Notice2023-10651
Cheatham County Generation Site Environmental Impact Statement
Primary source
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Published
May 19, 2023
Issuing agencies
Tennessee Valley Authority
Abstract
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to address the potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed construction and operation of a simple cycle Combustion Turbine (CT) plant and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on a parcel of TVA-owned land in Cheatham County, Tennessee. The Cheatham County Generation Site (CHG) would generate approximately 900 Megawatts (MW) and replace generation capacity for a portion of the Cumberland Fossil Plant (CUF) second unit retirement planned by the end of 2028. The CHG CTs would be composed of multiple natural gas-fired frame CTs and natural gas-fired and oil- fired (i.e., dual-fuel) Aeroderivative CTs. CHG would provide flexible and dispatchable transmission grid support and facilitate the integration of renewable generation onto the TVA bulk transmission system, consistent with the 2019 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). TVA is inviting public comment concerning the scope of the EIS, alternatives being considered, and environmental issues that should be addressed as a part of this EIS.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 97 (Friday, May 19, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 97 (Friday, May 19, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32267-32269]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-10651]
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TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
Cheatham County Generation Site Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Tennessee Valley Authority.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) intends to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to address the potential
environmental impacts associated with the proposed construction and
operation of a simple cycle Combustion Turbine (CT) plant and Battery
Energy Storage System (BESS) on a parcel of TVA-owned land in Cheatham
County, Tennessee. The Cheatham County Generation Site (CHG) would
generate approximately 900 Megawatts (MW) and replace generation
capacity for a portion of the Cumberland Fossil Plant (CUF) second unit
retirement planned by the end of 2028. The CHG CTs would be composed of
multiple natural gas-fired frame CTs and natural gas-fired and oil-
fired (i.e., dual-fuel) Aeroderivative CTs. CHG would provide flexible
and dispatchable transmission grid support and facilitate the
integration of renewable generation onto the TVA bulk transmission
system, consistent with the 2019 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). TVA is
inviting public comment concerning the scope of the EIS, alternatives
being considered, and environmental issues that should be addressed as
a part of this EIS.
DATES: The public scoping period begins with the publication of this
notice of intent in the Federal Register. To ensure consideration,
comments must be postmarked, submitted online, or emailed no later than
June 20, 2023. To facilitate the scoping process, TVA will hold an in-
person public open house; see <a href="https://www.tva.gov/NEPA">https://www.tva.gov/NEPA</a> for more
information on the meeting.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to J. Taylor Johnson, NEPA
Compliance Specialist, 1101 Market Street, BR 2C-C, Chattanooga,
Tennessee 37402. Comments may also be submitted online at: <a href="https://www.tva.gov/NEPA">https://www.tva.gov/NEPA</a> or by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d8b6bda8b998acaeb9f6bfb7ae"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="600e051001201416014e070f16">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information about the
project, please contact J. Taylor Johnson, NEPA Compliance Specialist,
by mail at 1101 Market Street, BR 2C-C, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402,
by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#caa4afbaab8abebcabe4ada5bc"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="aac4cfdacbeadedccb84cdc5dc">[email protected]</span></a>, or by phone at 423-751-2732.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is provided in accordance with
the Council on Environmental Quality's Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500
to 1508) and TVA's procedures for implementing the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). TVA is an agency and instrumentality
of the United States, established by an act of Congress in 1933, to
foster the social and economic welfare of the people of the Tennessee
Valley region and to promote the proper use and conservation of the
region's natural resources. One component of this mission is the
generation, transmission, and sale of reliable and affordable electric
energy.
TVA Transmission System
TVA provides electricity for local power companies serving 10
million people in Tennessee and parts of six surrounding states, as
well as directly to large industrial customers and Federal
installations. TVA is fully self-financed without Federal
appropriations and funds virtually all operations through electricity
sales and power system bond financing. Dependable electrical capacity
on the TVA power system is approximately 38,000 MW. TVA transmits
electricity from generating
[[Page 32268]]
facilities over 16,000 miles of transmission lines.
Generation Asset Planning
In June 2019, TVA published an IRP, which was developed with input
from stakeholder groups and the public. The 2019 IRP evaluated six
scenarios (plausible futures) and five strategies (potential TVA
responses to those plausible futures) and identified a range of
potential resource additions and retirements throughout the TVA power
service area, which encompasses approximately 80,000 square miles.
The target supply mix adopted by the TVA Board through the 2019 IRP
included the potential retirement of 2,200 MW of coal-fired generation
by 2038. The IRP acknowledged continued operational challenges for the
aging coal fleet and included a recommendation to conduct end-of-life
evaluations during the term of the IRP to determine whether retirements
greater than 2,200 MW would be appropriate. Following the publication
of the IRP, TVA began conducting these evaluations to inform long-term
planning. TVA's recent evaluation confirms that the aging coal fleet is
among the oldest in the nation and is experiencing deterioration of
material condition and performance challenges. Consistent with aging
coal fleet evaluation, TVA made a decision to retire the first CUF unit
by the end of 2026 and the second unit by the end of 2028. Generation
from the proposed project would replace a portion of the capacity of
the second CUF unit to be retired by 2028. Generation from the proposed
project would also be consistent with the target supply mix in the 2019
IRP that aims the addition of up to 5,200 MW of simple cycle capacity
by 2028 to facilitate the integration of solar onto the TVA bulk power
system.
Project Purpose and Need
The TVA-owned land for TVA's proposed project is in Ashland City,
Cheatham County, Tennessee, which is approximately 22 miles northwest
of Nashville. The total property is approximately 285 acres with the
proposed project footprint covering a footprint of approximately 75
acres. TVA's EIS would evaluate the proposed action to replace a
portion of the 1,450 MW generation capacity of the second CUF unit
planned for retirement in 2028 with up to 900 MW of generation capacity
from CHG.
The purpose of the proposed action is to help provide generation to
support continued load growth in the Tennessee Valley and TVA's
decarbonization goals. TVA needs flexible, dispatchable power that can
successfully integrate increasing amounts of renewable energy sources
while ensuring reliability. One of the purposes of the proposed action
is to facilitate the integration of solar onto the electric grid and
thereby advance TVA's decarbonation goals.
The need for the Proposed Action is to ensure that TVA can meet
required year-round generation and maximum capacity system demands and
planning reserve margin targets. By constructing and operating a CT
with a BESS interconnected to the transmission system at the same
location, TVA would continue providing dispatchable and reliable energy
to the people of the Tennessee Valley at the lowest feasible cost with
fewer environmental impacts than the current generating capacity that
is being replaced. The addition of the proposed 400 MW-hour BESS could
also help TVA maintain grid stability and reliability as generating
assets with greater minute-by-minute variability are integrated into
TVA's transmission system (e.g. wind and solar generating assets).
Preliminary Proposed Action and Alternatives
TVA anticipates that the scope of the EIS will evaluate a No Action
Alternative and an Action Alternative. The No Action alternative
provides a baseline for comparing against the Action Alternative. Under
the No Action Alternative, TVA would not develop the TVA-owned property
in Cheatham County for energy generation. The Action Alternative would
evaluate the development of the CHG property for construction and
operation of a CT interconnected with a BESS. The CHG property would
also include an approximately 13-acre pollinator habitat along Sycamore
Creek. Whether these or other alternatives are reasonable warranting
further consideration under NEPA would be determined in the course of
preparing the EIS. Related actions, such as the construction of an
approximately 12-mile natural gas pipeline lateral and off-site
transmission lines, will also be assessed in this EIS. The pipeline
facilities to bring gas supply to the CHG property would, to the extent
practicable, be located within or adjacent to an existing pipeline
right of way.
Anticipated Environmental Impacts
The EIS will include a detailed evaluation of the environmental,
social, and economic impacts associated with implementation of the
proposed action. Resource areas to be addressed in the EIS include, but
are not limited to: air quality; aquatics; botany; climate change;
cultural resources; emergency planning; floodplains; geology and
groundwater; land use; noise and vibration; soil erosion and surface
water; socioeconomics and environmental justice; threatened and
endangered species; transportation; visual; waste; wetlands; and
wildlife. Measures to avoid, minimize, and mitigate adverse effects
will be identified and evaluated in the EIS.
Anticipated Permits and Other Authorizations
TVA anticipates seeking required permits or authorizations, as
appropriate. The construction of the natural gas pipeline(s) would be
subject to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) jurisdiction and
additional review will be undertaken by FERC in accordance with its own
NEPA procedures. TVA's proposed action to construct a CT and BESS may
also require issuance of an air permit under the Clean Air Act, an
Individual or Nationwide Permit under section 404 of the Clean Water
Act; section 401 Water Quality Certification; conformance with
Executive Orders on Environmental Justice (12898), Wetlands (11990),
Floodplain Management (11988), Migratory Birds (13186), and Invasive
Species (13112); and compliance with section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act, section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, and
other applicable local, Federal, and State regulations.
Public Participation and Scoping Process
Scoping, which is integral to the process for implementing NEPA,
provides an early and open process to ensure that issues are identified
early and properly studied; issues of little significance do not
consume substantial time and effort; the draft EIS is thorough and
balanced; and delays caused by an inadequate EIS are avoided. TVA seeks
comment and participation from all interested parties for
identification of potential alternatives, information, and analyses
relevant to the proposed action in this EIS. Information about this
project is available at <a href="https://www.tva.gov/NEPA">https://www.tva.gov/NEPA</a>, which includes a link
to an online public comment page. Comments must be received or
postmarked no later than June 20, 2023. Federal, State, local agencies,
and Native American Tribes are also invited to provide comments. Please
note that any comments received, including names and addresses, will
become part of the project administrative record and will be available
for public inspection. TVA plans to have an open house on
[[Page 32269]]
May 24, 2023. Visit <a href="https://www.tva.gov/NEPA">https://www.tva.gov/NEPA</a> to obtain more information
about the open house.
EIS Preparation and Schedule
TVA will consider comments received during the scoping period and
develop a scoping report which will be published at <a href="https://www.tva.gov/NEPA">https://www.tva.gov/NEPA</a>. The scoping report will summarize public and agency
comments that were received and identify the projected schedule for
completing the EIS process. Subsequently, following completion of the
environmental analysis, TVA will post a Draft EIS for public review and
comment on the project web page. TVA anticipates holding a public open
house after releasing the Draft EIS. Open house details will be posted
on TVA's website in conjunction with the Draft EIS. TVA expects to
release the Draft EIS in 2024, a Final EIS in 2025, and a Record of
Decision at least 30-days after the release of the Final EIS.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.9.
Susan Jacks,
General Manager, Environmental Resource Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2023-10651 Filed 5-18-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8120-08-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on May 19, 2023.
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