Recommendation for the Western Area Power Administration Loveland Area Projects and Colorado River Storage Project To Pursue Final Negotiations Regarding Membership in a Regional Transmission Organization, 47505-47506 [2017-21938]
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / Notices
Any person desiring to intervene or
protest in any of the above proceedings
must file in accordance with Rules 211
and 214 of the Commission’s
Regulations (18 CFR 385.211 and
385.214) on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern
time on the specified comment date.
Protests may be considered, but
intervention is necessary to become a
party to the proceeding.
eFiling is encouraged. More detailed
information relating to filing
requirements, interventions, protests,
service, and qualifying facilities filings
can be found at: https://www.ferc.gov/
docs-filing/efiling/filing-req.pdf. For
other information, call (866) 208–3676
(toll free). For TTY, call (202) 502–8659.
Dated: October 5, 2017.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017–22007 Filed 10–11–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Western Area Power Administration
Recommendation for the Western Area
Power Administration Loveland Area
Projects and Colorado River Storage
Project To Pursue Final Negotiations
Regarding Membership in a Regional
Transmission Organization
Western Area Power
Administration, DOE.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
Western Area Power
Administration (WAPA), a power
marketing administration (PMA) of the
Department of Energy (DOE), is
publishing this recommendation for the
Loveland Area Projects (LAP) and the
Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) to
pursue final negotiations regarding
membership in the Southwest Power
Pool (SPP), a Regional Transmission
Organization (RTO). WAPA is seeking
public comment from its customers,
Native American Tribes, stakeholders,
and the public on the substance of
WAPA’s recommendation to pursue
final negotiations regarding LAP and
CRSP membership in SPP.
DATES: To ensure consideration, all
comments should be received by WAPA
by email or at the address below on or
before 4 p.m. MST November 27, 2017.
WAPA will present a detailed
explanation of the recommendation for
LAP and listen to customers’ and other
interested parties’ comments at a forum
in Loveland, Colorado. WAPA also will
present a detailed explanation of the
recommendation for CRSP and listen to
customers’ and other interested parties’
asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
22:35 Oct 11, 2017
Jkt 244001
comments at forums held in locations
throughout the CRSP marketing area.
The specific times and locations of these
forums are posted on the Web sites
identified in the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section. Key information
that formed the basis for this
recommendation will be presented at
the forums and is posted at the Web
sites listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section. Any decision to
pursue the recommendation will be
informed by comments received.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments by
email to SPP-Comments@wapa.gov or
by mail to Mr. Rodney G. Bailey, Power
Marketing Advisor, Western Area Power
Administration, 150 East Social Hall
Avenue, Suite 300, Salt Lake City, UT
84111–1580. Written comments must be
received by the deadline identified in
the DATES section to be considered in
WAPA’s decision process and should
include the following information:
1. Name and general description of
the entity submitting the comment.
2. Name, mailing address, telephone
number, and email address of the
entity’s primary contact.
3. Identification of any specific
recommendation the comment
references.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Rodney Bailey, Power Marketing
Advisor, Western Area Power
Administration, 150 East Social Hall
Avenue, Suite 300, Salt Lake City, UT
84111–1580, telephone (801) 524–4007.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 2013,
representatives for LAP and CRSP, along
with eight other transmission owners,
informally referred to as the Mountain
West Transmission Group (Mountain
West), began discussing combining their
transmission systems under a single
tariff to eliminate pancaked
transmission rates and enable
generation optimization across the
footprint. After reaching conceptual
agreement on the possibility of a joint
tariff, the discussions focused on the
Mountain West participants joining an
RTO with a fully integrated energy and
ancillary services market. With this
perspective, the Mountain West
participants, individually and
collectively, completed transmission
cost studies, adjusted production cost
modeling, and performed various other
analyses. The Mountain West
participants sent a request for
information to SPP and three other
RTOs. After having considered the
responses to its request, in conjunction
with each Mountain West participant’s
individual analyses and the collective
Mountain West analyses, the Mountain
West participants reached consensus to
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Sfmt 4703
47505
further investigate membership in SPP.
After extensive discussions among the
Mountain West participants,
preliminary negotiations with SPP, and
further analysis by WAPA subject
matter experts, and pursuant to its
authority under Section 1232(a)(1)(A) of
the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C.
16431), WAPA recommends pursuing
final negotiations regarding LAP and
CRSP membership in SPP. Any decision
by WAPA to move forward in final
negotiations with SPP will be consistent
with CRSP and LAP statutory
requirements and as outlined in the
basis for the recommendation and
explanatory material posted to WAPA’s
Rocky Mountain Region (RMR) and
Colorado River Storage Project
Management Center (CRSP MC) Web
sites at https://www.wapa.gov/regions/
rm and https://www.wapa.gov/regions/
crsp, respectively. At the conclusion of
those final negotiations, WAPA intends
to provide notification of its decision for
LAP and CRSP to either execute a
membership agreement with SPP or
terminate formal negotiations.
Therefore, WAPA is soliciting
comments from its customers and other
interested parties regarding this
recommendation. If the membership
negotiations are successful, then LAP
and CRSP would sign an SPP
membership agreement to become
members of SPP and participate in the
SPP Integrated Marketplace, the LAP
and CRSP transmission systems would
be placed under the SPP tariff, and the
Western Area Colorado Missouri
Balancing Authority responsibilities
would transfer to SPP. Section 1232(b)
of the Energy Policy Act of 2005
authorizes the appropriate Federal
regulatory authority to enter into a
contract, agreement, or other
arrangement transferring control and
use of all or part of the transmission
system of a Federal utility to a
Transmission Organization. (42 U.S.C.
16431(b)). The Administrator of WAPA
is designated as the appropriate Federal
regulatory authority with respect to all
or part of WAPA’s transmission system
in accordance with the Energy Policy
Act of 2005.
Availability of Information
The basis for this recommendation
and explanatory material to be
presented at the forums are available for
review and comment on the Web sites
referenced in the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section. Comments
received in response to this notice will
be posted on the same Web sites after
the close of the comment period.
E:\FR\FM\12OCN1.SGM
12OCN1
47506
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 196 / Thursday, October 12, 2017 / Notices
Environmental Compliance
In compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321–4347), Council on
Environmental Quality Regulations (40
CFR parts 1500–1508), and DOE NEPA
Regulations (10 CFR part 1021), WAPA
is in the process of determining whether
an environmental assessment or an
environmental impact statement should
be prepared or if this action can be
categorically excluded from those
requirements. Further environmental
review actions will be posted to the
RMR and CRSP MC Web sites
referenced in the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section.
Dated: September 21, 2017.
Mark A. Gabriel,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2017–21938 Filed 10–11–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Western Area Power Administration
Proposed Olmsted Project Rate Order
No. WAPA–177
Western Area Power
Administration, DOE.
ACTION: Notice of Proposed Power
Formula Rate.
AGENCY:
The United States Department
of Energy, Western Area Power
Administration (WAPA), Colorado River
Storage Project Management Center
(CRSP MC), is proposing a new power
formula rate for the Olmsted
Hydroelectric Powerplant Replacement
Project (Olmsted). There is no existing
rate for Olmsted; therefore, the CRSP
MC is proposing a new formula, under
Rate Schedule Olmsted F–1, that will be
used to determine the annual energy
charge. WAPA will provide a brochure
detailing information about the
proposed formula rate prior to the
public information forum and will post
it to the Olmsted rate action Web site at
https://www.wapa.gov/regions/CRSP/
rates/Pages/rate-order-177.aspx. If
approved, the proposed formula rate
under Rate Schedule Olmsted F–1
would become effective on April 1,
2018, and remain in effect through
March 31, 2023, or until superseded.
Publication of this Federal Register
notice begins the formal process for the
proposed formula rate.
DATES: The consultation and comment
period will begin October 12, 2017 and
end January 10, 2018. WAPA will
present a detailed explanation about the
proposed rate at a public information
asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
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forum on November 17, 2017, at 10 a.m.
MDT in Salt Lake City, Utah. WAPA
will accept oral and written comments
at a public comment forum on
November 17, 2017, immediately
following the conclusion of the public
information forum. WAPA will accept
written comments any time during the
90-day consultation and comment
period.
ADDRESSES: The public information
forum and the public comment forum
will be held at the new Colorado River
Storage Project Management Center,
Western Area Power Administration,
299 South Main Street, Suite 200, Salt
Lake City, UT 84111. Written comments
and requests to be informed about the
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission’s (FERC) actions
concerning the rates submitted by
WAPA to FERC for approval should be
sent to: Ms. Lynn C. Jeka, CRSP
Manager, Colorado River Storage Project
Management Center, Western Area
Power Administration, 150 East Social
Hall Avenue, Suite 300, Salt Lake City,
UT 84111, email jeka@wapa.gov. The
Colorado River Storage Project
Management Center is scheduled to
relocate to the new address in October
2017. WAPA will post the new mailing
address and the date of the move, as
well as information about the rate
process, on WAPA’s Web site at https://
www.wapa.gov/regions/CRSP/rates/
Pages/rate-order-177.aspx.
WAPA will post official comments
received via letter and email to this Web
site after the close of the comment
period. Written comments must be
received by the end of the consultation
and comment period to be considered in
WAPA’s decision process. Access to
WAPA’s facility is controlled; therefore,
any U.S. citizen wanting to attend these
forums 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 forums. Foreign
nationals planning to attend should
contact WAPA 30 days in advance of
the forums to allow sufficient time to
arrange admittance.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Thomas Hackett, CRSP Rates Manager,
Colorado River Storage Project
Management Center, Western Area
Power Administration, 150 East Social
Hall Avenue, Suite 300, Salt Lake City,
UT 84111, (801) 524–5503 or email
hackett@wapa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
existing Olmsted Powerplant, located in
northern Utah, is over 100 years old and
was acquired from PacifiCorp in
condemnation proceedings by the
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
United States in 1990. As part of the
condemnation proceedings, PacifiCorp
continued Olmsted operations until
2015 after which time the operation of
the facility became the responsibility of
the Department of the Interior. As
agreed upon in an implementation
agreement executed February 4, 2015,
among the Central Utah Water
Conservancy District (District);
Department of the Interior (Interior),
Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation);
and WAPA, the District is currently
constructing a replacement facility for
power generation and will operate and
maintain the Olmsted facilities in
connection with its Central Utah Project
operations.
Non-reimbursable funding for
Olmsted has largely been contributed by
the District, Interior, and the Upper
Basin States. Funds available under
Section 5(c) of the Colorado River
Storage Project Act were made available
for Olmsted, and these funds are
considered a reimbursable Federal
investment to be repaid by power
revenues. Interior will continue to own
the Olmsted Powerplant, and
commercial operation is anticipated to
begin July 1, 2018. WAPA will market
an energy-only product as no capacity
will be available to market from
Olmsted. Power production will be nondispatchable and incidental to the
delivery of water. It is expected that
annual energy production will average
approximately 27,000,000 kWh per year.
It is proposed that each customer
which receives an allocation from
Olmsted will pay its proportional share
of the amortized portion of the
reimbursable investment in Olmsted,
with interest, and the associated
operation, maintenance, and
replacement (OM&R) costs in return for
its proportional share of total
marketable energy production. This
repayment schedule does not depend
upon the energy made available for sale
or the amount of generation each year.
Customers are to pay reimbursable
investment as well as the OM&R costs
of Olmsted and, in return, will receive
all of the energy produced. Each fiscal
year (FY) WAPA will estimate the
Olmsted expenses by preparing a power
repayment study, which will include
estimates of the reimbursable
investment costs, including interest, and
OM&R.
To date, all investments are accounted
for as Construction in Progress (CIP)
costs and have not been transferred to
plant accounts for capitalization. Once
transferred, an amortization schedule
will be calculated for repayment.
Historical financial data are only
available through FY 2016, and
E:\FR\FM\12OCN1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 196 (Thursday, October 12, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47505-47506]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-21938]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Western Area Power Administration
Recommendation for the Western Area Power Administration Loveland
Area Projects and Colorado River Storage Project To Pursue Final
Negotiations Regarding Membership in a Regional Transmission
Organization
AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), a power marketing
administration (PMA) of the Department of Energy (DOE), is publishing
this recommendation for the Loveland Area Projects (LAP) and the
Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) to pursue final negotiations
regarding membership in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), a Regional
Transmission Organization (RTO). WAPA is seeking public comment from
its customers, Native American Tribes, stakeholders, and the public on
the substance of WAPA's recommendation to pursue final negotiations
regarding LAP and CRSP membership in SPP.
DATES: To ensure consideration, all comments should be received by WAPA
by email or at the address below on or before 4 p.m. MST November 27,
2017. WAPA will present a detailed explanation of the recommendation
for LAP and listen to customers' and other interested parties' comments
at a forum in Loveland, Colorado. WAPA also will present a detailed
explanation of the recommendation for CRSP and listen to customers' and
other interested parties' comments at forums held in locations
throughout the CRSP marketing area. The specific times and locations of
these forums are posted on the Web sites identified in the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section. Key information that formed the
basis for this recommendation will be presented at the forums and is
posted at the Web sites listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
section. Any decision to pursue the recommendation will be informed by
comments received.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments by email to SPP-Comments@wapa.gov or
by mail to Mr. Rodney G. Bailey, Power Marketing Advisor, Western Area
Power Administration, 150 East Social Hall Avenue, Suite 300, Salt Lake
City, UT 84111-1580. Written comments must be received by the deadline
identified in the DATES section to be considered in WAPA's decision
process and should include the following information:
1. Name and general description of the entity submitting the
comment.
2. Name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address of
the entity's primary contact.
3. Identification of any specific recommendation the comment
references.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Rodney Bailey, Power Marketing
Advisor, Western Area Power Administration, 150 East Social Hall
Avenue, Suite 300, Salt Lake City, UT 84111-1580, telephone (801) 524-
4007.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 2013, representatives for LAP and CRSP,
along with eight other transmission owners, informally referred to as
the Mountain West Transmission Group (Mountain West), began discussing
combining their transmission systems under a single tariff to eliminate
pancaked transmission rates and enable generation optimization across
the footprint. After reaching conceptual agreement on the possibility
of a joint tariff, the discussions focused on the Mountain West
participants joining an RTO with a fully integrated energy and
ancillary services market. With this perspective, the Mountain West
participants, individually and collectively, completed transmission
cost studies, adjusted production cost modeling, and performed various
other analyses. The Mountain West participants sent a request for
information to SPP and three other RTOs. After having considered the
responses to its request, in conjunction with each Mountain West
participant's individual analyses and the collective Mountain West
analyses, the Mountain West participants reached consensus to further
investigate membership in SPP. After extensive discussions among the
Mountain West participants, preliminary negotiations with SPP, and
further analysis by WAPA subject matter experts, and pursuant to its
authority under Section 1232(a)(1)(A) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005
(42 U.S.C. 16431), WAPA recommends pursuing final negotiations
regarding LAP and CRSP membership in SPP. Any decision by WAPA to move
forward in final negotiations with SPP will be consistent with CRSP and
LAP statutory requirements and as outlined in the basis for the
recommendation and explanatory material posted to WAPA's Rocky Mountain
Region (RMR) and Colorado River Storage Project Management Center (CRSP
MC) Web sites at https://www.wapa.gov/regions/rm and https://www.wapa.gov/regions/crsp, respectively. At the conclusion of those
final negotiations, WAPA intends to provide notification of its
decision for LAP and CRSP to either execute a membership agreement with
SPP or terminate formal negotiations.
Therefore, WAPA is soliciting comments from its customers and other
interested parties regarding this recommendation. If the membership
negotiations are successful, then LAP and CRSP would sign an SPP
membership agreement to become members of SPP and participate in the
SPP Integrated Marketplace, the LAP and CRSP transmission systems would
be placed under the SPP tariff, and the Western Area Colorado Missouri
Balancing Authority responsibilities would transfer to SPP. Section
1232(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 authorizes the appropriate
Federal regulatory authority to enter into a contract, agreement, or
other arrangement transferring control and use of all or part of the
transmission system of a Federal utility to a Transmission
Organization. (42 U.S.C. 16431(b)). The Administrator of WAPA is
designated as the appropriate Federal regulatory authority with respect
to all or part of WAPA's transmission system in accordance with the
Energy Policy Act of 2005.
Availability of Information
The basis for this recommendation and explanatory material to be
presented at the forums are available for review and comment on the Web
sites referenced in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section. Comments
received in response to this notice will be posted on the same Web
sites after the close of the comment period.
[[Page 47506]]
Environmental Compliance
In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321-4347), Council on Environmental Quality
Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and DOE NEPA Regulations (10 CFR
part 1021), WAPA is in the process of determining whether an
environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement should be
prepared or if this action can be categorically excluded from those
requirements. Further environmental review actions will be posted to
the RMR and CRSP MC Web sites referenced in the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section.
Dated: September 21, 2017.
Mark A. Gabriel,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2017-21938 Filed 10-11-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P