[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 249 (Thursday, December 28, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78189-78190]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-22268]



[[Page 78189]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Western Area Power Administration


Pacific Northwest-Pacific Southwest Intertie Project--Rate Order 
No. WAPA-133

AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of Order Extending Transmission Service Rates and Notice 
of Extension of Public Process for Rate Adjustment.

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SUMMARY: This action is to extend the existing Pacific Northwest-
Pacific Southwest Intertie Project (Intertie) transmission service 
rates through December 31, 2007. Simultaneously, the Western Area Power 
Administration (Western) is extending the public process for a rate 
adjustment that was initiated in July 2006 under Rate Order No. WAPA-
130. Without this action, the existing transmission service rates will 
expire December 31, 2006, and no rates will be in effect for these 
services. Western initiated a public process to modify the transmission 
service rates for the Intertie, via a notice published in the Federal 
Register on July 12, 2006. Western is extending the comment and 
consultation period to allow sufficient time to evaluate additional 
alternatives to the proposed rates. In conjunction with extending the 
comment and consultation period, Western will hold an additional public 
information forum and public comment forum.

DATES: The extended consultation and comment period begins today and 
will end March 28, 2007. A public information forum will be held on 
February 8, 2007, beginning at 10 a.m. MST in Phoenix, AZ. A public 
comment forum will be held February 27, 2007, beginning at 10 a.m. MST 
in Phoenix, AZ. Western will accept written comments any time during 
the consultation and comment period.

ADDRESSES: The public information forum and public comment forum will 
be held at the Desert Southwest Region Customer Service Office, 615 
South 43rd Avenue, Phoenix, AZ, on the dates cited above. Send written 
comments to Mr. J. Tyler Carlson, Regional Manager, Desert Southwest 
Region, Western Area Power Administration, P.O. Box 6457, Phoenix, AZ 
85005-6457, e-mail [email protected]. Written comments may also be faxed 
to (602) 605-2490, attention: Jack Murray. Western will post 
information about the rate process on its Web site at http://www.wapa.gov/dsw/pwrmkt/Intertie/RateAdjust.htm. Western will post 
official comments received via letter, fax, and e-mail to its Web site 
after the close of the comment period. Western must receive written 
comments by the end of the consultation and comment period to ensure 
they are considered in Western's decision process.
    As access to Western facilities is controlled, any U.S. citizen 
wishing to attend any meeting held at Western must present an official 
form of picture identification, such as a U.S. driver's license, U.S. 
passport, U.S. Government ID, or U.S. Military ID, at the time of the 
meeting. Foreign nationals should contact Western at least 45 days in 
advance of the meeting to obtain the necessary form for admittance to 
Western.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jack Murray, Rates Team Lead, 
Desert Southwest Region, Western Area Power Administration, P.O. Box 
6457, Phoenix, AZ 85005-6457, (602) 605-2442, e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: By Delegation Order No. 00-037.00, effective 
December 6, 2001, the Secretary of Energy delegated: (1) The authority 
to develop power and transmission rates to Western's Administrator; (2) 
the authority to confirm, approve, and place such rates into effect on 
an interim basis to the Deputy Secretary of Energy; and (3) the 
authority to confirm, approve, and place into effect on a final basis, 
to remand, or to disapprove such rates to the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission (FERC).
    The existing Rate Schedules consist of separate firm transmission 
service rates for the 230/345-kilovolt (kV) and 500-kV transmission 
systems and a nonfirm transmission service rate for the 230/345/500-kV 
transmission system. Rate Schedules INT-FT2 and INT-NFT2, Rate Order 
No. WAPA-71 \1\, were approved for a 53-month period, beginning 
February 1, 1996, and ending September 30, 2000. Rate Order No. WAPA-91 
\2\ extended these rate schedules for a 39-month period, beginning 
October 1, 2000, through December 31, 2003. Rate Order No. WAPA-108 \3\ 
extended these rate schedules again beginning January 1, 2004, through 
December 31, 2006. Rate Schedule INT-FT3, contained in Rate Order No. 
WAPA-76, \4\ was approved for a 5-year period, beginning January 1, 
1999, and ending December 31, 2003. Rate Order No. WAPA-108 extended 
this rate schedule beginning January 1, 2004, through December 31, 
2006.
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    \1\ WAPA-71 (published 2/7/96, 61 FR 4650) was approved by FERC 
on a final basis on July 24, 1996, through September 30, 2000, in 
Docket No. EF96-5191-000 (76 FERC ]62,061).
    \2\ WAPA-91 (published 8/29/00, 65 FR 52423) (which extended the 
WAPA-71 rates from October 1, 2000, through December 31, 2003) was 
approved by the Deputy Secretary on August 15, 2000. FERC 
``accepted'' this extension pursuant to a letter order from Michael 
A. Coleman, Director, Division of Tariffs and Rates--West dated 
October 19, 2000 (Docket EF00-5191-000).
    \3\ WAPA-108 (published 11/7/03, 68 FR 63083) (which extended 
the WAPA-76 and WAPA-71/91 rates) was approved by FERC on a final 
basis on March 25, 2004, through December 31, 2006, in Docket No. 
EF04-5191-000 (106 FERC ]62,227)
    \4\ WAPA-76 (published 2/9/99, 64 FR 6344) was approved by FERC 
on a final basis on June 22, 1999, through December 31, 2003, in 
Docket No. EF99-5191-000 (87 FERC ]61,346).
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    Western's Desert Southwest Customer Service Region entered into a 
rate adjustment process with aFederal Register notice published on July 
12, 2006, (71 FR 39310), which began the initial public consultation 
and comment period that ended on October 10, 2006. Western seeks this 
extension to provide more time to evaluate additional alternatives to 
the proposed rates. During the original consultation and comment 
period, Western was evaluating the impacts of a transmission sale 
arrangement that would have mitigated the proposed rate increase. 
However, a deferral of that transaction requires Western to assess the 
impact on the proposed rates as presented in the public process. The 
evaluation period and public process will take approximately 6 months 
to complete, including additional formal public forums. This makes it 
necessary to extend the current rates under 10 CFR 903.23(b). Upon its 
approval, Rate Order No. WAPA-71 and Rate Order No. WAPA-76, previously 
extended under Rate Order No. WAPA-91 and Rate Order No. WAPA-108, will 
be extended under Rate Order No. WAPA-133. Rate Order No. WAPA-133 will 
be submitted to FERC for confirmation and approval on a final basis.
    Following review of Western's proposal within DOE, I approve Rate 
Order No. WAPA-133, which extends the existing Intertie firm and 
nonfirm transmission service rates, Rate Schedules INT-FT2, INT-FT3, 
and INT-NFT2, through December 31, 2007.


[[Page 78190]]


    Dated: December 21, 2006.
Clay Sell,
Deputy Secretary.

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, DEPUTY SECRETARY

In the Matter of: Western Area Power Administration Rates Extension for 
the Pacific Northwest-Pacific Southwest Intertie Project Transmission 
Service Rates

Order Confirming and Approving an Extension of the Pacific Northwest-
Pacific Southwest Intertie Project Transmission Service Rates

    These transmission service rates were established following section 
302 of the Department of Energy (DOE) Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 
7152). This Act transferred to and vested in the Secretary of Energy 
the power marketing functions of the Secretary of the Department of the 
Interior and the Bureau of Reclamation under the Reclamation Act of 
1902 (ch. 1093, 32 Stat. 388), as amended and supplemented by 
subsequent laws, particularly section 9(c) of the Reclamation Project 
Act of 1939 (43 U.S.C. 485h(c)), and other Acts that specifically apply 
to the project system involved.
    By Delegation Order No. 00-037.00, effective December 6, 2001, the 
Secretary of Energy delegated: (1) the authority to develop power and 
transmission rates to the Administrator of the Western Area Power 
Administration (Western); (2) the authority to confirm, approve, and 
place such rates into effect on an interim basis to the Deputy 
Secretary of Energy; and (3) the authority to confirm, approve, and 
place into effect on a final basis, to remand, or to disapprove such 
rates to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Background

    The existing Rate Schedules consist of separate firm transmission 
service rates for the 230/345-kilovolt (kV) and 500-kV transmission 
systems and a nonfirm transmission service rate for the 230/345/500-kV 
transmission system. Rate Schedules INT-FT2 and INT-NFT2, Rate Order 
No. WAPA-71, were approved for a 53-month period, beginning February 1, 
1996, and ending September 30, 2000. Rate Order No. WAPA-91 extended 
these rate schedules for a 39-month period, beginning October 1, 2000, 
through December 31, 2003. Rate Order No. WAPA-108 extended these rate 
schedules again beginning January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2006. 
Rate Schedule INT-FT3, contained in Rate Order No. WAPA-76, was 
approved for a 5-year period, beginning January 1, 1999, and ending 
December 31, 2003. Rate Order No. WAPA-108 extended this rate schedule 
beginning January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2006.

Discussion

    Western's Desert Southwest Customer Service Region entered into a 
rate adjustment process with a Federal Register notice published on 
July 12, 2006, (71 FR 39310), which began the initial public 
consultation and comment period that ended on October 10, 2006. Western 
seeks an extension of the public process to provide more time to 
evaluate additional alternatives to the proposed rates. During the 
original consultation and comment period, Western was evaluating the 
impacts of a transmission sale arrangement that would have mitigated 
the proposed rate increase. However, a deferral of that transaction 
requires Western to assess the impact on the proposed rates as 
presented in the public process. The evaluation period and public 
process will take approximately 6 months to complete, including 
additional formal public forums. This makes it necessary to extend the 
current rates pursuant to 10 CFR part 903.23(b). Upon its approval, 
Rate Order No. WAPA-71 and Rate Order No. WAPA-76, previously extended 
under Rate Order No. WAPA-91 and Rate Order No. WAPA-108, will be 
extended under Rate Order No. WAPA-133.

ORDER

    In view of the above and under the authority delegated to me by the 
Secretary, I hereby extend the existing Rate Schedules INT-FT2, INT-
FT3, and INT-NFT2 for firm and nonfirm transmission service from 
January 1, 2007, through December 31, 2007.

Dated: 12/21/06.

Clay Sell,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-22268 Filed 12-27-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P