Federal Register, Volume 62 Issue 7 (Friday, January 10, 1997)

[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 7 (Friday, January 10, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1442-1443]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-594]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Docket Nos. EA-135 and EA-136]

Applications to Export Electric Energy; Newco US, L.P.

AGENCY: Office of Fossil Energy, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of application.

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SUMMARY: Newco US, L.P. (Newco), a limited partnership, has submitted
an application to export electric energy to Mexico and Canada pursuant
to section 202(e) of the Federal Power Act.

DATES: Comments, protests or requests to intervene must be submitted on
or before February 10, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Comments, protests or requests to intervene should be
addressed as follows: Office of Coal & Power Im/Ex (FE-52), Office of
Fossil Energy, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue,
SW., Washington, DC 20585 (FAX 202-287-5736).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Xavier Puslowski (Program Office) 202-
586-4708 or Michael 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.
824a(e)).
On November 29, 1996, Newco filed two applications with the Office
of Fossil Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy (DOE) for
authorization to export electric energy to Mexico (Docket EA-135) and
Canada (Docket EA-136), as a power marketer, pursuant to section 202(e)
of the FPA.\1\ Specifically, Newco has proposed to transmit to Mexico
and Canada electric energy purchased from electric utilities and
federal power marketing agencies.
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\1\ Newco is a limited partnership in which Westcoast Power
Marketing, Inc. and Coastal Gas Services Company each owns
indirectly a 49.5% limited partnership interest, and Newco US, Inc.
owns a 1% general partnership interest.
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Newco would arrange for the exported energy to be transmitted to
Mexico over one or more of the following international transmission or
subtransmission lines for which Presidential permits (PP) have been
previously issued:

Newco would arrange for the exported energy to be transmitted to
Canada over one or more of the following international transmission or
subtransmission lines for which Presidential permits (PP) have been
previously issued:

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Presidential permit
Owner Location Voltage No.
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Basin Electric..................... Tioga, ND.................. 230-kV PP-64
Bonneville Power Administration.... Blaine, WA................. 2-500-kV PP-10
Nelway, WA................. 230-kV PP-36
Nelway, WA................. 230-kV PP-46
Citizens Utilities................. Derby Line, VT............. 120-kV PP-66
Detroit Edison..................... St. Clair, MI.............. 345-kV PP-38
Maryville, MI.............. 230-kV PP-21
Detroit, MI................ 230-kV PP-21
St. Clair, MI.............. 345-kV PP-58
Eastern Maine Elect. Coop.......... Calais, ME................. 69-kV PP-32
Joint Owners of Highgate Project... Highgate, VT............... 345-kV \2\ PP-82
Maine Electric Power Co............ Houlton, ME................ 345-kV PP-43
Maine Public Service Co............ Limestone, ME.............. 69-kV PP-12
Fort Fairfield, ME......... 69-kV PP-12
Aroostook County, ME....... 138-kV PP-29
Madawaska, ME.............. 2-69-kV PP-29
Minnesota Power and Light Co....... International Falls, MN.... 115-kV PP-78

[[Page 1443]]

Minnkota Power..................... Roseau County, MN.......... 230-kV PP-61
New York Power Authority........... Massena, NY................ 765-kV PP-56
Massena, NY................ 2-230-kV PP-25
Niagara Falls, NY.......... 2-345-kV PP-74
Devils Hole, NY............ 230-kV PP-30
Niagara Mohawk Power Corp.......... Devils Hole, NY............ 230-kV PP-31
Northern States Power.............. Red River, ND.............. 230-kV PP-45
Roseau County, MN.......... 500-kV PP-63
Vermont Electric Transmission Co... Norton, VT................. 450-kV DC PP-76
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\2\ These facilities were constructed at 345-kV but operated at 120-kV.

As noted above, Newco proposes to export electricity to Mexico over
lines owned and operated by the El Paso Electric Company (EPE) and
permitted under Presidential Permits Nos. PP-48, as amended, and PP-92.
On October 29, 1996, the Secretary of Energy signed Delegation Order
No. 0204-163 which delegated and assigned to the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC) authority to carry out such functions
vested in the Secretary to regulate access to, and the rates, terms and
conditions for, transmission services over the facilities of EPE. This
authority was delegated to FERC for the sole purpose of authorizing
FERC to take any actions necessary to effectuate open access
transmission over the United States portion of EPE's electric
transmission lines connecting the Diablo and Ascarate substations in
the United States with the Insurgentes and Riverena substations in
Mexico. Notice and a copy of the Delegation Order were published in the
Federal Register on November 1, 1996, at 61 FR 56525.

PROCEDURAL MATTERS: Any persons desiring to become a party to this
proceeding or to be heard by filing comments or protests to this
application should file a petition to intervene, comment or protest at
the address provided above in accordance with Secs. 385.211 or 385.214
of the FERC's Rules of Practice and Procedures (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. Comments on Newco's
request to export to Mexico should be clearly marked with Docket EA-
135. Comments on Newco's request to export to Canada should be clearly
marked with Docket EA-136. Additional copies are to be filed directly
with: Jeffrey D. Watkiss; Sarah G. Novosel, Bracewell and Patterson,
L.L.P., 2000 K St., NW, Suite 500; Washington, DC 20006, Fax: (202)
223-1225 and Peter Leier, Westcoast Power Marketing, Inc., 421-7th
Avenue, SW., Suite 1100, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 728 4K9 and Laurence
C. Mosher, Jr., Fulbright & Jaworski, L.L.P., 1301 McKinney, Suite
5100, Houston, TX 77010-3095, Fax (713) 651-5246).
A final decision will be made on these applications 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 actions will not adversely impact on the
reliability of the U.S. electric power supply system.
Copies of these applications will be made available, upon request,
for public inspection and copying at the address provided above.

Issued in Washington, DC on January 2, 1997.
Anthony J. Como,
Manager, Electric Power Regulation, Office of Coal & Power Systems,
Office of Fossil Energy.
[FR Doc. 97-594 Filed 1-9-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P