Upper Great Plains Wind Energy Programmatic EIS Schedule

The Agencies anticipate that the Upper Great Plains Wind Energy Programmatic EIS (PEIS) will be completed approximately 22 months after publication of the Notice of Intent.

Preparation of the Upper Great Plains Wind Energy Programmatic EIS is a multistep process. Western Area Power Administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service anticipate the PEIS process will take about 22 months. The process will include:

• public scoping meetings;
• consultation and involvement with appropriate federal, state, and local agencies, and tribal governments;
• publication of a draft PEIS;
• public review and hearing(s) on the published draft EIS;
• publication of a final PEIS; and
• publication of agency-specific Records of Decision (RODs).

The public will have an opportunity to review the draft PEIS, and hearings on the published draft PEIS are expected to be conducted in calendar year 2009. A notice of the location of these public hearings will be provided at a later date. A published final PEIS, a waiting period, and publications of the RODs are anticipated in calendar year 2010.

The Upper Great Plains Wind Energy PEIS Process and Schedule Public Scoping Draft PEIS Final PEIS Record of Decision What Happens: Gather Public Issues and Comments on Scope Consider Public Comments What Happens: Publish Draft PEIS Public Review and Comment Period Consider Public Comments What Happens: Revise Draft PEIS Publish Final PEIS What Happens: Write and Publish Records of Decision September–November 2008 2009 2010 2010 Public Involvement Activities: Public Scoping Meetings Submit Public Comments via Mail, Web, or in Person at Meetings Public Involvement Activities: Public Meetings Submit Public Comments via Mail, Web, or in Person at Meetings Public Involvement Activities: Public Distribution of Final PEIS Public Involvement Activities: Public Distribution of Records of Decision