PROJECTS

Utah Chapter of the American Planning Association Outstanding Achievement Award for Information Technology – EPG is pleased to announce its recognition by the Utah Chapter of the American Planning Association for the Mountain Meadows Video Flyover that was prepared for the Sigurd to Red Butte No. 2 345kV Transmission Project. The Outstanding Achievement award category for Information Technology is the highest honor given for the innovative or unique use of this technology. The selection committee was impressed with EPG’s use of the video flyover and its application to the Mountain Meadows area. The award was presented at the 2011 Utah APA Annual Meeting on October 6, in Salt Lake City. The video was developed to visually communicate the complexity of conflicting resource issues and challenges associated with locating the proposed project in the Mountain Meadows area of Washington County, Utah. A federally designated energy corridor threads its way between and, in some cases, overlaps with Forest Service Inventoried Roadless Areas and an important National Historic Landmark that memorializes the Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857. For more information on the Sigurd to Red Butte No. 2, 345kV Transmission Project click here.

Wilson Creek Wind Farm - Nevada – Wilson Creek Power Partners, LLC (Wilson Creek) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Schell Field Office recently selected EPG as the third-party contractor for the Wilson Creek Wind Project EIS (Project). Wilson Creek plans to construct, operate, and maintain a multi-phase 990 megawatt wind powered generation facility on approximately 31,000 acres of BLM-administered public lands in Lincoln County, Nevada. The fully constructed Project would consist of up to 373 wind turbines to be located along the ridgeline of the Wilson Creek mountain range, approximately 20 miles northeast of the town of Pioche, Nevada. EPG will assist the BLM with National Environmental Policy Act compliance and other necessary studies.

Mona to Oquirrh 500kV Transmission Corridor Project EIS/PA - Utah – The Record of Decision for the Mona to Oquirrh Transmission Corridor Project Environmental Impact Statement/Plan Amendment was signed on February 4, 2011, by the Utah BLM State Director and published in the Federal Register February 10, 2011. This major milestone was accomplished through the tremendous efforts of the BLM, Rocky Mountain Power, and EPG.

Mona-Oquirrh represents several firsts:

• First 500kV AC line and associated substations serving Utah
• First transmission line brought before the State of Utah Utility Facility Review Board for a decision    (unanimous for project approval)
• First high-voltage transmission line EIS in Utah in more than 20 years

Beginning with a feasibility study in 2005 through the completion of the Final EIS, EPG is proud to have played a role in making this project a success.

The BLM West Desert District Manager commented on how well the team (BLM, RMP, EPG) worked together to accomplish this major effort. He noted “that in his 37 years of experience on NEPA projects, EPG has done the best job by far in preparing the EIS document, conducting the studies and analysis, and cooperatively working with BLM staff on the project.”

SolarReserve Advances Permitting for Arizona Solar Project – SolarReserve, a U.S. developer of utility-scale solar power projects, today announced it has received two Certificates of Environmental Compatibility (CEC) from the Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee for its Crossroads Solar Energy Project. The unanimous decision (11-0) from the Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee is a major milestone in the project's permitting approval process.

The 150-megawatt Crossroads Solar Energy Project and associated transmission line will be located on privately owned and actively cultivated land west of the Town of Gila Bend in Maricopa County, Arizona. Utilizing an advanced molten salt, power tower technology developed by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, a division of United Technologies Corporation, the Crossroads Solar Energy Project will have the ability to store 10 hours of solar energy and generate electricity on demand, even after the sun goes down. This energy storage capability provides a stable, reliable electricity product and can replace conventional power generation that produces harmful emissions from burning coal, natural gas and oil. When completed, the Crossroads Solar Energy project will supply approximately 450,000-megawatt hours annually of clean, renewable electricity, enough to power up to 100,000 homes.

"We are pleased that the Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee carefully evaluated the information we presented in our testimony, and unanimously approved the project--we could not have asked for a better outcome," said Tom Georgis, vice president of SolarReserve. "We look forward to the next level of hearings with the Arizona Corporation Commission and will continue to work with Arizona stakeholders to bring this innovative technology to a state with such tremendous solar resources. This project would be a clear demonstration of American technology leadership generating clean, renewable energy while creating significant regional employment and economic benefits."

The project will create over 450 construction jobs for Arizona during the two-year construction period and up to 5,000 direct and induced jobs, including offsite supplier and supporting activities. It will employ at least 45 full-time, permanent operations staff with annual budget in excess of $7.0 million during the 30-year project operating life. In addition, the project is estimated to generate tax revenues in excess of $100 million over the first 10 years of operation.

The cases are listed separately under Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) docket numbers 155 and 156 for the generator tie line and the power plant, respectively. Both cases will go before the ACC commissioners for final approval and SolarReserve expects to receive the final Certificate of Environmental Compatibility in early 2011.

Cheyenne Greenways/Bikeways – Landscape Architecture – EPG has teamed with Alta Planning + Design to provide consulting and design services to the Cheyenne Metropolitan Area to update the City’s On-Street Bicycle and Greenway Plan. Alta and EPG will be conducting surveys, analysis, and public outreach activities to identify priorities for development of the Bike and Greenway Plan. The planning process will identify recommendations to complete and expand the existing on-street bicycle system and complement the existing and proposed greenway system.

Salt Lake City Cottonwood Park and Fairmont Park – Irrigation Design – EPG has been selected by the City of Salt Lake to update the irrigation systems for two large community parks: Cottonwood Park in northwest Salt Lake City and Fairmount Park in the Sugarhouse neighborhood of Salt Lake City. The design will incorporate updated technology to better control the system for water efficiency and conservation.

Jordanelle Resource Management Plan – Landscape Architecture – EPG has teamed with Frandson Civil Engineers to provide on-call landscape architecture services to the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) for the Jordanelle Reservoir Resource Management Plan. Jordanelle Reservoir is located in Heber, Utah, and serves as a future water supply, as well as providing critical wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities.

BLM Cedar City Resource Management Plan – Biological and Cultural Resource Studies – EPG has teamed with ICF International to provide resource management planning and National Environmental Policy Act compliance services to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Cedar City Field Office. To support the BLM Cedar City Resource Management Plan Revision process, EPG is developing the Cultural Resources Class I Overview and Biological Assessment for the 2.2 million acres of public lands within the planning area. In addition, EPG will be providing resource studies to support alternatives analysis for biological, cultural, water, and soil resources in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).