Western Area Power Administration – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Western Area Power Administration (Western), a Federal power marketing agency of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), published its 2004 Power Marketing Plan (Marketing Plan) for Western's Sierra Nevada Customer Service Region (SNR) in the Federal Register on June 25, 1999 (64 FR 34417). The Marketing Plan specifies the terms and conditions under which Western will market power from the Central Valley Project (CVP) and the Washoe Project beginning January 1, 2005, and continuing through December 31, 2024. The Marketing Plan provides for a 2015 Resource Pool of up to 2 percent of SNR's marketable power resources. The 2015 Resource Pool will be available for power allocations to preference entities that meet the Eligibility Criteria. Western published its Proposed 2015 Resource Pool Size and Revised Eligibility Criteria in the Federal Register on May 5, 2008 (73 FR 24592). This notice responds to the comments received on the Proposed 2015 Resource Pool Size and Revised Eligibility Criteria and sets forth the Final 2015 Resource Pool Size and Revised Eligibility Criteria. This Federal Register notice is not a call for applications for Federal power allocations. Preference entities who wish to apply for an allocation of power from SNR must submit formal applications in response to Western's Call for 2015 Resource Pool Applications to be published under a separate notice. Application procedures will be set forth in the Call for 2015 Resource Pool Applications.

The Western Area Power Administration, DOE (Western), a Federal power marketing agency of the U.S. Department of Energy, announces the availability of a Request for Interest (RFI) for the Purchase of Renewable Energy Products. Western is seeking interest from any supplier regarding the long-term purchase (10 to 15 years) of renewable energy with or without Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). The energy may be delivered to the Upper Great Plains Region, the Rocky Mountain Region's Loveland Area Projects, the Colorado River Storage Project, and/or the Desert Southwest Region. All available points of delivery are located within the Western Interconnection.

Western Area Power Administration (Western), a Federal power marketing agency of the Department of Energy (DOE), is publishing this notice of allocation procedures and call for applications from preference entities interested in an allocation of Federal electric power. Subpart C of the Energy Planning and Management Program (Program), which was developed in part to implement section 114 of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, provides for establishing project-specific resource pools and allocating power from these pools to new preference customers and for other appropriate purposes as determined by Western. These allocation procedures and call for applications, in conjunction with the Loveland Area Projects (LAP) Final Post-1989 Marketing Plan (Post-1989 Marketing Plan), establish the framework for allocating power from the LAP resource pool.

The Deputy Secretary of Energy confirmed and approved Rate Order No. WAPA-138 and Rate Schedules PD-F7, PD-FT7, PD-FCT7, and PD- NFT7 placing firm electric and transmission service formula rates for the Parker-Davis Project (P-DP) of the Western Area Power Administration (Western) into effect on an interim basis. The provisional rates will be in effect until the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) confirms, approves, and places them into effect on a final basis or until they are replaced by other rates. The provisional formula rates will provide sufficient revenue to pay all annual costs, including interest expense, and repayment of investment, within the allowable periods.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended; and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations; the U.S. Department of Energy, Western Area Power Administration (Western), and the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), will, as joint lead agencies, prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Programmatic EIS) to evaluate issues associated with wind energy development within Western's Upper Great Plains Customer Service Region (UGP Region), which encompasses all or parts of the States of Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota; and upon the Service's landscape-level grassland and wetland easements in North Dakota, South Dakota, and eastern Montana. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Utility Services (RUS) plans to participate as a cooperating agency. Public scoping meetings will be held during the Programmatic EIS scoping period.

This action is being taken to extend the existing Loveland Area Projects (LAP) transmission and ancillary services formula rates through February 28, 2011. The existing LAP transmission and ancillary services formula rates will expire February 28, 2009, with the exception of the Regulation and Frequency Response service rate which expires May 31, 2011.

The Western Area Power Administration (Western) is proposing revised rates for Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin ProgramEastern Division (P-SMBPED) firm electric and firm peaking power service. Current rates, under Rate Schedules P-SED-F9 and P-SED-FP9, extend through December 31, 2012, but are not sufficient to meet the P-SMBPED revenue requirements. The proposed rates will provide sufficient revenue to pay all annual costs, including interest expenses, and repay required investments within the allowable periods. Western will prepare and make available a brochure that provides detailed information on the proposed rates. The proposed rates, under Rate Schedules P-SED-F10 and P-SED-FP10, are scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2009, and will remain in effect through December 31, 2013, or until superseded. Publication of this Federal Register notice begins the formal process for the proposed rate adjustment.

The Deputy Secretary of Energy approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 Base Charge and Rates (Rates) for Boulder Canyon Project (BCP) electric service provided by the Western Area Power Administration (Western). The Rates will provide sufficient revenue to pay all annual costs, including interest expense, and repay investments within the allowable period.

Western Area Power Administration (Western), a Federal power marketing agency of the Department of Energy, is publishing this response to letters of interest and comments resulting from Western's Notice of Request for Letters of Interest in the Federal Register (72 FR 34679), dated June 25, 2007. The notice provided an opportunity for potential new eligible customers to indicate an interest in receiving an allocation of Federal power, and for the public to comment on appropriate purposes for the Loveland Area Projects (LAP) Post-2009 proposed resource pool. This Federal Register notice summarizes the letters of interest and comments received by Western's Rocky Mountain Region (RMR), and Western's plans to proceed with Post-2009 resource pool allocations.

This notice announces that Western Area Power Administration (Western), an agency of the Department of Energy (DOE), has sent an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, comment and approval. Western submitted the ICR as required under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.\1\ The ICR described below identifies the proposal including the anticipated public burdens. On January 30, 2008, Western published a notice in the Federal Register inviting public comments on the ICR.\2\ That notice provided a 60 day comment period. Western has included a summary of the comments and Western's responses below. As described below, Western invites interested entities to submit comments to OMB.

The Western Area Power Administration (Western), a Federal power marketing administration of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), published its 2004 Power Marketing Plan (Marketing Plan) for Western's Sierra Nevada Customer Service Region (SNR) in the Federal Register on June 25, 1999 (64 FR 34417). The Marketing Plan specifies the terms and conditions under which Western will market power from the Central Valley Project (CVP) and the Washoe Project beginning January 1, 2005, and continuing through December 31, 2024. The Marketing Plan provides for a 2015 Resource Pool of up to 2 percent of SNR's marketable power resources. The 2015 Resource Pool will be available for power allocations to preference entities that meet the Eligibility Criteria. This notice begins the public process to establish the resources available and to revise the Eligibility Criteria provided in the Marketing Plan for the 2015 Resource Pool. Once Western establishes the final amount of power to be made available under the 2015 Resource Pool and the associated Eligibility Criteria, preference entities who wish to apply for an allocation of power from SNR must submit formal applications in response to Western's Call for 2015 Resource Pool Applications to be published under a separate notice.

Western initiated a public process to modify the Salt Lake City Area Integrated Projects (SLCA/IP) firm power rates and extend the Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) transmission and ancillary services rates by publishing a notice in the Federal Register on January 4, 2008. Western held a Public Information Forum on February 5, 2008, and a Public Comment Forum on March 4, 2008. Western is extending the comment and consultation period to allow sufficient time to finalize the 2010 Work Program Review (WPR), which forms the basis of the operation, maintenance and replacement (OM&R) expenses, to propose a two-step increase and to add clarification to the Spinning and Supplement Reserves (SP-SSR-3) rates. In conjunction with extending the comment and consultation period, Western will hold an additional public information forum and public comment forum on April 10, 2008. Information will be provided at this public information forum and also on the CRSP Management Center Web site under the ``FY 2009 SLCA/IP Rate Adjustment'' section located at: https://www.wapa.gov/ CRSP/ratescrsp/default.htm. Western mailed a brochure on January 11, 2008, that provided detailed information about the rates to all interested parties. The proposed rates in Rate Order No. WAPA-137 under Rate Schedules SLIP-F9, SP-PTP7, SP-NW3, SP-NFT6, SP-CF1, SP-SD3, SP-RS3, SP-EI3, SP-FR3, and SP-SSR3 are scheduled to go into effect on October 1, 2008.

The Western Area Power Administration (Western) is proposing an adjustment to the Boulder Canyon Project (BCP) electric service base charge and rates. The current base charge and rates expire September 30, 2008, under Rate Schedule BCP-F7. The current base charge is not sufficient to cover all annual costs including operation, maintenance, replacements, and interest expense, and to repay investment obligations within the required period. The proposed base charge will provide sufficient revenue to cover all annual costs and to repay investment obligations within the allowable period. A detailed rate package that identifies the reasons for the base charge and rates adjustment will be available in March 2008. The proposed base charge and rates are scheduled to become effective on October 1, 2008, and will remain in effect through September 30, 2009. This Federal Register notice initiates the formal process for the proposed base charge and rates.

The Western Area Power Administration (Western) intends to construct the Trinity Public Utilities District (PUD) Direct Interconnection Project (Project) in Trinity County, California. Consumers in the Trinity PUD service area routinely experience nearly 20,000 consumer hours per year in outages, according to the Trinity PUD. In the winter, many of the outages last three to four days before power can be restored. Western's Project would improve power system reliability in the area by providing a direct interconnection between Trinity PUD and Western's transmission system at the Trinity Power Plant. Western proposes to remove about 5.3 miles of existing 12- kilovolt (kV) distribution line, and construct, operate, and maintain about 16 miles of new 60-kV transmission line, a three-way switching structure and associated equipment, and a new switchyard. The Project would connect to Trinity PUD's system at its Lewiston Substation and at the new Weaverville Switchyard. Western is the lead Federal agency, and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) are cooperating agencies that participated in the preparation of the environmental impact statement (EIS). Full implementation of the decision to construct this Project is contingent upon obtaining all applicable permits and approvals.

The Deputy Secretary of Energy confirmed and approved Rate Order No. WAPA-135 and Rate Schedules P-SED-F9 and P-SED-FP9, placing firm power and firm peaking power rates from the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin ProgramEastern Division (P-SMBPED) of the Western Area Power Administration (Western) into effect on an interim basis. The provisional rates will be in effect until the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) confirms, approves, and places them into effect on a final basis or until they are replaced by other rates. The provisional rates will provide sufficient revenue to pay all annual costs, including interest expense, and repay power investment and irrigation aid within the allowable periods.

Western Area Power Administration (Western) announces the availability of the Supplemental Draft Big Stone II Power Plant and Transmission Project (Project) Environmental Impact Statement (Supplemental Draft EIS) for public review and comment. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), are participating as cooperating agencies in the EIS process. The Supplemental Draft EIS addresses the environmental impacts of a different back-up water supply plan that uses groundwater instead of surface water along with associated cooling alternatives for the proposed Big Stone II power plant's back-up water supply. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires Western to make the Supplemental Draft EIS available to interested members of the public, groups, and Federal, State, local, and tribal agencies for review and comment to assure they have an opportunity to provide input to the Federal decision making process. Comments on the Supplemental Draft EIS may be provided in writing or at the hearing scheduled during the review period.

The Deputy Secretary of Energy confirmed and approved Rate Order No. WAPA-130 and Rate Schedules INT-FT4 and INT-NFT3, placing firm and nonfirm transmission service rates for the Pacific Northwest- Pacific Southwest Intertie Project (Intertie) of the Western Area Power Administration (Western) into effect on an interim basis. The provisional rates will be in effect until the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) confirms, approves, and places them into effect on a final basis, or until they are replaced by other rates. The provisional rates will provide sufficient revenue to pay all annual costs, including interest expense, and repay required investment within the allowable periods.

The Deputy Secretary of Energy has approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Base Charge and Rates (Rates) for Boulder Canyon Project (BCP) electric service provided by the Western Area Power Administration (Western). The Rates will provide sufficient revenue to pay all annual costs, including interest expense, and repay investments, within the allowable period.

The Western Area Power Administration (Western), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for rebuilding the Granby Pumping Plant-Windy Gap transmission line in Grand County, Colorado. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) will participate in the preparation of the EIS, which will address the proposed removal of about 12 miles of 69-kilovolt (kV) transmission line, the construction and operation of about 12 miles of new 138-kV double-circuit transmission line (operated at 69/138-kV), and adding a second power transformer. Input for the scope of the EIS may be provided in writing or at an open-house scoping meeting in the project area.

The Western Area Power Administration (Western), an agency of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) intends to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the construction and operation of the proposed NextGen Energy Facility (Project) in South Dakota. Basin Electric Power Cooperative (Basin Electric) has applied to interconnect the proposed Project to Western's electric power transmission system. The EIS will address the construction and operation of the proposed Project, which includes a 500 to 700 megawatt (MW) (net) coal-fired generation facility and ancillary equipment and facilities east of the Missouri River in South Dakota. Portions of the proposed Project may affect floodplains and wetlands in the area. Western will hold public scoping meetings near the Project area during the public scoping period to share information and receive comments and suggestions on the scope of the EIS.

As a non-regulated electric utility, the Western Area Power Administration (Western) must consider and determine whether to implement certain standards under the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct of 2005), which amended the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA). Western considered five standards: Net metering, fuel source diversity, fossil fuel generation efficiency, smart metering, and consumer interconnections. After considering the comments received, Western will not adopt the EPAct of 2005 standards for PURPA at this time.

The Western Area Power Administration (Western), Upper Great Plains Region, a Federal power marketing agency of the Department of Energy (DOE), is publishing this notice of Request for Letters of Interest from entities interested in an allocation of Federal power, to gather information to aid Western in determining the appropriate purposes for this proposed resource pool, and/or to provide comments regarding a proposed resource pool. A Federal power resource pool increment of up to 1 percent of the long-term marketable resource of the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin ProgramEastern Division (P-SMBPED), up to approximately 20 megawatts, may become available January 1, 2011, under the Energy Planning and Management Program (Program). This Federal Register notice initiates the process for the proposed resource pool.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Western Area Power Administration (Western) issued a notice of intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on August 2, 2006, for the Eastern Plains Transmission Project (EPTP or Transmission Project). This notice announces an additional public meeting to provide the public opportunity to review and comment on additional and revised transmission line routes and the scope of the EIS. A summary of comments previously received during the scoping meetings held in August and September 2006, and meetings held in February 2007, is available upon request or at https://www.wapa.gov/transmission/eptp.htm. Western is proposing to participate with Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Incorporated (Tri-State) in the construction of the EPTP. Western's participation would be in exchange for 275 megawatts (MW) of capacity rights on the proposed transmission lines. The EIS will address the construction, operation, and maintenance of approximately 1,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines and ancillary facilities, which include substations, fiber optic installations, access roads, and construction staging areas. The EIS will discuss alternatives such as Western's system alternatives and the no action alternative (no Federal action). The EIS will analyze and present environmental impacts compared to the existing baseline condition in which no Transmission Project facilities exist. The EIS also will include analyses of the environmental impacts of Tri-State's proposed generation and other past, present and reasonably foreseeable projects in the EPTP area. The EIS will be prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and DOE NEPA Implementing Procedures.

The Western Area Power Administration (Western) is proposing revised rates for Loveland Area Projects (LAP) firm electric service. LAP consists of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project (Fry-Ark) and the Pick- Sloan Missouri Basin Program (Pick-Sloan)Western Division, which were integrated for marketing and rate-making purposes in 1989. The current rates, under Rate Schedule L-F6, expire on December 31, 2010, but are not sufficient to meet the LAP revenue requirements. The proposed rates will provide sufficient revenue to pay all annual costs, including interest expense, and repay required investment within the allowable period. Western will prepare a brochure that provides detailed information on the proposed rates. The proposed rates, under Rate Schedule L-F7, are scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2008, and will remain in effect through December 31, 2012. Publication of this Federal Register notice begins the formal process for the proposed rate adjustment.

The Western Area Power Administration (Western) is proposing an adjustment to the Boulder Canyon Project (BCP) electric service base charge and rates. The current base charge and rates expire September 30, 2007. The current base charge is not sufficient to pay all annual costs including operation, maintenance, replacements, and interest expense, and to repay investment obligations within the required period. The proposed base charge will provide sufficient revenue to pay all annual costs and to repay investment obligations within the allowable period. A detailed rate package that identifies the reasons for the base charge and rates adjustment will be available in March 2007. The proposed base charge and rates are scheduled to become effective on October 1, 2007, and will remain in effect through September 30, 2008. This Federal Register notice initiates the formal process for the proposed base charge and rates.