[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 131 (Monday, July 9, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35779-35780]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-17069]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Bonneville Power Administration


Temporary Small Resource Policy

AGENCY: Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Department of Energy 
(DOE).

ACTION: Notice of availability of Record of Decision (ROD).

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the ROD to establish 
a Temporary Small Resource Policy (Policy) as an incentive to utility 
customers to use small resources to serve a portion of their 
electricity needs, reducing firm load on BPA. This ROD is based on 
input from the public process and information in the BPA Business Plan 
Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/EIS-0183, June 1995) and the 
Business Plan Record of Decision (August 15, 1995).

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Temporary Small Resource Policy ROD, Business 
Plan, Business Plan EIS, and Business Plan ROD may be obtained by 
calling BPA's toll-free document request line: 1-800-622-4520.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Katherine S. Pierce, KEC-4, Bonneville 
Power Administration, PO Box 3621, Portland, Oregon, 97208-3621, 
telephone number 503-230-3962; fax number 503-230-5699; e-mail 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The West Coast is in the midst of a power 
emergency caused by a demand for electricity that is often greater than 
its supply and record high wholesale market prices. This Policy is a 
one-time, short-term response to the West Coast power emergency and is 
one of many measures BPA is undertaking to address power supplies. BPA 
and the Pacific Northwest are facing severe conditions during the next 
12 to 15 months:
     new Subscription contracts have increased customers' load 
requirements on BPA, so BPA needs to buy more power;
     the Northwest drought means BPA faces low water conditions 
and has less hydropower, so BPA and its customers must plan to buy even 
more power; and
     California's market conditions have driven up the purchase 
price of market power to unprecedented levels.
    This Policy would allow the temporary use of short-term resources 
by BPA customers to help meet their loads and to relieve immediate 
supply needs. It is intended to be an interim measure that helps bridge 
the gap until new long-term resources are available. Implementation of 
this Policy would

[[Page 35780]]

conform to BPA's market-driven approach for participation in the 
increasingly competitive electric power market.

    Issued in Portland, Oregon, on June 22, 2001.
Stephen J. Wright,
Acting Administrator and Chief Executive Officer.
[FR Doc. 01-17069 Filed 7-6-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-U