Western Area Power Administration June 26, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Western Area Power Administration (Western) announces the availability of the Big Stone II Power Plant and Transmission Project (Project) Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). This Final EIS analyzes the environmental impacts of constructing and operating the proposed Project. Western is considering whether to grant a request to interconnect the proposed Project with Western's transmission system at Morris and Granite Falls substations in Minnesota, an action which requires Western to complete modifications to these substations to support the interconnection.\1\ The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) participated as a cooperating agency in the EIS process. USACE is considering whether to issue a permit for Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act and for Section 404 of the Clean Water Act for construction of the proposed Project within or across navigable waters and waters of the United States.

The Western Area Power Administration (Western) proposes to add a penalty rate for Unreserved Use of Transmission Service for the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin ProgramEastern Division (P-SMBPED) in a new rate schedule, Rate Schedule UGP-TSP1. The new rate schedule for Unreserved Use of Transmission System Penalties, Rate Schedule UGP- TSP1, is proposed to go into effect on the later of January 1, 2010, or when Western's Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT) is revised to provide for Unreserved Use Penalties. Prior to implementing the penalty rate, Western will post notice on its Open Access Same-Time Information System (OASIS) Web site. If Rate Schedule UGP-TSP1 is implemented, it will remain in effect through December 31, 2014, or until superseded. Western will prepare a brochure that provides detailed information on the proposed rate to all interested parties. Publication of this Federal Register notice begins the formal process for the proposed penalty rate.