85182 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 207 / Friday, October 25, 2024 / Notices 

awards, respondents are strongly 

advised NOT to include any information 

in their responses that might be 

considered business sensitive, 

proprietary, or otherwise confidential. 

DOE may reject any submissions 

containing confidential business 

information. 

Pursuant to 10 CFR 1004.11, any 

person submitting information that he 

or she believes to be confidential and 

exempt by law from public disclosure 

should submit via email two wellmarked copies: One copy of the 

document marked ‘‘confidential’’ 

including all the information believed to 

be confidential, and one copy of the 

document marked ‘‘non-confidential’’ 

with the information believed to be 

confidential deleted. Failure to comply 

with these marking requirements may 

result in the disclosure of the unmarked 

information under the Freedom of 

Information Act or otherwise. The U.S. 

Government is not liable for the 

disclosure or use of unmarked 

information and may use or disclose 

such information for any purpose. 

If your response contains confidential, 

proprietary, or privileged information, 

you must include a cover sheet marked 

as follows identifying the specific pages 

containing confidential, proprietary, or 

privileged information: 

Notice of Restriction on Disclosure and Use 

of Data: Pages [list applicable pages] of this 

response may contain confidential, 

proprietary, or privileged information that is 

exempt from public disclosure. Such 

information shall be used or disclosed only 

for the purposes described in this RFI. The 

Government may use or disclose any 

information that is not appropriately marked 

or otherwise restricted, regardless of source. 

In addition, (1) the header and footer 

of every page that contains confidential, 

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must be marked as follows: ‘‘Contains 

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Information Exempt from Public 

Disclosure’’ and (2) every line and 

paragraph containing proprietary, 

privileged, or trade secret information 

must be clearly marked with [[double 

brackets]] or highlighting. 

Signing Authority 

This document of the Department of 

Energy was signed on October 18, 2024, 

by David Crane, Under Secretary for 

Infrastructure, Office of Infrastructure, 

pursuant to delegated authority from the 

Secretary of Energy. That document 

with the original signature and date is 

maintained by DOE. For administrative 

purposes only, and in compliance with 

requirements of the Office of the Federal 

Register, the undersigned DOE Federal 

Register Liaison Officer has been 

authorized to sign and submit the 

document in electronic format for 

publication, as an official document of 

the Department of Energy. This 

administrative process in no way alters 

the legal effect of this document upon 

publication in the Federal Register. 

Signed in Washington, DC, on October 22, 

2024. 

Treena V. Garrett, 

Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. 

Department of Energy. 

[FR Doc. 2024–24848 Filed 10–24–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Notice of Intent To Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Proposed North Plains Connector 

Project, Colstrip, Montana to Center/St. 

Anthony, North Dakota 

AGENCY: Grid Deployment Office, 

Department of Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement and 

request for comments. 

SUMMARY: In compliance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969, as amended (NEPA), the Federal 

Land Policy and Management Act of 

1976, as amended, and the Federal 

Power Act (FPA), as amended, the Grid 

Deployment Office (GDO), Department 

of Energy (DOE), in coordination with 

Federal cooperating agencies—the 

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 

Miles City Field Office, Miles City, MT; 

the United States Forest Service (USFS), 

an agency of the Department of 

Agriculture (USDA), Dakota Prairie 

Grasslands, Bismarck, ND; and the 

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) 

Fort Keogh Livestock and Range 

Research Laboratory, Miles City, MT— 

intends to prepare jointly, with the 

Montana Department of Environmental 

Quality (Montana DEQ), an 

environmental impact statement (EIS; 

DOE/EIS–0568) to analyze the potential 

environmental impacts of granting 

authorizations to North Plains 

Connector LLC for siting, constructing, 

operating, and maintaining the North 

Plains Connector Project (‘‘the proposed 

Project’’), an up to 525-kilovolt (kV) 

high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) 

electrical transmission line connecting 

the Eastern and Western 

Interconnections (also referred to as the 

eastern and western grids). By this 

notice, GDO is announcing the 

beginning of the scoping process to 

solicit public comments and identify 

issues, impacts, and possible need for 

mitigation. 

DATES: This notice initiates the publicscoping process for the EIS. GDO 

requests that the public submit 

comments concerning the scope of the 

analysis, potential alternatives and 

impacts, and identification of relevant 

information, analyses, and studies by 

December 9, 2024. GDO will hold five 

scoping meetings on the following dates 

at the following locations: 

Date Time Location/format 

Wednesday, November 6, 2024 ..... 4–7 p.m. CT ..... Venue Twenty5, 3796 ND Hwy. 25, Mandan, ND 58554. 

Thursday, November 7, 2024 ......... 6–9 p.m. MT ..... Astoria Event Center, 363 15 St. W, Dickinson, ND 58601. 

Tuesday, November 12, 2024 ........ 4–7 p.m. MT ..... Custer County Event Center, 42 Garryowen Road RC, Miles City, MT 59301. 

Wednesday, November 13, 2024 ... 6–9 p.m. MT ..... Colstrip City Hall, 12 Cherry Street, Colstrip, MT 59323. 

Tuesday, November 19, 2024 ........ 12–3 p.m. MT ... VIRTUAL via Webex, register here: https://bit.ly/NorthPlainsVirtual. 

If any additional scoping meetings are 

scheduled, the date(s) and location(s) of 

those meetings will be announced at 

least 15 days in advance through the 

GDO North Plains Connector Project 

website: https://www.energy.gov/nepa/ 

doeeis-0568-north-plains-connectormultiple-locations. 

ADDRESSES: You can comment on the 

proposed Project by contacting Rebecca 

‘‘RJ’’ Boyle, NEPA Document Manager, 

by any of the following methods: 

• Email: northplainsconnector@

hq.doe.gov. 

• Mail: Rebecca ‘‘RJ’’ Boyle, NPC 

NEPA Document Manager, U.S. 

Department of Energy, Grid Deployment 

Office, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, 

Washington, DC 20585. 

Documents pertinent to this NOI may 

be examined online at https://

www.energy.gov/nepa/doeeis-0568- 

north-plains-connector-multiplelocations. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Rebecca ‘‘RJ’’ Boyle, GDO NEPA 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 207 / Friday, October 25, 2024 / Notices 85183 

1North Plains will submit a Consolidated 

Application for a Certificate of Corridor 

Compatibility and Transmission Facility Route 

Permit with the North Dakota Public Service 

Commission (NDPSC). The NDPSC will conduct its 

own review process separate from the coordinated 

Montana-Federal environmental review. 

Document Manager, 

northplainsconnector@hq.doe.gov; (301) 

550–0364. Contact Ms. Boyle to have 

your name added to the EIS mailing list. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

proposed Project would traverse both 

private and public lands administered 

by various local, state, and Federal 

agencies and would require 

authorizations for the crossing of 

Federal lands managed by BLM, USFS, 

and ARS, as well as authorizations from 

Montana DEQ, North Dakota Public 

Service Commission (NDPSC), and six 

counties in North Dakota. 

The proposed Project is currently 

expected to require a right-of-way 

(ROW) authorization from the BLM for 

the portion of the proposed Project that 

crosses approximately ten miles (about 

240 acres) of lands administered by the 

Miles City Field Office (MCFO) in 

Montana as well as a mineral materials 

sales contract for any Federal minerals 

access necessary for the construction of 

the ROW, whether those minerals occur 

in Montana or in North Dakota; a 

special-use permit (SUP) from USFS for 

the portion of the proposed Project that 

crosses approximately ten miles (about 

250 acres) of lands administered by the 

Dakota Prairie Grasslands (DPG) in 

North Dakota; and an easement from the 

ARS for the portion of the proposed 

Project that crosses approximately eight 

miles (about 200 acres) of lands 

administered by the Fort Keogh 

Livestock and Range Research 

Laboratory in Montana. The developer 

of the proposed Project, North Plains 

Connector LLC (the ‘‘Project Proponent’’ 

or ‘‘North Plains’’), a wholly-owned, 

single-purpose indirect subsidiary of 

Grid United, LLC (‘‘Grid United’’), has 

filed applications with the BLM, the 

USFS, and ARS proposing to construct, 

operate, and maintain the proposed 

Project. 

This proposed Project would also 

cross state-managed public lands in 

both Montana and North Dakota.1 North 

Plains has submitted an Application for 

a Certificate of Compliance under the 

Montana Major Facility Siting Act 

(MFSA) with the Montana DEQ. The 

MFSA review allows Montana agencies 

to review the Project, ensure protection 

of Montana’s environmental resources, 

consider socioeconomic impacts, 

provide for public participation in the 

siting decisions, and coordinate 

amongst agencies and the various 

required authorizations for the Project. 

This process requires compliance with 

the Montana Environmental Policy Act 

(MEPA), which includes an 

environmental review. The Joint Lead 

Agencies will ensure that the EIS meets 

the requirements of both NEPA and 

MEPA. 

Identification of Cooperating and 

Participating Agencies 

While GDO is the Lead Federal 

Agency for the EIS, GDO does not have 

the authority or responsibility to make 

decisions on North Plains’ applications 

to BLM, USFS, and ARS. Under Federal 

law, BLM, USFS, and ARS each remain 

responsible for responding to 

authorization applications for lands 

within their respective jurisdictions. 

Pursuant to interagency agreements, and 

in accordance with section 216(h) of the 

FPA, GDO is the Lead Federal Agency 

responsible for coordinating the various 

Federal authorizations and related 

environmental reviews needed for this 

proposed Project. GDO and the Montana 

DEQ are Joint Lead Agencies for this 

Project’s EIS in accordance with section 

107(a)(1)(B) of NEPA and CEQ 

regulations (40 CFR 1501.7(b)). The 

Joint Lead Agencies will ensure that the 

EIS meets the requirements of both 

NEPA and MEPA. BLM, USFS, and ARS 

will participate as cooperating agencies 

as defined at 40 CFR 1501.8. On 

November 6, 2023, BLM, USFS, and 

ARS signed cooperating agency 

agreements with GDO outlining the 

respective roles and responsibilities of 

each agency during the proposed 

Project. 

In addition to the Joint Lead Agency 

(Montana DEQ) and the three 

cooperating agencies (BLM, USFS, and 

ARS) already participating in the 

Project, per 40 CFR 1501.8, GDO will 

invite other Federal agencies with 

jurisdiction by law, or those Tribal, 

State, or local governments with special 

expertise related to the relevant 

environmental issues, to collaborate as 

cooperating agencies. GDO will provide 

cooperating agencies with a written 

summary of expectations, including 

schedules, milestones, responsibilities, 

scope, and details of agency expected 

contributions. Governmental agencies 

that are not designated cooperating or 

participating agencies will have the 

opportunity to provide information, 

comments, and consultation to GDO 

during the public input stages of the 

NEPA process. 

Proposed Project Details 

The proposed Project would consist of 

approximately 420 total miles of 

overhead electrical transmission line 

connecting the eastern and western 

grids. The 420-mile route described in 

this section will be known as the 

Proposed Route Alternative. In addition 

to 420-mile route described, the Project 

proposes to include the following: 

• A new 500-kilovolt (kV) extra high 

voltage (EHV) alternating current (AC) 

electrical transmission line in Rosebud 

County, Montana (Rosebud 

Transmission Line). The new line 

would consist of two separate, parallel 

circuits, each approximately 3 miles 

long with an associated right-of-way 

approximately 320 feet wide. The 

Rosebud Transmission Line would 

extend east from the existing Colstrip 

Substation owned by a third-party, to a 

new AC/direct current (DC) converter 

station in Rosebud County. The Colstrip 

Substation would serve as the 

interconnection point to the Western 

Electricity Coordinating Council 

(WECC) power system for the western 

grid. NorthWestern Energy Group, Inc., 

a utility company that serves South 

Dakota, Nebraska, and Montana, is 

currently upgrading this substation to 

allow for additional interconnections 

into the region. These modifications are 

ongoing independent of the proposed 

Project, but the proposed Project would 

utilize these upgrades for 

interconnection. 

• One new AC/DC converter station 

in Rosebud County, Montana (Rosebud 

County Converter Station). The 

converter station would connect the 

eastern terminus of the Rosebud 

Transmission Line to the western 

terminus of the new high voltage direct 

current (HVDC) electrical transmission 

line. 

• An approximately 341-mile, up to 

525-kV, HVDC transmission line from 

Montana into North Dakota with an 

associated 200-foot-wide right-of-way 

(HDVC Transmission Line). 

Æ Montana: North Plains would 

install approximately 172 miles of the 

HVDC Transmission Line in Rosebud, 

Custer, and Fallon counties. The line 

would extend east from the new 

Rosebud County Converter Station to 

the Montana-North Dakota state line in 

Fallon County. 

Æ North Dakota: North Plains would 

install approximately 169 miles of the 

HVDC Transmission Line in Golden 

Valley, Slope, Hettinger, Grant, and 

Morton counties. The line would extend 

east from the Montana-North Dakota 

border in Golden Valley County to the 

new AC/DC Converter Station in Morton 

County, North Dakota. 


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85184 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 207 / Friday, October 25, 2024 / Notices 

2www.nrel.gov/docs/fy21osti/76850.pdf. 

• One new AC/DC converter station 

in Morton County, North Dakota 

(Morton County Converter Station). The 

converter station would connect the 

eastern terminus of the new HVDC 

Transmission Line to the western 

terminus of two new 345-kV EHV AC 

electric transmission line segments. 

• Approximately 51 miles of new 

345-kV EHV AC transmission line 

located in Morton and Oliver counties, 

North Dakota, within an associated 

right-of-way approximately 200 feet 

wide (Oliver Transmission Line). The 

line would extend east and north from 

the Morton County Converter Station in 

Morton County to a separately planned 

Oliver County Substation in Oliver 

County, North Dakota. Minnesota Power 

has proposed and would develop the 

Oliver County Substation as part of the 

Minnesota Power HVDC Modernization 

Project, which is modernizing the 

existing Square Butte HVDC System 

between North Dakota and Minnesota 

that was built in the 1970s. The Oliver 

County Substation would serve as the 

interconnection point to the 

Midcontinent Independent System 

Operator (MISO) for the eastern grid. 

• Approximately 22 miles of new 

345-kV EHV AC transmission line near 

St. Anthony in Morton County, North 

Dakota (Morton Transmission Line). The 

line would extend east and southeast 

from the Morton County Converter 

Station to a new Morton County 

Switchyard, which connects or isolates 

lines for fault clearance and 

maintenance. The Morton County 

Switchyard would serve as the 

interconnection point to the Southwest 

Power Pool (SPP) system for the eastern 

grid. 

The Project would also include 

associated facilities, including 

temporary and permanent access roads, 

telecommunication systems, and 

grounding components. 

The Project would require temporary 

workspaces during the construction 

phase to access the construction site, 

stage equipment and material, and 

install the various Project components. 

(See https://www.energy.gov/nepa/ 

doeeis-0568-north-plains-connectormultiple-locations for a map of the 

proposed Project). 

Purpose and Need 

While GDO is the Lead Federal 

Agency for the EIS, GDO does not have 

the authority or responsibility to make 

decisions on North Plains’ applications 

to BLM, USFS, and ARS. Those Federal 

agencies retain their respective 

decision-making authority and 

responsibilities with respect to North 

Plains’ applications on their 

respectively managed lands. 

Accordingly, each of those agencies has 

provided its own purpose and need in 

addition to the general purpose and 

need and GDO’s purpose and need to 

establish the basis for their individual 

decisions to be made for this Project. 

General Purpose and Need 

The Joint Lead Agencies, along with 

BLM, USFS, and ARS, all agree on the 

general purpose and need for North 

Plains’ proposed transmission line 

Project, which is to enhance the 

reliability, capacity, and efficiency 

between the Eastern and Western 

Interconnections of the electric grid. 

Construction of the proposed Project 

aims to increase wholesale energy 

market access for generation resources; 

provide services and technology to help 

maintain operational flexibility of the 

grid; and provide a highly controllable 

electric transmission pathway that can 

quickly and efficiently shift power to 

meet real-time system needs, including 

mitigating weather-driven and system 

outage conditions that can otherwise 

affect the reliable provision of 

electricity. The new transmission line 

would provide a more resilient and 

flexible infrastructure, ensuring a stable 

supply of electricity to residential, 

commercial, and industrial consumers. 

The proposed transmission line 

Project seeks to address several needs 

found in the project area, including 

meeting and balancing increasing 

demands for electricity found in both 

the eastern and western grids, 

integrating diversified sources of energy, 

increasing the reliability and resilience 

of the electrical grid, and promoting 

regional economic development by 

expanding opportunities for market 

access for electricity generators 

throughout the region. A 2020 National 

Renewable Energy Laboratory Study 

‘‘The Value of Increased HVDC Capacity 

Between Eastern and Western U.S. 

Grids: The Interconnections Seam 

Study’’ 2 showed that increased transfer 

capability between the eastern and 

western grids could result in a 35-year 

benefit-to-cost ratio as high as 2.89 and 

net present value consumer savings of 

up to $28.8 billion. 

GDO Purpose and Need 

GDO’s purpose is to fulfill its 

responsibilities under the FPA to 

coordinate a single environmental 

review that follows a standard, two-year 

permitting schedule for transmission 

infrastructure projects that require 

Federal permitting. In fulfilling its 

responsibilities, GDO seeks to 

streamline the Federal permitting 

process for qualifying electric 

transmission projects to expand and 

accelerate development of electric 

transmission capacity in the United 

States and, in turn, ensure Americans 

have access to reliable, affordable, and 

clean energy; promote grid resilience 

and reliability; modernize the United 

States grid; reduce permitting delays; 

and promote economic growth. 

BLM Purpose and Need 

BLM’s purpose is to respond to North 

Plains’ request for right-of-way access 

across about ten miles of Federal lands 

administered by the Miles City Field 

Office, Montana, for the siting, 

construction, and operation of an up to 

525-kV-rated, bi-directional HVDC 

transmission facility and associated 

support facilities within a 200-foot 

right-of-way which would be part of a 

system of high voltage AC and DC 

facilities over approximately 400 miles 

between Colstrip, Montana and Oliver 

and Morton Counties, North Dakota. 

This request for a right-of-way may 

include necessary access of Federal 

mineral materials in Montana and North 

Dakota for the construction of projectrelated infrastructure. 

The need for the action is established 

through BLM’s responsibility under the 

Federal Land Policy Management Act 

(FLPMA) to respond to requests for 

rights-of-way across BLM-managed 

lands, as well as the Surfaces Resources 

Act of 1955 and the Act of July 31, 1947 

(Disposal of Materials on Public Lands) 

for any necessary mineral material sales 

contracts. 

USFS Purpose and Need 

The proposed Project would require 

the issuance of a special use permit for 

the crossing of about ten miles of 

Federal lands managed by the USFS on 

the Little Missouri National Grasslands, 

North Dakota. For this crossing, the 

proposed Project would entail siting, 

construction, and operation of an up to 

525-kV-rated, bi-directional HVDC 

transmission facility and associated 

support facilities within a 200-foot 

right-of-way which would be part of a 

system of high voltage AC and DC 

facilities over approximately 10.3 miles 

(3.1 miles Golden Valley County; 7.2 

miles Slope County) on the Little 

Missouri National Grassland. 

Section 368(c) of the Energy Policy 

Act of 2005 directs USFS to establish 

procedures for identifying and 

designating additional energy corridors 

on Federal lands and to expedite 

applications for energy transmission 

and distribution facilities within those 

corridors. USFS is mandated to 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 207 / Friday, October 25, 2024 / Notices 85185 

3The GRSG is a sagebrush species that is in 

decline across its range due to habitat loss and has 

been recognized as threatened or near threatened by 

several national and international organizations 

Federal agencies manage protection of the species 

through several habitat designations, which protect 

GRSG habitat based on value. 

cooperate and coordinate with other 

Federal agencies to optimize siting of 

rights-of-way for energy corridors on 

National Forest System lands (30 U.S.C. 

185(p); 43 U.S.C. 1763), and to endeavor 

to expedite applications for energy 

transmission and distribution facilities 

on National Forest System lands 

through coordination with other 

affected Federal agencies. 

ARS Purpose and Need 

ARS’s purpose is to respond to North 

Plains’ request for an easement access 

across about eight miles of Federal land 

managed by ARS in Montana for the 

siting, construction, and operation of an 

up to 525-kV-rated, bi-directional HVDC 

transmission facility and associated 

support facilities within a 200-foot 

right-of-way. The need for the action is 

established through 43 U.S.C. 961, 

Rights-of-Way for Power and 

Communications Facilities. 

Alternatives 

Several alternatives have been 

identified for potential analysis in the 

forthcoming EIS. These alternatives 

include different routing options, as 

well as variations in routing and 

transmission technology. GDO 

welcomes comments on all preliminary 

alternatives as well as suggestions for 

additional alternatives. The alternatives 

currently under consideration for the 

proposed Project are as follows: 

The No Action Alternative 

Under the No Action Alternative, the 

Agency permits and authorizations 

would not be granted and the agencies 

will assume for purposes of the EIS that 

the Project would not be constructed. 

The existing transmission infrastructure 

would remain unchanged, and any 

associated improvements or upgrades to 

address current and future demand, 

reliability, and rapid changes in 

generation would not be implemented. 

This alternative serves as a baseline 

against which the impacts of the other 

alternatives can be compared. 

Proposed Route Alternative 

The Proposed Route Alternative for 

the proposed Project is currently 

anticipated to include an approximately 

420-mile, up to 525-kV electrical 

transmission line connecting the eastern 

and western grids, with an associated 

ROW that would generally be 

approximately 200 feet wide. According 

to North Plains, this route attempts to 

best balance use of existing road and 

transmission line corridors while 

avoiding national and state parks; 

national historic landmarks and 

National Register of Historic Placeslisted or -eligible archaeological sites; 

inventoried roadless areas; most major 

waterbodies; greater sage grouse 

(GRSG) 3 habitat; visually sensitive 

areas; congested utility corridors; and 

urban development. The public is 

encouraged to provide other alternatives 

for consideration along with any 

information and analyses they have on 

such suggested alternatives. 

Other Alternatives 

The following discussion describes 

the five major route alternatives 

considered during Project planning. 

Subject to comments received during 

scoping, these alternatives may either be 

dismissed from further analysis or 

evaluated in detail in the EIS. They are 

identified as the following: 

• Northern Route Alternative (Rosebud, 

Custer, and Fallon Counties, 

Montana) 

• Central Route Alternative (Rosebud, 

Custer, and Fallon Counties, 

Montana) 

• Southern Route Alternative (Rosebud, 

Custer, and Fallon Counties, 

Montana) 

• Tongue River Route Alternative 

(Custer County, Montana) 

• Eastern Route Alternative (Slope, 

Stark, Morton, and Oliver Counties, 

North Dakota) 

See https://www.energy.gov/nepa/ 

doeeis-0568-north-plains-connectormultiple-locations for a detailed map of 

these route alternatives. 

Northern Route Alternative 

This route was developed to 

maximize co-location with existing 

linear utilities near Interstate 94 and to 

minimize routing within the GRSG 

General Habitat Management Area 

(GHMA) in accordance with the BLM’s 

MCFO Approved Resource Management 

Plan (ARMP). 

The Northern Route Alternative 

diverges from the Proposed Route 

Alternative by leaving directly north 

from the Colstrip Substation and 

generally running on a more northerly 

path through Rosebud and Custer 

Counties, Montana. From Fallon 

County, Montana, to the endpoints in 

North Dakota, the route is the same as 

that seen in the Proposed Route 

Alternative. 

The Northern Route Alternative is 8.5 

miles shorter than the Proposed Route 

Alternative and crosses 2 fewer 

perennial waterbodies, and almost 40 

miles less GRSG general habitat. The 

Northern Route Alternative also crosses 

2.8 miles more of ARS-administered 

land and more intermittent or 

ephemeral waterbodies, and 0.4 mile 

more BLM-administered Visual 

Resources Management (VRM) Class II 

land. Further, the Northern Route 

Alternative is within 1 mile of 59 more 

identified cultural resources sites; is 

within 0.5 mile of the Strawberry Hill 

Designated Recreation Area; and crosses 

9 more transmission lines than the 

Proposed Route Alternative. This route’s 

northern passage out of Colstrip also 

crosses several parcels with underlying 

energy development easements that 

would conflict with siting an electric 

transmission line. Finally, this 

alternative nears the Yellowstone River, 

contains numerous occurrences of 

sensitive species, including bats, fish, 

and eagles, sensitive riparian habitats, 

and could present increased Tribal and 

cultural concerns. 

Central Route Alternative 

This route was designed to avoid the 

challenges associated with the 

Yellowstone River valley, congested 

highway corridors, and urban 

development areas near Miles City. It 

resembles the Northern Route 

Alternative but leaves Colstrip, 

Montana, in a more northeasterly 

direction. The Central Route Alternative 

then maintains a generally central 

alignment between the Northern Route 

Alternative and the Southern Route 

Alternative. The Central Route 

Alternative aims to strike a balance by 

incorporating stakeholder feedback 

associated with co-location of the 

transmission line with other 

infrastructure. The Central Route 

Alternative also avoids the easements 

north of Colstrip noted in the Northern 

Alternative. 

The Central Route Alternative crosses 

conservation easements to conserve, 

protect, and enhance native wildlife 

habitat. This alternative also crosses 

conservation easements northeast of 

Colstrip that include terms that are 

intended to conserve, protect, and 

enhance native wildlife habitat. This 

alternative also crosses Tongue River 

near 12 Mile Dam, which is a heavily 

used recreational area for fishing and 

camping about 0.6 mile to the north, 

existing residential development, and 

more irrigated cropland than the 

Proposed Route Alternative. 

Southern Route Alternative 

This route intends to take advantage 

of the gentler topography east of 

Colstrip compared to the other routes. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
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4 ‘‘Reasonable alternatives’’ means a reasonable 

range of alternatives that are technically and 

economically feasible and meet the purpose and 

need for the proposed action. 

Further, this route is not within 0.5 

miles of a designated recreation area. 

This route additionally also avoids ARSadministered lands and is about 25 

miles shorter than the Proposed Route. 

This route avoids some resources, like 

perennial and ephemeral waterbodies, 

but crosses others, like VRM Class II 

areas near the Tongue River, Pumpkin 

Creek, and east of the Powder River in 

Custer County, Montana, as well as sites 

of Tribal and cultural significance. 

There are also accessibility constraints 

east of the Powder River that would 

require engineered roadways and long 

access roads, which could increase the 

Project impacts during construction and 

operation. 

Tongue River Route Alternative 

The Tongue River Route Alternative 

passes through the Tongue River Valley. 

The route is not within 0.25 mile of a 

GRSG no occupancy zone nor within 0.5 

miles of a designated recreation area. 

The Tongue River Route is almost 30 

miles shorter than the Proposed Route 

Alternative, does not cross ARSadministered lands, and avoids almost 

50 miles of GRSG habitat. The Tongue 

River Route Alternative, however, 

crosses 5.3 miles more VRM Class II 

land, is within 1.0 mile of 110 more 

cultural resource sites, crosses 2 more 

conservation lands/easements, and 

crosses 40 more county and local roads 

than the Proposed Route Alternative. 

Several Tribal resources and protected 

species along the Tongue River have 

been previously identified during 

surveys. 

Eastern Route Alternative 

The Eastern Route Alternative was 

designed prior to the addition of the 22 

miles of EHV AC Morton Transmission 

Line in Morton County, North Dakota, to 

the Project scope and objectives. 

Therefore, this route does not include 

the SPP interconnection near St. 

Anthony as described in the Proposed 

Route Alternative. 

The Eastern Route Alternative 

diverges from the Proposed Route 

Alternative in Slope County just east of 

the Montana-North Dakota state line. To 

achieve a route that balances all 

potential impacts from the proposed 

Project, the Eastern Route Alternative 

heads slightly northeast and east from 

the North Dakota-Montana state line 

before it heads southwest to cross the 

Little Missouri River and generally east 

through the North Dakota badlands. 

The primary considerations for the 

Eastern Route Alternative design were 

aligning with existing linear utilities, 

paralleling Interstate 94 along a more 

direct route, adhering to the 

recommendation provided by the USFS 

to cross the Little Missouri River on 

private lands, and avoidance of GRSG 

primary range designated by the North 

Dakota Game and Fish Department. 

Minor Route Variations 

During Project planning, North Plains 

incorporated many minor route 

variations into its Proposed Route 

Alternative. Minor route variations are 

different from major route alternatives 

in that they are usually shorter and are 

often designed to accommodate a 

particular landowner request or to avoid 

a site-specific environmental resource or 

engineering constraint. Although minor 

route variations may range from a few 

hundred feet long to several miles long, 

minor route variations typically remain 

within the same area as the Proposed 

Route. Examples of route variations 

include realigning the route from a hay 

field to pastureland on a ranch to avoid 

disruption to cultivation; moving a 

structure location to avoid placing it in 

a wetland; and adjusting the centerline 

alignment along a slope to improve 

constructability. 

Endpoint Alternatives 

As described in the Proposed Project 

Details, North Plains determined the 

proposed Project would connect the 

existing Colstrip Substation in Rosebud 

County, Montana, to the Oliver County 

Substation approximately 6 miles 

southeast of Center, North Dakota, and 

a new Morton County Switchyard near 

St. Anthony, North Dakota. The Project 

Proponent considered another facility as 

a potential Western interconnection 

point: the other nearest potential 

endpoint in Montana, the existing 

Broadview Substation in Yellowstone 

County. This alternative facility would 

add about 100 miles of transmission line 

to the Project. In North Dakota, the 

Project Proponent determined the 

proposed Project endpoints are the most 

reasonable connection locations to 

existing infrastructure on the Eastern 

Interconnection grid without adding 

considerable length. 

Converter Station Alternatives 

As described in the Proposed Project 

Details, North Plains proposes to use 

two converter stations near the Project 

endpoints. The siting of converter 

stations is constrained insofar as the 

stations need to be located near the 

Project endpoints and they must occur 

along the transmission line route. A 

converter station site that is not on the 

proposed transmission line route 

necessitates proposing a new 

transmission line route. North Plains is 

in the process of evaluating alternatives 

to its proposed converter station sites. 

Summary of Expected Impacts 

Field investigations, environmental 

surveys, and other studies are being 

conducted for the proposed Project to 

evaluate anticipated impacts to air, 

noise, climate, geologic hazards, mineral 

and energy resources, paleontological 

resources, soils, water, vegetation, 

wildlife, threatened and endangered 

species, cultural resources, visual 

resources, Federal projects, recreation 

activities, wilderness, and other 

resources. North Plains is currently 

conducting field surveys for wetlands/ 

waterbodies, vegetation, general habitat, 

threatened and endangered and special 

status species, cultural and tribal 

resources, architectural history, and 

paleontological resources. North Plains 

is also preparing a Phase 1 bat 

hibernacula assessment, whooping 

crane habitat assessment, impact 

assessments for bald and golden eagles 

(to support Bald and Golden Eagle 

Protection Act compliance), and GRSG 

(to support the Montana GRSG 

mitigation plan), migratory bird habitat 

assessment (to support the Migratory 

Bird Treaty Act compliance plan), and 

species and habitat assessments for 

federally listed and proposed species to 

support compliance with section 7 of 

the Endangered Species Act. 

GDO and the cooperating agencies 

will identify, analyze, and consider 

mitigation to address the reasonably 

foreseeable impacts to resources from 

the proposed Project and all analyzed 

reasonable alternatives 4 and, in 

accordance with 40 CFR 1502.14(e), 

include appropriate mitigation measures 

not already included in the proposed 

route alternative or other alternatives. 

Potential impacts on built, human, 

and natural environments from the 

proposed Project will be studied during 

the Federal, State, and local 

environmental review processes. These 

review processes and potential impacts 

will be analyzed in the EIS. The public 

is invited to participate in the scoping 

process to identify potential alternatives 

and impacts, information, studies, and 

analyses relevant to the proposed 

Project and Alternatives. 

Anticipated Permits and Authorizations 

The Project Proponent will need to 

secure permits and authorizations from 

several Federal and state agencies, 

which include but are not limited to 

those listed below. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 207 / Friday, October 25, 2024 / Notices 85187 

Agency Permit/authorization 

Bureau of Land Management ................................................................... Right-of-way grant, short-term right-of-way grant, and mineral materials 

sales contract. 

Forest Service .......................................................................................... Special Use Permit. 

Agricultural Research Service .................................................................. Easement. 

Federal Highway Administration ............................................................... Permits to cross Federal Aid Highway. 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ................................................................. General easement, Section 10 permit, and Section 404 permit. 

Montana Department of Environmental Quality ....................................... Certificate of Compliance under the Major Facility Siting Act. 

North Dakota Public Service Commission ............................................... Certificate of Corridor Compatibility and Transmission Facility Route 

Permit. 

North Dakota County Governments (Golden Valley, Grant, Hettinger, 

Morton, Oliver, and Slope Counties).

Conditional Use Permits. 

Schedule for the Decision-Making 

Process 

This notice of intent initiates the 

scoping period for the EIS. GDO will 

provide additional opportunities for 

public participation consistent with 

DOE NEPA regulations (10 CFR part 

1021) and CEQ NEPA regulations (40 

CFR parts 1500–1508), including a 45- 

day comment period on the Draft EIS. 

Please note that, when commenting 

during either the scoping or the public 

comment period, your comment and 

personal information, if provided, will 

be retained as a part of the single, 

consolidated, public record for the 

project. GDO will allow for anonymous 

comments. 

GDO plans to publish the Draft EIS for 

public review in Fall 2025 and the Final 

EIS in Fall 2026. BLM, ARS, and DEQ 

will release respective decision 

documents no sooner than 30 days after 

release of the Final EIS. The USFS will 

release its own Draft Record of Decision 

(ROD) alongside the Final EIS, and upon 

conclusion of the objections process 

required under USFS regulations, will 

release a final ROD. Following the 

issuance of each agency’s individual 

RODs, GDO will issue a determination 

that the duration for each land-use 

authorization is commensurate with the 

anticipated use of the facility, per FPA 

Section 216(h)(3). 

USFS would not issue a ROD 

concerning applicable USFS 

authorizations until after completion of 

the objections process in 36 CFR part 

218, subparts A and B. Objections will 

be accepted only from those who have 

previously submitted specific written 

comments regarding the proposed 

Project during scoping or other 

designated opportunity for public 

comment in accordance with 36 CFR 

218.5(a). Issues raised in objections 

must be based on previously submitted 

timely, specific written comments 

regarding the proposed Project unless 

based on new information arising after 

designated opportunities, and objectors 

must make a connection between issues 

raised in comment in their objections. 

Objections must be filed within 45 days, 

after the Final EIS and draft ROD. The 

objection must include specific issues 

related to the proposed Project; if 

applicable, how the objector believes 

the decision violates law, regulation, or 

policy; and suggested remedies that 

would resolve the objection. USFS 

reviews objections and may engage in 

discussions with objectors to resolve 

issues. The Reviewing Officer (a USFS 

official) will issue a written response to 

the objections, which may include 

instructions to the responsible official 

must complete before signing the 

decision. After the objection process is 

complete, the Dakota Prairie Grasslands 

Forest Supervisor would issue the ROD. 

Responsible Official and Nature of 

Decision To Be Made 

While GDO is the Lead Federal 

Agency for the Project EIS, GDO does 

not have authority or responsibility to 

make decisions on North Plains’ 

applications to BLM, USFS, and ARS. 

Those Federal agencies retain their 

respective decision-making authorities 

and responsibilities with respect to 

North Plains’ applications. Accordingly, 

each Federal agency’s deciding officials 

and the scope of decisions to be made 

are listed here: 

BLM: The Field Manager of the Miles 

City Field Office (MCFO) is the 

Responsible Official. The Field Manager 

as the Responsible Official will decide 

whether to grant the ROW for the 

portion of the transmission line and 

associated infrastructure located on 

public lands administered by the 

MCFO, and if so, under what terms and 

conditions. Any necessary mineral 

materials sales contracts would be 

granted by either the Field Manager for 

the Miles City Field Office or the North 

Dakota Field Office, depending on 

where the mineral materials are located. 

USFS: The Dakota Prairie Grasslands 

Forest Supervisor is the Responsible 

Official. The Forest Supervisor as the 

Responsible Official will decide 

whether to issue a SUP for the proposed 

Project for the portion of the project 

Proposed on USFS-managed land. 

ARS: The Plains Area Real Estate 

Lease Contracting Officer is the 

Responsible Official. The Plains Area 

Real Estate Lease Contracting Officer as 

the Responsible Official will decide 

whether to grant an easement for the 

portion of the transmission line and 

associated infrastructure the proposed 

Project proposes to place on Federal 

lands under the control of ARS. 

Additional Information 

GDO and the cooperating agencies 

will utilize and coordinate the NEPA 

process to help support compliance 

with applicable procedural 

requirements under Section 106 of the 

National Historic Preservation Act (54 

U.S.C. 306108) as provided in 36 CFR 

800.2(d)(3), including public 

involvement requirements of Section 

106. GDO and the cooperating agencies 

will consult with Indian Tribal Nations 

on a government-to-government basis in 

accordance with relevant Departmental 

policies. Tribal concerns, including 

impacts on Indian trust assets and 

potential impacts to cultural resources, 

will be given due consideration. 

Federal, state, and local agencies, along 

with Indian Tribal Nations and other 

stakeholders that may be interested in or 

affected by the proposed Project, are 

invited to participate in the scoping 

process and, if eligible, may request or 

be requested by the GDO to participate 

in the development of the EIS as a 

cooperating agency. 

Signing Authority 

This document of the Department of 

Energy was signed on October 21, 2024, 

by Maria D. Robinson, Director, Grid 

Deployment Office, pursuant to 

delegated authority from the Secretary 

of Energy. That document evidencing 

this delegation of authority with the 

original signature and date is 

maintained by DOE. For administrative 

purposes only, and in compliance with 

requirements of the Office of the Federal 

Register, the undersigned DOE Federal 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
85188 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 207 / Friday, October 25, 2024 / Notices 

Register Liaison Officer has been 

authorized to sign and submit the 

document in electronic format for 

publication, as an official document of 

the Department of Energy. This 

administrative process in no way alters 

the legal effect of this document upon 

publication in the Federal Register. 

Signed in Washington, DC, on October 22, 

2024. 

Treena V. Garrett, 

Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. 

Department of Energy. 

[FR Doc. 2024–24879 Filed 10–24–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

Combined Notice of Filings #1 

Take notice that the Commission 

received the following electric corporate 

filings: 

Docket Numbers: EC25–10–000. 

Applicants: Number Three Wind LLC. 

Description: Application for 

Authorization Under Section 203 of the 

Federal Power Act of Number Three 

Wind LLC. 

Filed Date: 10/18/24. 

Accession Number: 20241018–5221. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 11/8/24. 

Take notice that the Commission 

received the following electric rate 

filings: 

Docket Numbers: ER24–2447–002. 

Applicants: PJM Interconnection, 

L.L.C. 

Description: Compliance filing: 

Compliance related to Capacity 

Obligations for Load Adjustments to be 

effective 8/31/2024. 

Filed Date: 10/21/24. 

Accession Number: 20241021–5147. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 11/12/24. 

Docket Numbers: ER24–2843–003. 

Applicants: Atrisco Solar SF LLC. 

Description: Tariff Amendment: Third 

Amendment to the Amended and 

Restated Lease Agreement to be effective 

8/24/2024. 

Filed Date: 10/21/24. 

Accession Number: 20241021–5028. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 10/31/24. 

Docket Numbers: ER25–150–000. 

Applicants: Midcontinent 

Independent System Operator, Inc. 

Description: Compliance filing: 2024– 

10–18_Request for Waiver of COD re: 

2018–2019 Projects to be effective N/A. 

Filed Date: 10/18/24. 

Accession Number: 20241018–5172. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 11/8/24. 

Docket Numbers: ER25–151–000. 

Applicants: Duff Solar Park LLC. 

Description: Baseline eTariff Filing: 

Market-Based Rate Application to be 

effective 12/18/2024. 

Filed Date: 10/18/24. 

Accession Number: 20241018–5173. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 11/8/24. 

Docket Numbers: ER25–152–000. 

Applicants: Pleasantville Solar Park 

LLC. 

Description: Baseline eTariff Filing: 

Market-Based Rate Application to be 

effective 12/18/2024. 

Filed Date: 10/18/24. 

Accession Number: 20241018–5176. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 11/8/24. 

Docket Numbers: ER25–153–000. 

Applicants: Riverstart Solar Park IV 

LLC. 

Description: Baseline eTariff Filing: 

Market-Based Rate Application to be 

effective 12/18/2024. 

Filed Date: 10/18/24. 

Accession Number: 20241018–5184. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 11/8/24. 

Docket Numbers: ER25–154–000. 

Applicants: Sandrini BESS Storage 

LLC. 

Description: Baseline eTariff Filing: 

Market-Based Rate Application to be 

effective 12/18/2024. 

Filed Date: 10/18/24. 

Accession Number: 20241018–5189. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 11/8/24. 

Docket Numbers: ER25–155–000. 

Applicants: PJM Interconnection, 

L.L.C. 

Description: Tariff Amendment: 

Notice of Cancellation of WMPA, SA 

No. 6088; AF1–209 to be effective 12/ 

18/2024. 

Filed Date: 10/18/24. 

Accession Number: 20241018–5194. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 11/8/24. 

Docket Numbers: ER25–156–000. 

Applicants: Peregrine Energy Storage, 

LLC. 

Description: Baseline eTariff Filing: 

Peregrine Energy Storage, LLC MBR 

Tariff to be effective 12/18/2024. 

Filed Date: 10/18/24. 

Accession Number: 20241018–5197. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 11/8/24. 

Docket Numbers: ER25–157–000. 

Applicants: Pacific Gas and Electric 

Company. 

Description: Notice of Termination of 

Service Agreement No. 69 under PG&E’s 

FERC Electric Tariff Volume No. 5. 

Filed Date: 10/16/24. 

Accession Number: 20241016–5246. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 11/6/24. 

Docket Numbers: ER25–158–000 

Applicants: Constellation Energy 

Generation, LLC. 

Description: Constellation Energy 

Generation, LLC requests a limited onetime waiver of the must-offer exception 

deadline in PJM Interconnection, 

L.L.C.’s Open Access Transmission 

Tariff Attachment DD Section 6.6(g). 

Filed Date: 10/18/24. 

Accession Number: 20241018–5229. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 11/8/24. 

Docket Numbers: ER25–160–000. 

Applicants: Morris Solar, LLC. 

Description: Baseline eTariff Filing: 

Morris Solar, LLC MBR Tariff to be 

effective 11/1/2024. 

Filed Date: 10/21/24. 

Accession Number: 20241021–5067. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 11/12/24. 

Docket Numbers: ER25–161–000. 

Applicants: PJM Interconnection, 

L.L.C. 

Description: 205(d) Rate Filing: 

Amendment to ISA, Service Agreement 

No. 6278; Queue No. AD2–048 to be 

effective 12/21/2024. 

Filed Date: 10/21/24. 

Accession Number: 20241021–5072. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 11/12/24. 

Docket Numbers: ER25–162–000. 

Applicants: Midcontinent 

Independent System Operator, Inc. 

Description: 205(d) Rate Filing: 2024– 

10–21_SA 4368 ATC–WPL GIA (S1017) 

to be effective 10/10/2024. 

Filed Date: 10/21/24. 

Accession Number: 20241021–5081. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 11/12/24. 

Docket Numbers: ER25–163–000. 

Applicants: Midcontinent 

Independent System Operator, Inc. 

Description: 205(d) Rate Filing: 2024– 

10–21_SA 4370 ATC–WPL GIA (S1018) 

to be effective 10/11/2024. 

Filed Date: 10/21/24. 

Accession Number: 20241021–5085. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 11/12/24. 

Docket Numbers: ER25–164–000. 

Applicants: Midcontinent 

Independent System Operator, Inc. 

Description: 205(d) Rate Filing: 2024– 

10–21_SA 2687 Termination of METCNew Covert FCA (T94) to be effective 

10/22/2024. 

Filed Date: 10/21/24. 

Accession Number: 20241021–5088. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 11/12/24. 

Docket Numbers: ER25–165–000. 

Applicants: Midcontinent 

Independent System Operator, Inc. 

Description: 205(d) Rate Filing: 2024– 

10–21_SA 4369 ATC–EDP Renewables 

North America GIA (J1502) to be 

effective 10/10/2024. 

Filed Date: 10/21/24. 

Accession Number: 20241021–5097. 

Comment Date: 5 p.m. ET 11/12/24. 

Docket Numbers: ER25–166–000. 

Applicants: PJM Interconnection, 

L.L.C. 

Description: Tariff Amendment: 

Notice of Cancellation—WMPA Service 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1