Lewis Ridge Pumped Storage, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Lewis Ridge Pumped Storage Project, Schedule for Environmental Review, and Request for Comments

Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of Energy Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 15249-002] The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) will prepare a draft and final environmental impact statement (EIS) to evaluate potential environmental impacts of the construction, operation, and maintenance of the proposed Lewis Ridge Pumped Storage Project (Lewis Ridge Project; FERC No. 15249), located near the towns of Blackmont, Tejay, Balkan, and Callaway in Bell County, Kentucky. [ 1 ] The Commission will use the EIS in its decision-making process in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The schedule for preparing the EIS is discussed in the Schedule for Environmental Review section of this notice. As part of the NEPA review process, the Commission takes into account concerns the public may have about proposals and the environmental impacts that could result whenever it considers the issuance of a license. This gathering of public input is referred to as “scoping.” On October 24, 2025, Commission staff issued a notice of scoping period requesting comments on environmental issues for the proposed project, initiating the scoping process for the project. In accordance with the Commission's regulations, on February 2, 2026, Commission staff issued a notice that the project was ready for environmental analysis and soliciting comments, recommendations, terms and conditions, and prescriptions (REA Notice). The comment period for the R…