[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 218 (Friday, November 12, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 65416]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-25201]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Docket No. EA-298]


Application To Export Electric Energy; ISO New England Inc.

AGENCY: Office of Fossil Energy, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of application.

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SUMMARY: ISO New England Inc. (ISO-NE) has applied for authority to 
transmit electric energy from the United States to Canada pursuant to 
section 202(e) of the Federal Power Act.

DATES: Comments, protests or requests to intervene must be submitted on 
or before November 29, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Comments, protests or requests to intervene should be 
addressed as follows: Office of Coal & Power Systems (FE-27), Office of 
Fossil Energy, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, 
SW., Washington, DC 20585-0350 (FAX 202-287-5736).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Russell (Program Office) 202-
586-9624 or Michael Skinker (Program Attorney) 202-586-2793.

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 October 4, 2004, the Office of Fossil Energy (FE) of the 
Department of Energy (DOE) received an application from ISO-NE to 
transmit electric energy from the United States to Canada. ISO-NE is 
the private, non-profit Independent System Operator for New England. 
ISO-NE administers the New England electricity markets and operates the 
bulk electric power system in the New England region. ISO-NE is 
responsible for protecting the short-term reliability of the New 
England control area, for administering competitive and efficient 
wholesale markets in New England, and for administering the New England 
Power Pool (NEPOOL) Open Access Transmission Tariff on behalf of the 
NEPOOL participants.
    In its role as control area operator, ISO-NE administers 
electricity transactions entered into by the NEPOOL participants and is 
responsible for scheduling transmission service over the bulk power 
transmission and generating facilities in New England. The electricity 
transactions administered by ISO-NE include electricity exports to 
Canadian entities.
    On March 24, 2004, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) 
issued an order granting Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) 
status to ISO-NE, subject to the fulfillment of certain requirements. 
In accordance with that order, ISO-NE will become the RTO for New 
England in the near future. In its application, ISO-NE states that 
commencement of its operations as the RTO will not have any substantive 
effect on the way it will administer electricity exports to Canada. In 
that regard, ISO-NE has requested that, if DOE grants its request in 
this proceeding, any order issued by DOE explicitly recognize the 
impending commencement of ISO-NE's operations as an RTO and provide for 
the continuation of its export authority once that conversion to an RTO 
occurs.
    In its application ISO-NE requested that DOE expedite the 
processing of this application in order to have electricity export 
authority in place upon completion of the transition to the FERC-
approved RTO. Accordingly, DOE has shortened the public comment period 
to 15 days.
    ISO-NE proposes to arrange for the delivery of electric energy to 
Canada over the existing international transmission facilities owned by 
Joint Owners of the Highgate Project, Maine Electric Power Company and 
Vermont Electric Transmission Company. The construction, operation, 
maintenance, and connection of each of the international transmission 
facilities to be utilized by ISO-NE, as more fully described in the 
application, has previously been authorized by a Presidential permit 
issued pursuant to Executive Order 10485, as amended.

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. Sec.  385.211 or 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 DOE on or before the 
date listed above.
    Comments on the ISO-NE application to export electric energy to 
Canada should be clearly marked with Docket EA-298. Additional copies 
are to be filed directly with James H. Douglass, Senior Regulatory 
Counsel, ISO New England Inc., One Sullivan Road, Holyoke, MA 01040-
2841 and Perry D. Robinson, Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, 601 
13th Street, NW., Suite 1000 South, Washington, DC 20005.
    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, 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 or by 
accessing the Fossil Energy Home Page at http://www.fe.de.gov. Upon 
reaching the Fossil Energy Home page, select ``Electricity 
Regulation,'' and then ``Pending Proceedings'' from the options menus.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on November 8, 2004.
Anthony J. Como,
Deputy Director, Electric Power Regulation, Office of Fossil Energy.
[FR Doc. 04-25201 Filed 11-10-04; 8:45 am]
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