Department of Energy July 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 2, the U.S. Department of Energy is soliciting nominations for candidates to fill vacancies on the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee (Committee).

In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) is submitting the information collection, FERC Form 80, Licensed Hydropower Development Recreation Report, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review of the information collection requirements. Any interested person may file comments directly with OMB and should address a copy of those comments to the Commission as explained below. The Commission issued a Notice in the Federal Register (78 FR 28820, 5/16/2013) requesting public comments. FERC received no comments on the FERC Form 80 and is making this notation in its submittal to OMB.

In this Final Rule, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission amends its regulations to provide optional notice procedures for processing rate filings by those natural gas pipelines that fall under the Commission's jurisdiction pursuant to the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 or the Natural Gas Act. The rule results in regulatory certainty and a reduction of regulatory burdens.

This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Paducah. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

The Department of Energy (DOE) invites public comment on a revision of a currently approved 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. The information collection requests a revision and three-year extension of its State Energy Program, OMB Control Number 1910-5126. The proposed collection will collect information on the status of grantee activities, expenditures, and results, to ensure that program funds are being used appropriately, effectively and expeditiously (especially important for Recovery Act programs closing out during this information collection period). Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the revision of the currently approved 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 pertaining to the approved collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to further enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information being collected; and (d) ways to further minimize the burden regarding the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

In this Final Rule, pursuant to section 215 of the Federal Power Act, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) approves Modeling, Data, and Analysis (MOD) Reliability Standard MOD- 028-2, submitted to the Commission for approval by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), the Commission-certified Electric Reliability Organization. The Commission finds that the proposed Reliability Standard represents an improvement over the currently-effective standard, MOD-028-1 because the proposed Reliability Standard clarifies the timing and frequency of Total Transfer Capability calculations needed for Available Transfer Capability calculations. The Commission also approves NERC's proposed implementation plan and retirement of the currently-effective standard.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission proposes to incorporate by reference in its regulations Version 003 of the Standards for Business Practices and Communication Protocols for Public Utilities adopted by the Wholesale Electric Quadrant (WEQ) of the North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB). These standards modify NAESB's WEQ Version 002 and Version 002.1 Standards.

The Office of Fossil Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy gives notice that during May 2013, it issued orders granting authority to import and export natural gas and to import and export liquefied natural gas. These orders are summarized in the attached appendix and may be found on the FE Web site at https://www.fossil.energy.gov/ programs/gasregulation/authorizations/Orders-2013.html. They are also available for inspection and copying in the Office of Fossil Energy, Office of Natural Gas Regulatory Activities, Docket Room 3E-033, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-9478. The Docket Room is open between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

This notice announces a teleconference call 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 meetings be announced in the Federal Register.

This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Oak Ridge Reservation. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

The Office of Fossil Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy (DOE) gives notice of receipt of an application (Application) filed on February 27, 2013, by Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC (SPL), requesting long-term authorization to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) produced from domestic sources in an amount up to 104,250,000 million British thermal units ((MMBtu) per year (the equivalent of 101 billion standard cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas per year), pursuant to the LNG Sale and Purchase Agreement (FOB) between SPL as seller and Total Gas & Power North America, Inc. (TGPNA) as buyer dated December 14, 2012 (TOTAL SPA). SPL seeks authorization to export LNG from the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, both to: (i) Any nation that currently has or in the future develops the capacity to import LNG and with which the United States currently has, or in the future enters into, a free trade agreement (FTA) requiring national treatment for trade in natural gas and LNG; and (ii) all countries that have not entered into an FTA with the United States requiring national treatment for trade in natural gas, which currently have or in the future develop the capacity to import LNG, and with which trade in not prohibited by U.S. law or policy. In the portion of SPL's Application subject to this Notice, SPL requests authorization to export LNG to any country with which the United States does not have an FTA requiring national treatment for trade in natural gas (non-FTA countries) with which trade is not prohibited by U.S. law or policy. SPL requests that this authorization commence on the earlier of the date of first export or eight years from the date the authorization is granted. The Application was filed under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA), 15 U.S.C. 717b.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is proposing to revise Parts 38 and 284 of the Commission's regulations to provide explicit authority to interstate natural gas pipelines and public utilities that own, operate, or control facilities used for the transmission of electric energy in interstate commerce to share non- public, operational information with each other for the purpose of promoting reliable service or operational planning on either the public utility's or pipeline's system.