BPA Interconnection of the Brush Canyon Wind Facility

Wasco and Sherman counties, Oregon

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

BPA is proposing to allow the interconnection of 299-megawatts of power to the federal transmission system from the Brush Canyon Wind Facility, proposed by E.ON Climate and Renewables North America, Inc. (E.ON). BPA would interconnect the power at or near the BPA Buckley Substation, located approximately 10 miles southwest of the town of Grass Valley, in Sherman County, Oregon. As part of this proposed interconnection, BPA would rebuild Buckley Substation. Some elements of the existing substation, such as the control house, could remain intact. BPA does not plan to purchase any power from the Brush Canyon Facility.

E.ON would independently permit, build, own, and operate the Brush Canyon Facility, an up to 535-megawatt (MW) wind facility located on privately owned land in northeastern Wasco County, just east of the towns of Antelope and Shaniko, and in southern Sherman County, just east of Kent, in Oregon. To interconnect the wind facility, E.ON would construct and own a 32-mile long 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission line from their collector substations to BPA's Buckley Substation.

CURRENT STATUS

A BPA public outreach letter was sent on November 27, 2013. The comment period closed on January 15, 2014. Comments are posted in their entirety on the comment website.

BPA will assess the potential environmental impacts of the proposed interconnection, including environmental studies of the proposed substation location, once the proposed location of the rebuilt substation is determined and preliminary design of Buckley Substation begins. The completion of the environmental review will depend on when preliminary design of the rebuilt substation begins. If preliminary design begins in 2014, environmental review could be completed in 2015

If BPA determines that the decision to interconnect the wind project is consistent with BPAâ??s Business Plan Environmental Impact Statement (BP EIS), BPA will prepare a record of decision (ROD) tiered to the BP EIS and its associated ROD. The ROD will explain the decision on the interconnection and summarize the environmental review.

EFSC PERMITTING
The Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC) has siting and approval jurisdiction over the proposed Brush Canyon Facility, including the proposed 230-kV transmission line. A draft roposed order for the Brush Canyon Facility was issued by EFSC on November 18, 2013, and a public hearing on this order was held on January 7, 2014. 

CONTACT

For environmental-related information, contact:
Carol Leiter Toll-free: 800-622-4519
Supervisory Environmental Protection Specialist Direct line: 360-418-8608
Bonneville Power Administration - TEP-TPP-2 Email: cpleiter@bpa.gov 
P.O. Box 3621 
Portland, OR 97208-3621

For project information, contact:
Angela DeClerck         Toll-free: 800-622-4519
BPA Customer Account Executive Direct line: 360-619-3713
Bonneville Power Administration - TEP-TPP-2 Email: ardeclerck@bpa.gov 
P.O. Box 61409
Vancouver, WA 98666-1409

DOCUMENTS

PUBLIC OUTREACH
Public Outreach comments received
Public Letter (11/27/2013)
Project Map (10/12/2011)
Comment Form (11/27/2013)