Department of Energy November 5, 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

BP Energy Company (Applicant or BP Energy) has applied for authorization to transmit electric energy from the United States to Mexico pursuant to the Federal Power Act.

The fixed firm power rates for the Salt Lake City Area Integrated Projects (SLCA/IP) (Provisional Rates) have been confirmed, approved, and placed into effect on an interim basis. Based on the FY 2021 financial toll on the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund (Basin Fund) and the drought-impacted purchased power projections from the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) August 2021 24-Month Study for FY 2022 and FY 2023 and the August 2021 Colorado River Simulation System (CRSS) traces for FY 2024 through FY 2026, existing rates will not sustain a balance in the Basin Fund capable of supporting operations. The Colorado River Storage Project Management Center (CRSP MC) of the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) is implementing a new SLCA/IP firm power rate, effective December 1, 2021, through December 31, 2023.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of the Draft Waste Incidental to Reprocessing Evaluation for the Test Bed Initiative Demonstration, U.S. Department of Energy (Draft WIR Evaluation). The Draft WIR Evaluation concerns DOE's proposed Test Bed Initiative (TBI) Demonstration. Under the proposed TBI Demonstration, approximately 2,000 gallons of waste from tank SY-101 at the Hanford Site in Washington will be pretreated to remove most key radionuclides, then solidified (grouted) offsite and subsequently disposed of at a licensed and permitted disposal facility outside of the State of Washington. The Draft WIR Evaluation demonstrates that the pretreated and solidified waste will be incidental to reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, will not be high-level radioactive waste (HLW), and may be managed as low-level radioactive waste (LLW). DOE prepared the Draft WIR Evaluation pursuant to DOE Order 435.1, Radioactive Waste Management, and DOE Manual 435.1-1, chg 3, Radioactive Waste Management Manual. DOE is consulting with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) concerning the Draft WIR Evaluation. DOE is also making the Draft WIR Evaluation available for comments from States, Tribal Nations, stakeholders and the public. After consultation with NRC, carefully considering comments received, and performing any necessary revisions of analyses and technical documents, DOE plans to prepare a final WIR Evaluation. Based on the final WIR Evaluation, DOE may determine, in a future WIR Determination, whether the pretreated and solidified waste is incidental to reprocessing, is non-HLW, and may be managed as LLW.