[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 210 (Tuesday, November 1, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 65891]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-21741]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[OE Docket No. PP-305]


Application for Presidential Permit; Montana Alberta Tie Ltd.

AGENCY: Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of application.

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SUMMARY: Montana Alberta Tie Ltd. (MATL) has applied for a Presidential 
permit to construct, operate, maintain, and connect an electric 
transmission line across the U.S. border with Canada.

DATES: Comments, protests, or requests to intervene must be submitted 
on or before December 1, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Comments, protests, or requests to intervene should be 
addressed as follows: Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy 
Reliability (OE-20), 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 Michael T. Skinker (Program Attorney) (202) 586-2793.

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 October 7, 2005, MATL, a Canadian corporation, filed an 
application with the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy 
Reliability (OE) of the Department of Energy (DOE) for a Presidential 
permit. MATL proposes to construct a single-circuit 230-kilovolt (230-
kV) electric transmission line across the U.S.-Canada international 
border.
    The MATL transmission line project would connect the Alberta 
Interconnected Electrical System and NorthWestern Energy's (NWE) 
transmission system. NWE is a U.S. investor-owned utility serving 
electric customers in Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. The proposed 
international transmission line would originate at a new substation to 
be constructed northeast of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, cross the 
U.S.-Canada international border directly north of Cut Bank, Montana 
(west of Sweetgrass, Montana) and extend approximately 125 miles into 
the U.S., terminating at an existing 230-kV substation owned by NWE 
north of Great Falls, Montana. Between the U.S.-Canada border and Great 
Falls, the transmission line would also connect to an existing 
substation owned by Glacier Electric Cooperatives in Cut Bank, Montana. 
A phase shifting transformer would be installed at the substation in 
Lethbridge, Alberta, to control power flows between the two regions.
    MATL has indicated its intention to operate the proposed facilities 
as a merchant transmission line and make it available for third-party 
use. MATL has not applied to DOE under section 202(e) of the Federal 
Power Act (FPA) (16 U.S.C. 824a(e)) for authorization to export 
electric energy over the proposed facilities. If DOE were to grant the 
requested Presidential permit and MATL were to subsequently construct 
the proposed international transmission line, any person wishing to 
export electric energy to Canada utilizing those facilities would need 
to obtain export authority from DOE under section 202(e) of the FPA.

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 the DOE on or before the 
date listed above.
    Additional copies of such petitions to intervene or protests also 
should be filed directly with: Mr. Bob Williams, Vice President 
Regulatory, Montana Alberta Tie Ltd., Rocky Mountain Plaza, Suite 800, 
615 Macleod Trail SE., Calgary, Alberta, Canada AND Richard P. 
Sparling, Alston & Bird LLP, 601 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., North 
Building, 10th Floor, Washington, DC 20004-2601.
    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 the National Environmental Policy 
Act (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.
    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 electronically 
at http://www.fe.doe.gov/programs/electricityregulation/. Upon reaching 
the home page, select ``Pending Proceedings.''

    Dated: Issued in Washington, DC, on October 26, 2005.
Anthony J. Como,
Director, Siting and Permitting, Office of Electricity Delivery and 
Energy Reliability.
[FR Doc. 05-21741 Filed 10-31-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P