Department of Energy November 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents
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Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee
This notice announces an open meeting of the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee under Section 9008(d) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. The Federal Advisory Committee Act requires that agencies publish these notices in the Federal Register to allow for public participation. This notice announces the meeting of the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee.
Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and To Conduct Scoping Meetings: Interconnection of the Proposed Hyde County Wind Energy Center Project, South Dakota
NextEra Energy Resources (NextEra) applied to interconnect its proposed 150-megawatt (MW) Hyde County Wind Energy Center Project (Project), located in Hyde County, South Dakota, with the Western Area Power Administration's (Western) existing Fort Thompson Substation in Buffalo County, South Dakota. Western will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) on the proposal to interconnect the Project in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) NEPA Implementing Procedures, and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations for implementing NEPA. Western's need for agency action is precipitated by NextEra's application to interconnect with Western's power transmission system. Western needs to consider NextEra's interconnection request under its Open Access Transmission Service Tariff (Tariff). This EIS will address Western's Federal action of interconnecting the proposed Project to Western's transmission system, making changes within Western's existing Fort Thompson Substation to physically connect NextEra's proposed Project, and making any necessary system modifications to accommodate the interconnection. Existing transmission line approaches to Fort Thompson Substation may also need to be realigned. By taking these actions, power generated by NextEra's proposed Project would use Western's transmission system to reach the market. Portions of NextEra's proposed Project may affect floodplains and wetlands, so this Notice of Intent (NOI) also serves as a notice of proposed floodplain or wetland action in accordance with DOE floodplain and wetland environmental review requirements.
Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and To Conduct Scoping Meetings: Interconnection of the Proposed Crowned Ridge Wind Energy Center Project, South Dakota
NextEra Energy Resources (NextEra) applied to interconnect its proposed 150-megawatt (MW) Crowned Ridge Wind Energy Center Project (Project) with the Western Area Power Administration's (Western) existing Watertown Substation in Codington County, South Dakota. The proposed Project would be located in Codington and Grant counties, South Dakota. Western will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) on the proposal to interconnect the Project in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) NEPA Implementing Procedures, and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations for implementing NEPA. Western's need for agency action is precipitated by NextEra's application to interconnect with Western's power transmission system. Western needs to consider NextEra's interconnection request under its Open Access Transmission Service Tariff (Tariff). This EIS will address Western's Federal action of interconnecting the proposed Project to Western's transmission system, making changes within Western's existing Watertown Substation to physically connect NextEra's proposed Project, and making any necessary system modifications to accommodate the interconnection. By taking these actions, power generated by NextEra's proposed Project would use Western's transmission system to reach the market. Portions of NextEra's proposed Project may affect floodplains and wetlands, so this Notice of Intent (NOI) also serves as a notice of proposed floodplain or wetland action in accordance with DOE floodplain and wetland environmental review requirements.
Worker Safety and Health Program: Safety Conscious Work Environment
The Department of Energy received a petition from the Hanford Challenge on August 18, 2009, requesting the initiation of a rulemaking regarding safety policies at DOE's nuclear facilities. The petition calls for DOE to establish by regulation a safety program using the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's ``Safety-Conscious Work Environment'' guidelines as a model. DOE published this petition and a request for comment on October 16, 2009. DOE denies the petition for rulemaking.
Record of Decision and Floodplain Statement of Findings for the Cushman Hydroelectric Project, Mason County, Washington, Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/EIS-0456)
DOE announces its decision to provide approximately $4.6 million appropriated under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Public Law 111-5 (Recovery Act), to the City of Tacoma, Washington (Tacoma), for the design and construction of certain components of the Cushman Hydroelectric Project in Mason County, Washington. These components include a new 3.6 megawatt (MW) powerhouse on the North Fork of the Skokomish River, an integral fish collection, handling, and sorting facility, and related transmission infrastructure. The environmental impacts from the proposed action were analyzed in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC's) 1996 Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Cushman Hydroelectric Project (FERC Project No. 460) (1996 FEIS). In a July 15, 2010, Order \1\ (FERC's 2010 Order), FERC lifted a stay on a 1998 license for the Cushman Hydroelectric Project and amended the license to include inter alia conditions for fish passage facilities and authorization to construct the powerhouse. FERC's 2010 Order includes the components of the Cushman Hydroelectric Project that DOE proposes to fund. FERC relied on the 1996 FEIS to fulfill its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) obligations for the 1998 license as amended on July 15, 2010. DOE has adopted the 1996 FEIS and 2010 Order, together, as a final DOE EIS (DOE/EIS-0456).
Nationwide Categorical Waivers Under Section 1605 (Buy American) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act)
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is hereby issuing an Amended Determination of Inapplicability (waiver) of section 1605 of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (Recovery Act Buy American provisions) to EERE-funded projects for LED traffic lights, arrows and crosswalk signals, as well as the adjacent wires and electronic parts necessary for the functionality of the lights themselves. This amendment withdraws the waiver issued on February 11, 2010 for LED traffic lights, arrows and crosswalk signals, as well as the adjacent wires and electronic parts necessary for the functionality of the lights themselves.
Nationwide Categorical Waivers Under Section 1605 (Buy American) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act)
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is hereby granting a nationwide limited waiver of the Buy American requirements of section 1605 of the Recovery Act under the authority of Section 1605(b)(2) (iron, steel, and the relevant manufactured goods are not produced in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities and of a satisfactory quality) with respect to (1) surface mounting time switches with 24- hour program dials and single-pole-double-throw switches; (2) HVAC units with 8.375' W x 9.5' H x 2.72' DOnly when the application requires an HVAC unit with a height of 10' or less due to documented space constraints; (3) low temperature thermostats with a temperature range of 15-55 degrees Fahrenheit and manual reset; (4) Programmable DDC controllers for LON protocol, where an existing LON system exists that will not interface with other protocols without the input of extensive time and expense equal to or greater than the cost of the controllers themselves; and (5) Hardware necessary for implementation of Honeywell Enterprise Buildings Integrator (EBI) software for integration of water management and HVAC systems including: Customized Dell PowerEdge T610 Computer Server; Honeywell XL50UMMIPC-CBLON; Echelon LPR-10 42100R; SloanMCR231-D; SloanMCR140A, that will be used on eligible EERE-Recovery Act funded projects.
Compliance Testing Procedures: Correction Factor for Room Air Conditioners
On November 15, 2010, the Department of Energy received a petition for rulemaking from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM). The petition, requests the initiation of a rulemaking regarding compliance testing procedures for room air conditioners. The petition seeks temporary enforcement forbearance, or in the alternative, a temporary industry-wide waiver or guidance, to allow use of a data correction factor in compliance testing procedures for room air conditioners. Public comment is requested on whether DOE should grant the petition and proceed with a rulemaking procedure on this matter.
System Personnel Training Reliability Standards
Under section 215 of the Federal Power Act, the Commission approves two Personnel Performance, Training and Qualifications (PER) Reliability Standards, PER-004-2 (Reliability CoordinationStaffing) and PER-005-1 (System Personnel Training), submitted to the Commission for approval by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, the Electric Reliability Organization certified by the Commission. The approved Reliability Standards require reliability coordinators, balancing authorities, and transmission operators to establish a training program for their system operators, verify each of their system operators' capability to perform tasks, and provide emergency operations training to every system operator. The Commission also approves NERC's proposal to retire two existing PER Reliability Standards that are replaced by the standards approved in this Final Rule.
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