Department of Energy December 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces a public workshop for interested parties to learn about recent results from DOE's materials-based hydrogen storage system modeling efforts. In addition, DOE intends to gather input from workshop participants to identify hydrogen storage material development pathways and potential future areas of research. This input will be used to help guide future activities for the DOE Hydrogen Storage Program.

In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) is submitting the information collections in Docket No. RM14-22- 000 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 file a copy of those comments to the Commission as explained below. The Commission solicited comments on the information collections associated with RM14-22-000 in Order No. 800 published in the Federal Register (79 FR 59105, October 1, 2014). The Commission received no comments on the information collections and is making this notation in its submission to OMB.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance, a proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The proposed collection will enable DOE to administer the voluntary Superior Energy PerformanceTM (SEP) certification program for industrial facilities. This request for information consists of a voluntary data collection process for SEP participation: To enroll industrial facilities, manage and track certification cycles, and relay the costs and benefits of SEP certification to industry. DOE will use this information collection to recognize SEP-certified facilities for their accomplishments. In addition, DOE will use this information to evaluate the costs and benefits of SEP certification, which is consistent with the Executive OrderAccelerating Investment in Industrial Energy Efficiency (August 2012). This information will also help DOE identify strategies to reduce the cost of SEP participation.

The Office of Fossil Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy (DOE) gives notice of receipt of an application (Application) filed on October 24, 2014, by Pieridae Energy (USA) Ltd. (Pieridae US) \1\ requesting long-term, multi-contract authorization to export domestically produced natural gas in a volume up to 292 billion cubic feet per year (Bcf/yr), or approximately 0.8 Bcf per day (Bcf/d). Pieridae US proposes to export domestically produced natural gas as follows: (i) To export the natural gas to Canada at the United States- Canada border near Baileyville, Maine, at the juncture of the Maritimes & Northeast (M&N) U.S. Pipeline and the M&N Canada Pipeline; \2\ (ii) to use a portion of the U.S.-sourced natural gas as feedstock in a Canadian natural gas liquefaction facility called the Goldboro LNG Project, to be developed by one or more Pieridae affiliates and to be located at the Goldboro Industrial Park in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia, Canada; and (iii) to export a portion of the U.S.-sourced natural gas in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by vessel from Canada to one or more countries with which the United States does not have a free trade agreement (FTA) requiring national treatment for trade in natural gas and with which trade is not prohibited by U.S. law or policy (non-FTA countries). Only Pieridae US's proposed export of LNG produced from U.S.-sourced natural gas to non-FTA countries is subject to this Notice. Pieridae US states that it is not proposing to construct, expand, or modify any pipeline facilities in the United States in conjunction with its proposed export of natural gas. Pieridae US requests this non-FTA export authorization for a 20-year term to commence on the earlier of the date of first export or seven years from the date the authorization is granted. Pieridae US requests this authorization on its own behalf.\3\ The Application was filed under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA). Additional details can be found in Pieridae US's Application, posted on the DOE/FE Web site at: https:// energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2014/10/f18/14_179_lng.pdf.

Western Area Power Administration (Western) is proposing adjustments to the Salt Lake City Area Integrated Projects (SLCA/IP) Firm Power Rate and the Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) Transmission and Ancillary Services Rates. The SLCA/IP consists of the CRSP, Collbran, and Rio Grande projects, which were integrated for marketing and ratemaking purposes on October 1, 1987, and two participating projects of the CRSP that have power facilities, the Dolores and Seedskadee projects. The current rates, under Rate Schedules SLIP-F9, SP-PTP7, SP- NW3, SP-NFT6, SP-SD3, SP-RS3, SP-EI3, SP-FR3, and SP-SSR3 will expire September 30, 2015. The proposed rates, under Rate Schedules SLIP-F10, SP-PTP8, SP-NW4, SP-NFT7, SP-SD4, SP-RS4, SP-EI4, SP-FR4, SP-SSR4, and SP-UU1 are scheduled to be placed into effect on an interim basis on October 1, 2015, and will remain in effect through September 30, 2020, or until superseded. These rates will provide sufficient revenue to pay all annual costs, including operation, maintenance, replacements (OM&R), interest expenses, and the required repayment of investment within the allowable period. Western will prepare a brochure that provides detailed information on the rates and will make it available to all interested parties. Publication of this Federal Register notice (FRN) begins the formal process for the proposed rates.

Western Area Power Administration (Western), an agency within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), received a request from Basin Electric Power Cooperative (Basin Electric) to interconnect its proposed Antelope Valley Station (AVS) to Neset Transmission Project (Project) to Western's Williston Substation and Williston to Charlie Creek 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission line. The Project would be located in northwest North Dakota including parts of Mercer, Dunn, McKenzie, Williams, and Mountrail counties. On May 30, 2014, the Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Project was published in the Federal Register (79 FR 31085). The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Utilities Service (RUS) was the lead Federal agency for the EIS. Western was a cooperating agency in preparation of the EIS. After considering the environmental impacts, Western has decided to allow Basin Electric's request for interconnection.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is planning to issue a new Secretarial Determination covering continued transfers of uranium for cleanup services at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant and for down-blending of highly-enriched uranium to low-enriched uranium (LEU). This RFI solicits information from the public about the effects of the proposed transfers in the uranium markets and possible consequences for the domestic uranium mining, conversion and enrichment industries. The RFI also solicits recommendations about factors that the Department should consider and/or the methodology it should use in assessing the possible impacts of transfers. DOE will then consider this information as part of its analysis to determine whether its transfers would have an adverse material impact on the domestic uranium mining, conversion, or enrichment industry.