[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 191 (Tuesday, October 2, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50174-50175]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-24606]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[FE Docket No. PP-252]


Application for Presidential Permit; GenPower New York, L.L.C.

AGENCY: Office of Fossil Energy, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of application.

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SUMMARY: GenPower New York, L.L.C. (GenPower) has applied for a 
Presidential permit to construct, operate, maintain and connect a 
 500,000-volt ( 500-kV) Direct Current (DC) 
submarine electric transmission cable across the U.S. border with 
Canada.

DATES: Comments, protests, or requests to intervene must be submitted 
on or before November 1, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments, protests, or requests to intervene should be 
addressed as follows: Office of Coal & Power Import and Export (FE-27), 
Office of Fossil Energy, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0350.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Russell (Program Office) 202-
586-9624 (or by electronic mail to: [email protected]) or 
Michael T. Skinker (Program Attorney) 202-586-6667.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The construction, operation, maintenance and 
connection of facilities at the international border of the United 
States for the transmission of electric energy between the United 
States and a foreign country is prohibited in the absence of a 
Presidential permit issued pursuant to Executive Order (EO) 10485, as 
amended by EO 12038.
    On September 19, 2001, GenPower filed an application with the 
Office of Fossil Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy (DOE) for a 
Presidential permit. GenPower proposes to install a high voltage direct 
current (HVDC) submarine cable extending from a proposed 820-megawatt 
combined cycle, natural gas powerplant located in Goldboro, Guysborough 
County, Nova Scotia, Canada, to New York City, New York, a distance of 
approximately 800 to 900 miles (1,300 to 1,450 kilometers (km)). 
GenPower's proposed terminus in New York City is the Consolidated 
Edison Company's (ConEd) West 49th Street substation. GenPower 
proposes, based on technical and geological limitations, to bury the 
cable to a depth of approximately 3 feet (1 meter).
    Since the restructuring of the electric power industry began, 
resulting in the introduction of different types of competitive 
entities into the marketplace, DOE has consistently expressed its 
policy that cross-border trade in electric energy should be subject to 
the same principles of comparable open access and non-discrimination 
that apply to transmission in interstate commerce. DOE has stated that 
policy in export authorizations granted to entities requesting 
authority to export over international transmission facilities. 
Specifically, DOE expects transmitting utilities owning border 
facilities constructed pursuant to Presidential permits to provide 
access across the border in accordance with the principles of 
comparable open access and non-discrimination contained in the FPA and 
articulated in Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Order No. 888, as 
amended (Promoting Wholesale Competition Through Open Access Non-
Discriminatory Transmission Services by Public Utilities). In 
furtherance of this policy, DOE intends

[[Page 50175]]

to condition any Presidential permit issued in this proceeding on 
compliance with these open access principles.
    Procedural Matters: Any person 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 Sec. 385.211 or 
Sec. 385.214 of the FERC's rules of practice and procedures (18 CFR 
385.211, 385.214). Fifteen copies of each petition and protest should 
be filed with the DOE on or before the date listed above.
    Additional copies of such petitions to intervene or protests also 
should be filed directly with: John O'Leary, GenPower New York, L.L.C., 
1040 Great Plain Avenue, Needham, MA 02494.
    Before a Presidential permit may be issued or amended, the DOE must 
determine that the proposed action will not adversely impact on the 
reliability of the U.S. electric power supply system. In addition, DOE 
must consider the environmental impacts of the proposed action (i.e., 
granting the Presidential permit, with any conditions and limitations, 
or denying the permit) pursuant to NEPA. DOE also must obtain the 
concurrence of the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense 
before taking final action on a Presidential permit application.
    The NEPA compliance process is a cooperative, non-adversarial 
process involving members of the public, state governments and the 
Federal government. The process affords all persons interested in or 
potentially affected by the environmental consequences of a proposed 
action an opportunity to present their views, which will be considered 
in the preparation of the environmental documentation for the proposed 
action. Intervening and becoming a party to this proceeding will not 
create any special status for the petitioner with regard to the NEPA 
process. Notice of upcoming NEPA activities and information on how the 
public can participate in those activities will appear in the Federal 
Register.
    Copies of this application will be made available, upon request, 
for public inspection and copying at the address provided above. In 
addition, the application may be reviewed or downloaded from the Fossil 
Energy Home Page at: http://www.fe.doe.gov. Upon reaching the Fossil 
Energy Home page, select ``Electricity Regulation'' and then ``Pending 
Proceedings'' from the options menu.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on September 26, 2001.
Anthony J. Como,
Deputy Director, Electric Power Regulation, Office of Coal & Power 
Import/Export, Office of Coal & Power Systems, Office of Fossil Energy.
[FR Doc. 01-24606 Filed 10-1-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P