Department of Energy August 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Power Act requires hydropower licensees to recompense the United States for the use, occupancy, and enjoyment of federal lands. The Commission assesses annual charges for the use of federal lands through Part 11 of its regulations. The Commission proposes to revise the per-acre land value component of its methodology for calculating these annual charges for hydropower projects located in Alaska. Under the proposed rule, the Commission would calculate a statewide average per-acre land value for hydropower lands in Alaska. The Commission would use the statewide average per-acre land value, rather than a regional per-acre land value, to calculate annual charges for use of federal lands for all hydropower projects in Alaska, except those located in the Aleutian Islands Area.

The Department of Energy (``DOE'') is adopting an interpretive rule to clarify its interpretation of Section 136 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, as amended (``EISA'') and its implementing regulations for the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Loan Program (the ``ATVM Loan Program'') authorized by Section 136. Section 136(f), which establishes requirements for the administrative costs associated with loans under the ATVM Loan Program, was implemented by DOE pursuant to a 2008 interim final rule governing the operation of the ATVM Program. The implementing regulation in part provided that the borrower would be required to pay at the time of the closing of the loan, an ``Administrative Fee'' equal to 10 basis points of the principal amount of the loan. DOE is adopting this interpretive rule to explain its view that the administrative costs imposed by Congress under Section 136(f) is separate from the cost of the outside advisors engaged by DOE in connection with the review and processing of their respective loan applications, negotiation of conditional commitments, and closing of loans.

This notice announces a meeting of the Electricity Advisory Committee. The Federal Advisory Committee Act requires that public notice of these meetings be announced in the Federal Register.

On November 17, 2016, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) that, among other things, proposed to revise the Commission's regulations to require all newly interconnecting large and small generating facilities, both synchronous and non-synchronous, to install and enable primary frequency response capability as a condition of interconnection. In this document, the Commission seeks supplemental comments related to whether and when electric storage resources should be required to provide primary frequency response, and the costs associated with primary frequency response capabilities for small generating facilities.

This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Advisory Board (EMAB). The Federal Advisory Committee Act requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

This document is being issued under the authority of section 131a. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended. The Department is providing notice of a proposed subsequent arrangement under the Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy Between the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) and the United States of America and the Agreement for Cooperation Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Kingdom of Norway Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has submitted an information collection request to OMB for an extension under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The information collection requests a three-year extension of its Chronic Beryllium Disease Prevention Program, OMB Control Number 1910-5112. This information collection request covers the information from DOE and DOE contractors that are subject to the Department's ``Chronic Beryllium Disease Prevention Program.'' The regulations contained in the Chronic Beryllium Disease Prevention Program have been promulgated under authority of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 and the Department of Energy Organization Act.

This notice announces a combined meeting of the Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Committee and Waste Management Committee of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Northern New Mexico (known locally as the Northern New Mexico Citizens' Advisory Board [NNMCAB]). The Federal Advisory Committee Act requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.