Department of Energy March 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is granting in part and denying in part the requests for rehearing and clarification of its determinations in Order No. 697-C, which granted rehearing and clarification of certain revisions to Commission regulations and to the standards for obtaining and retaining market-based rate authority for sales of energy, capacity and ancillary services to ensure that such sales are just and reasonable.

The Commission proposes to direct the Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) to revise its definition of the term ``bulk electric system'' to include all electric transmission facilities with a rating of 100 kV or above. The Commission proposes that a Regional Entity must seek ERO and Commission approval before exempting any facility rated at 100 kV or above from compliance with mandatory Reliability Standards. The Commission believes that a 100 kV threshold for identifying bulk electric system facilities will protect the reliability of the bulk electric system. The proposal would also provide consistency across the nation's reliability regions regarding the identification of bulk electric system facilities.

The EIA is soliciting comments on a proposed three-year extension and revision to Form EIA-1605, ``Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases.''.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will hold a public meeting to discuss and receive comments on: the product classes that DOE plans to analyze for purposes of establishing energy conservation standards for fluorescent lamp ballasts; the analytical framework, models, and tools that DOE is using to evaluate standards for these products; the results of preliminary analyses DOE performed for these products; and potential energy conservation standard levels derived from these analyses that DOE could consider for these products. DOE encourages written comments on these subjects. To inform interested parties and facilitate this process, DOE has prepared an agenda, a preliminary technical support document (TSD), and briefing materials, which are available at https://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance standards/residential/fluorescentlampballasts.html.

The Office of Fossil Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy (DOE) gives notice of receipt of an application filed on March 4, 2010, by Freeport LNG Development, L.P. (Freeport LNG), requesting an amendment to its blanket authorization to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) granted by DOE/FE on May 28, 2009, in DOE/FE Order No. 2644, and amended on September 22, 2009, in DOE/FE Order No. 2644-A. Freeport LNG seeks authorization to export foreign-sourced LNG from its Quintana Island, Texas facilities to any other country (in addition to those already specifically listed in DOE/FE Order No. 2644, as amended) with capacity to import LNG via ocean-going carrier and with which trade is not prohibited by U.S. law or policy.

This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Oak Ridge Reservation. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. No. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

This notice announces a meeting of the State Energy Advisory Board (STEAB). The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463; 86 Stat.770) requires that public notice of these meetings be announced in the Federal Register.

Under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) promulgates a rule to define the term ``household'' and related terms. These definitions provide a basis for DOE to determine whether the household energy use of products not currently covered by EPCA meets the levels required for DOE to classify a product as a ``covered product'' under EPCA; such a classification would mean that DOE potentially could establish energy conservation requirements for the covered product. With the ``household'' definition in place, the Secretary may exercise statutory authority to classify as covered products additional qualifying consumer products beyond the products already specified in EPCA, and set test procedures and efficiency standards for them.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) gives notice of the decision and order (Case No. CD-004) that grants to the General Electric Co. (GE) a waiver from the DOE clothes dryer test procedure. The waiver request pertains to GE's specified models of condensing residential clothes dryer. The existing test procedure does not apply to condensing clothes dryers. Under today's decision and order, GE shall be not be required to test and rate its specified models of condensing residential clothes dryer.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) gives notice of the decision and order (Case No. RF-011) that grants to Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (Samsung) a waiver from the DOE electric refrigerator and refrigerator-freezer test procedure for certain basic models containing relative humidity sensors and adaptive control anti-sweat heaters. Under today's decision and order, Samsung shall be required to test and rate its refrigerator-freezers with adaptive control anti-sweat heaters according to an alternate test procedure that takes this technology into account when measuring energy consumption.

This notice has been issued under the authority of Section 131 of the Atomic

Southeastern Power Administration (Southeastern) proposes to revise existing schedules of rates and charges applicable to the sale of power from the Georgia-Alabama-South Carolina System of Projects effective for a 5-year period, October 1, 2010, through September 30, 2015. Additionally, opportunities will be available for interested persons to review the present rates and the proposed rates and supporting studies, to participate in a public forum, and to submit written comments. Southeastern will evaluate all comments received in this process.