Boulder Canyon Project, 7026-7027 [E7-2527]

Download as PDF 7026 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 30 / Wednesday, February 14, 2007 / Notices to accessibility@ferc.gov or call toll free (866) 208–3372 (voice) or 202–502–8659 (TTY), or send a FAX to 202–208–2106 with the required accommodations. All interested persons are permitted to attend. For further information please contact Keith Pierce at (202) 502–8525 or e-mail keith.pierce@ferc.gov. Magalie R. Salas, Secretary. [FR Doc. E7–2482 Filed 2–13–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Western Area Power Administration Boulder Canyon Project Western Area Power Administration, DOE. ACTION: Notice of Proposed Base Charge and Rates Adjustment. AGENCY: SUMMARY: The Western Area Power Administration (Western) is proposing an adjustment to the Boulder Canyon Project (BCP) electric service base charge and rates. The current base charge and rates expire September 30, 2007. The current base charge is not sufficient to pay all annual costs including operation, maintenance, replacements, and interest expense, and to repay investment obligations within the required period. The proposed base charge will provide sufficient revenue to pay all annual costs and to repay investment obligations within the allowable period. A detailed rate package that identifies the reasons for the base charge and rates adjustment will be available in March 2007. The proposed base charge and rates are scheduled to become effective on October 1, 2007, and will remain in effect through September 30, 2008. This Federal Register notice initiates the formal process for the proposed base charge and rates. DATES: The consultation and comment period will begin today and will end May 15, 2007. Western representatives will explain the proposed base charge and rates at a public information forum on April 11, 2007, beginning at 10:30 a.m. MST, in Phoenix, Arizona (AZ). Interested parties can provide oral and written comments at a public comment forum on May 9, 2007, beginning at 10:30 a.m. MST, at the same location. Western will accept written comments any time during the consultation and comment period. ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Desert Southwest Customer Service Regional Office, located at 615 South 43rd Avenue, Phoenix, AZ. Send written comments to: J. Tyler Carlson, Regional Manager, Desert Southwest Customer Service Region, Western Area Power Administration, P.O. Box 6457, Phoenix, AZ 85005–6457, e-mail carlson@wapa.gov. Written comments may also be faxed to (602) 605–2490, attention: Jack Murray. Western will post information about the rate process on its Web site at https://www.wapa.gov/ dsw/pwrmkt/BCP/RateAdjust.htm. Western will post official comments received via letter and e-mail to its Web site after the close of the comment period. Western must receive written comments by the end of the consultation and comment period to ensure they are considered in Western’s decision process. As access to Western facilities is controlled, any U.S. citizen wishing to attend any meeting held at Western must present an official form of picture identification, such as a U.S. driver’s license, U.S. passport, U.S. Government ID, or U.S. Military ID, at the time of the meeting. Foreign nationals should contact Western at least 45 days in advance of the meeting to obtain the necessary form for admittance to Western. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jack Murray, Rates Team Lead, Desert Southwest Customer Service Region, Western Area Power Administration, P.O. Box 6457, Phoenix, AZ 85005– 6457, telephone (602) 605–2442, e-mail jmurray@wapa.gov. The proposed base charge and rates for BCP electric service are designed to recover an annual revenue requirement that includes the investment repayment, interest, operation and maintenance, replacements, payment to states, visitor services, and uprating payments. The total costs are offset by the projected revenue from water sales, visitor services, water pumping energy sales, facilities use charges, regulation and spinning reserve services, miscellaneous leases, and late fees. The projected annual revenue requirement is the base charge for electric service and is divided equally between capacity dollars and energy dollars. Annual energy dollars are divided by annual energy sales, and annual capacity dollars are divided by annual capacity sales to determine the proposed energy rate and the proposed capacity rate. The Deputy Secretary of Energy approved the existing rate formula for calculating the base charge and rates in Rate Schedule BCP–F7 for BCP electric service on August 11, 2005, (Rate Order No. WAPA–120, 70 FR 50316, August 26, 2005). The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) confirmed and approved the rate formula on a final basis in Docket No. EF05–5091–000 issued June 22, 2006 (115 FERC ¶ 61,362). Rate Schedule BCP–F7 became effective on October 1, 2005, for the period ending September 30, 2010. Under Rate Schedule BCP–F7, for FY 2008, the base charge is $74,898,171, the forecasted energy rate is 9.33 mills per kilowatthour (mills/ kWh), the forecasted capacity rate is $1.81 per kilowattmonth (kWmonth), and the composite rate is 18.65 mills/ kWh. Under Rate Schedule BCP–F7, the proposed rates for BCP electric service will result in an overall composite rate increase of about 10 percent. The following table compares the current and proposed base charge and rates. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: COMPARISON OF CURRENT AND PROPOSED BASE CHARGE AND RATES ycherry on PROD1PC64 with PRELIMS Current October 1, 2006 through September 30, 2007 Total Composite (mills/kWh) .................................................................................... Base Charge ($) ...................................................................................................... Energy Rate (mills/kWh) .......................................................................................... Capacity Rate ($/kWmonth) .................................................................................... The increase in the electric service base charge and rates is primarily the result of higher annual costs associated VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:27 Feb 13, 2007 Jkt 211001 17.02 67,509,136 8.51 1.63 with operation and maintenance, visitor services, uprating program payments, replacements, and no increase in PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Proposed October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008 % Change Increase 18.65 74,898,171 9.33 1.81 revenue projections for the visitor services. E:\FR\FM\14FEN1.SGM 14FEN1 10 11 10 11 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 30 / Wednesday, February 14, 2007 / Notices Legal Authority Western will hold both a public information forum and a public comment forum. After considering comments, Western will recommend the proposed base charge and rates for final approval by the Deputy Secretary of Energy. Western is establishing an electric service base charge and rates for BCP under the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7152); the Reclamation Act of 1902 (ch. 1093, 32 Stat. 388), as amended and supplemented by subsequent laws, particularly section 9(c) of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 (43 U.S.C. 485h(c)); and other acts that specifically apply to the project involved. By Delegation Order No. 00–037.00, effective December 6, 2001, the Secretary of Energy delegated: (1) The authority to develop power and transmission rates to Western’s Administrator; (2) the authority to confirm, approve, and place such rates into effect on an interim basis to the Deputy Secretary of Energy; and (3) the authority to confirm, approve, and place into effect on a final basis, to remand or to disapprove such rates to the Commission. Existing Department of Energy (DOE) procedures for public participation in power rate adjustments (10 CFR part 903) were published on September 18, 1985. Availability of Information Interested parties may review and copy all brochures, studies, comments, letters, memorandums or other documents that Western initiates or uses to develop the proposed rates. These documents are at the Desert Southwest Customer Service Regional Office, located at 615 South 43rd Avenue, Phoenix, AZ. Many of these documents and supporting information are also available on its Web site located at https://www.wapa.gov/dsw/pwrmkt/BCP/ RateAdjust.htm. Environmental Compliance In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.); the Council On Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500–1508); and DOE NEPA Implementing Procedures and Guidelines (10 CFR part 1021), Western has determined that this action is categorically excluded from preparing an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement. Determination Under Executive Order 12866 Western has an exemption from centralized regulatory review under Executive Order 12866; accordingly, no clearance of this notice by the Office of Management and Budget is required. Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act Western has determined that this rule is exempt from congressional notification requirements under 5 U.S.C. 801 because the action is a rulemaking of particular applicability relating to rates or services and involves matters of procedure. Dated: January 26, 2007. Timothy J. Meeks, Administrator. [FR Doc. E7–2527 Filed 2–13–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450–01–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA–HQ–OPA–2007–0042; FRL–8277–8] Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Renewal of Information Collection Request for the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan Regulation Subpart J; EPA ICR No. 1664.06, OMB Control No. 2050– 0141 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. ycherry on PROD1PC64 with PRELIMS Regulatory Procedure Requirements AGENCY: Regulatory Flexibility Analysis The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (5 U.S.C. 601, et seq.) requires Federal agencies to perform a regulatory flexibility analysis if a final rule is likely to have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities, and there is a legal requirement to issue a general notice of proposed rulemaking. This action does not require a regulatory flexibility analysis since it is a rulemaking specifically involving rates or services applicable to public property. SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to submit a request to renew an existing approved Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR is scheduled to expire on 6/30/ 2007. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:27 Feb 13, 2007 Jkt 211001 PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 7027 of the proposed information collection as described below. DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before April 16, 2007. ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ– OPA–2007–0042, by one of the following methods: • www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments. • E-mail: Nichols.nick@epa.gov. • Fax: 202–564–2625. • Mail: [EPA–HQ–OPA–2007–0042], Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 5104A, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. • Hand Delivery: Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 5104A, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. Such deliveries are only accepted during the Docket’s normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information. Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OPA–2007– 0042. EPA’s policy is that all comments received will be included in the public docket without change and may be made available online at www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to be CBI or otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov or e-mail. The www.regulations.gov Web site is an ‘‘anonymous access’’ system, which means EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an e-mail comment directly to EPA without going through www.regulations.gov your e-mail address will be automatically captured and included as part of the comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on the Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you include your name and other contact information in the body of your comment and with any disk or CD–ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. For additional information about EPA’s public docket, visit the EPA Docket Center homepage at https:// www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm. E:\FR\FM\14FEN1.SGM 14FEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 30 (Wednesday, February 14, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7026-7027]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-2527]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Western Area Power Administration


Boulder Canyon Project

AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of Proposed Base Charge and Rates Adjustment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Western Area Power Administration (Western) is proposing 
an adjustment to the Boulder Canyon Project (BCP) electric service base 
charge and rates. The current base charge and rates expire September 
30, 2007. The current base charge is not sufficient to pay all annual 
costs including operation, maintenance, replacements, and interest 
expense, and to repay investment obligations within the required 
period. The proposed base charge will provide sufficient revenue to pay 
all annual costs and to repay investment obligations within the 
allowable period. A detailed rate package that identifies the reasons 
for the base charge and rates adjustment will be available in March 
2007. The proposed base charge and rates are scheduled to become 
effective on October 1, 2007, and will remain in effect through 
September 30, 2008. This Federal Register notice initiates the formal 
process for the proposed base charge and rates.

DATES: The consultation and comment period will begin today and will 
end May 15, 2007. Western representatives will explain the proposed 
base charge and rates at a public information forum on April 11, 2007, 
beginning at 10:30 a.m. MST, in Phoenix, Arizona (AZ). Interested 
parties can provide oral and written comments at a public comment forum 
on May 9, 2007, beginning at 10:30 a.m. MST, at the same location. 
Western will accept written comments any time during the consultation 
and comment period.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Desert Southwest Customer 
Service Regional Office, located at 615 South 43rd Avenue, Phoenix, AZ. 
Send written comments to: J. Tyler Carlson, Regional Manager, Desert 
Southwest Customer Service Region, Western Area Power Administration, 
P.O. Box 6457, Phoenix, AZ 85005-6457, e-mail carlson@wapa.gov. Written 
comments may also be faxed to (602) 605-2490, attention: Jack Murray. 
Western will post information about the rate process on its Web site at 
https://www.wapa.gov/dsw/pwrmkt/BCP/RateAdjust.htm. Western will post 
official comments received via letter and e-mail to its Web site after 
the close of the comment period. Western must receive written comments 
by the end of the consultation and comment period to ensure they are 
considered in Western's decision process.
    As access to Western facilities is controlled, any U.S. citizen 
wishing to attend any meeting held at Western must present an official 
form of picture identification, such as a U.S. driver's license, U.S. 
passport, U.S. Government ID, or U.S. Military ID, at the time of the 
meeting. Foreign nationals should contact Western at least 45 days in 
advance of the meeting to obtain the necessary form for admittance to 
Western.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jack Murray, Rates Team Lead, 
Desert Southwest Customer Service Region, Western Area Power 
Administration, P.O. Box 6457, Phoenix, AZ 85005-6457, telephone (602) 
605-2442, e-mail jmurray@wapa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed base charge and rates for BCP 
electric service are designed to recover an annual revenue requirement 
that includes the investment repayment, interest, operation and 
maintenance, replacements, payment to states, visitor services, and 
uprating payments. The total costs are offset by the projected revenue 
from water sales, visitor services, water pumping energy sales, 
facilities use charges, regulation and spinning reserve services, 
miscellaneous leases, and late fees. The projected annual revenue 
requirement is the base charge for electric service and is divided 
equally between capacity dollars and energy dollars. Annual energy 
dollars are divided by annual energy sales, and annual capacity dollars 
are divided by annual capacity sales to determine the proposed energy 
rate and the proposed capacity rate.
    The Deputy Secretary of Energy approved the existing rate formula 
for calculating the base charge and rates in Rate Schedule BCP-F7 for 
BCP electric service on August 11, 2005, (Rate Order No. WAPA-120, 70 
FR 50316, August 26, 2005). The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
(Commission) confirmed and approved the rate formula on a final basis 
in Docket No. EF05-5091-000 issued June 22, 2006 (115 FERC ] 61,362). 
Rate Schedule BCP-F7 became effective on October 1, 2005, for the 
period ending September 30, 2010. Under Rate Schedule BCP-F7, for FY 
2008, the base charge is $74,898,171, the forecasted energy rate is 
9.33 mills per kilowatthour (mills/kWh), the forecasted capacity rate 
is $1.81 per kilowattmonth (kWmonth), and the composite rate is 18.65 
mills/kWh.
    Under Rate Schedule BCP-F7, the proposed rates for BCP electric 
service will result in an overall composite rate increase of about 10 
percent. The following table compares the current and proposed base 
charge and rates.

                            Comparison of Current and Proposed Base Charge and Rates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                          Current October 1,    Proposed October 1,
                                                             2006 through          2007 through        % Change
                                                          September 30, 2007    September 30, 2008     Increase
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Composite (mills/kWh)............................                 17.02                 18.65           10
Base Charge ($)........................................            67,509,136            74,898,171           11
Energy Rate (mills/kWh)................................                  8.51                  9.33           10
Capacity Rate ($/kWmonth)..............................                  1.63                  1.81           11
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The increase in the electric service base charge and rates is 
primarily the result of higher annual costs associated with operation 
and maintenance, visitor services, uprating program payments, 
replacements, and no increase in revenue projections for the visitor 
services.

[[Page 7027]]

Legal Authority

    Western will hold both a public information forum and a public 
comment forum. After considering comments, Western will recommend the 
proposed base charge and rates for final approval by the Deputy 
Secretary of Energy.
    Western is establishing an electric service base charge and rates 
for BCP under the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 
7152); the Reclamation Act of 1902 (ch. 1093, 32 Stat. 388), as amended 
and supplemented by subsequent laws, particularly section 9(c) of the 
Reclamation Project Act of 1939 (43 U.S.C. 485h(c)); and other acts 
that specifically apply to the project involved.
    By Delegation Order No. 00-037.00, effective December 6, 2001, the 
Secretary of Energy delegated: (1) The authority to develop power and 
transmission rates to Western's Administrator; (2) the authority to 
confirm, approve, and place such rates into effect on an interim basis 
to the Deputy Secretary of Energy; and (3) the authority to confirm, 
approve, and place into effect on a final basis, to remand or to 
disapprove such rates to the Commission. Existing Department of Energy 
(DOE) procedures for public participation in power rate adjustments (10 
CFR part 903) were published on September 18, 1985.

Availability of Information

    Interested parties may review and copy all brochures, studies, 
comments, letters, memorandums or other documents that Western 
initiates or uses to develop the proposed rates. These documents are at 
the Desert Southwest Customer Service Regional Office, located at 615 
South 43rd Avenue, Phoenix, AZ. Many of these documents and supporting 
information are also available on its Web site located at https://
www.wapa.gov/dsw/pwrmkt/BCP/RateAdjust.htm.

Regulatory Procedure Requirements

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis

    The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (5 U.S.C. 601, et seq.) 
requires Federal agencies to perform a regulatory flexibility analysis 
if a final rule is likely to have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities, and there is a legal requirement 
to issue a general notice of proposed rulemaking. This action does not 
require a regulatory flexibility analysis since it is a rulemaking 
specifically involving rates or services applicable to public property.

Environmental Compliance

    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.); the Council On Environmental Quality 
Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508); and DOE NEPA Implementing 
Procedures and Guidelines (10 CFR part 1021), Western has determined 
that this action is categorically excluded from preparing an 
environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement.

Determination Under Executive Order 12866

    Western has an exemption from centralized regulatory review under 
Executive Order 12866; accordingly, no clearance of this notice by the 
Office of Management and Budget is required.

Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act

    Western has determined that this rule is exempt from congressional 
notification requirements under 5 U.S.C. 801 because the action is a 
rulemaking of particular applicability relating to rates or services 
and involves matters of procedure.

    Dated: January 26, 2007.
Timothy J. Meeks,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. E7-2527 Filed 2-13-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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