Amended Notice of Intent under the National Environmental Policy Act to Prepare the Hawai‘i Clean Energy Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement
In 2010, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) announced its intent to prepare a PEIS for the Hawai‘i Interisland Renewable Energy Program (HIREP): Wind (DOE/EIS–0459) (HIREP: Wind PEIS). In response to public scoping comments on the HIREP: Wind PEIS, as well as regulatory and policy developments since the scoping meetings, DOE proposes to broaden the range of energy efficiency and renewable energy activities and technologies to be analyzed in the PEIS and, accordingly, has renamed it the Hawai‘i Clean Energy PEIS. DOE’s proposal will involve the development of guidance to use in future funding decisions and other actions to support Hawai‘i in achieving the goal established in the Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI) to meet 70% of the State’s energy needs by 2030 through energy efficiency and renewable energy. Achieving the HCEI goal could involve a diverse range of activities.
Accordingly, this PEIS will analyze the potential environmental impacts of activities in the following clean energy categories: (1) Energy Efficiency, (2) Distributed Renewables, (3) Utility-Scale Renewables, (4) Alternative Transportation Fuels and Modes, and (5) Electrical Transmission and Distribution.
The State of Hawai‘i and the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) are cooperating agencies in preparing this PEIS. DATES: DOE invites public comment on the scope of the PEIS during a 60-day public scoping period ending on October 9, 2012. DOE will consider all comments received or postmarked by the end of the scoping period, and will consider comments received or postmarked after the ending date to the extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the PEIS or a request to be added to the PEIS distribution list may be submitted as follows: 1. Email to hawaiicleanenergypeis@ee.doe.gov; 2. Electronic comments via the PEIS Web site at http://www.hawaiicleanenergypeis.com Facsimile (fax) to (808) 541–2253. Attention: Hawai‘i Clean Energy PEIS; 4.U.S. mail to Jim Spaeth, U.S. Department of Energy, 300 Ala Moana Blvd., P.O. Box 50247, Honolulu, HI 96850–0247.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: contact Jane Summerson, DOE National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Document Manager, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585, or Jim Spaeth, U.S. Department of Energy, 300 Ala Moana Blvd., P.O. Box 50247, Honolulu, HI 96850–0247, or send an email to hawaiicleanenergypeis@ee.doe.gov.
Information on the Hawai‘i Clean Energy PEIS is available on the PEIS Web site at http://www.hawaiicleanenergypeis.com and at various Hawai‘i State Libraries. For general information about the DOE NEPA process, contact Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance (GC–54), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585, or (800) 472–2756 or askNEPA@hq.doe.gov.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: SCOPING, EIS DISTRIBUTION, SCHEDULE:
September 11, 2012, 5:00–8:30 p.m. at O‘ahu, McKinley High School, 1039 South King Street, Honolulu
September 12, 2012, 5:30–9:00 p.m. at Kaua‘i, Kaua’i War Memorial Convention Hall, 4191 Hardy Street, Lihu‘e
September 13, 2012, 5–8:30 p.m. at Hawai‘i, Kealakehe High School, 74–5000 Pu‘ohulihuli Street, Kailua-Kona
September 14, 2012, 5–8:30 p.m. at Hawai‘i, Hilo High School, 556 Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo
Monday, September 17, 2012, 5:30–9 p.m. at Maui, Pomaika‘i Elem School, 4650 S. Kamehameha Avenue, Kahului
Tuesday, September 18, 2012, 5–8:30 p.m. at Lana‘i, Lana‘i High & Elementary School, 555 Fraser Ave, Lana‘i City
Wednesday, September 19, 2012, 5:30–9 p.m. at Moloka‘i, Mitchell Pau‘ole Community Center, Kaunakakai
September 20, 2012, 5–8:30 p.m. at O‘ahu, James B. Castle High School, 45–386 Kane‘ohe Bay Drive, Kane‘ohe
Each scoping meeting will involve: a presentation that describes the NEPA process and the concept of a Programmatic EIS; a question and answer session; and a formal commenting session, which will be transcribed by a court reporter to ensure that all comments are available to DOE for consideration during preparation of the draft PEIS. The meetings will provide opportunities to view exhibits on potential clean energy approaches, ask questions, and submit comments orally or in writing. Representatives from DOE, Hawai‘i, BOEM, and any other involved agencies will be available to answer questions and provide additional information to participants. Individuals who submit comments during the scoping process and provide their contact information will receive copies of the draft PEIS. The format of the draft PEIS provided could be a printed summary and CD of the complete document, a CD of the document, Web site access to the document, or a complete printed document, according to the commenter’s format preference. Persons who do not submit comments during scoping, but would like to receive a copy of the draft PEIS when it is issued, should submit a request as provided in the ADDRESSES section and specify their format preference. Information on the Hawai‘i Clean Energy PEIS is available on the PEIS Web site at http://www.hawaiicleanenergypeis.com Materials relating to this PEIS also will be available at the public libraries and several additional public libraries across the State of Hawai‘i (for a complete list, see the PEIS Web site): In preparing the draft PEIS, DOE will consider comments received during the scoping period and will consider late comments to the extent practicable. DOE plans to issue the draft PEIS in 2013. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will publish a Notice of Availability (NOA) of the draft PEIS in the Federal Register, which will begin a minimum 45-day public comment period. DOE will announce how to comment on the draft PEIS and will hold public hearings during the public comment period, but no sooner than 15 days after the NOA of the draft PEIS is published. In preparing the final PEIS, DOE will respond to comments received on the draft PEIS. DOE plans to issue the final PEIS in 2014. No sooner than 30 days after EPA publishes a NOA of the final PEIS, DOE may issue its Record of Decision regarding its actions considered in the PEIS (see, 77 F.R. 47828, August 10, 2012).