[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 42 (Monday, March 3, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11405-11406]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-3993]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[OE Docket No. PP-335]


Application for Presidential Permit; Loring BioEnergy, LLC

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

ACTION: Notice of application.

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SUMMARY: Loring BioEnergy, LLC, (LBE) has applied for a Presidential 
permit to construct, operate, maintain, and connect an electric 
transmission line across the United States border with Canada.

DATES: Comments, protests, or requests to intervene must be submitted 
on or before April 2, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Comments, protests, or requests to intervene should be 
addressed as follows: Dr. Jerry Pell, Office of Electricity Delivery 
and Energy Reliability (OE-20), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Jerry Pell (Program Office) at 
202-586-3362 or via electronic mail at [email protected], or 
Michael T.

[[Page 11406]]

Skinker (Program Attorney) at 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 February 4, 2008, LBE, a Maine limited liability corporation, 
filed an application with the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy 
Reliability of the Department of Energy (DOE) for a Presidential 
permit. LBE proposes to construct and operate a single-circuit 138-
kilovolt (138-kV) electric transmission line from Limestone, Maine, to 
the border between the United States and Canada. The proposed 
transmission line is referred to in the application as a 138-kV AC 
Generator Lead. The proposed transmission facilities would extend from 
a new cogeneration facility to be constructed by LBE at the Loring 
Commerce Centre near Limestone, Maine (the site of the former Loring 
Air Force Base), located approximately five and one-half miles west of 
the U.S.-Canada border, cross the U.S.-Canada border, and extend 
approximately three and one-half miles east to connect to the New 
Brunswick electrical grid in Grand Falls Parish, New Brunswick, Canada. 
New Brunswick Power, an agency of the Province of New Brunswick, 
Canada, will construct the Canadian portion of the transmission 
facilities.
    Since the restructuring of the electric 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 to provide 
access across the border in accordance with the principles of 
comparable open access and non-discrimination contained in the Federal 
Power Act and articulated in Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
(FERC) Order No. 888 (Promoting Wholesale Competition Through Open 
Access Non-Discriminatory Transmission Services by Public Utilities; 
FERC Stats. & Regs. ]31,036 (1996)), as amended. In furtherance of this 
policy, DOE invites comments on whether it would be appropriate 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 on 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 FERC's Rules of Practice and Procedure (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.
    Additional copies of such petitions to intervene, comments, or 
protests should also be filed directly with Hayes Gahagan, Vice 
President, Loring BioEnergy, LLC, 154 Development Drive, Suite G, 
Loring Commerce Centre, Limestone, ME 04750-6173.
    Before a Presidential permit may be issued or amended, DOE must 
determine that the proposed action is in the public interest. In making 
that determination, DOE considers the environmental impacts of the 
proposed project pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, determines the project's impact on electric reliability by 
ascertaining whether the proposed project would adversely affect the 
operation of the U.S. electric power supply system under normal and 
contingency conditions, and any other factors that DOE may also 
consider relevant to the public interest. Also, DOE 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.oe.energy.gov/permitting/electricity_imports_exports.htm. Upon reaching the Electricity Import/Exports page, select 
``Pending Proceedings.''

    Issued in Washington, DC, on February 26, 2008.
Anthony J. Como,
Director, Permitting and Siting, Office of Electricity Delivery and 
Energy Reliability.
[FR Doc. E8-3993 Filed 2-29-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P