Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Advisory Council on Clean Air Compliance Analysis; Notification of a Public Advisory Committee Meeting (Teleconference), 34128-34129 [E6-9187]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 113 / Tuesday, June 13, 2006 / Notices
contracts for large C&I customers.238
Moreover, the profiled states show that
there are a substantial number of
suppliers actively serving large C&I
customers. Box 4–5 describes the
unique sign-up period that Oregon has
developed for its non-residential
customers.
Box 4–5: Oregon’s Annual Window for
Switching for Nonresidential Customers
Nonresidential customers of the two large
investor-owned distribution utilities in
Oregon can switch to an alternative supplier,
but the switching process is unique.
Nonresidential customers must make their
selections during a limited annual window.
The window must be at least 5 days in
duration, but usually a month is allowed. In
addition to picking the alternative supplier,
the largest customers must select a contract
duration. One option specifies a minimum
duration of 5 years, with an annual renewal
after that. As of 2005, alternative suppliers
were anticipated to serve about 10% of load
in one distribution area and about 2.1% in
the other. The former utility offered choice
beginning in 2003. The latter utility began
customer choice in 2005. Detailed
descriptions are available at https://
www.oregon.gov/PUC/electric_restruc/
indices/ORDArpt12-04.pdf.
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Exposure of all customers to timebased prices is not necessary to
introduce price-responsiveness into the
retail market.239 As a first step,
customers who are the most pricesensitive and elastic could be exposed
to time-based rates. Niagara Mohawk in
upstate New York has taken this
approach for its largest customers, as
have Maryland and New Jersey for their
largest customers. California is
considering setting real-time pricing as
the default rate for medium-sized and
larger commercial and industrial
customers. Another means to introduce
price-responsiveness is to provide
customers voluntary time-based rate
programs, along with assistance in
equipment purchase or financing. The
actions of the New York PSC to require
voluntary TOU for residential
customers, and the Illinois legislature to
require that residential customers be
offered real-time pricing as a voluntary
tariff are examples of such a policy. Of
course, the point is that competition
will provide customers with the mix of
products and services that match their
needs and preferences—not a
238 See, e.g., Consolidated Edison; Alliance for
Retail Energy Markets; Constellation; PPL; RESA;
NY PSC; Direct Energy; Reliant; PA OCA; Wal-Mart;
Morgan.
239 Steven Braithwait and Ahmad Faruqui, The
Choice Not to Buy: Energy Savings and Policy
Alternatives for Demand Response, PUBLIC
UTILITIES FORTNIGHTLY, March 15, 2001.
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determination of the popularity of realtime pricing.
4. Use of Auctions To Procure POLR
Service
As discussed above, New Jersey has
used an auction process to procure
POLR supply for both residential and
C&I customers. Illinois has proposed to
use a similar auction when its rate caps
expire. Auctions may allow retail
customers to obtain the benefit of
competition in wholesale markets as
suppliers compete to supply the
necessary load. However, as discussed
in Chapter 3, if there is a load pocket,
use of an auction is unlikely to help this
process and thus the benefits of
competition may not be as great.
5. Consumer Awareness of Customer
Choice and Engendering Interest in
Alternative Suppliers
Observers of restructuring in other
industries have found that the growth of
customer choice can be a slow process.
A commonly cited example is that it
took 15 years before AT&T lost half of
long-distance service customers to
alternative suppliers.240 One reason
why retail competition could be slow to
develop is that the expected gains from
learning more about market choices are
too small to make it worthwhile to
learn.241 Residential customers with
small loads might be in this position in
states with retail customer choice.242
The pricing of POLR service and aid
in computing the ‘‘shopping credit’’
may be elements that can encourage
more rapid development of retail
competition by making the rewards for
active search sufficient to motivate
search behavior by residential
consumers. Some states that have low
‘‘shopping credits’’ have had little retail
entry. Some retail competition states
have had substantial consumer
education programs, including Web
sites with orientation materials and
240 James Zolnierek, Katie Rangos, and James
Eisner, Federal Communication Commission,
Common Carrier Bureau, Industry Analysis
Division, Long Distance Market Shares, Second
Quarter 1998 (September 1998), pp. 19–20,
available at https://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/
Common_Carrier/Reports/FCC-State_Link/IAD/
mksh2q98.pdf, and Thomas L. Welch, Chairman,
Maine Public Utilities Commission, UtiliPoint
PowerHitters interview (January 24, 2003) available
at https://mainegov-images.informe.org/mpuc/
staying_informed/about_mpuc/commissioners/phwelch.pdf.
241 Economists refer to this phenomenon as
rational ignorance. Clemson University, The Theory
of Rational Ignorance, The Community Leaders’
Letter, Economic Brief No. 29, available at https://
www.strom.clemson.edu/teams/ced/econ/83No29.pdf.
242 Joskow, Interim Assessment.
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price comparisons.243 These efforts
minimize the cost of learning more
about the market and about market
alternatives and can, therefore, make
market search beneficial to customers.
New York has engaged in a different
approach to encourage the development
of retail competition. It is helping to
organize temporary discounts from
alternative suppliers and ordering
distribution utilities to make these
discounts known to consumers who
contact the distribution utility.244 These
efforts have increased residential
switching and reduced prices, at least
for the short term. Experience indicates
that once residential customers switch
to alternative suppliers, they seldom
return to POLR service once the
temporary discounts no longer apply.245
[FR Doc. 06–5247 Filed 6–9–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–C
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[FRL–8183–6]
Science Advisory Board Staff Office;
Advisory Council on Clean Air
Compliance Analysis; Notification of a
Public Advisory Committee Meeting
(Teleconference)
AGENCY: Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA or Agency), Science
Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office
announces a public teleconference for
the Advisory Council on Clean Air
Compliance Analysis.
DATES: The teleconference will take
place on June 29, 2006 from 1 p.m. to
3 p.m. (Eastern Time).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any
member of the public who wishes to
obtain the teleconference call-number
and access code must contact Dr. Holly
Stallworth, Designated Federal Officer
(DFO), EPA Science Advisory Board
243 See, e.g., ELCON; Progress Energy;
Constellation; PEPCO; PA OCA.
244 In Case 05–M–0858, the New York Public
Service Commission adopted the ‘‘PowerSwitch’’
alternative supplier referral program, first
developed by Orange and Rockland, as the model
for all state utilities.
245 New York State Consumer Protection Board,
Comment to the New York State Public Service
Commission, Case 05–M–0334, Orange and
Rockland Utilities, Inc., Retail Access Plan (May 2,
2005) at 5. The Board indicates that retail customers
who have participated in ‘‘PowerSwitch’’ are
returning to POLR service at a rate of less than 0.1%
per month. The Board applauds PowerSwitch
because it is completely voluntary and provides
assured initial savings to consumers.
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 113 / Tuesday, June 13, 2006 / Notices
Staff Office (1400F), U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460;
telephone/voice mail: (202) 343–9867.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background: The Advisory Council on
Clean Air Compliance Analysis
(Council) is a Federal advisory
committee chartered under the Federal
Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as
amended, 5 U.S.C., App. The Council is
charged with providing advice,
information and recommendations to
the Agency on the economic issues
associated with programs implemented
under the Clean Air Act and its
Amendments. Pursuant to a requirement
under section 812 of the 1990 Clean Air
Act Amendments, EPA conducts
periodic studies to assess the benefits
and the costs of the Clean Air Act. The
Council has been the chief reviewing
body for these studies and has issued
advice on a retrospective study issued
in 1997, a prospective study issued in
1999, and, since 2003, analytic
blueprints for a second prospective
study on the costs and benefits of clean
air programs covering the years 1990–
2020. EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation
(OAR) is proceeding to implement past
advice offered by the Council on its
forthcoming ‘‘Second Prospective
Analysis.’’ OAR’s Web site on these
section 812 studies may be found at
https://www.epa.gov/oar/sect812/.
The Council teleconference will
provide an opportunity for members to
receive an update from EPA/OAR on the
status of its Second Prospective
Analysis. Council members will discuss
whether any additional advisory
activities are needed prior to OAR’s
issuance of a full draft report. The
meeting agenda and any background
materials will be posted on the SAB
Web site at: https://www.epa.gov/sab
prior to the meeting.
Procedures for Providing Public Input:
Members of the public may submit
relevant written or oral information for
the Council to consider during the
advisory process. Oral Statements: In
general, individuals or groups
requesting an oral presentation at a
public teleconference will be limited to
three minutes per speaker with no more
than a total of fifteen minutes for all
speakers. Interested parties should
contact the DFO, contact information
provided above, in writing via e-mail at
least by June 22, 2006, in order to be
placed on the public speaker list.
Meeting Accommodations: For
information on access or services for
individuals with disabilities, please
contact Dr. Holly Stallworth at (202)
343–9867, or via e-mail at
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16:40 Jun 12, 2006
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stallworth.holly@epa.gov. To request
accommodation of a disability, please
contact Dr. Stallworth, preferably at
least 10 days prior to the meeting, to
give EPA as much time as possible to
process your request.
Dated: June 7, 2006.
Anthony F. Maciorowski,
Associate Director for Science, EPA Science
Advisory Board Staff Office.
[FR Doc. E6–9187 Filed 6–12–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[FRL–8183–7]
Science Advisory Board Staff Office;
Clean Air Scientific Advisory
Committee (CASAC); Notification of a
Public Advisory Committee Meeting of
the CASAC Lead Review Panel
AGENCY: Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) Science Advisory Board
(SAB) Staff Office announces a public
meeting of the Clean Air Scientific
Advisory Committee’s (CASAC) Lead
Review Panel (Panel) to conduct a peer
review of EPA’s Air Quality Criteria for
Lead (Second External Review Draft),
Volumes I and II (EPA/600/R–05/
144aB–bB, May 2006); and to conduct a
consultation on the Agency’s Analysis
Plan for Human Health and Ecological
Risk Assessment for the Review of the
Lead National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (Draft, May 31, 2006).
DATES: The meeting will be held from
8:30 a.m. (Eastern Time) on Wednesday,
June 28, 2006, through 12 p.m. (Eastern
Time) on Thursday, June 29, 2006.
Location: The meeting will take place
at the Marriott at Research Triangle
Park, 4700 Guardian Drive, Durham,
NC, 27703, Phone: (919) 941–6200.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any
member of the public who wishes to
submit a written or brief oral statement
(five minutes or less) or wants further
information concerning this meeting
must contact Mr. Fred Butterfield,
Designated Federal Officer (DFO), EPA
Science Advisory Board (1400F), U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20460; via telephone/
voice mail: (202) 343–9994; fax: (202)
233–0643; or e-mail at:
butterfield.fred@epa.gov. General
information concerning the CASAC or
the EPA Science Advisory Board can be
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34129
found on the EPA Web site at: https://
www.epa.gov/sab.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background: EPA is in the process of
updating, and revising where
appropriate, the air quality criteria
document (AQCD) for lead. Section
109(d)(1) of the Clean Air Act (CAA)
requires that EPA carry out a periodic
review and revision, as appropriate, of
the air quality criteria and the national
ambient air quality standards (NAAQS)
for the six ‘‘criteria’’ air pollutants,
including lead. On December 1, 2005,
EPA’s National Center for
Environmental Assessment National,
Research Triangle Park (NCEA–RTP),
within the Agency’s Office of Research
and Development (ORD), made available
for public review and comment a
revised draft document, Air Quality
Criteria for Lead (First External Review
Draft), Volumes I and II (EPA/600/R–05/
144aA–bA). This first draft Lead air
quality criteria document (AQCD)
represented a revision to the previous
EPA document, Air Quality Criteria for
Lead, EPA–600/8–83/028aF–dF
(published in June 1986) and an
associated supplement (EPA–600/8–89/
049F) published in 1990. Under CAA
sections 108 and 109, the purpose of the
revised AQCD is to provide an
assessment of the latest scientific
information on the effects of ambient
lead on the public health and welfare,
for use in EPA’s current review of the
NAAQS for lead. Detailed summary
information on the revised draft AQCD
for lead is contained in a previous EPA
Federal Register notice (70 FR 72300,
December 2, 2005).
EPA is soliciting advice and
recommendations from the CASAC by
means of a peer review of the revised
draft Lead AQCD. The CASAC, which is
comprised of seven members appointed
by the EPA Administrator, was
established under section 109(d)(2) of
the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) (42
U.S.C. 7409) as an independent
scientific advisory committee, in part to
provide advice, information and
recommendations on the scientific and
technical aspects of issues related to air
quality criteria and NAAQS under
sections 108 and 109 of the Act. The
CASAC is a Federal advisory committee
chartered under the Federal Advisory
Committee Act (FACA), as amended, 5
U.S.C., App. Earlier this year, the SAB
Staff Office established a CASAC Lead
Review Panel to provide EPA with
advice and recommendations
concerning lead in ambient air. The
Panel complies with the provisions of
FACA and all appropriate SAB Staff
Office procedural policies.
E:\FR\FM\13JNN1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 113 (Tuesday, June 13, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34128-34129]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-9187]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-8183-6]
Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Advisory Council on Clean
Air Compliance Analysis; Notification of a Public Advisory Committee
Meeting (Teleconference)
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency), Science
Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces a public teleconference for
the Advisory Council on Clean Air Compliance Analysis.
DATES: The teleconference will take place on June 29, 2006 from 1 p.m.
to 3 p.m. (Eastern Time).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Any member of the public who wishes to
obtain the teleconference call-number and access code must contact Dr.
Holly Stallworth, Designated Federal Officer (DFO), EPA Science
Advisory Board
[[Page 34129]]
Staff Office (1400F), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone/voice mail:
(202) 343-9867.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background: The Advisory Council on Clean
Air Compliance Analysis (Council) is a Federal advisory committee
chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended,
5 U.S.C., App. The Council is charged with providing advice,
information and recommendations to the Agency on the economic issues
associated with programs implemented under the Clean Air Act and its
Amendments. Pursuant to a requirement under section 812 of the 1990
Clean Air Act Amendments, EPA conducts periodic studies to assess the
benefits and the costs of the Clean Air Act. The Council has been the
chief reviewing body for these studies and has issued advice on a
retrospective study issued in 1997, a prospective study issued in 1999,
and, since 2003, analytic blueprints for a second prospective study on
the costs and benefits of clean air programs covering the years 1990-
2020. EPA's Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) is proceeding to
implement past advice offered by the Council on its forthcoming
``Second Prospective Analysis.'' OAR's Web site on these section 812
studies may be found at https://www.epa.gov/oar/sect812/.
The Council teleconference will provide an opportunity for members
to receive an update from EPA/OAR on the status of its Second
Prospective Analysis. Council members will discuss whether any
additional advisory activities are needed prior to OAR's issuance of a
full draft report. The meeting agenda and any background materials will
be posted on the SAB Web site at: https://www.epa.gov/sab prior to the
meeting.
Procedures for Providing Public Input: Members of the public may
submit relevant written or oral information for the Council to consider
during the advisory process. Oral Statements: In general, individuals
or groups requesting an oral presentation at a public teleconference
will be limited to three minutes per speaker with no more than a total
of fifteen minutes for all speakers. Interested parties should contact
the DFO, contact information provided above, in writing via e-mail at
least by June 22, 2006, in order to be placed on the public speaker
list.
Meeting Accommodations: For information on access or services for
individuals with disabilities, please contact Dr. Holly Stallworth at
(202) 343-9867, or via e-mail at stallworth.holly@epa.gov. To request
accommodation of a disability, please contact Dr. Stallworth,
preferably at least 10 days prior to the meeting, to give EPA as much
time as possible to process your request.
Dated: June 7, 2006.
Anthony F. Maciorowski,
Associate Director for Science, EPA Science Advisory Board Staff
Office.
[FR Doc. E6-9187 Filed 6-12-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P