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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 97 / Friday, May 19, 2023 / Notices
daily energy cycle. This long-duration storage will enable additional generation from solar, new nuclear, and carbon capture technologies. Long duration energy storage, like pumped storage, supports nuclear generation and carbon capture technologies by assisting with load balancing and allowing these technologies to run nearly full time, which is important as these technologies are generally not conducive to following the demand curve and work best when running fully loaded. PSH is a reliable and proven technology. The addition of pumped storage hydro facilities could also help TVA maintain grid stability and reliability in the future grid with less dispatchable generation and greater minute-by-minute variability due to fluctuations in output from renewables such as solar and wind. Project Purpose and Need TVA is planning a substantial decarbonization effort with aspirations of being carbon neutral by 2050. To meet these goals, long-duration storage (8 to 12 hours) will be needed to balance the daily energy cycle. This long- duration storage will enable additional generation from solar, new nuclear, and carbon capture technologies. Long duration energy storage, like pumped storage, supports nuclear generation and carbon capture technologies by assisting with load balancing and allowing these technologies to run nearly full time, which is important as these technologies are generally not conducive to following the demand curve and work best when running fully loaded. PSH is a reliable and proven technology. The addition of pumped storage hydro facilities could also help TVA maintain grid stability and reliability in the future grid with less dispatchable generation and greater minute-by-minute variability due to fluctuations in output from renewables such as solar and wind. The purpose of this PEIS is to evaluate the potential for pumped storage facilities in two areas in Jackson County, Alabama, and an expansion of the existing facility at Raccoon Mountain and to consider potential environmental and economic impacts from the construction and operation of pumped storage facilities at each site. After the PEIS, one or more sites will be further evaluated, and transmission line siting performed. The impacts of that evaluation and transmission options for the preferred site(s) will be considered in a future supplement to this PEIS.
see https://www.tva.gov/nepa for more information on the meeting. ADDRESSES : Written comments should be sent to Elizabeth Smith, NEPA Compliance Specialist, 400 West Summit Hill Dr., WT 11D, Knoxville, TN 37902–1499. Comments may also be submitted online at: https:// www.tva.gov/nepa or by email at pumpedstorageNEPA@tva.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT : For general information about the NEPA process and/or general project information, please email pumpedstorageNEPA@tva.gov, or NEPA Specialist, Elizabeth Smith, at (865) 632–3053. 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 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. The analyses in a programmatic NEPA review are valuable in setting out the broad view of environmental impacts and benefits for a proposed decision such as a rulemaking, or establishing a policy, program, or plan. That programmatic NEPA review can then be relied upon when agencies make decisions based on the programmatic EIS, as well as decisions based on a subsequent (also known as tiered) NEPA review. Background PSH is a type of hydroelectric energy storage that consists of two water reservoirs at different elevations in which water can be pumped to the higher elevation reservoir during periods in which energy storage is needed and then can be released during periods when energy is needed on the electrical grid. PSH is utilized for long term storage to provide for reserves on the grid, use excess energy to store water in the higher reservoir when demand drops below the base load generation, and to support intermittent generation for renewables such as wind and solar. TVA is planning a substantial decarbonization effort and aspires to be carbon neutral by 2050. As part of these efforts, long-duration storage (8 to 12 hours) will be needed to balance the
May 24, 2023. Visit https:// www.tva.gov/NEPA 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 https://www.tva.gov/NEPA. 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 TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY Pumped Storage Hydro Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement AGENCY : Tennessee Valley Authority. ACTION : Notice of intent. SUMMARY : The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is conducting a study to evaluate increasing pumped storage hydropower (PSH) capacity within its power service area. To meet its obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), TVA is preparing a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to evaluate potential new PSH facilities at two locations in Jackson County, Alabama and expansion of the existing Raccoon Mountain PSH Plant in Marion County, Tennessee. Based on the findings of the PEIS, TVA may potentially select one or more sites as the need for long-duration energy storage increases. The PEIS will consider potential environmental and economic impacts from the construction and operation at each site. DATES : To ensure consideration, postmarked, emailed, or submitted online no later than July 5, 2023. To facilitate the scoping process, TVA will hold a virtual public scoping meeting; comments on the scope and environmental issues must be
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