Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 169 / Friday, September 1, 2023 / Notices 60529 

DATES section of this notice. Federal, 

state, and local agencies and Native 

American Tribes are also invited to 

provide comments. Information about 

this project is available on the TVA web 

page at www.tva.gov/nepa, including a 

link to an online public comment page. 

Any comments received, including 

names and addresses, will become part 

of the administrative record and will be 

available for public inspection. 

After consideration of comments 

received during the scoping period, 

TVA will develop a scoping document 

that will summarize public and agency 

comments that were received and 

identify the schedule for completing the 

EIS process. Following analysis of the 

resources and issues, TVA will prepare 

a draft EIS for public review and 

comment tentatively scheduled for fall 

2024; the final EIS and decision is 

tentatively scheduled for completion in 

early 2025. In finalizing the EIS and in 

making its final decision, TVA will 

consider the comments that it receives 

on the draft EIS. 

Authority: 40 CFR 1501.9. 

Rebecca Tolene, 

Vice President, Environment and 

Sustainability. 

[FR Doc. 2023–18756 Filed 8–31–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8120–08–P 

TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY 

Hillsboro III Solar Project 

AGENCY: Tennessee Valley Authority. 

ACTION: Notice of intent. 

SUMMARY: The Tennessee Valley 

Authority (TVA) intends to prepare an 

environmental impact statement (EIS) 

for the purchase of electricity generated 

by the proposed Hillsboro III Solar 

Project in Lawrence County, Alabama. 

The EIS will assess the potential 

environmental effects of constructing, 

operating, and maintaining the 

proposed 200-megawatt (MW) 

alternating current (AC) solar facility. 

The proposed 200 MW AC solar facility 

would occupy approximately 1,500 

acres of the 3,761-acre Project Study 

Area. Public comments are invited 

concerning the scope of the EIS, 

alternatives being considered, and 

environmental issues that should be 

addressed as a part of this EIS. TVA is 

also requesting data, information, and 

analysis relevant to the proposed action 

from the public; affected federal, state, 

tribal, and local governments, agencies, 

and offices; the scientific community; 

industry; or any other interested party. 

DATES: The public scoping period begins 

with the publication of this Notice of 

Intent in the Federal Register. To ensure 

consideration, comments must be 

postmarked, emailed, or submitted 

online no later than October 2, 2023. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments should 

be sent to Elizabeth Smith, NEPA 

Specialist, Tennessee Valley Authority, 

400 West Summit Hill Drive, WT 11B, 

Knoxville, Tennessee 37902. Comments 

may be submitted online at: 

www.tva.gov/nepa, or by email to nepa@

tva.gov. Please note that TVA 

encourages comments submitted 

electronically. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Elizabeth Smith by email at esmith14@

tva.gov, by phone at (865) 632–3053, or 

by mail at the address above. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

notice is provided in accordance with 

the Council on Environmental Quality’s 

Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 to 1508) 

and TVA’s procedures for implementing 

the NEPA (18 CFR 1318). TVA is an 

agency and instrumentality of the 

United States, established by an act of 

Congress in 1933, to foster the social 

and economic welfare of the people of 

the Tennessee Valley region and to 

promote the proper use and 

conservation of the region’s natural 

resources. One component of this 

mission is the generation, transmission, 

and sale of reliable and affordable 

electric energy. 

Background 

In June 2019, TVA completed the 

final 2019 Integrated Resource Plan 

(IRP) and associated EIS. The IRP is a 

comprehensive study of how TVA will 

meet the demand for electricity in its 

service territory over the next 20 years. 

The 2019 IRP recommends solar 

expansion and anticipates growth in all 

scenarios analyzed, with most scenarios 

anticipating 5,000–8,000 MW and one 

anticipating up to 14,000 MW by 2038. 

Customer demand for cleaner energy 

prompted TVA to release a Request for 

Proposal (RFP) for renewable energy 

resources (2022 Carbon-Free RFP). 

TVA is considering entering into a 

Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with 

Urban Grid Solar to purchase 200 MW 

AC of power generated by the proposed 

Hillsboro III Solar Project, hereafter 

referred to as the Project. The proposed 

200 MW AC solar facility would occupy 

approximately 1,500 acres of the 3,761- 

acre Project Study Area which is located 

entirely in Lawrence County, Alabama. 

The project site is north of Wheeler, 

Alabama along US Highway 72 

Alternate between Courtland and 

Hillsboro, Alabama. The project site is 

mostly farmland with areas of woody 

wetlands, deciduous forest, and hay/ 

pasture. The land surplus is to 

accommodate relocating the array if any 

areas need to be avoided as a result of 

the NEPA review. A map showing the 

project site is available at www.tva.gov/ 

nepa. 

Preliminary Proposed Action and 

Alternatives 

In addition to a No Action 

Alternative, TVA will evaluate the 

action alternative of purchasing power 

from the proposed Hillsboro III Solar 

Project under the terms of a PPA. In 

evaluating alternatives, TVA considered 

other solar proposals, prior to selecting 

the Hillsboro III site for further 

evaluation. Part of the screening process 

included a review of transmission 

options, including key connection 

points to TVA’s transmission system. 

The Hillsboro site stood out as a viable 

option for connectivity. Environmental 

and cultural considerations are also 

included in TVA’s screening. For the 

proposed site, the solar developer plans 

to consider the establishment of an 

alternative footprint so that impacts to 

cultural and/or biological resources 

could be avoided. The EIS will also 

evaluate ways to mitigate impacts that 

cannot be avoided. The description and 

analysis of these alternatives in the EIS 

will inform decision makers, other 

agencies, and the public about the 

potential for environmental impacts 

associated with the proposed solar 

facility. TVA solicits comments on 

whether there are other alternatives that 

should be assessed in the EIS. 

Project Purpose and Need 

The Hillsboro III Solar Project that 

was submitted as a result of TVA’s 2022 

Carbon-Free RFP will help TVA meet 

immediate needs for additional 

renewable generating capacity in 

response to customer demands and 

fulfill the renewable energy goals 

established in the 2019 IRP. To meet 

these goals, public scoping is integral to 

the process for implementing NEPA and 

ensures that (1) issues are identified 

early and properly studied, (2) issues of 

little significance do not consume 

substantial time and effort, and (3) the 

analysis of identified issues is thorough 

and balanced. This EIS will identify the 

purpose and need of the project and will 

contain descriptions of the existing 

environmental and socioeconomic 

resources within the area that could be 

affected by the proposed solar facility, 

including the documented historical, 

cultural, and environmental resources. 

Evaluation of potential environmental 

impacts to these resources will include, 

but not be limited to, air quality and 

greenhouse gas emissions, surface 


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60530 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 169 / Friday, September 1, 2023 / Notices 

water, groundwater, wetlands, 

floodplains, vegetation, wildlife, 

threatened and endangered species, 

land use, natural areas and parks and 

recreation, geology, soils, prime 

farmland, visual resources, noise, 

cultural resources, socioeconomics and 

environmental justice, solid and 

hazardous waste, public and 

occupational health and safety, utilities, 

and transportation. 

Based on a preliminary evaluation of 

these resources, potential impacts to 

vegetation and wildlife due to the 

conversion of deciduous forest of 

various ages to early maintained grassdominated fields may occur. Impacts to 

water resources would likely be minor 

with the use of best management 

practices and avoidance of siting project 

components in or near streams, 

wetlands, and riparian areas to the 

extent feasible. Land use would be 

impacted by the conversion of farmland 

to industrial use and the elimination of 

current farming operations. This would 

also result in visual impacts. Beneficial 

impacts are expected by facilitating the 

development of renewable energy and 

thereby increasing local job 

opportunities, as well as improving 

regional air quality and reducing carbon 

emissions. The EIS will analyze 

measures that would avoid, minimize, 

or mitigate environmental effects. The 

final range of issues to be addressed in 

the environmental review will be 

determined, in part, from scoping 

comments received. 

Request for Identification of Potential 

Alternatives, Information, and 

Analyses Relevant to the Proposed 

Action 

Public scoping is integral to the 

process for implementing NEPA and 

ensures that issues are identified early 

and properly studied, issues of little 

significance do not consume substantial 

time and effort, and the analysis of those 

issues is thorough and balanced. The 

final range of issues to be addressed in 

the environmental review will be 

determined, in part, from scoping 

comments received. TVA is particularly 

interested in public input on other 

reasonable alternatives that should be 

considered in the EIS. The preliminary 

identification of reasonable alternatives 

and environmental issues in this notice 

is not meant to be exhaustive or final. 

Public Participation 

The public is invited to submit 

comments on the scope of this EIS no 

later than the date identified in the 

DATES section of this notice. Federal, 

state, and local agencies and Native 

American Tribes are also invited to 

provide comments. Information about 

this project is available on the TVA web 

page at www.tva.gov/nepa, including a 

link to an online public comment page. 

Any comments received, including 

names and addresses, will become part 

of the administrative record and will be 

available for public inspection. After 

consideration of comments received 

during the scoping period, TVA will 

develop and distribute a scoping 

document that will summarize public 

and agency comments that were 

received and identify the schedule for 

completing the EIS process. Following 

analysis of the issues, TVA will prepare 

the draft EIS for public review and 

comment; expected to be released fall of 

2024. TVA anticipates the final EIS in 

fall 2025. In finalizing the EIS and in 

making its final decision, TVA will 

consider the comments that it receives 

on the draft. 

Rebecca Tolene, 

Vice President, Environment and 

Sustainability. 

[FR Doc. 2023–18757 Filed 8–31–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8120–08–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Highway Administration 

Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions 

on the I–35 Capital Express Central 

Project in Texas 

AGENCY: Texas Department of 

Transportation (TxDOT), Federal 

Highway Administration (FHWA), 

Department of Transportation. 

ACTION: Notice of limitation on claims 

for judicial review of actions by TxDOT 

and Federal agencies. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces actions 

taken by TxDOT and Federal agencies 

that are final. The environmental 

review, consultation, and other actions 

required by applicable Federal 

environmental laws for this project are 

being, or have been, carried out by 

TxDOT pursuant to an assignment 

agreement executed by FHWA and 

TxDOT. These actions grant licenses, 

permits, and approvals for the I–35 

Capital Express Central project, from US 

290E to US290W/SH 71 in Travis 

County, Texas. 

DATES: By this notice, TxDOT is 

advising the public of final agency 

actions subject to 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). A 

claim seeking judicial review of TxDOT 

and Federal agency actions on the I–35 

Capital Express Central project will be 

barred unless the claim is filed on or 

before the deadline. For the I–35 Capital 

Express Central project the deadline is 

January 29, 2024. If the Federal law that 

authorizes judicial review of a claim 

provides a time period of less than 150 

days for filing such a claim, then that 

shorter time period still applies. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Patrick Lee, Environmental Affairs 

Division, Texas Department of 

Transportation, 125 East 11th Street, 

Austin, Texas 78701; telephone: (512) 

416–2358; email: Patrick.Lee@txdot.gov. 

TxDOT’s normal business hours are 8:00 

a.m.–5:00 p.m. (central time), Monday 

through Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The I–35 

Capital Express Central project will 

extend from US 290E to US290W/SH 71 

in Austin, Travis County, Texas. The 

project will remove the existing I–35 

decks, lower the roadway, and add two 

non-tolled high-occupancy vehicle 

managed lanes in each direction. The 

project will also reconstruct east-west 

cross-street bridges, add shared-use 

paths, and make additional safety and 

mobility improvements within the 

project limits. The project is 

approximately 8 miles in length. 

The actions by TxDOT and Federal 

agencies and the laws under which such 

actions were taken are described in the 

Final Environmental Impact Statement 

(FEIS), the Record of Decision (ROD) 

issued on August 18, 2023, and other 

documents in the TxDOT project file. 

The FEIS, ROD and other documents in 

the TxDOT project file are available by 

contacting the TxDOT Austin District 

Office at 7901 North I–35, Austin, TX 

78753; telephone: (512) 832–7000. 

The environmental review, 

consultation, and other actions required 

by applicable Federal environmental 

laws for the I–35 Capital Express Central 

project are being, or have been, carriedout by TxDOT pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327 

and a Memorandum of Understanding 

dated December 9, 2019, and executed 

by FHWA and TxDOT. 

Notice is hereby given that TxDOT 

and Federal agencies have taken final 

agency actions by issuing licenses, 

permits, and approvals for the I–35 

Capital Express Central project in the 

State of Texas. 

This notice applies to all TxDOT and 

Federal agency decisions as of the 

issuance date of this notice and all laws 

under which such actions were taken, 

including but not limited to: 

1. General: National Environmental 

Policy Act (NEPA) [42 U.S.C. 4321– 

4351]; Federal-Aid Highway Act [23 

U.S.C. 109]. 

2. Air: Clean Air Act [42 U.S.C. 7401– 

7671(q)]. 

3. Land: Section 4(f) of the 

Department of Transportation Act of 


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