Electrical Power Capacity Upgrade Project

Goals and Objectives 

The goals and objectives of the EPCU are to provide the Los Alamos National Laboratory 115 kV transmission system with 200 MVA import capacity with contingency reliability, to provide the internal 115kV transmission system with the capacity and reliability to support the imported 200 MVA capacity, and to provide the 13.8kV distribution system with the capacity and resiliency to deliver 200 MVA to LANL facilities and customer loads by 2027. The project will also include a fiber optic line to improve communications to LANL and the Los Alamos townsite, and power protection coordination across the transmission system network.  

Project Status 

Second public meeting details announced for proposed LANL transmission line upgrade project

The draft EA is now available at this link.

The Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and cooperating agencies will hold a second public meeting Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, from 4-7 pm, regarding the Los Alamos National Laboratory Electrical Power Capacity Upgrade Project Draft Environmental Assessment (DOE/EA-2199) (EA).

The public meeting will take place at Santa Fe Community College, Jemez Room, 6401 Richards Ave., Santa Fe, NM 87508. The meeting will start with a poster information session at 4 p.m., followed at 4:30 pm by a presentation on the draft EA and a comment period.

A hybrid option is available for the meeting and will start at 4:30 pm. The link to the virtual meeting is: http://tinyurl.com/LANLEPCUEA2

Meeting ID: 216 364 231 301      Passcode: KWf2M2

To join the meeting by telephone, call: 719-283-1404      Phone Conference ID: 660 740 035#

The first official comment period opened on Dec. 19, 2023, and ended Jan. 17, 2024. The cooperating agencies determined a second 30-day comment period is warranted based on multiple factors, including community concerns recently raised about the timing of the current comment period. The second comment period opened on January 22, 2024  and will close February 20, 2024.

This second comment period will allow for greater public involvement and meaningful participation by interested parties. All written comments submitted during the official comment periods will be considered. Comments submitted during the first comment period do not need to be submitted again in the second comment period. Interested parties must submit specific comments during an official comment period in order to have standing to object as part of the Forest Service’s pre-decisional administrative review process (objection) 36 CFR 218 and 219.

The draft EA was prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF), and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Taos Field Office. NNSA announced on Nov. 16, 2023, the availability and comment period for the draft EA.  

The draft EA includes proposed amendments to the 2022 Forest Plan for the Santa Fe National Forest that would allow for the designation of a utility corridor. The draft EA analyzes the construction and operation of a new 115 kilovolt (kV) power transmission line and upgrading LANL’s existing electrical infrastructure. LANL requires a reliable and redundant electrical power supply to support mission programs and other activities conducted at LANL facilities. Electrical power supply forecasts project that existing transmission lines that serve LANL and Los Alamos County will reach capacity before 2030, jeopardizing DOE/NNSA’s electrical power supply to meet mission requirements.  

The draft EA provides sufficient evidence and analysis for determining whether to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the project or to issue a Finding of No Significant Impact, in accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) authorities. 

The document is available in the NNSA NEPA Reading Room at: /nnsa/nnsa-nepa-reading-room or directly at /nepa/doeea-2199-los-alamos-national-laboratory-electrical-power-capacity-upgrade-project

Questions, EA and Forest Plan amendment comments, and/or requests for a paper copy of the draft EA may be submitted via U.S. mail to:  

NNSA Los Alamos Field Office
ATTN: EPCU Project NEPA
3747 West Jemez Road
Los Alamos, NM 87544   

 or emailed to: EPCUEA@nnsa.doe.gov   

Comments may be submitted to the NNSA Los Alamos Field Office via mail or through the email address listed above. Comments will not be accepted over the telephone. All comments must be received during the official comment periods. 

 

Previous Meeting Resources

PowerPoint Presentation from the January 11, 2024 Public Meeting (pdf)

Posters from the January 11. 2024 Public Meeting (pdf)

The Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has announced the availability and comment period for the Los Alamos National Laboratory Electrical Power Capacity Upgrade Project Draft Environmental Assessment (DOE/EA-2199) in compliance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements. The Draft EA was prepared by DOE/NNSA in coordination with the Forest Service Santa Fe National Forest as a cooperating agency and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Taos Field Office as a participating agency.

The draft EA analyzes the potential environmental effects that could result from NNSA’s proposal to construct and operate an approximately 14-mile, 115-Kilovolt power transmission line and related infrastructure upgrades. The proposed transmission line would be erected on public lands within the Caja del Rio area of Santa Fe County, New Mexico (NM) on lands primarily managed by the Santa Fe National Forest and with a small inclusion of Bureau of Land Management- (BLM) managed land (see map). From the Caja del Rio, the transmission line would span White Rock Canyon onto DOE/NNSA-managed lands at Los Alamos National Laboratory within Los Alamos County, NM.

The purpose of the Proposed Action is to provide LANL with higher capacity electrical power that is reliable and redundant. An additional power line is required because the two existing electric power transmission lines are forecast to approach their capacity limit by the end of 2027.

The Santa Fe National Forest and Taos Field Office are providing support to NNSA to ensure that the environmental analysis needed for this project provides sufficient information to support the issuance of a Special Use Permit on National Forest System Lands, and Right-of-Way Grant on BLM-administered lands as required for the construction of the proposed transmission line.

NEPA Process

The National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, was enacted on January 1, 1970. NEPA requires federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of their proposed actions prior to making decisions.

An Environmental Assessment (EA) under NEPA is a concise public document that provides sufficient evidence and analysis for determining whether a Federal Agency should issue a Finding of No Significant Environmental Impact (FONSI) or prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Additionally, an EA aids a federal agency's compliance with NEPA when no EIS is necessary, i.e., it helps to identify better alternatives and mitigation measures and facilitates preparation of an EIS should one be proven necessary. The FONSI briefly explains the reasons why an action will not have a significant effect on the environment to support a Decision Document.

The Council of Environmental Quality has prepared A Citizen's Guide to NEPA to help citizens and organizations effectively participate in federal agencies’ environmental reviews under NEPA. Also, the USDA NEPA Process and NNSA NEPA Overview provide graphical overviews of their agency-specific NEPA processes. Please review the above links for an overview of the NEPA process and how to best participate in the preparation of this EA.

Visit this website regularly as it will be updated as the NEPA process progresses.