[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 21 (Wednesday, January 31, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6111-6112]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-01904]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 13123-031]


Eagle Crest Energy Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Assessment

    On October 12, 2022, Eagle Crest Energy Company filed an 
application to revise the project boundary to remove the Red Bluff 
Substation from the project boundary and relocate a portion of the 
transmission line for the unconstructed Eagle Mountain Pumped Storage 
Project No. 13123. The project would be located at an inactive mine in 
Riverside County, California, near the town of Desert Center. The 
project will occupy private lands and approximately 699.2 acres of 
Federal land under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior 
(Interior) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The project boundary 
amendment pertains to the transmission line portion and its tie-in to 
the Red Bluff substation.
    The Commission issued a public notice of the amendment application 
on March 16, 2023, with protests, comments, and motions to intervene 
due to be filed by April 17, 2023. In response to the public notice, 
Commission staff received comments concerning the potential 
environmental effects of the proposed license amendment on resources in 
the area, including endangered species.
    This notice identifies Commission staff's intention to prepare an 
environmental assessment (EA) for the project. The planned schedule for 
the completion of the EA is July 2024.\1\ Revisions to the schedule may 
be made as appropriate. The EA will be issued and made available for 
review by all interested parties. All comments filed on the EA will be 
reviewed by staff and considered in the Commission's final decision on 
the proceeding.
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    \1\ 42 U.S.C. 4336a(g)(1)(B) requires lead Federal agencies to 
complete EAs within 1 year of the agency's decision to prepare an 
EA.
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    With this notice, the Commission is inviting Federal, State, local, 
and Tribal agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with 
respect to environmental issues affected by the proposal to cooperate 
in the preparation of the EA planned to be issued July 2024. Agencies 
wishing to cooperate, or further discuss the benefits, 
responsibilities, and obligations of the cooperating agency role, 
should contact staff listed at the bottom of this notice by February 
15, 2024. Cooperating agencies should note the Commission's policy that 
agencies that cooperate in the preparation of any environmental 
document cannot also intervene. See 94 FERC ] 61,076 (2001).
    The Commission's Office of Public Participation (OPP) supports 
meaningful public engagement and participation in Commission 
proceedings. OPP can help members of the public, including landowners, 
environmental justice communities, Tribal members, and others to access 
publicly available information and navigate Commission processes. For 
public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as 
interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, the public is 
encouraged to contact OPP at (202) 502-6595 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#410e111101272433226f262e37"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c689969686a0a3b4a5e8a1a9b0">[email protected]</span></a>.

[[Page 6112]]

    Any questions regarding this notice may be directed to Shawn Halerz 
at (202) 502-6360 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#50033831273e7e18313c35222a10363522337e373f26"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bae9d2dbcdd494f2dbd6dfc8c0fadcdfc8d994ddd5cc">[email protected]</span></a>.

    Dated: January 25, 2024.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-01904 Filed 1-30-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


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