Rural Utilities Service – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Rural Housing Service (RHS), Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS), and Rural Utilities Service (RUS) published a document in the Federal Register on July 23, 2009, at 74 FR 36448. The document did not provide a date for the comment period for the collection of information under the DATES section or the ``Comments'' under the Paperwork Reduction Act section.

Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) has made a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) with respect to a request from Basin Electric Power Cooperative for assistance to finance the construction, operation, and maintenance of a 115.5 MW wind-powered electric generating facility (the Proposal) in Ward County, North Dakota.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS), Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS), and Rural Utilities Service (RUS) published a document in the Federal Register on July 23, 2009, at 74 FR 36448. The document contained an error related to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number.

Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) has made a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) with respect to a request from Fitzgerald Renewable Energy, LLC (FRE) for assistance to finance the construction, operation, and maintenance of a new 55- megawatt (MW) gas-fired combustion biomass fueled power plant in Ben Hill County, Georgia near Fitzgerald, Georgia.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS), Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS), and Rural Utilities Service (RUS) are administered through USDA Rural Development (RD). This Notice announces the availability of stimulus assistance provided pursuant to Title 1 of Division A of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, 2009, (Pub. L. 111-5) (February 17, 2009).

The Rural Utilities Service, an agency delivering the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Utilities Programs, hereinafter referred to as RUS, is amending its regulation to require electric program borrowers establish and maintain a written standard policy relating to the Interconnection of Distributed Resources (IDR). The intended effect is that owners of distributed resources know what they have to do to connect their facilities to the electric power systems of borrower electric cooperatives.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) intends to hold public scoping meetings and prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to meet its responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 7 CFR Part 1794 in connection with potential impacts related to projects proposed by Oglethorpe Power Corporation (Oglethorpe) of Tucker, Georgia. The proposal consists of the construction of a 100-MW biomass power plant in Warren County near Warrenton, Georgia. Oglethorpe is requesting RUS to provide financial assistance for the proposed action.

Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is issuing an environmental assessment (EA) in connection with possible impacts related to a project proposed by Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. (Basin), of Bismarck, North Dakota. The proposal includes the construction and operation of a wind turbine generation facility referred to as the Prairie Winds-ND1 Project consisting of a 77-turbine, 115 megawatt (MW) facility at a site near Minot, North Dakota.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) intends to hold public scoping meetings and prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to meet its responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 7 CFR part 1794 in connection with potential impacts related to projects proposed by Oglethorpe Power Corporation (Oglethorpe) of Tucker, Georgia. The proposal consists of the construction of a 100-MW biomass power plant in Appling County near Baxley, Georgia. Oglethorpe is requesting RUS to provide financial assistance for the proposed action.

Rural Development is delaying the effective date of the interim rule for Rural Development Guaranteed Loans, which was published on December 17, 2008, to October 1, 2009. The interim rule establishes a unified guaranteed loan platform for the enhanced delivery of four existing Rural Development guaranteed loan programs: Community Facilities; Water and Waste Disposal; Business and Industry; and Rural Energy for America Program, formerly known as Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvement Program.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announces additional Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 funding available through its Technical Assistance and Training Grant Program (TAT). The Rural Utilities Service is providing $500,000 in funding to conduct water resource studies in the states affected by hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Ike, and/or Wilma (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas). The additional $500,000 will be for water resource studies only.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) to meet its responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 7 CFR part 1794, RUS Environmental Policies and Procedures related to possible financial assistance for a project proposed by Fitzgerald Renewable Energy, LLC (FRE), with headquarters in Winter Park, FL. The proposal consists of the construction of a 55 megawatt (MW) biomass fueled power plant located in Ben Hill County, Georgia on Peachtree Road. FRE is requesting that RUS provide financial assistance for the proposed project. RUS is considering funding this application, thereby making the proposal an undertaking subject to review under section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), 16 U.S.C. 470(f), and its implementing regulation, ``Protection of Historic Properties'' (36 CFR part 800).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) invites comments on this information collection for which approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will be requested.

The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announces its Community Connect Grant Program application window for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009. In addition, RUS announces the minimum and maximum amounts for Community Connect grants applicable for the fiscal year. The Community Connect Grant Program regulations can be found at 7 CFR 1739, subpart A.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) invites comments on this information collection for which RUS intends to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

The Western Area Power Administration (Western), an agency within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), intend to jointly prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the proposed PrairieWinds Project (Project) in South Dakota. Western is issuing this Notice of Intent (NOI) to inform the public and interested parties about the proposed Project, conduct a public scoping process, and invite the public to comment on the scope, proposed action,

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) invites comments on this information collection for which approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will be requested.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) invites comments on this information collection for which RUS intends to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) invites comments on this information collection for which it intends to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

The Rural Utilities Service, an Agency delivering the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Utilities Programs, hereinafter referred to as Rural Development and/or Agency, has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) to meet its responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 7 CFR 1794 related to possible financial assistance to Associated Electric Cooperative Incorporated (AECI) for the construction of a new 540- megawatt (MW) gas-fired combustion combined-cycle generation unit at the existing Chouteau Power Plant in Mayes County, Oklahoma. The proposed new unit is needed to provide additional electric generating capacity that would allow AECI to meet its projected electrical peaking demand in 2011-2016. AECI is also proposing to construct a new substation approximately two miles east of the existing plant, a 161- kilovolt (kV) transmission line from the existing plant to the new substation, and a single circuit 345-kV line from the new substation to the nearby Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA) Coal-Fired Power Plant I, Mayes County, Oklahoma. The proposed new transmission facilities are needed to provide an outlet for the additional electric power that would be generated at the Chouteau Power Plant as a result of the installation of the proposed new combustion turbine (CT). AECI is requesting financial assistance from the Agency for the proposed action.

This document seeks public comment on a proposal to delay for 104 days the effective date of the interim rule, for Rural Development Guaranteed Loans, which was published on December 17, 2008. The interim rule establishes a unified guaranteed loan platform for the enhanced delivery of four existing Rural Development guaranteed loan programs Community Facility; Water and Waste Disposal; Business and Industry; and Rural Energy for America Program, formerly known as Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvement Projects. The Department seeks comments on whether or not it should delay the effective date of the interim rule until June 1, 2009, in order to provide the Agency sufficient time to implement certain administrative aspects associated with the interim rule. For that reason, the Department is seeking comments on the merits of extending the effective date of the interim rule to June 1, 2009. In order to allow sufficient time for public comment on the Agency's proposal to further extend the effective date until June 1, 2009, this document extends the current effective date from February 17, 2009, to March 9, 2009, pursuant to the ``good cause'' clause under the Administrative Procedures Act (5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B)).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35, as amended), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA Rural Development administers rural utilities programs through the Rural Utilities Service. The USDA Rural Development invites comments on the following information collections for which the Agency intends to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Rural Development is delaying the effective date of the interim rule for Rural Development Guaranteed Loans, which was published on December 17, 2008. The interim rule establishes a unified guaranteed loan platform for the enhanced delivery of four existing Rural Development guaranteed loan programsCommunity Facility; Water and Waste Disposal; Business and Industry; and Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvement Projects.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency delivering the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Development Utilities Programs, hereinafter referred to as Rural Development or the Agency, is amending its regulations to administer the Water and Waste Loan and Grant Programs. This action implements provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill for interest rates on direct loans and modifies the interest rate structure currently being used for the direct loan program. Interest rates on loans subject to 5 or 7 percent interest rate limitations (poverty and intermediate rates, respectively) will adjust with changes in the market rate. The poverty and intermediate interest rates will be established at rates equal to a percentage of current market yields for outstanding municipal obligations. The intended effect is to make part 1780 current with statutory authority. In the final rules section of the Federal Register, the Agency is publishing this action as a direct final rule without prior proposal because Rural Development views this as a non-controversial action and anticipates no adverse comments. If no adverse comments are received in response to the direct final rule, no further action will be taken on this proposed rule, and the action will become effective at the time specified in the direct final rule. If the Agency receives adverse comments, a timely document will be published withdrawing the direct final rule and all public comments received will be addressed in a subsequent final rule based on this action.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development administers rural utilities programs through the Rural Utilities Service. USDA Rural Development announces its Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) grant program application window for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 subject to the availability of funding. This notice is being issued prior to passage of a final appropriations act to allow potential applicants time to submit proposals and give the Agency time to process applications within the current fiscal year. USDA Rural Development will publish a subsequent notice identifying the amount received in the final appropriations act, if any. Expenses incurred in developing applications will be at the applicant's risk. For FY 2008, Congress appropriated approximately $30 million. In addition to announcing the application window, the Agency announces the minimum and maximum amounts for DLT grants applicable for the fiscal year. Finally, the Agency notes that the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, in order to clearly establish that libraries are eligible to be recipients of DLT Loans and Grants, expressly added the category of libraries under Sec. 2333 (c)(1) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. Sec. 950aaa- 2(a)(1)). This confirms longstanding Agency policy of considering libraries to be eligible entities under the DLT Program.