[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 42 (Friday, March 1, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 8046]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-4827]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[FE Docket No. EA-111]


Application To Export Electricity; Northeast Utilities Service 
Company

AGENCY: Office of Fossil Energy, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of application.

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SUMMARY: Northeast Utilities Service Company (NUSCO) has requested 
authorization to export electric energy to Canada.

DATES: Comments, protests, or requests to intervene must be submitted 
on or before April 1, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments, protests, or requests to intervene should be 
addressed as follows: Office of Coal & Electricity (FE-52), Office of 
Fuels Programs, Fossil Energy, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20585-0350.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Warren E. Williams (Program Office) 
202-586-9629 or Michael T. Skinker (Program Attorney) 202-586-6667.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Exports of electricity from the United 
States to a foreign country are regulated and require authorization 
under section 202(e) of the Federal Power Act (FPA) (16 
U.S.C.Sec. 824a(e)).
    On January 31, 1995, NUSCO filed an application with the Office of 
Fossil Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy (DOE) for authorization 
to export electric energy to Canada pursuant to section 202(e) of the 
FPA. NUSCO is a Connecticut corporation that provides centralized 
services to and acts as agent for the Northeast Utilities (``NU'') 
System. NU is an investor-owned registered electric utility holding 
company made up of the following operating companies: The Connecticut 
Light and Power Company, Western Massachusetts Electric Company, 
Holyoke Power and Electric Company, Holyoke Water Power Company, and 
Public Service Company of New Hampshire.
    In its application, NUSCO asserts that the NU System companies 
currently have, and will have for more than a decade, generating 
resources greater than those needed to serve their retail customers and 
committed sales. Therefore, NUSCO proposes to sell surplus electric 
energy, when available, to Canada, specifically, Hydro-Quebec.
    NUSCO proposes to transmit the exported energy to Hydro-Quebec over 
the international transmission facilities of Vermont Electric 
Transmission Company. These facilities, also known as the New England/
Hydro-Quebec (NE/HQ) Interconnection, consist of a 450-kilovolt (kV), 
direct current (DC) transmission line that extends from the Sandy Point 
converter terminal located between the towns of Ayer and Groton, 
Massachusetts, to the Comerford converter terminal located in the town 
of Monroe, New Hampshire, and from there to the U.S.-Canada border in 
the vicinity of Norton, Vermont. The construction of these facilities 
previously was authorized by DOE in Presidential Permit PP-76. The NU 
System companies have the right to use 33% of the transfer capacity of 
the PP-76 facilities for transactions with Hydro-Quebec. In FE Order 
EA-76-C (February 19, 1993), the New England Power Pool was authorized 
to use the PP-76 facilities in the export mode at a maximum rate of 
transmission of 2000 megawatts (MW). Accordingly, NUSCO has requested 
that FE authorize an electricity export of approximately 665 MW, or 33% 
of the total capability of the NE/HQ Interconnection.

Procedural Matters

    Any persons desiring to be heard or to protest this application 
should file a petition to intervene or protest at the address provided 
above in accordance with Secs. 385.211 or 385.214 of the Rules of 
Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211, 385.214). Fifteen copies of 
such petitions and protests should be filed with the DOE on or before 
the date listed above. Additional copies are to be filed directly with: 
Mr. John Ash and Ms. Phyllis E. Lemell, Northeast Utilities Company, 
P.O. Box 270, Hartford, CT 06140-0270, (860) 665-5626.
    A final decision will be made on this application after the 
environmental impacts have been evaluated pursuant to the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), and a determination is made by 
the DOE that the proposed action will not adversely impact on the 
reliability of the U.S. electric power supply system.
    Copies of this application will be made available, upon request, 
for public inspection and copying at the address provided above.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on February 27, 1996.
Anthony J. Como,
Director, Office of Coal & Electricity, Office of Fuels Programs, 
Office of Fossil Energy.
[FR Doc. 96-4827 Filed 2-29-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P