Black Canyon Hydro, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Seminoe Pumped Storage Project, Schedule for Environmental Review, and Request For Comments

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September 16, 2026

Issuing agencies

Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 178 (Wednesday, September 16, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 178 (Wednesday, September 16, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58667-58669]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-18988]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 14787-004]

Black Canyon Hydro, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare a
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Seminoe Pumped
Storage Project, Schedule for Environmental Review, and Request For
Comments

The staff of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requires
additional environmental analysis to support its decision on a right-
of-way (ROW) application for the Seminoe Pumped Storage Project No.
14787 (Seminoe Project). BLM staff, in cooperation with Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) staff, will prepare a
supplement (supplemental EIS) to the June 12, 2026 final environmental
impact statement for the Seminoe Project. The supplemental EIS will
supplement discussions of the environmental impacts of the proposed BLM
ROW application associated with the Seminoe Project. Additionally, the
BLM will discuss and analyze amending components of the Rawlins
Resource Management Plan (RMP), listed in the Alternatives Considered
section of this notice. The Seminoe Project would be located at the
Bureau of Reclamation's (Reclamation) Seminoe Reservoir on the North
Platte River in Carbon County, Wyoming, approximately 35 miles
northeast of Rawlins, Wyoming.\1\ The BLM will use this supplemental
EIS in its decision-making process in compliance with National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and the Federal
Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976. The schedule for
preparing the supplemental EIS is discussed in the Schedule for
Environmental Review section of this notice.
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\1\ For tracking purposes under the National Environmental
Policy Act, the unique identification number for documents relating
to this environmental review is EISX-019-20-000-1742297464.
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As part of the NEPA review process, the BLM and Commission take
into account concerns the public may have about proposals and the
environmental impacts that could result whenever it considers the
issuance of a project. This gathering of public input is referred to

[[Page 58668]]

as ``scoping.'' The Commission previously solicited public input on
scoping documents for the Seminoe Project. See the final EIS issued
June 12, 2026, for details on the Commission's previous scoping
efforts.
With this notice, the BLM is announcing the beginning of the
scoping period to solicit public comments and identify issues and is
providing the planning criteria for public review. The BLM Wyoming
State Director intends to prepare an RMP Amendment (RMPA) with an
associated supplemental EIS for the Rawlins Resource Management Plan.
The RMPA is being considered to allow the BLM to evaluate the ROW
associated with the Seminoe Pumped Storage Project, which would require
amending the existing Rawlins RMP.\2\ To ensure that your comments are
timely and properly recorded, please submit your comments so that the
Commission receives them in Washington, DC, on or before 5:00 p.m.
Eastern Time on October 13, 2026.
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\2\ The scope of this land use planning process does not include
addressing the evaluation or designation of Areas of Critical
Environmental Concern (ACEC) and the BLM is not considering ACEC
nominations as part of this process.
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Public Participation

There are three methods you can use to submit your comments to the
Commission. The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and
has staff available to assist you at (866) 208-3676 or
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8ccae9feefc3e2e0e5e2e9dff9fcfce3fef8cceae9feefa2ebe3fa">[email&#160;protected]</a>. Please carefully follow these instructions
so that your comments are properly recorded.
(1) You can file your comments electronically using the eComment
feature, which is located on the Commission's website (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a>)
under the link to FERC Online. Using eComment is an easy method for
submitting brief, text-only comments on a project;
(2) You can file your comments electronically by using the eFiling
feature, which is located on the Commission's website (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a>)
under the link to FERC Online. With eFiling, you can provide comments
in a variety of formats by attaching them as a file with your
submission. New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking
on ``eRegister.'' You will be asked to select the type of filing you
are making; a comment on a particular project is considered a ``Comment
on a Filing''; or
(3) You can file a paper copy of your comments by mailing them to
the Commission. Be sure to reference the project docket number (P-
14787-004) on your letter. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service
must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC
20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to:
Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
Additionally, the Commission offers a free service called
eSubscription. This service provides automatic notification of filings
made to subscribed dockets, document summaries, and direct links to the
documents. Go to <a href="https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview">https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview</a> to register
for eSubscription.
For public inquiries and assistance with making filings, contact
the Office of Public Participation at (202)502-6595 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c28d929282a4a7b0a1eca5adb4">[email&#160;protected]</a>.

Summary of the Proposed Project

On January 18, 2023, rPlus Hydro, LLLP, on behalf of Black Canyon
Hydro, LLC (BCH), filed an application pursuant to Part I of the
Federal Power Act,\3\ for an original major license to construct,
operate, and maintain the 972-megawatt (MW) Seminoe Project. The
project as proposed by BCH would occupy 1,043.9 acres of land managed
by the BLM and 88.2 acres managed by Reclamation. The proposed project
would involve constructing a new upper reservoir, water conveyance and
maintenance tunnel system, underground powerhouse, access bridge, and
two overhead transmission lines. It would use Reclamation's existing
Seminoe Reservoir on the North Platte River as its lower reservoir.
Project construction would take about 5 years to complete and require
permanently disturbing approximately 283.3 acres of land and
temporarily disturbing another 296.2 acres. The project would require
13,400 acre-feet of water from the Seminoe Reservoir to initially fill
the new upper reservoir and would require approximately 672 acre-feet
of make-up water annually to replace water lost due to evaporation and
seepage. Once operating, the project would cycle back and forth about
10,800 acre-feet of water between the upper and lower reservoirs. The
project would pump water from the lower reservoir during off-peak hours
and generate electricity by discharging water from the upper reservoir
through three pump-turbines each rated at 324 MW (for a combined total
generating capacity of 972 MW) located in the underground powerhouse
when demand is high. The project would be capable of generating 2,916
gigawatt-hours per year.
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\3\ 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
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The purpose of the proposed project is to provide a new source of
hydroelectric power and energy storage to the existing electricity grid
and provide ancillary services to the electrical grid for grid
reliability and grid stabilization. BCH has applied for a ROW with the
BLM for components of the proposed project located on BLM-administered
public lands. The BLM needs to respond to the ROW application and
determine whether to approve the ROW, and if so, under what terms and
conditions. Additionally, the BLM needs to analyze the effects to
socioeconomic, aquatic, and recreation resources and consider an RMPA
to adequately address management of Visual Resource Management and Big
Game Crucial Ranges under the proposed project.

The NEPA Process and the Supplemental EIS

The planning criteria guide the planning effort and lay the
groundwork for effects analysis by identifying the preliminary issues
and their analytical frameworks. Preliminary issues for the planning
area have been identified by BLM personnel and from early engagement
conducted for this planning effort with Federal, State, and local
agencies; Tribes; and other stakeholders. The BLM has identified the
following preliminary issues for this planning and NEPA effort's
analysis:
<bullet> Visual Resource Management: is the proposed ROW compatible
with the current visual resource management classifications in the
approved RMP for BLM-administered public lands?
<bullet> Crucial Big Game Habitats: is the proposed ROW compatible
with allocations in the approved RMP for the management of crucial big
game ranges on BLM-administered public lands?
<bullet> Socioeconomic Resources: under the proposed ROW, what are
the reasonably foreseeable future effects to the local economy
(including the hunting, fishing, and tourism industries) in central
Wyoming?
<bullet> Aquatic Resources: under the proposed ROW, what are the
reasonably foreseeable future effects to the aquatic habitats and water
quality of the North Platte River Blue Ribbon trout fishery (i.e.,
within the Miracle Mile reach of the North Platte River)?
<bullet> Recreation: under the proposed ROW, what are the
reasonably foreseeable future effects to the recreational accessibility
of BLM-administered public lands in the vicinity of the project?

[[Page 58669]]

The supplemental EIS will present BLM's independent analysis of the
issues. The Commission and the following other entities will cooperate
with BLM in preparing the supplemental EIS: Reclamation, the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service (FWS), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps),
the Western Area Power Administration, the Saratoga-Encampment-Rawlins
Conservation District, the Medicine Bow Conservation District, and the
Board of Carbon County Commissioners.
Per 43 CFR 1610.2(e), a draft supplemental EIS would be issued for
a 90-day comment period. Any draft and final supplemental EIS will be
available in electronic format in the public record through
eLibrary.\4\ If eSubscribed, you will receive instant email
notification when the environmental document is issued.
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\4\ For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer to the
Additional Information section of this notice this notice.
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The BLM will provide additional opportunities for public
participation consistent with the NEPA and land use planning processes,
including a 90-day comment period (per 43 CFR 1610.2(e)) on the Draft
RMPA and supplemental EIS and will provide a concurrent 30-day public
protest period and 60-day Governor's consistency review on the Proposed
RMPA. BLM anticipates the Proposed RMPA and final supplemental EIS will
be available for public protest of the Proposed RMPA Summer 2027 with
an Approved RMPA and Record of Decision.

Alternatives Under Consideration

As part of the review in the supplement EIS, BLM staff will
consider a range of reasonable alternatives that are technically and
economically feasible and meet the purpose and need for the proposed
action. Alternatives that do not meet these requirements will be
summarized and dismissed from further consideration in the supplemental
EIS document.
The BLM will incorporate by reference the action alternatives from
the Seminoe Project final EIS that cover the BLM ROW application. In
its description of the proposed action, the BLM may describe additional
design features from the ROW application. The alternatives may consider
additional mitigation measures to protect BLM-administered public lands
and land users.
The BLM will consider amending land use plan decisions,
allocations, and management direction to adequately address management
of Visual Resource Management and Big Game Crucial Ranges.
The alternatives BLM is considering may be expanded based on the
comments received, provided they meet the required criteria. With this
notice, BLM asks commenters to identify other potential reasonable
alternatives for consideration.

Schedule for Environmental Review

This Notice of Intent identifies the planned schedule for
completion of the draft and final supplemental EISs for the project,
which is based on an issuance of the draft supplemental EIS on January
14, 2026, opening a 90-day public comment period.\5\
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\5\ The project schedule includes a 90-day comment period for
the draft supplemental EIS to accommodate BLM's requirements under
its regulations at 43 CFR 1610.2(e).

Issuance of Notice of Availability of the draft supplemental EIS
January 14, 2027
Issuance of Notice of Availability for the final supplemental EIS July
16, 2027

The project is covered under Title 41 of the Fixing America's
Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41). Under FAST-41, agencies are to
publish completion dates for all federal environmental reviews and
authorizations. This notice identifies the Commission's anticipated
schedule for issuance of the final order for the project, which is
based on the revised issuance date for the final supplemental EIS. We
currently anticipate issuing the final order for the project no later
than:

Issuance of the License Order--October 21, 2027

Additional Information

Additional information about the project is available on the FERC
website at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">www.ferc.gov</a> using the eLibrary link. Click on the eLibrary
link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the Docket No. P-14787 in
the ``Docket Number'' field. Be sure you have selected an appropriate
date range. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#75331007163a1b191c1b10260005051a070135131007165b121a03">[email&#160;protected]</a> or (866) 208-3676, or for TTY, contact (202)
502-8659.
Any questions regarding this notice may be directed to Michael Tust
at (202) 502-6522 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c8a5a1aba0a9ada4e6bcbdbbbc88aeadbaabe6afa7be">[email&#160;protected]</a>. Questions pertaining to
BLM's processes, including for the RMPA, should be directed to Kris
Kirby, acting BLM Wyoming State Director, at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e78c8c8e95859ea7858b8ac9808891">[email&#160;protected]</a>.

(Authority: 18 CFR 2.1)

Dated: September 11, 2026.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2026-18988 Filed 9-15-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P

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