Department of Energy September 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Energy (DOE) invites public comment on a proposed collection of information that DOE is developing for submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

The Acting Deputy Secretary of Energy confirmed and approved Rate Order No. WAPA-137 and Rate Schedule SLIP-F9, placing firm power rates for the Salt Lake City Area Integrated Projects (SLCA/IP) of the Western Area Power Administration (Western) into effect on an interim basis. The Acting Deputy Secretary also confirmed Rate Schedules SP- PTP7, SP-NW3, SP-NFT6, SP-SD3, SP-RS3, SP-EI3, SP-FR3, and SP-SSR3, placing firm and non-firm transmission rates and ancillary services rates on the Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) transmission system into effect on an interim basis. The provisional rates will be in effect until the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) confirms, approves, and places them into effect on a final basis or until they are replaced by other rates. The provisional rates will provide sufficient revenue to pay all annual costs, including interest expense, and repayment of power investment and irrigation aid, within the allowable periods.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended; and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations; the U.S. Department of Energy, Western Area Power Administration (Western), and the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), will, as joint lead agencies, prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Programmatic EIS) to evaluate issues associated with wind energy development within Western's Upper Great Plains Customer Service Region (UGP Region), which encompasses all or parts of the States of Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota; and upon the Service's landscape-level grassland and wetland easements in North Dakota, South Dakota, and eastern Montana. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Utility Services (RUS) plans to participate as a cooperating agency. Public scoping meetings will be held during the Programmatic EIS scoping period.

The Office of Fossil Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy (DOE) gives notice of receipt of an application, filed on August 15, 2008 by Cheniere Marketing, Inc. (CMI), as modified on August 28, 2008, requesting blanket authorization to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) that previously had been imported from foreign sources in an amount up to the equivalent of 64 Billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas on its own behalf or as agent for others on a short-term or spot market basis from the Sabine Pass LNG terminal owned by CMI's affiliate, Sabine Pass LNG, L.P., in Cameron Parish, Louisiana to the United Kingdom, Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Japan, South Korea, India, China, Taiwan and/or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico over a two-year period commencing on the date of the authorization. The application was filed under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717b), as amended by section 201 of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (Pub. L. 102-486). Protests, motions to intervene, notices of intervention, and written comments are invited.

The Department of Energy, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability established the Electricity Advisory Committee on January 29, 2008 for a two-year period. The Committee was created to provide advice to the Assistant Secretary for Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, on long range planning and priorities for the modernization of the Nation's electricity delivery infrastructure. The Electricity Advisory Committee will hold a two-day meeting in Washington DC to discuss drafts of reports and electricity policy recommendations that the Committee may later submit to the Department of Energy.