Department of Energy March 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Office of Fossil Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy (DOE) gives notice of receipt of an application for amendment (Amendment), filed on October 18, 2018, by Port Arthur LNG, LLC (Port Arthur LNG) of its pending application in this proceeding. Previously, on June 15, 2015, Port Arthur LNG filed an application (Application) requesting authorization to export domestically produced liquefied natural gas (LNG) from a proposed natural gas processing, liquefaction, and export project it intends to construct, own, and operate in Port Arthur, Texas (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). The Amendment requests a ``design increase,'' i.e., to increase the export volume requested in the Application by 181 billion cubic feet per year (Bcf/yr) of natural gas, to a total requested volume of 698 Bcf/yr (1.91 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d)). This proposed increase will align Port Arthur LNG's requested non-FTA export volume with the requested liquefaction capacity for the Project in an application filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

TransCanada Energy Sales Ltd. (Applicant or TCES) has applied for authorization to transmit electric energy from the United States to Canada pursuant to the Federal Power Act.

The Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) issued the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) (DOE/EIS-0483) for the Estes to Flatiron Transmission Lines Rebuild Project (Project) on April 13, 2018. The Agency Preferred Alternative developed by WAPA 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 the Project. All practicable means to avoid or minimize environmental harm have been adopted. WAPA has selected the Agency Preferred Alternative identified in the Final EIS for implementation.

On March 4, 2019, the Department of Energy published a notice of open meeting announcing a meeting on May 8-9, 2019 of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board Chairs (84 FR 7351). This document makes a correction to that notice.

The U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') is initiating a data collection process through this request for information (``RFI'') to consider whether to amend DOE's test procedure for automatic commercial ice makers (``ACIM'' or ``ice makers''). To inform interested parties and to facilitate this process, DOE has gathered data, identifying several issues associated with the currently applicable test procedure on which DOE is interested in receiving comment. The issues outlined in this document mainly concern new versions of the industry standards that the current DOE test procedure incorporates by reference; consideration of additional specifications and amendments that may improve the accuracy of the test procedure or reduce the testing burden on manufacturers; and any additional topics that may inform DOE's decisions in a future test procedure rulemaking, including methods to reduce regulatory burden while ensuring the procedure's accuracy. DOE welcomes written comments from the public on any subject within the scope of this document (including topics not raised in this RFI).

In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) is submitting its information collection FERC-725K (Mandatory Reliability Standards for the SERC Region) 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 previously published a Notice in the Federal Register on December 10, 2018 (83 FR 63494), requesting public comments. The Commission received no comments and is making this notation in its submittal to OMB.

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. This meeting has been scheduled due to the inclement weather cancellation of the March 13, 2019 meeting.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has submitted an information collection request to the OMB for extension under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The information collection requests a three-year extension of its Contractor Legal Management Requirements, OMB Control Number 1910-5115. The proposed collection will require covered DOE contractors and subcontractors to submit to DOE counsel a legal management plan within 60 days following execution of a contract or request of the contracting officer. Covered contractors must also submit an annual legal budget that includes cost projections for matters defined as significant matters. The budget detail will depend on the nature of the activities and complexity of the matters included in the budget. The regulation further requires covered contractors to submit staffing and resource plans addressing matters defined as significant matters in litigation. The regulation requires covered contractors to submit certain information related to litigation initiated against the contractor before initiating defensive litigation, offensive litigation, or entering into a settlement agreement.

Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) proposes to extend its existing formula rates for on-peak and off-peak transmission service provided under the WestConnect Point-to-Point Regional Transmission Service Participation Agreement (WestConnect PA) through May 31, 2024. The existing rate schedule for this service, Rate Schedule WC-8, expires on May 31, 2019.

On February 6, 2019, the Department of Energy published a notice of open meeting announcing a meeting on April 10-11, 2019 of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford (84 FR 2193). This document makes a correction to that notice.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to revise its test procedures for fluorescent lamp ballasts. DOE proposes to update references to industry standards; clarify the selection of reference lamps; provide a second stabilization option for measuring ballast luminous efficiency; provide a test procedure for measuring the performance of ballasts at light outputs less than full light output; and revise the test procedure for measuring standby mode energy consumption. DOE is seeking comment from interested parties on the proposal.