Rural Housing Service 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On August 6, 2015, the U.S. Department of Energy proposed to reaffirm that the currently prescribed test procedure must be used when measuring the energy efficiency ratio, integrated energy efficiency ratio, and coefficient of performance for small, large, and very large air-cooled commercial unitary air conditioners (CUAC) and commercial unitary heat pumps (CUHP). DOE noted that it would hold a public meeting to discuss the proposal at the request of interested parties. DOE has since received such a request and is holding a public meeting on September 4, 2015.

In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) is submitting its information collection FERC-915 (Public Utility Market-Based Rate Authorization HoldersRecords Retention Requirements) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review of the information collection requirements. Any interested person may file comments directly with OMB and should address a copy of those comments to the Commission as explained below. The Commission previously issued a Notice in the Federal Register (80 FR 28264, 5/18/2015) requesting public comments. The Commission received no comments on the FERC-915 and is making this notation in its submittal to OMB.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has completed a provisional analysis of the potential economic impacts and energy savings that could result from promulgating amended energy conservation standards for central air conditioners and heat pumps. At this time, DOE is not proposing any energy conservation standards for central air conditioners and heat pumps. Instead, this analysis will be used in support of the Appliance Standards Federal Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ASRAC) central air conditioners and heat pumps working group, which has been established to negotiate potential proposed amended energy conservation standards for central air conditioners and heat pumps standards and to discuss certain aspects of the proposed Federal test procedure. The analysis for this NODA is available at: https://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/ rulemaking.aspx?ruleid=104. DOE encourages stakeholders to provide any additional data or information that may improve the analysis during the course of the working group meetings.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces public hearings to receive comments on the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS evaluates the environmental impacts of DOE's proposed Federal action of issuing a Presidential permit to the Applicant: Northern Pass LLC, to construct, operate, maintain, and connect a new electric transmission line across the U.S./Canada border in northern New Hampshire.

In this notice, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is forecasting the representative average unit costs of five residential energy sources for the year 2015 pursuant to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. The five sources are electricity, natural gas, No. 2 heating oil, propane, and kerosene.

The Western Area Power Administration (Western) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), as joint lead agencies, issued the Upper Great Plains Wind Energy Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Final PEIS) (DOE/EIS-0408) on May 1, 2015. Western has decided to implement Alternative 1 as described in the Final PEIS and summarized in this Record of Decision (ROD). Alternative 1 was identified as both the agency preferred alternative and the environmentally preferred alternative.

The Office of Fossil Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy (DOE) gives notice of receipt of an application (Application), filed on June 15, 2015, by Port Arthur LNG, LLC (Port Arthur LNG), requesting long-term, multi-contract authorization to export domestically produced liquefied natural gas (LNG) in a volume equivalent to approximately 517 billion cubic feet per year (Bcf/yr) of natural gas (1.42 Bcf/day). Port Arthur LNG seeks to export the LNG from a proposed natural gas processing, liquefaction, and export project it intends to construct, own, and operate in Port Arthur, Texas (Port Arthur LNG Project). Port Arthur LNG requests authorization to export this LNG to any country with which the United States does not have a free trade agreement (FTA) requiring national treatment for trade in natural gas, and with which trade is not prohibited by U.S. law or policy (non-FTA countries). Port Arthur LNG requests the authorization for a 20-year term to commence on the earlier of the date of first commercial export or seven years from the date the requested authorization is granted. Port Arthur LNG seeks to export this LNG on its own behalf and as agent for other entities who will hold title to the LNG at the time of export. The Application was filed under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA). Additional details can be found in Port Arthur LNG's Application, posted on the DOE/FE Web site at: https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2015/06/f23/ 15_96_lng_nfta.pdf. Protests, motions to intervene, notices of intervention, and written comments are invited.

The Office of Fossil Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy (DOE) gives notice of receipt of an application (Application), filed on June 1, 2015, by Corpus Christi Liquefaction, LLC (CCL), requesting long-term, multi-contract authorization to export domestically produced liquefied natural gas (LNG) in a volume equivalent to approximately 514 billion cubic feet per year (Bcf/yr) of natural gas (1.41 Bcf per day). CCL seeks to export the LNG by vessel from its natural gas liquefaction project, which is currently under construction in San Patricio and Nueces Counties, Texas (the Corpus Christi Liquefaction Project, or CCL Project). CCL and/or its affiliate, Cheniere Marketing, LLC, already have received authorizations from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and DOE/FE, respectively, to construct and develop three liquefaction trains (Trains 1, 2, and 3) to liquefy natural gas at the CCL Project for export to foreign markets.\1\ In this Application, CCL seeks authorization from DOE/FE to export an additional volume of domestically produced LNG from two new liquefaction trainsTrains 4 and 5, which are part of a proposed expansion of the CCL Project (Stage 3 Project).\2\ CCL requests authorization to export this LNG to any country with which the United States does not have a free trade agreement (FTA) requiring national treatment for trade in natural gas, and with which trade is not prohibited by U.S. law or policy (non-FTA countries).\3\ CCL requests the authorization for a 20-year term to commence on the earlier of the date of first export or eight years from the date the requested authorization is granted. CCL seeks to export this LNG on its own behalf and as agent for other entities who will hold title to the LNG at the time of export. The Application was filed under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA). Additional details can be found in CCL's Application, posted on the DOE/FE Web site at: https://energy.gov/sites/ prod/files/2015/07/f24/15_97_lng_nfta.pdf. Protests, motions to intervene, notices of intervention, and written comments are invited.