Central Arizona Project, Colorado River Storage Project, Loveland Area Projects, Pacific Northwest-Pacific Southwest Intertie Project, and Parker-Davis Project-Rate Order No. WAPA-215, 3651-3652 [2024-01012]
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 13 / Friday, January 19, 2024 / Notices
to collect—the data under its APD to
properly perform its function of
marketing a limited amount of Federal
hydropower. The information WAPA
collects is voluntary. Due to the high
demand for WAPA’s power and limited
amount of available power, WAPA will
use the information collected in the
APD—and has used the information
collected under the current OMBapproved control number—pursuant to
its marketing plans, to determine an
applicant’s eligibility for an allocation
of Federal power. As a result, the
information WAPA collects under its
APD is both necessary and useful.
WAPA notes the Paperwork
Reduction Act is the process whereby
WAPA obtains approval from OMB to
collect information from the public. It is
a legal requirement WAPA must comply
with before requesting an interested
party submit an application for power.
The Paperwork Reduction Act process is
not the process in which interested
parties apply for a new allocation of
Federal power. The allocation of power
from WAPA is outside the scope of this
process and is completed in a separate
marketing plan process by each WAPA
region, when required; (5) Annual
Estimated Number of Respondents: 33;
(6) Annual Estimated Number of Total
Responses: 33; (7) Annual Estimated
Number of Burden Hours: 248; and (8)
Annual Estimated Reporting and
Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $36,944.
Statutory Authority: The Reclamation
Act of 1902 established the Federal
reclamation program. See Ch. 1093, 32
Stat. 388 (1902), as amended and
supplemented. The basic principle of
the Reclamation Act of 1902 was that
the United States, through the Secretary
of the Interior, would build and operate
irrigation works from the proceeds of
public land sales in sixteen arid
Western states (a seventeenth, Texas,
was added in 1906). The Reclamation
Project Act of 1939 expanded the
purposes of the reclamation program
and specified certain terms for contracts
that the Secretary of the Interior enters
into to furnish water and power. See Ch.
418, 53 Stat. 1187 (1939), as amended
and supplemented. Section 5 of the
Flood Control Act of 1944, as amended,
is read in pari materia with the
Reclamation Laws with respect to
WAPA. See Ch. 665, 58 Stat. 887, as
amended and supplemented. In 1977,
section 302 of the Department of Energy
Organization Act transferred the power
marketing functions of the Department
of the Interior to the Secretary of Energy,
acting by and through a separate
Administrator for WAPA. See 42 U.S.C.
7152 (a)(1)(D). Under this authority,
WAPA markets Federal hydropower.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:42 Jan 18, 2024
Jkt 262001
Signing Authority
Signed in Washington, DC, on January 16,
2024.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S.
Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2024–01013 Filed 1–18–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Western Area Power Administration
Central Arizona Project, Colorado
River Storage Project, Loveland Area
Projects, Pacific Northwest-Pacific
Southwest Intertie Project, and ParkerDavis Project—Rate Order No. WAPA–
215
Western Area Power
Administration, DOE.
AGENCY:
Notice of proposed extension of
the formula rates for use under
WestConnect Regional Non-Firm
Transmission Service.
ACTION:
The Colorado River Storage
Project Management Center (CRSP MC),
Desert Southwest Region (DSW), and
Rocky Mountain Region (RM) of the
Western Area Power Administration
(WAPA) propose extending the existing
formula rates under Rate Schedule WC–
8, without any changes, for on-peak and
off-peak non-firm transmission service
provided under the WestConnect Pointto-Point Regional Transmission Service
Participation Agreement (WestConnect
PA) through September 30, 2026. The
existing formula rates expire on May 31,
2024.
SUMMARY:
A consultation and comment
period will begin January 19, 2024 and
end February 2, 2024. Written
comments will be accepted any time
during the consultation and comment
period.
DATES:
Frm 00021
Fmt 4703
Written comments and
requests to be informed of Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
actions concerning the proposed
extension to be submitted by WAPA to
FERC for approval should be sent to:
Barton V. Barnhart, Regional Manager,
Rocky Mountain Region, Western Area
Power Administration, 5555 East
Crossroads Boulevard, Loveland, CO
80538–8986, or email: laptransadj@
wapa.gov. Information about the
proposed formula rate extension and
written comments will be posted to
WAPA’s website at: www.wapa.gov/
about-wapa/regions/dsw/powermarketing/westconnect.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Tamala D. Gheller, CRSP Rates Manager,
(970) 702–8826 or email: gheller@
wapa.gov; Tina Ramsey, DSW Rates
Manager, (602) 605–2525 or email:
dswpwrmrk@wapa.gov; or Sheila D.
Cook, RM Rates Manager, (970) 685–
9562 or email: laptransadj@wapa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
WestConnect consists of a group of
electric utilities which provide hourly,
non-firm transmission service in the
Western Interconnection to eliminate
pancaking of transmission charges,
which is the practice of charging a
transmission customer separately for the
use of each utility’s transmission
system. The WestConnect membership,
including WAPA and investor-owned
and consumer-owned utilities,
encompasses an interconnected
electrical grid stretching from western
Nebraska to southern California and
from Wyoming to the United StatesMexico border.
On December 15, 2014, FERC
confirmed and approved Rate Schedule
WC–8, under Rate Order No. WAPA–
163, effective June 1, 2014, through May
31, 2019.1 On June 20, 2019, FERC
confirmed and approved the extension
of Rate Schedule WC–8, under Rate
Order No. WAPA–187, effective June 1,
2019, through May 31, 2024.2
In accordance with 10 CFR 903.23(a),3
CRSP MC, DSW, and RM are proposing
to extend the existing formula rates
under Rate Schedule WC–8 for the
period of June 1, 2024, through
September 30, 2026. The existing
formula rates are viewable on WAPA’s
website at: www.wapa.gov/about-wapa/
regions/dsw/power-marketing/
westconnect. The existing formula rates
ADDRESSES:
This document of the Department of
Energy was signed on January 12, 2024,
by Tracey LeBeau Administrator,
pursuant to delegated authority from the
Secretary of Energy. That document,
with the original signature and date, is
maintained by DOE. For administrative
purposes only, and in compliance with
requirements of the Office of the Federal
Register, the undersigned DOE Federal
Register Liaison Officer has been
authorized to sign and submit the
document in electronic format for
publication, as an official document of
the Department of Energy. This
administrative process in no way alters
the legal effect of this document upon
publication in the Federal Register.
PO 00000
3651
Sfmt 4703
1 Order Confirming and Approving Rate Schedule
on a Final Basis, FERC Docket No. EF14–8–000, 149
FERC ¶ 62,196 (2014).
2 Order Confirming and Approving Rate Schedule
on a Final Basis, FERC Docket No. EF14–8–001, 167
FERC ¶ 62,188 (2019).
3 50 FR 37835 (Sept. 18, 1985) and 84 FR 5347
(Feb. 21, 2019).
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19JAN1
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
3652
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 13 / Friday, January 19, 2024 / Notices
provide sufficient revenue to pay annual
costs, including interest expense, and
repay investment within the allowable
period consistent with the cost recovery
criteria set forth in Department of
Energy (DOE) Order RA 6120.2.
This extension will allow CRSP MC
and RM to proceed with final
negotiations for membership in the
Southwest Power Pool Regional
Transmission Organization (SPP RTO),
with potential membership beginning in
or around April 2026, after which CRSP
MC and RM would no longer provide
this transmission service. DSW would
evaluate whether it will continue selling
this service beyond that date, as will
CRSP MC and RM if their proposed
integration into the SPP RTO is delayed
or is not successful.
In accordance with 10 CFR 903.23(a),
CRSP MC, DSW, and RM have
determined it is not necessary to hold a
public information or public comment
forum for this action but are initiating
a 14-day consultation and comment
period to give the public an opportunity
to comment on the proposed extension.
CRSP MC, DSW, and RM will review
and consider all timely public
comments at the conclusion of the
consultation and comment period and
adjust the proposal as appropriate.
exclusion listed in appendix B to
subpart D of 10 CFR part 1021: B4.3
(Electric power marketing rate
changes).4 Those categorical exclusion
determinations are also applicable to
this rate action. Copies of the categorical
exclusion determinations are available
on WAPA’s website. For CRSP, the
website is: www.wapa.gov/about-wapa/
regions/crsp/about-crsp/environment.
Look for file titled ‘‘SLCA/IP Rate
Determination—WAPA–206—(CX
Determination 2024–2028)’’. For DSW,
the website is: www.wapa.gov/aboutwapa/regions/dsw/environment. Look in
the ‘‘2023’’ folder for file titled, ‘‘Rate
Order WAPA–209’’. For RM, the website
is: www.wapa.gov/about-wapa/regions/
rm/rm-environment/cx2016. Look for
file titled, ‘‘2016–077 Proposed Formula
Rate Adjustment for Transmission
Ancillary Services and Sale of Surplus’’.
Legal Authority
This document of the Department of
Energy was signed on January 12, 2024,
by Tracey A. LeBeau, Administrator,
Western Area Power Administration,
pursuant to delegated authority from the
Secretary of Energy. That document,
with the original signature and date, is
maintained by DOE. For administrative
purposes only, and in compliance with
requirements of the Office of the Federal
Register, the undersigned DOE Federal
Register Liaison Officer has been
authorized to sign and submit the
document in electronic format for
publication, as an official document of
the Department of Energy. This
administrative process in no way alters
the legal effect of this document upon
publication in the Federal Register.
By Delegation Order No. S1–DEL–
RATES–2016, effective November 19,
2016, the Secretary of Energy delegated:
(1) the authority to develop power and
transmission rates to the WAPA
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, or to remand
or disapprove such rates, to FERC. By
Delegation Order No. S1–DEL–S3–2023,
effective April 10, 2023, the Secretary of
Energy also delegated the authority to
confirm, approve, and place such rates
into effect on an interim basis to the
Under Secretary for Infrastructure. By
Redelegation Order No. S3–DEL–
WAPA1–2023, effective April 10, 2023,
the Under Secretary for Infrastructure
further redelegated the authority to
confirm, approve, and place such rates
into effect on an interim basis to
WAPA’s Administrator.
Ratemaking Procedure Requirements
Categorical exclusion determinations
were previously issued for the
underlying rates of the transmission
projects included in the WestConnect
PA under the following categorical
18:42 Jan 18, 2024
Jkt 262001
WAPA 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.
Signing Authority
Signed in Washington, DC, on January 16,
2024.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S.
Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2024–01012 Filed 1–18–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
Environmental Compliance
VerDate Sep<11>2014
Determination Under Executive Order
12866
4 The determination was done in compliance with
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 4321–4347, the
Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for
implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500–1508); and
DOE NEPA Implementing Procedures and
Guidelines (10 CFR part 1021).
PO 00000
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[FRL–11669–01–OA]
Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities
Advisory Committee (FRRCC); Notice
of Public Meeting
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Notice of meeting.
Pursuant to the Federal
Advisory Committee Act (FACA), notice
is hereby given that the next meeting of
the Farm, Ranch, and Rural
Communities Advisory Committee
(FRRCC) will be held in-person and
virtually January 30–31, 2024. The
FRRCC provides independent policy
advice, information, and
recommendations to the Administrator
on a range of environmental issues and
policies that are of importance to
agriculture and rural communities.
SUMMARY:
This meeting will be held inperson and virtually Tuesday, January
30, 2024–Wednesday, January 31, 2024,
from approximately 8:00 a.m. until 5:00
p.m. (MST).
This meeting will take place in-person
and virtually. To register and receive
information on how to listen to the
meeting and to provide comments,
please visit: www.epa.gov/faca/frrcc.
Attendees must register online to
receive instructions for virtual
attendance.
DATES:
The meeting will be held at
330 E Palace Avenue, Santa Fe, NM
87501.
Virtual Attendance: Virtual
attendance will be via Zoom. The link
to register for the meeting can be found
on the FRRCC web page: www.epa.gov/
faca/frrcc.
ADDRESSES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Venus Welch-White, Designated Federal
Officer (DFO), at FRRCC@epa.gov or
202–566–2369. General information
regarding the FRRCC can be found on
the EPA website at: www.epa.gov/faca/
frrcc.
Meetings
of the FRRCC are open to the public. An
agenda will be posted at www.epa.gov/
faca/frrcc.
Access and Accommodations: For
information on access or services for
individuals with disabilities, please
visit: www.epa.gov/faca/frrcc.
Due to unforeseen administrative
circumstances, EPA is announcing this
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
E:\FR\FM\19JAN1.SGM
19JAN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 13 (Friday, January 19, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3651-3652]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-01012]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Western Area Power Administration
Central Arizona Project, Colorado River Storage Project, Loveland
Area Projects, Pacific Northwest-Pacific Southwest Intertie Project,
and Parker-Davis Project--Rate Order No. WAPA-215
AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE.
ACTION: Notice of proposed extension of the formula rates for use under
WestConnect Regional Non-Firm Transmission Service.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Colorado River Storage Project Management Center (CRSP
MC), Desert Southwest Region (DSW), and Rocky Mountain Region (RM) of
the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) propose extending the
existing formula rates under Rate Schedule WC-8, without any changes,
for on-peak and off-peak non-firm transmission service provided under
the WestConnect Point-to-Point Regional Transmission Service
Participation Agreement (WestConnect PA) through September 30, 2026.
The existing formula rates expire on May 31, 2024.
DATES: A consultation and comment period will begin January 19, 2024
and end February 2, 2024. Written comments will be accepted any time
during the consultation and comment period.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and requests to be informed of Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) actions concerning the proposed
extension to be submitted by WAPA to FERC for approval should be sent
to: Barton V. Barnhart, Regional Manager, Rocky Mountain Region,
Western Area Power Administration, 5555 East Crossroads Boulevard,
Loveland, CO 80538-8986, or email: [email protected]. Information
about the proposed formula rate extension and written comments will be
posted to WAPA's website at: www.wapa.gov/about-wapa/regions/dsw/power-marketing/westconnect.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tamala D. Gheller, CRSP Rates Manager,
(970) 702-8826 or email: [email protected]; Tina Ramsey, DSW Rates
Manager, (602) 605-2525 or email: [email protected]; or Sheila D.
Cook, RM Rates Manager, (970) 685-9562 or email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: WestConnect consists of a group of electric
utilities which provide hourly, non-firm transmission service in the
Western Interconnection to eliminate pancaking of transmission charges,
which is the practice of charging a transmission customer separately
for the use of each utility's transmission system. The WestConnect
membership, including WAPA and investor-owned and consumer-owned
utilities, encompasses an interconnected electrical grid stretching
from western Nebraska to southern California and from Wyoming to the
United States-Mexico border.
On December 15, 2014, FERC confirmed and approved Rate Schedule WC-
8, under Rate Order No. WAPA-163, effective June 1, 2014, through May
31, 2019.\1\ On June 20, 2019, FERC confirmed and approved the
extension of Rate Schedule WC-8, under Rate Order No. WAPA-187,
effective June 1, 2019, through May 31, 2024.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Order Confirming and Approving Rate Schedule on a Final
Basis, FERC Docket No. EF14-8-000, 149 FERC ] 62,196 (2014).
\2\ Order Confirming and Approving Rate Schedule on a Final
Basis, FERC Docket No. EF14-8-001, 167 FERC ] 62,188 (2019).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In accordance with 10 CFR 903.23(a),\3\ CRSP MC, DSW, and RM are
proposing to extend the existing formula rates under Rate Schedule WC-8
for the period of June 1, 2024, through September 30, 2026. The
existing formula rates are viewable on WAPA's website at: www.wapa.gov/about-wapa/regions/dsw/power-marketing/westconnect. The existing
formula rates
[[Page 3652]]
provide sufficient revenue to pay annual costs, including interest
expense, and repay investment within the allowable period consistent
with the cost recovery criteria set forth in Department of Energy (DOE)
Order RA 6120.2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ 50 FR 37835 (Sept. 18, 1985) and 84 FR 5347 (Feb. 21, 2019).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
This extension will allow CRSP MC and RM to proceed with final
negotiations for membership in the Southwest Power Pool Regional
Transmission Organization (SPP RTO), with potential membership
beginning in or around April 2026, after which CRSP MC and RM would no
longer provide this transmission service. DSW would evaluate whether it
will continue selling this service beyond that date, as will CRSP MC
and RM if their proposed integration into the SPP RTO is delayed or is
not successful.
In accordance with 10 CFR 903.23(a), CRSP MC, DSW, and RM have
determined it is not necessary to hold a public information or public
comment forum for this action but are initiating a 14-day consultation
and comment period to give the public an opportunity to comment on the
proposed extension. CRSP MC, DSW, and RM will review and consider all
timely public comments at the conclusion of the consultation and
comment period and adjust the proposal as appropriate.
Legal Authority
By Delegation Order No. S1-DEL-RATES-2016, effective November 19,
2016, the Secretary of Energy delegated: (1) the authority to develop
power and transmission rates to the WAPA 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, or to
remand or disapprove such rates, to FERC. By Delegation Order No. S1-
DEL-S3-2023, effective April 10, 2023, the Secretary of Energy also
delegated the authority to confirm, approve, and place such rates into
effect on an interim basis to the Under Secretary for Infrastructure.
By Redelegation Order No. S3-DEL-WAPA1-2023, effective April 10, 2023,
the Under Secretary for Infrastructure further redelegated the
authority to confirm, approve, and place such rates into effect on an
interim basis to WAPA's Administrator.
Ratemaking Procedure Requirements
Environmental Compliance
Categorical exclusion determinations were previously issued for the
underlying rates of the transmission projects included in the
WestConnect PA under the following categorical exclusion listed in
appendix B to subpart D of 10 CFR part 1021: B4.3 (Electric power
marketing rate changes).\4\ Those categorical exclusion determinations
are also applicable to this rate action. Copies of the categorical
exclusion determinations are available on WAPA's website. For CRSP, the
website is: www.wapa.gov/about-wapa/regions/crsp/about-crsp/environment. Look for file titled ``SLCA/IP Rate Determination--WAPA-
206--(CX Determination 2024-2028)''. For DSW, the website is:
www.wapa.gov/about-wapa/regions/dsw/environment. Look in the ``2023''
folder for file titled, ``Rate Order WAPA-209''. For RM, the website
is: www.wapa.gov/about-wapa/regions/rm/rm-environment/cx2016. Look for
file titled, ``2016-077 Proposed Formula Rate Adjustment for
Transmission Ancillary Services and Sale of Surplus''.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ The determination was done in compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 4321-
4347, the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for
implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508); and DOE NEPA
Implementing Procedures and Guidelines (10 CFR part 1021).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Determination Under Executive Order 12866
WAPA 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.
Signing Authority
This document of the Department of Energy was signed on January 12,
2024, by Tracey A. LeBeau, Administrator, Western Area Power
Administration, pursuant to delegated authority from the Secretary of
Energy. That document, with the original signature and date, is
maintained by DOE. For administrative purposes only, and in compliance
with requirements of the Office of the Federal Register, the
undersigned DOE Federal Register Liaison Officer has been authorized to
sign and submit the document in electronic format for publication, as
an official document of the Department of Energy. This administrative
process in no way alters the legal effect of this document upon
publication in the Federal Register.
Signed in Washington, DC, on January 16, 2024.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2024-01012 Filed 1-18-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
