Department of Energy April 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

MEXTREP #1, LLC (Applicant or MEXTREP) has applied for authority to transmit electric energy from the United States to Mexico pursuant to section 202(e) of the Federal Power Act.

The Department of Energy (DOE), pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, intends to extend for three years an information collection request with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the extended 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 of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

The Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to amend its regulations which set forth the policies and procedures for resolving questions concerning eligibility for DOE access authorization. The proposed revisions would update and provide added clarity throughout the current rule, and streamline the process for resolving access authorization eligibility determinations. Additionally, DOE proposes to update references to DOE Offices and officials to reflect the current DOE organizational structure.

The Department of Energy (DOE) announces public meetings and webinars for the DPPP Working Group. The Federal Advisory Committee Act requires that agencies publish notice of an advisory committee meeting in the Federal Register.

In accordance with Section 743 of Division C of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-117), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is publishing this notice to advise the public on the availability of the FY 2015 Service Contract Inventory, a report that analyzes the Commission's FY 2015 Service Contract Inventory and an inventory supplement that identifies the amount invoiced and direct labor hours for covered service contract actions. The service contract inventory provides information on service contract actions over $25,000 that FERC completed in FY 2015. The information is organized by function to show how contracted resources are distributed throughout the agency. The inventory has been developed in accordance with guidance issued on November 5, 2010, by the Office of Management and Budget's Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP). OFPP's guidance is available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/ default/files/omb/procurement/memo/service-contract-inventori es- guidance-11052010.pdf. On December 19, 2011, OFPP issued additional guidance available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/procurement /memo/ service-contract-inventory-guidance.pdf. FERC has posted its FY 2015 inventory and summary at the following link: https://www.ferc.gov/about/offices/oed/oed-fo/oed-acquisition. asp.

This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Portsmouth. 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.

This notice announces receipt of a petition for waiver from Cleaver-Brooks seeking an exemption from specified portions of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) test procedure applicable to commercial packaged boilers. Cleaver-Brooks contends that some of their commercial packaged boilers cannot be accurately tested using the currently applicable DOE test procedure and, as a result, seeks to use an alternate test procedure to test these basic models. DOE solicits comments, data, and information concerning Cleaver-Brooks' petition and the suggested alternate test procedure.

This notice announces receipt of a petition for waiver from Superior Boiler Works, Inc. (Superior) seeking an exemption from specified portions of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) test procedure applicable to commercial packaged boilers. Superior contends that some of their commercial packaged boilers cannot be accurately tested using the currently applicable DOE test procedure and, as a result, seeks to use an alternate test procedure to test these basic models. DOE solicits comments, data, and information concerning Superior's petition and the suggested alternate test procedure.

The Western Area Power Administration (Western) and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), acting as joint lead agencies, issued the Proposed Southline Transmission Line Project (Project) Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) (DOE/EIS-0474) on November 6, 2015. The Agency Preferred Alternative developed by Western and the BLM through the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process and described in the Final EIS is summarized in this Record of Decision (ROD). This alternative is also the Environmentally Preferred Alternative for most of the Project. One segment in the New Build Section and some local alternatives in the Upgrade Section were selected that reduce substantial existing resource conflicts while creating only minor new impacts. All practicable means to avoid or minimize environmental harm have been adopted. Since the BLM and Western were joint lead agencies in the preparation of the EIS, each agency will issue its own ROD(s) addressing the overall Project and the specific matters within its jurisdiction and authority. This ROD constitutes Western's decision with respect to the alternatives considered in the Final EIS. Western has selected the Agency Preferred Alternative identified in the Final EIS as the route for the Project. This decision on the route will enable design and engineering activities to proceed. This ROD also commits Western and Southline Transmission, LLC (Southline) to implement the proponent-committed environmental measures (PCEMs) identified in table 2-8, Project PCEMs by Resource, of the Final EIS. Selection of the Agency Preferred Alternative will also allow detailed Project costs to be developed, which are necessary for future participation and financing decisions. This ROD does not make decisions about Western's participation in the Project or financing. Those decisions are contingent on the successful development of participation agreements and financial underwriting, and would be recorded in a second ROD.