Western Area Power Administration 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), a Federal power marketing agency of the Department of Energy, is seeking comments about this Proposed Olmsted Power Marketing Plan. WAPA has responsibility for the marketing of energy from the Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP), among other projects, and operates the transmission infrastructure associated with these Federal projects.

In this notice, the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) establishes the Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 base charge and rates for Boulder Canyon Project (BCP) electric service, as approved by the Deputy Secretary of Energy (Deputy Secretary). The base charge will provide sufficient revenue to cover all annual costs, including interest expense, and to repay investments within the allowable period.

The Deputy Secretary of Energy has confirmed and approved Rate Order No. WAPA-175 and Rate Schedules PD-NTS4 and INT-NTS4, placing formula rates for Network Integration Transmission Service (Network) on the Parker-Davis Project (P-DP) and Pacific Northwest-Pacific Southwest Intertie Project (Intertie) of the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) into effect on an interim basis. The Deputy Secretary also confirmed and approved Rate Schedules DSW-TL1, DSW-UU1, DSW-SD4, DSW- RS4, DSW-FR4, DSW-EI4, DSW-SPR4, DSW-SUR4, and DSW-GI2, placing formula rates for transmission losses, unreserved use penalties, and ancillary services from WAPA's Desert Southwest Region (DSW) and Western Area Lower Colorado Balancing Authority (WALC) into effect on an interim basis. The provisional formula rates will provide sufficient revenue to pay all annual costs, including interest expense, and repay applicable investments within the allowable periods.

The Western Area Power Administration (Western), a power marketing administration within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority (Authority), a California joint powers agency, have prepared a joint Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the San Luis Transmission Project (SLTP or Proposed Project). Western is the Federal lead agency under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the Authority is the state lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is a NEPA Cooperating Agency. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) is a CEQA Responsible Agency. Western proposes to construct, own, operate, and maintain approximately 95 miles of new transmission lines within easements ranging from 125 to 250 feet wide through Alameda, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Merced Counties along the foothills of the western San Joaquin Valley. Western also would upgrade or expand its existing substations, make the necessary arrangements to upgrade or expand existing Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) substations, or construct new substations to accommodate the interconnections of these new transmission lines. The Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Final EIS/EIR was published in the Federal Register on March 25, 2016 (81 FR 16175). After considering the environmental impacts, Western has decided to construct, operate, and maintain the transmission line and other project components within the corridors identified as the Agency Preferred Alternative in the Final EIS/EIR.

The Western Area Power Administration (Western) and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), acting as joint lead agencies, issued the Proposed Southline Transmission Line Project (Project) Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) (DOE/EIS-0474) on November 6, 2015. The Agency Preferred Alternative developed by Western and the BLM 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 most of the Project. One segment in the New Build Section and some local alternatives in the Upgrade Section were selected that reduce substantial existing resource conflicts while creating only minor new impacts. All practicable means to avoid or minimize environmental harm have been adopted. Since the BLM and Western were joint lead agencies in the preparation of the EIS, each agency will issue its own ROD(s) addressing the overall Project and the specific matters within its jurisdiction and authority. This ROD constitutes Western's decision with respect to the alternatives considered in the Final EIS. Western has selected the Agency Preferred Alternative identified in the Final EIS as the route for the Project. This decision on the route will enable design and engineering activities to proceed. This ROD also commits Western and Southline Transmission, LLC (Southline) to implement the proponent-committed environmental measures (PCEMs) identified in table 2-8, Project PCEMs by Resource, of the Final EIS. Selection of the Agency Preferred Alternative will also allow detailed Project costs to be developed, which are necessary for future participation and financing decisions. This ROD does not make decisions about Western's participation in the Project or financing. Those decisions are contingent on the successful development of participation agreements and financial underwriting, and would be recorded in a second ROD.

Western Area Power Administration (Western), Colorado River Storage Project Management Center (CRSP MC), a Federal power marketing agency of the Department of Energy, is extending the public comment period on its Proposed 2025 Marketing Plan for the SLCA/IP. This Federal Register notice (FRN) extends the public comment period for the Proposed 2025 Marketing Plan for the SLCA/IP contained in Western's December 16, 2015, FRN.

Western Area Power Administration (Western) transferred functional control of eligible Western-Upper Great Plains Region (Western-UGP) transmission facilities to Southwest Power Pool, Inc. (SPP) on October 1, 2015. Transmission service is being provided over Western-UGP's eligible facilities under SPP's Open Access Transmission Tariff. Western-UGP costs are included in Western-UGP Formula rates for Transmission and Ancillary Services under Rate Schedules WAUGP-ATRR, WAUGP-AS1, WAUW-AS3, WAUW-AS4, WAUW-AS5, WAUW-AS6 and WAUW-AS7, which became effective on October 1, 2015.

The Western Area Power Administration (Western) Loveland Area Projects' (LAP) Transmission and Western Area Colorado Missouri Balancing Authority's (WACM) Ancillary Services formula rates under Rate Schedules L-NT1, L-FPT1, L-NFPT1, L-AS1, L-AS2, L-AS3, L-AS4, L- AS5, L-AS6, L-AS7, L-AS9, and L-UU1 expire on September 30, 2016. Western is proposing modifications to the existing formula rate schedules and also is proposing to add a new rate schedule, referred to as ``LAP Marketing Sale of Surplus Products, L-M1.'' Western has prepared a brochure that provides detailed information on the proposed formula rates. If adopted, the proposed formula rates, under Rate Schedules L-NT1, L-FPT1, L-NFPT1, L-AS1, L-AS2, L-AS3, L-AS4, L-AS5, L- AS6, L-AS7, L-AS9, L-UU1, and L-M1, will become effective October 1, 2016, and will remain in effect through September 30, 2021, or until superseded. Publication of this Federal Register notice (FRN) begins the formal process for consideration of the proposed formula rates.