Department of Energy 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is revising its regulations to incorporate by reference, with certain enumerated exceptions, the latest version (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) as mandatory enforceable requirements. These standards update NAESB's WEQ Version 002 and Version 002.1 Standards to reflect policy determinations made by the Commission in the Order Nos. 890 series of orders and other orders. In addition, the Commission is listing informationally, as guidance, NAESB's Smart Grid Standards (WEQ-016 through WEQ-020) in Part 2 of the Commission's regulations.

Western Area Power Administration (Western) published in the Federal Register two proposed changes to Western's Final Principles of Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) in the Federal Register on June 29, 2011. The Final Principles of IRP were last published in the Federal Register on June 9, 1995. First, Western proposed that its current practice of developing project-by-project evaluation criteria to determine the quantity, length, and source of a long-term energy purchase be replaced with uniform, Western-wide evaluation criteria. Western will make no changes to its current practice of developing project-by-project evaluation criteria to evaluate long-term energy- purchases. Second, Western proposed eliminating transmission planning principles that are unnecessary as a result of changes in the planning area made since 1995. Western will eliminate the transmission planning principles now accomplished by other means consistent with its proposal.

The Department of Energy (DOE) is publishing a final rule amending the Department of Energy Acquisition Regulation (DEAR) to ensure the access to and ownership of records generated during contract performance for its contractors and subcontractors performing potentially hazardous work and clarifies management, retention and disposal of records after contract termination. This final rule: Ensures that records generated on individuals that meet the requirements of the Privacy Act are operated and maintained as Privacy Act SORs; clarifies that Privacy Act SORs are Government-owned records, not contractor-owned, even though they are created by the contractor; ensures the inclusion of this clause in contracts where work activities could involve exposure to potentially hazardous substances; and, ensures that DOE has consistent records maintenance, retention, and disposal requirements in accordance with Federal laws, regulations and DOE Directives and updates thereto.

This notice announces receipt of a petition for waiver from GE Appliances (GE) seeking an exemption from specified portions of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) test procedure for determining the energy consumption of electric refrigerators and refrigerator-freezers. GE seeks to use an alternate test procedure to address certain issues involved in testing certain specific basic models identified in its petition that are equipped with dual-compressor systems that GE contends cannot be accurately tested using the currently applicable DOE test procedure. DOE solicits comments, data, and information concerning GE's petition and its suggested alternate test procedure. Today's notice also grants GE with an interim waiver from the electric refrigerator- freezer test procedure, subject to use of the alternative test procedure set forth in this notice.

The Office of Fossil Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy (DOE) gives notice of receipt of an application (Application) filed on July 18, 2014, by Alaska LNG Project LLC (Alaska LNG), requesting long- term multi-contract authorization to export 20 million metric tons per annum (mtpa) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) produced from Alaskan sources in a volume equivalent to approximately 929 billion cubic feet per year (Bcf/yr) of natural gas, or approximately 2.55 Bcf per day (Bcf/d).\1\ Alaska LNG seeks authorization to export the LNG by vessel from a proposed Liquefaction Facility to be constructed in the Nikiski area of the Kenai Peninsula in south central Alaska (Project), to any country 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).\2\ Alaska LNG requests this authorization for a 30-year term to commence on the earlier of the date of first export or 12 years from the date the requested authorization is granted. Alaska LNG seeks to export the LNG on its own behalf and as agent for other parties who hold title to the LNG at the time of export. The Application was filed under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA).

This notice announces an open meeting of the Commission to Review the Effectiveness of the National Energy Laboratories (Commission). The Commission was created pursuant section 319 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014, Public Law 113-76, and in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended, 5 U.S.C. App. 2. This notice is provided in accordance with the Act.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces its decision in Cameron LNG, LLC, DOE/FE Docket No. 11-162-LNG, to issue DOE/FE Order No. 3391-A, its Final Opinion and Order Granting Long-Term Multi- Contract Authorization to Export Liquefied Natural Gas by Vessel From the Cameron LNG Terminal in Cameron Parish, Louisiana to Non-Free Trade Agreement Countries (Order No. 3391-A). Order No. 3391-A is issued under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act. DOE participated as a cooperating agency with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) analyzing the potential environmental impacts of a proposed liquefaction project (Liquefaction Project) and a proposed pipeline project (Pipeline Project) and alternatives that, if constructed, will be used to support the export authorization sought from DOE's Office of Fossil Energy (FE).