Abstract
Western Area Power Administration (Western) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) have jointly prepared this programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) to identify environmental impacts associated with various environmental review processes that could be implemented to evaluate requests for interconnection of wind energy projects to Western’s transmission system or requests for land exchanges to accommodate wind energy elements that may affect wetland or grassland conservation easements managed by the USFWS in Western’s Upper Great Plains Customer Service Region. The PEIS assesses environmental impacts associated with wind energy development and identifies management practices to address impacts. The processes and management practices identified in the PEIS are intended to expedite site-specific National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) evaluations by providing a framework document from which other NEPA documents could tier. The PEIS provides information that will help developers know what will be expected when they apply for an interconnection or land exchange and will assist them with identifying and avoiding environmentally sensitive areas where permitting would be more difficult. Decisions regarding implementation of a programmatic process for environmental evaluations of requests for interconnection of wind energy projects to Western’s transmission facilities or for land exchanges to accommodate wind energy that may affect easements managed by the USFWS will be issued following the final PEIS as Records of Decision for each agency.