Western Area Power Administration 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Deputy Secretary of Energy confirmed and approved Rate Order No. WAPA-179 and Rate Schedules L-F11 and L-M2, placing firm electric service and sale of surplus products formula rates for the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) Loveland Area Projects (LAP) into effect on an interim basis (Provisional Formula Rates).

Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), a power marketing administration (PMA) of the Department of Energy (DOE), is publishing this recommendation for the Loveland Area Projects (LAP) and the Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) to pursue final negotiations regarding membership in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), a Regional Transmission Organization (RTO). WAPA is seeking public comment from its customers, Native American Tribes, stakeholders, and the public on the substance of WAPA's recommendation to pursue final negotiations regarding LAP and CRSP membership in SPP.

Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), a Federal power marketing agency of the Department of Energy, announces its Final 2018 Olmsted Power Marketing Plan and Call for Applications for an allocation of energy from the Olmsted Powerplant Replacement Project.

The Department of Energy (DOE), Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), announces its final 2025 Power Marketing Plan (Marketing Plan) for the Sierra Nevada Region (SNR). On December 31, 2024, all of SNR's long-term power sales contracts will expire. This notice responds to comments received on the Proposed 2025 Power Marketing Plan (Proposed Plan) and sets forth the Marketing Plan. The Marketing Plan specifies the terms and conditions under which WAPA will market power from the Central Valley Project (CVP) and the Washoe Project beginning January 1, 2025. This Marketing Plan supersedes all previous marketing plans for these projects. WAPA will offer new contracts for the sale of power to existing customers as more fully described in the Marketing Plan. Entities who wish to apply for a new allocation of power from WAPA, and who meet the criteria defined in the Marketing Plan, should submit formal applications. Application procedures will be set forth in the Call for 2025 Resource Pool Applications in a separate Federal Register notice to be published after the Marketing Plan is applicable.

The Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) is proposing revised rates for the Loveland Area Projects (LAP) firm electric service and modifications to the existing rate schedule for Sale of Surplus Products. Current firm electric service rates, under Rate Schedule L-F10, are in effect through December 31, 2019, and the formula rate for the sale of surplus products, under Rate Schedule L- M1, is in effect through September 30, 2021. LAP consists of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project (Fry-Ark) and the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program (P-SMBP)Western Division (WD), which were integrated for marketing and rate-making purposes in 1989. WAPA is proposing to lower the overall LAP firm electric service charges by 14 percent, as a result of rebalancing the charge components in formula-based Rate Schedule L-F10 by reducing the drought adder component and increasing the base component. The proposed rates will provide sufficient revenue to pay all annual costs, including interest expense, and repay investments within the allowable periods. In addition, WAPA is proposing to modify Rate Schedule L-M1, which allows for the sale of generation and generation-related products in excess of LAP's firm electric service obligations, to add ``energy'' as a surplus product. WAPA will prepare a brochure providing detailed information on these proposed rates prior to the public information forums listed below. This brochure will be posted to WAPA's Web site at: https:// www.wapa.gov/regions/RM/rates/Pages/2018-Rate-AdjustmentFirm- Power.aspx. If approved, the proposed rates under Rate Schedules L-F11 and L-M2 would become effective on January 1, 2018, and would remain in effect through December 31, 2022, or until superseded. Publication of this Federal Register notice begins the formal process for the proposed rate adjustment and proposed rate modifications.

The Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), 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). The current OMB control number 1910-5136 for WAPA's Applicant Profile Data (APD) form expires September 30, 2017. WAPA intends to extend the APD form under the OMB control number to September 30, 2020. WAPA is seeking comments on this proposed information collection extension.

The Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), acting as joint lead agencies, issued the proposed TransWest Express Transmission Project (Project) Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) (DOE/EIS-0450) on May 1, 2015. The Agency Preferred Alternative developed by WAPA 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). Because the BLM and WAPA 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 WAPA's decision with respect to the alternatives considered in the Final EIS. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), and Utah Reclamation Mitigation Conservation Commission (URMCC) are cooperating agencies in the proposed Project based on their potential Federal action to issue use permits across lands under their respective management. These agencies also will issue their own decisions regarding their specific agency actions. Additional cooperating agencies include Federal, state, tribal, and local agencies. WAPA 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 and help inform WAPA's Federal action(s) to consider any received or anticipated loan application permitted under its borrowing authority and/or exercise its options for participation in the Project. These considerations are contingent on the successful development of participation agreements as well as any and all documentation and commitments needed to satisfy financial underwriting standards.

The Deputy Secretary of Energy extended, on an interim basis, the existing Washoe Project, Stampede Division, Non-Firm Power Formula Rate, effective October 1, 2017, through September 30, 2022. The existing Non-Firm Power Formula Rate Schedule SNF-7 expires on September 30, 2017. The extended formula rate will be in effect on an interim basis until the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approves the extension on a final basis, or until superseded.