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

This notice announces a teleconference of the State Energy Advisory Board (STEAB). The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92- 463; 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of these teleconferences be announced in the Federal Register.

The Industry Advisory Board (IAB) to the International Energy Agency (IEA) will meet on September 17, 2008, at the headquarters of the IEA in Paris, France, in connection with a joint meeting of the IEA's Standing Group on Emergency Questions (SEQ) and the IEA's Standing Group on the Oil Market which is scheduled to be held at the same location and time, and on September 18 in connection with a meeting of SEQ.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission), in response to requests for rehearing of Order No. 697-A, intends to revise the definition of the term ``affiliate'' adopted in Order No. 697-A and codified in the Commission's regulations, and seeks supplemental comments on this issue.

The U.S. Department of Energy, Western Area Power Administration (Western) is canceling the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on a proposal by Western to participate with Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Incorporated (Tri-State), in the construction of the Eastern Plains Transmission Project (EPTP). Western would have obtained 275 megawatts of capacity rights on the proposed transmission lines by participating in the EPTP. The EIS would have addressed the construction, operation, and maintenance of approximately 1,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines and ancillary facilities, which included substations, fiber optic installation, access roads, and construction staging areas. Western issued a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS for the EPTP in the Federal Register on August 2, 2006 (71 FR 43733), and conducted 10 public scoping meetings throughout the project area from August 28 through September 14, 2006. Additional public meetings were held in February 2007 (72 FR 2507), and in June 2007 (72 FR 30792). Western is canceling the preparation of the EIS due to anticipated changes in the EPTP scope. If Western decides to participate in the re- defined EPTP, a National Environmental Policy Act review will be initiated at that time. Tri-State may continue with development of the EPTP.