A proposed 972-megawatt power project at Seminoe Reservoir in Carbon County has cleared a major hurdle, with a federal commission recommending approval despite widespread opposition in Wyoming.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) released its final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the Salt Lake City-based rPlus Hydro company’s Seminoe Pumped Storage Project on Friday.
Some Wyoming conservationists told Cowboy State Daily they were trying to surmise what the 478-page document means for opposition going forward.
The EIS recommends that FERC license the project, and waive seasonal timing restrictions on construction based on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) policy.
Project opponents say those restrictions protect the Ferris-Seminoe Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep herd. Because of its disease-free status, it’s Wyoming’s most-prized bighorn herd.
Wyoming conservationists, hunters, anglers and municipal and county officials spoke against the Seminoe Pumped Storage Project during a recent meeting of the Legislature’s Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee.
In addition to concerns over bighorn sheep, opponents say they worry how the project could affect blue-ribbon trout fishing on the North Platte River’s Miracle Mile Section, and municipal water supplies.
An rPlus Hydro spokesman said during the legislative committee meeting the project could provide high-paying jobs and much-needed backup power for Wyoming.
‘Energy Loser’
But after the release of the EIS, detractors weren’t buying that argument.
“It’s an energy loser. It will use more energy to pump water uphill than it will generate by flowing it back downhill,” Wyoming Wildlife Federation executive director Craig Benjamin told Cowboy State Daily.
WWF remains staunchly opposed to the project, according to a statement released by the group.
“WWF supports responsible energy development when it is sited well, built responsibly, and delivers real benefits to Wyoming. Based on what we have seen so far, this project raises serious questions on all three fronts. Now that the final EIS has been released, we are reviewing it closely with our partners, and will have more to say in the days ahead,” the organization said.
BLM’s Turn
The fate of the Seminoe Pumped Storage Project could now rest with the BLM. The EIS recommendations hinge on the agency agreeing on the revised sections of its Rawlins Area Resource Management Plan.
That doesn’t seem fair to the BLM, Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation executive director Katie Cheesbrough told Cowboy State Daily.
“It seems like they’re pushing a lot of the burden of this onto the BLM now,” she said.
Cheesbrough noted that, in an ironic twist, public sentiment is running in the opposite direction than over the BLM’s controversial Rock Spring Area Resource Management plan, which many critics said was too restrictive.
"The issue with the Rock Springs RMP was that local people would like to see less environmental regulation and more industry. And here, local people seem to want more environmental regulation and less industry,” she said.
She called the EIS recommendation for the pumped storage project “disheartening” and said it sets a bad precedent.
That’s because it asks for sweeping changes in BLM wildlife and environmental safeguards. The company claims that otherwise, the construction process will drag out too long and they won’t be able to afford it, Cheesbrough said.
From her perspective, it's a poor siting choice on rPlus Hydro’s part. If the company can’t afford to build the project at Seminoe Reservoir while also protecting the bighorn sheep herd and fishery, then the project should be turned down, she said.
Five-Year Schedule
The company argues that “to retain maximum flexibility needed to timely complete each segment of construction,” seasonal work restrictions related to bighorn sheep, sage-grouse and other species should be lifted, according to the EIS.
That would allow “for construction to occur up to 24-hours per day, seven days a week for the duration of the construction period,” the EIS states.
Construction is expected to last five years, but could take longer due to “weather-related events or logistical considerations,” according to the EIS.
Does The Public Have A Say
There’s widespread perception that FERC and rPlus Hydro are ignoring what the public in Carbon County and the surrounding region are saying about the project, Patrick Harrington, Trout Unlimited's Wyoming government affairs director, told Cowboy State Daily.
The EIS calling for approval didn’t come as much of a surprise, he said. But the way the process keeps moving forward, despite vocal opposition, is disheartening, he added.
“This thing seems it‘s on railroad tracks, moving forward,” Harrington said.
Harrington said he questions “the fairness and the ability of people to engage and raise their concerns,” regarding the Seminoe Pumped Storage Project.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
