Notice2026-18456
Idaho Power Company; Notice of Availability of the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Hells Canyon Hydroelectric Project
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 10, 2026
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 174 (Thursday, September 10, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 174 (Thursday, September 10, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57591-57592]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-18456]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 1971-079]
Idaho Power Company; Notice of Availability of the Final
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Hells Canyon
Hydroelectric Project
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
\1\ and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (Commission)
regulations, 18 CFR part 380, the Office of Energy Projects has
reviewed Idaho Power Company's (Idaho Power) application for a new
license to continue to operate and maintain the Hells Canyon
Hydroelectric Project No. 1971 (project) and has prepared a final
supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for the project.\2\
The project is located on the Snake River in Washington and Adams
Counties, Idaho, and Wallowa, Malheur, and Baker Counties, Oregon and
occupies a total of about 5,270 acres of federal land administered by
the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service (Forest Service). The Hells Canyon Project
consists of three developments (dams, reservoirs, and powerhouses) on
the segment of the Snake River forming the border between Idaho and
Oregon. The three developments are Brownlee, Oxbow, and Hells Canyon,
which combined provide 1,222.3 megawatts of power generating capacity
and an average of 5,571,005 megawatt-hours of electricity annually.
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\1\ National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, amended (Pub. L.
91-190, 42 U.S.C. 4321-4347, as amended by Pub. L. 94-52, July 3,
1975, Pub. L. 94-83, August 9, 1975, Pub. L. 97-258, 4(b), September
13, 1982, Pub. L. 118-5, June 3, 2023, Pub. L. 119-21, July 4,
2025).
\2\ For tracking purposes under the National Environmental
Policy Act, the unique identification number for documents relating
to this environmental review is SEIS-019-20-000-1756911632.
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On August 31, 2007, Commission staff issued a final environmental
impact statement (EIS) for the proposed relicensing of the project. On
December 30, 2019, Idaho Power filed an Offer of Settlement and
Stipulation and Implementation Agreement (2019 Settlement), resolving
disputed issues related to spring Chinook salmon and summer steelhead
passage and reintroduction with the states of Oregon and Idaho in the
context of their respective water quality certifications for the
project under section 401 of the Clean Water Act (401 certifications).
Pursuant to the 2019 Settlement, the states of Oregon and Idaho each
issued 401 certifications for the project on May 24, 2019. On July 8,
2020, Idaho Power filed a supplement to its license application that
included new and revised environmental measures proposed under the 2019
Settlement, refinements to the proposed action, and new information on
project-affected resources. On October 14, 2020, pursuant to the
Endangered Species Act (ESA), Idaho Power filed revised draft
biological assessments for species managed by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service, which were
subsequently revised again in July 1 and July 16, 2025, filings. On
October 23, 2024, Idaho Power filed a settlement agreement on behalf of
itself and the Forest Service (2024 Settlement), resolving between the
parties the appropriate terms and conditions pursuant to section 4(e)
of the Federal Power Act to be incorporated into any new license issued
for the project for the protection and utilization of federal lands
administered by the Forest Service.
In accordance with Commission staff's June 13, 2022 notice of
intent to prepare a draft and final SEIS, staff has prepared this final
SEIS to supplement the final EIS with analyses of the new and revised
proposed measures and mandatory conditions (i.e., modified 4(e)
conditions and 401 certification conditions) filed subsequent to the
issuance of the final EIS, as well as the potential effects of the new
and revised measures on federally listed species and their designated
critical habitats.
The final SEIS contains an analysis of Idaho Power's proposal and
the alternatives for relicensing the project. The final SEIS documents
the views of governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations,
affected Tribes, the public, the license applicant, and Commission
staff.
The final SEIS may be viewed on the Commission's website at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a> under the ``eLibrary'' link. Enter the docket number
excluding the last three digits in the docket number field to access
the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#35737067767a5b595c5b50664045455a474175535047561b525a43"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0b4d4e594844656762656e587e7b7b64797f4b6d6e7968256c647d">[email protected]</span></a>, (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-
8659 (TTY).
You may also register online at <a href="https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx">https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx</a> to be notified via email of new filings and issuances
related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC
Online Support.
[[Page 57592]]
For public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as
interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, contact the Office
of Public Participation at (202) 502-6595 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ffb0afafbf999a8d9cd1989089"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1d524d4d5d7b786f7e337a726b">[email protected]</span></a>.
For further information, contact Aaron Liberty, the Commission's
relicensing coordinator for the project, at (202) 502-6862 or
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f59494879a9bdb999c979087818cb593908796db929a83"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4e2f2f3c21206022272c2b3c3a370e282b3c2d60292138">[email protected]</span></a>.
(Authority: 18 CFR 2.1)
Dated: September 4, 2026.
Carlos D. Clay,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2026-18456 Filed 9-9-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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