Rail Tie Wind Project DRAFT Environmental Impact Statement DOE/EIS-0543 March 2021 Cover photograph adapted from the Visual Impact Assessment, Rail Tie Wind Project, Albany County, Wyoming (Tetra Tech 2020a). This photograph depicts the Rail Tie Wind Project Area as viewed toward the southeast from Tie Siding, Wyoming. Vestas V162-5.6 MW wind turbines have been simulated on the landscape as proposed by ConnectGen Albany County LLC. These turbines have a hub height of 410 feet, a blade diameter of 531 feet, and a total turbine height of 675 feet. The nearest turbine pictured is at a distance of approximately 1.25 miles. Draft Environmental Impact Statement Rail Tie Wind Project DOE/EIS-0543 U.S. Department of Energy—Western Area Power Administration ConnectGen Albany County, LLC March 2021 MISSION STATEMENT Safely provide reliable, cost-based hydropower and transmission to our customers and the communities we serve. RAIL TIE WIND PROJECT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT Western Area Power Administration 12155 W. Alameda Parkway Lakewood, Colorado 80228 DOE/EIS-0543 December 2020 Lead Agency: Western Area Power Administration Type of Action: ( ) Administrative Draft (X) Draft ( ) Final Cooperating Agencies: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office Wyoming Office of Governor Mark Gordan Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments Wyoming Game and Fish Department Authorized Officers Responsible for the Environmental Impact Statement: Contact, Title: Tracey LeBeau, interim Administrator and Chief Executive Officer WAPA Headquarters 12155 W. Alameda Parkway Lakewood, Colorado 80228 720-962-7077 For Further Information, Contact: Mark Wieringa, Document Manager WAPA Headquarters 12155 W. Alameda Parkway Lakewood, Colorado 80228 720-962-7448 [email protected] Abstract: This draft environmental impact statement (EIS) analyzes the impacts related to the development of the Rail Tie Wind Project (Project), proposed by ConnectGen Albany County LLC (ConnectGen). The Project is a proposed utility-scale wind energy facility under development by ConnectGen. The Project would be located in southeastern Albany County, WY, and the Project Area would encompass approximately 26,000 acres of ranchland on private and Wyoming State Lands located near Tie Siding, WY. The Project would have a generating capacity of up to 504 megawatts (MW) of renewable wind energy. ConnectGen has applied to interconnect the Project to the existing Ault-Craig 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission line that intersects the Project Area, under the Western Area Power Administration’s (WAPA) Large Generator Interconnection Process (LGIP). The Ault-Craig 345-kV transmission line is jointly owned by WAPA, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, and Platte River Power Authority. In accordance with its Open Access Transmission Service Tariff (Tariff), WAPA’s consideration to grant an interconnection request is a major Federal action subject to environmental review pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE), and Council on Environmental Quality NEPA implementing regulations. Under these regulations, ConnectGen’s Project is considered a connected action to WAPA’s Federal decision of granting an interconnection to its transmission system. This EIS describes the physical, biological, cultural, and socioeconomic resources in and around the Project. The EIS considers the impacts of WAPA’s Federal action and ConnectGen’s proposed Project, as well as the “no action” alternative. Rail Tie Wind Project DRAFT Environmental Impact Statement EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ES 1 Introduction The Rail Tie Wind Project (Project) is a proposed utility-scale wind energy facility under development by ConnectGen Albany County LLC (ConnectGen). The Project would be located in southeastern Albany County, WY, and the Project Area would encompass approximately 26,000 acres of ranchland on private and Wyoming State Lands located near Tie Siding, WY. No federally managed lands are located within the Project Area (figure ES-1). The Project would have a generating capacity of up to 504 megawatts (MW) of renewable wind energy. ConnectGen has applied to interconnect the Project to the existing Ault-Craig 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission line that intersects the Project Area, under the Western Area Power Administration’s (WAPA) Large Generator Interconnection Process (LGIP). The Ault-Craig 345-kV transmission line is jointly owned by WAPA, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, and Platte River Power Authority. In accordance with its Open Access Transmission Service Tariff (Tariff), WAPA’s consideration to grant an interconnection request is a Federal action subject to environmental review pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE), and Council on Environmental Quality NEPA implementing regulations. Under these regulations, ConnectGen’s Project is considered a connected action to WAPA’s Federal decision of granting an interconnection to its transmission system. ES 2 Western Area Power Administration’s Purpose, Need, and Decision ConnectGen has requested to interconnect its proposed Project to the Ault-Craig 345-kV transmission line via a new interconnection switchyard in the Project Area. WAPA’s purpose and need is to consider and respond to the request for an interconnection agreement in accordance with its Tariff and the Federal Power Act, as amended. Under the Tariff, WAPA offers capacity on its transmission system to deliver electricity when capacity is available. The Tariff also contains terms for processing requests for the interconnection of generation facilities to WAPA’s transmission system. The Tariff substantially conforms to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) final orders that provide for nondiscriminatory transmission system access. WAPA originally filed its Tariff with FERC on December 31, 1997, pursuant to FERC Order Nos. 888 and 889. Responding to FERC Order No. 2003, WAPA submitted revisions regarding certain Tariff terms and included LGIP and a Large Generator Interconnection Agreement in January 2005. In response to FERC Order No. 2006, WAPA submitted additional term revisions and incorporated Small Generator Interconnection Procedures and a Small Generator Interconnection Agreement in March 2007. In September 2009, WAPA submitted yet another set of revisions to address FERC Order No. 890 requirements along with revisions to existing terms. In reviewing interconnection requests and making its decision, WAPA must ensure that existing reliability and service are not degraded. WAPA’s LGIP provides for transmission and system studies to ensure that system reliability and service to existing power customers are not adversely affected by new interconnections. These studies also identify system upgrades or additions necessary to accommodate the proposed Project and address whether the upgrades/additions are within the Project scope. Executive Summary ES-i Rail Tie Wind Project DRAFT Environmental Impact Statement Figure ES-1. Project location. Executive Summary ES-ii Rail Tie Wind Project DRAFT Environmental Impact Statement ES 3 ConnectGen’s Goals and Objectives ConnectGen’s goal is to obtain the interconnection agreement with WAPA in order to transmit the renewable energy generated by the Project to potential customers using WAPA’s transmission system. ConnectGen’s objectives are to: (1) Develop, construct, and operate a commercial wind energy generation facility capable of generating up to 504 MW of wind energy. (2) Interconnect to WAPA’s transmission system via a direct interconnection to the Ault-Craig 345-kV transmission line. (3) Locate the Project in close proximity to an existing transmission line in order to reduce impacts and costs associated with building new transmission. (4) Serve increasing market demand within the Western Interconnection, driven by state renewable portfolio standard (RPS) mandates and clean energy goals, the low cost of wind energy generation, and planned retirements of thermal generation facilities. (5) Create temporary and permanent jobs in Albany County and contribute to Albany County’s tax base. (6) Support landowners through diversification of revenue streams. (7) Offset approximately 900,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually compared to typical U.S. electric generation. (8) Provide emissions-free energy for the equivalent of approximately 180,000 households. Thirty-seven states now have an RPS, or goal, for electricity produced by renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal sources. In addition to the demand driven by state RPS mandates and clean energy goals, there is increased demand from western load-serving entities because of the low cost of wind energy and planned retirements of thermal generation plants. The cost of generating electricity from wind continues to trend downward (DOE 2018), approaching costs competitive with existing conventional generation, even when considering nonsubsidized prices (Lazard 2019). Many western utilities have announced ambitious plans to add large amounts of renewable energy to their portfolios in the coming years. These drivers of demand create a dynamic marketplace in which wind energy can be generated in one location and transmitted to another. Energy generation and transmission locations are influenced by market conditions