Western Area Power Administration 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Western Area Power Administration (Western), a Federal power marketing agency of the Department of Energy (DOE), announces the Boulder Canyon Project (BCP) Post-2017 Resource Pool Final Allocation of Power (BCP Final Allocation). The BCP Final Allocation was developed pursuant to the Conformed Power Marketing Criteria or Regulations for the Boulder Canyon Project (2012 Conformed Criteria) published in the Federal Register on June 14, 2012, as required by the Hoover Power Allocation Act of 2011, and Western's final BCP post-2017 marketing criteria and call for applications published in the Federal Register on December 30, 2013. This notice also includes Western's responses to comments on proposed allocations published on August 8, 2014. The BCP Final Allocation documents Western's decisions prior to beginning the contractual phase of the process. Electric service contracts will provide for delivery from October 1, 2017 to September 30, 2067.

Western Area Power Administration (Western), an agency within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), received a request from Basin Electric Power Cooperative (Basin Electric) to interconnect its proposed Antelope Valley Station (AVS) to Neset Transmission Project (Project) to Western's Williston Substation and Williston to Charlie Creek 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission line. The Project would be located in northwest North Dakota including parts of Mercer, Dunn, McKenzie, Williams, and Mountrail counties. On May 30, 2014, the Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Project was published in the Federal Register (79 FR 31085). The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Utilities Service (RUS) was the lead Federal agency for the EIS. Western was a cooperating agency in preparation of the EIS. After considering the environmental impacts, Western has decided to allow Basin Electric's request for interconnection.

The Deputy Secretary of Energy confirmed and approved Rate Order No. WAPA-166 and Rate Schedules P-SED-F12 and P-SED-FP12, placing firm power and firm peaking power rates for the Western Area Power Administration (Western) Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin ProgramEastern Division (P-SMBPED) into effect on an interim basis.

The Western Area Power Administration (Western), a power marketing administration within the Department of Energy (DOE), is proposing new formula transmission and ancillary services rates for the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin ProgramEastern Division (P-SMBPED). The proposed formula rates would become effective October 1, 2015, and remain in effect until September 30, 2020, or until Western changes the formula rates through another public rate process pursuant to 10 CFR part 903, whichever is sooner. Western's Upper Great Plains Region (Western-UGP) has joined the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) contingent upon Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approval of Western-UGP's negotiated provisions in the SPP Membership Agreement, Bylaws, and Tariff (SPP Governing Documents). Transmission and ancillary services will be provided over Western-UGP facilities under the SPP Open Access Transmission Tariff (Tariff) by SPP as the transmission service provider upon Western-UGP transferring functional control to SPP. Western-UGP needs to adopt new formula rates for these transmission and ancillary services so Western-UGP's costs can be recovered under the SPP Tariff. These formula rates will provide Western sufficient revenue to pay all annual costs, including interest expenses, and repay required investments within the allowable periods. Western-UGP's membership in SPP and the functional control of its facilities will be in accordance with the SPP Governing Documents and other contractual arrangements with SPP. Publication of this Federal Register notice begins the formal process for the proposed rates.

Western Area Power Administration (Western), an agency within the Department of Energy (DOE), has submitted an extension to an existing Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, comment and approval, as required under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The ICR seeks a 3- year extension for Western's Applicant Profile Data form (APD), OMB Control No. 1910-5136. The ICR described below identifies the request, including the anticipated public burdens. The ICR is necessary for the proper performance of Western's functions. Western markets a limited amount of Federal power. Due to the high demand for Western's power and limited amount of available power, Western needs to be able to collect information under the ICR to evaluate who will receive an allocation. This public process only determines the information Western will collect in its ICR. The actual allocation of Federal power will be done through a separate process and is outside the scope of this notice.

In this notice, the Deputy Secretary of Energy (Deputy Secretary) approves the Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Base Charge and Rates for Boulder Canyon Project (BCP) electric service provided by the Western Area Power Administration (Western). The Base Charge will provide sufficient revenue to pay all annual costs, including interest expense, and repay investments within the allowable period.

The Western Area Power Administration (Western) Loveland Area Projects' (LAP) Rate Schedule L-F9 expires December 31, 2014. LAP consists of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project (Fry-Ark) and the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program (P-SMBP)Western Division, which were integrated for marketing and rate-making purposes in 1989. Western is proposing modifications to the charge components in Rate Schedule L-F9 in order to true up the base and drought adder charges, which require a minor rate adjustment process. The revenue requirement and the total rate charges in the firm electric service rate schedule are not changing from Rate Schedule L-F9 and will continue to provide sufficient revenue to pay all annual costs, including interest expense, and repay investments within the allowable periods. If approved, the proposed Rate Schedule L-F10 will become effective on January 1, 2015, and will remain in effect through December 31, 2019. Publication of this Federal Register notice begins the formal process for the proposed rate schedule.

The Western Area Power Administration (Western) Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin ProgramEastern Division (P-SMBPED) Rate Schedules P- SED-F11 and P-SED-FP11 for firm power and firm peaking power service expire December 31, 2014. Western is proposing modifications to the charge components in Rate Schedules P-SED-F11 and P-SED-FP11 in order to true up the base and drought adder charges, which require a minor rate adjustment process. The revenue requirement and the total rate charges in the firm power and firm peaking power service rate schedules are not changing from Rate Schedules P-SED-F11 and P-SED-FP11 and will continue to provide sufficient revenue to pay all annual costs, including interest expense, and repay investments within the allowable periods. If approved, the proposed Rate Schedules P-SED-F12 and P-SED- FP12 will become effective on January 1, 2015, and will remain in effect through December 31, 2019. Publication of this Federal Register notice begins the formal process for the proposed rate schedules.

The Deputy Secretary of Energy confirmed and approved Rate Order No. WAPA-163 and Rate Schedule WC-8, placing new hourly, non- firm, point-to-point transmission service formula rates for the Loveland Area Projects (LAP), Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP), Pacific Northwest-Pacific Southwest Intertie Project (INT), Central Arizona Project (CAP), and Parker-Davis Project (P-DP) in use under WestConnect's PA into effect on an interim basis.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969,as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Western Area Power Administration (Western), have prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment for the proposed Southline Transmission Line Project (Project), and by this notice are announcing the opening of the comment period.

The Western Area Power Administration (Western), an element of the Department of Energy (DOE), pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, intends to extend for three years without change, an information collection request with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Western's current OMB control number 1910-5136 for its Applicant Profile Data form (APD) expires on September 30, 2014.

Western Area Power Administration (Western), a power marketing administration within the Department of Energy (DOE), is proposing an adjustment to the Boulder Canyon Project (BCP) electric service base charge and rates. The current base charge and rates expire September 30, 2014, under Rate Schedule BCP-F8. The current base charge is not sufficient to cover all annual costs, including operation, maintenance, replacements, and interest expense, and to repay investment obligations within the required period. The proposed base charge will provide sufficient revenue to cover all annual costs and to repay investment obligations within the allowable period. A detailed rate package that identifies the reasons for the base charge and rates adjustment will be available in March 2014. The proposed base charge and rates are scheduled to become effective October 1, 2014, and will remain in effect through September 30, 2015. This Federal Register notice initiates the formal process for the proposed base charge and rates.