Western Area Power Administration 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) and Trinity Public Utility District (Trinity PUD) are proposing a proactive Wildfire Risk Reduction, Reliability, and Asset Protection (WRAP) Project to reduce fire risk to the surrounding communities and public lands, as well as to increase electric reliability to maintain critical services in local communities. WAPA and Trinity PUD will prepare a joint Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) NEPA Implementing Procedures, Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations for implementing NEPA, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as codified in California's Public Resource Code, and the Guidelines for Implementation of the California Quality Act (CEQA Guidelines) in Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations. Portions of the proposed action may affect floodplains or wetlands, so this Notice of Intent (NOI) also serves as a notice of proposed floodplain or wetlands action in accordance with DOE floodplain and wetlands review requirements.

The extension of existing Central Arizona Project (CAP) transmission service formula rates has been confirmed, approved, and placed into effect on an interim basis. The existing formula rates under Rate Schedules CAP-FT3, CAP-NFT3, and CAP-NITS3 were set to expire on December 31, 2020. This rate extension, which makes no change to the existing formula rates, extends them through December 31, 2025.

The Assistant Secretary for Electricity confirms, approves, and places into effect on a final basis the Boulder Canyon Project (BCP) base charge and rates for fiscal year (FY) 2021 under Rate Schedule BCP-F10. The base charge decreased 1.5 percent from $66.4 million in FY 2020 to $65.4 million in FY 2021. The reduction is primarily the result of an increase in prior year carryover funds.

Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) proposes new formula rates and revisions to the existing Energy Imbalance (EI) and Generator Imbalance (GI) rate schedules for the Central Valley Project (CVP). The new rates are associated with two events: Participation in the California Independent System Operator's (CAISO) Energy Imbalance Market (EIM) and aligning CVP's Sale of Surplus Products (SSP) with other WAPA regions.

Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) proposes to extend its existing formula rates for transmission service on the Central Arizona Project (CAP) through December 31, 2025. The proposed formula rates are unchanged from the existing formula transmission service rates, under Rate Schedules CAP-FT3, CAP-NFT3, and CAP-NITS3 that expire on December 31, 2020.

Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) proposes to extend its existing transmission service rates for the Pacific Northwest- Pacific Southwest Intertie Project (Intertie) through September 30, 2023. The proposed rates are unchanged from the existing transmission service rates under Rate Schedules INT-FT5 and INT-NFT4 that expire on September 30, 2020.

Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) is proposing an adjustment to the base charge and rates for fiscal year (FY) 2021 Boulder Canyon Project (BCP) electric service under Rate Schedule BCP- F10. The proposal would reduce the base charge 1.2 percent from $66.4 million in FY 2020 to $65.6 million for FY 2021. The reduction is primarily the result of an increase in prior year carryover funds and non-power revenue projections for the Hoover Dam visitor center. The proposed base charge and rates would go into effect on October 1, 2020, and remain in effect through September 30, 2021. Publication of this Federal Register notice will initiate the public process.

Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) proposes a new Salt Lake City Area Integrated Projects (SLCA/IP) firm power rate and revised Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) transmission and ancillary services formula rates. The existing rates for these services expire on September 30, 2020. Currently, there is a 4.25 percent projected decrease to the firm power composite rate. WAPA also proposes modifications to the Cost Recovery Charge (CRC) formula. WAPA proposes changes to the annual transmission revenue requirement. WAPA also proposes to add generator imbalance service to the energy imbalance rate schedule and implement a new rate schedule for the sale of surplus products.