Department of Energy 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

EIA invites public comment on the proposed three-year extension, with changes, to the Uranium Data Program (UDP) as required under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The UDP consists of three surveys: Form EIA-851A Domestic Uranium Production Report (Annual), which collects annual data from the U.S. uranium industry on uranium milling and processing, uranium feed sources, uranium mining, employment, drilling, expenditures, and uranium reserves; Form EIA-851Q Domestic Uranium Production Report (Quarterly), which collects monthly data that is reported on a quarterly basis, on uranium production on a quarterly basis; and Form EIA-858 Uranium Marketing Annual Survey, which collects annual data from the U.S. uranium market on uranium contracts and deliveries, inventories, enrichment services purchased, uranium in fuel assemblies, feed deliveries to enrichers, and unfilled market requirements for the current year and the following ten years.

The Grid Deployment Office (GDO) of the Department of Energy (DOE) gives notice of an Amended Record of Decision (ROD) published under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and DOE's NEPA implementing regulations. This Amended ROD supports DOE's decision to amend the existing Presidential permit issued to Energia Sierra Juarez U.S. Transmission, LLC (ESJ), to construct, operate, maintain, and connect a double-circuit, 230,000-volt (230-kV) electric transmission line (ESJ Tie Line) across the U.S.-Mexico border in eastern San Diego County, California.

The Administrator has adopted the attached Final Power Marketing Policy for the Jim Woodruff System Project. The policy will be effective thirty days after publication in the Federal Register. The policy was developed in accordance with Southeastern's Procedure for Public Participation in the Formulation of Marketing Policy published July 6, 1978, pursuant to a notice of intent to formulate a power marketing policy published in the Federal Register of August 5, 2022, and a proposed policy published in the Federal Register of April 7, 2023. A public comment forum was held via a virtual web based meeting on June 8, 2023. Comments were due on or before June 23, 2023. Twelve comments were received relative to the proposed policy. The Administrator appointed a Staff Committee to prepare a Staff Evaluation of all oral and written comments and responses received by Southeastern and to make appropriate recommendations. The Staff Evaluation was completed on Sept 5, 2023. Following the Staff Evaluation, the Administrator decided to adopt the policy as modified.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) amends its regulations concerning requests for Commission records available in the Public Reference Room and from the Commission's website. Specifically, the Commission's regulations are revised to remove references to the physical Public Reference Room at the Commission's headquarters, as the Commission no longer has a physical Public Reference Room. The revised regulations will direct the public to access the records that were formerly available in the Commission's physical Public Reference Room, which was located at the Commission's headquarters, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426, through the Commission's website. Other Commission regulations are being amended to reflect this change to provide consistency by directing the public to the Commission's website for records and/or assistance in obtaining Commission records.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) issues this final rule to revise its regulations governing liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities subject to sections 3 and 7 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) by removing outdated references for seismic hazard evaluations and seismic design criteria for LNG facilities. In their place, the Commission codifies its existing practice of evaluating seismic and other natural hazards and design criteria for jurisdictional LNG facilities. These revisions are intended to reduce confusion about applicable technical requirements and clarify the information required in applications filed before the Commission to ensure the public is protected from potential catastrophic impacts caused by natural hazards from design through the operation of the LNG facilities.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of the Draft Basis for Section 3116 Determination for Closure of the Calcined Solids Storage Facility at the Idaho National Laboratory Site (Draft CSSF 3116 Basis Document). The Draft CSSF 3116 Basis Document demonstrates that the Calcined Solids Storage Facility (CSSF) at closure after waste retrieval is not high-level radioactive waste (HLW) and may be disposed of in place as low-level radioactive waste (LLW). DOE prepared the Draft CSSF 3116 Basis Document pursuant to Section 3116 of the ``Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005'' (hereafter NDAA Section 3116). DOE is consulting with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and is also making the Draft CSSF 3116 Basis Document available for comments from states, Tribal Nations, stakeholders, and the public. After consultation with the NRC, carefully considering comments received, and performing any necessary revisions of analyses and technical documents, DOE will prepare a final CSSF 3116 Basis Document. Based on the final document, the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the NRC, may determine in the future whether the stabilized CSSF bins (including integral equipment), transport lines, and any residual waste remaining therein at closure are non-HLW and may be disposed of in place as LLW.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) proposes various changes to current Electric Quarterly Report (EQR) filing requirements, including both the method of collection and the data being collected. The proposed changes are designed to update the data collection, improve data quality, increase market transparency, decrease costs, over time, of preparing the necessary data for submission, and streamline compliance with any future filing requirements. Among other things, the Commission proposes to implement a new collection method for EQR reporting based on the eXtensible Business Reporting Language-Comma-Separated Values standard; amend its regulations to require Regional Transmission Organizations and Independent System Operators to produce reports containing market participant transaction data; and modify or clarify EQR reporting requirements.

The Department of Energy (DOE) proposes a comprehensive revision of its Acquisition Regulation in order to update and streamline the policies, procedures, provisions and clauses that are applicable to its contracts. This rulemaking proposes to update or eliminate coverage that is obsolete or that unnecessarily duplicates the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and retain only that coverage which either implements or supplements the FAR for the award and administration of the DOE's contracts. The rule proposes the addition of several new clauses as well as amendments to several existing clauses, which will promote more uniform application of the DOE's contract award and administration policies.