the draft environmental 

impact statement, please contact Mr. 

Richard A. Hargis, Jr., as directed above. 

For general information regarding the 

DOE NEPA process, please contact: Ms. 

Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of 

NEPA Policy and Compliance (EH–42), 

U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20585, Telephone: 

(202) 586–4600, or leave a message at: 

(800) 472–2756. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Description of Alternatives 

DOE analyzed two alternatives in the 

Draft EIS: The proposed action and the 

no-action alternative. Under the 

proposed action, DOE would provide 

cost-shared funding for construction 

and operation of gasification facilities at 

Orlando Utilities Commission’s (OUC’s) 

existing Stanton Energy Center near 

Orlando, Florida. The project has been 

selected by DOE under the Clean Coal 

Power Initiative (CCPI) to demonstrate 

advanced power generation systems 


rmajette on PROD1PC67 with NOTICES1
50052 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 164 / Thursday, August 24, 2006 / Notices 

using Integrated Gasification Combined 

Cycle (IGCC) technology. Although DOE 

funding would support only the 

Orlando Gasification Project (i.e., coal 

gasifier, synthesis gas cleanup systems, 

and supporting infrastructure), the 

project would be integrated with a 

planned, privately funded, combinedcycle unit, which together would 

constitute the IGCC facilities. The 

facilities would convert coal into 

synthesis gas to drive a gas combustion 

turbine, and hot exhaust gas from the 

gas turbine would generate steam from 

water to drive a steam turbine. 

Combined, the two turbines would 

generate 285 MW (megawatts) of 

electricity. The EIS evaluates potential 

impacts of the proposed facilities on 

land use, aesthetics, air quality, geology, 

water resources, floodplains, wetlands, 

ecological resources, social and 

economic resources, waste management, 

human health and safety, and noise. 

Construction of the proposed facilities 

would begin in late 2007 and continue 

until early 2010. An average of about 

350 construction workers would be on 

the site during construction. 

Approximately 600 to 700 workers 

would be required during the peak 

construction period between fall 2008 

and spring 2009. After mechanical 

checkout of the proposed facilities, 

demonstration (including data analysis 

and process evaluation) would be 

conducted over a 4.5-year period from 

mid 2010 until late 2014. If the 

demonstration is successful, commercial 

operation would follow immediately. 

The combined workforce (i.e., including 

the proposed Orlando Gasification 

Project and the combined-cycle 

generating unit) would consist of 

approximately 72 employees added to 

the existing Stanton Energy Center staff 

of 204 employees. Of the 72 new 

employees, 19 workers would provide 

support only during the startup and 

demonstration phases of the project, 

while 53 employees would be needed 

over the lifetime of the facilities (i.e., 

during startup, demonstration, and 

commercial operation), unless the 

gasifier and related equipment would no 

longer be required because the 

demonstration was unsuccessful. 

Under this latter scenario, only 21 

employees would be needed over the 

lifetime of the remaining combinedcycle unit using natural gas exclusively. 

The facilities would be designed for a 

lifetime of at least 20 years, including 

the 4.5-year demonstration period. The 

new coal gasifier would operate entirely 

on coal, consuming a total of 

approximately 1,020,000 tons per year 

to produce synthesis gas. Two to three 

trains per week would deliver lowsulfur subbituminous coal from the 

Powder River Basin in Wyoming. The 

heating value of the coal would average 

about 8,760 Btu/lb and the sulfur 

content would average about 0.26%. 

Most air emissions would result from 

combustion of synthesis gas in the gas 

combustion turbine during normal 

operations. The exhaust gas would be 

released to the atmosphere via a 205 ft 

stack. 

Sources of air emissions from the 

proposed facilities would include the 

HRSG stack, startup stack, multipoint 

flare, and 6-cell mechanical-draft 

cooling tower, of which the HRSG stack 

would generate the most emissions. 

Except during occasional startups, 

shutdowns, and upsets, the flare would 

normally have only minimal emissions 

associated with eight natural gas-fired 

pilot lights. Based on 100% load 

throughout the year (100% capacity 

factor) using the higher of estimated 

synthesis gas or natural gas emission 

rates, annual emissions of criteria 

pollutants would include 162 tons of 

SO2, 1,006 tons of NOX, 189 tons of 

particulate matter, 654 tons of carbon 

monoxide (CO), and 0.03 tons of lead 

(Pb). Annual NOX emissions from the 

Stanton Energy Center overall would 

not be expected to increase because 

OUC has agreed, as part of the 

permitting process, to reduce NOX

emissions from other units at the 

Stanton Energy Center so that there 

would be a net decrease in NOX

emissions. Annual emissions of volatile 

organic compounds (VOCs), a precursor 

of the criteria pollutant ozone, would be 

129 tons. 

Under the No Action Alternative, 

DOE would not provide cost-shared 

funding to demonstrate the Orlando 

Gasification Project. Without DOE 

participation, Southern Company and/ 

or OUC could reasonably pursue at least 

one option. The combined-cycle 

facilities could be built at the Stanton 

Energy Center without the gasifier, 

synthesis gas cleanup systems, and 

supporting infrastructure. The 

combined-cycle facilities would operate 

using natural gas as fuel without the 

availability of synthesis gas. During 

operation of the natural gas-fired unit, 

emissions of air pollutants (e.g., SO2 and 

NOX) would be less than those 

predicted for the proposed Orlando 

Gasification Project. The flare required 

for the proposed facilities would not be 

required. This scenario would not 

provide a low-cost fuel source for the 

combined-cycle facilities and would not 

contribute to the goal of the CCPI 

program, which is to accelerate 

commercial deployment of advanced 

coal technologies that provide the 

United States with clean, reliable, and 

affordable energy. 

Availability of the Draft EIS 

Copies of this Draft EIS have been 

distributed to Members of Congress, 

Federal, State, and local officials, and 

agencies, organizations and individuals 

who may be interested or affected. This 

Draft EIS will be available on the 

Internet at: http://www.eh.doe.gov/ 

nepa/. Additional copies can also be 

requested by telephone at: (412) 386–

6065, or (888) 322–7436, x6065. Copies 

of the Draft EIS are also available for 

public review at the Alafaya Library, 

1200 E. Colonial Dr., Orlando, Florida, 

32803. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on August 18, 

2006. 

Mark J. Matarrese, 

Director, Office of Environment, Security, 

Safety and Health, Office of Fossil Energy. 

[FR Doc. 06–7093 Filed 8–23–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy; Carbon Nanotubes 

for On-Board Hydrogen Storage Go/ 

No-Go Decision 

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy, Department of 

Energy (DOE). 

ACTION: Notice of request for technical 

input to go/no-go decision. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Energy 

(the Department or DOE), Hydrogen, 

Fuel Cells and Infrastructure 

Technologies Program, is requesting 

position papers or other technical 

documentation regarding carbon 

nanotubes for on-board hydrogen 

storage systems by September 15, 2006. 

This information will be used as part of 

DOE’s go/no-go process in determining 

the future of applied research and 

development of carbon nanotubes for 

on-board hydrogen storage. 

DATES: Written position papers or other 

technical documentation for 

consideration by the Department 

regarding this decision are welcome. 

Documents may be submitted via e-mail 

or as hard copies but must be received 

by September 15, 2006. 

ADDRESSES: For hard copies, please 

submit 2 copies of all documents to: 

U.S. Department of Energy, Office of 

Energy Efficiency and Renewable 

Energy, Mail Station EE–2H, Attn: Dr. 

Sunita Satyapal, 1000 Independence 

Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585–

0121. For e-mail submissions, send 

documents to 


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