[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 108 (Wednesday, June 4, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31846-31847]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-12434]



[[Page 31846]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Electric Transmission Congestion Study

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

ACTION: Request for written comments and notice of technical workshops.

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SUMMARY: Section 216(a)(1) of the Federal Power Act (FPA) requires the 
Department of Energy (Department or DOE) to complete a study of 
electric transmission congestion every three years. DOE issued the 
first ``National Electric Transmission Congestion Study'' (Congestion 
Study) in August 2006. The Department is now initiating preparations 
for the 2009 Congestion Study, and seeks comments on what publicly-
available data and information should be considered, and what type of 
analysis should be performed, to identify and understand the 
significance and character of transmission congestion. Interested 
persons may submit comments in the manner indicated in the ADDRESSES 
portion of this notice. In addition, DOE will host six regional 
technical workshops to receive and discuss input concerning electric 
transmission-level congestion.

DATES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for workshop dates and 
locations. DOE recognizes that many commenters will wish to draw upon 
studies or analyses that are now in process. DOE suggests that 
commenters submit such materials as they become available, but no later 
than December 31, 2008.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments to http://www.congestion09.anl.gov, or by mail to the Office of Electricity 
Delivery and Energy Reliability, OE-20, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585. The following electronic 
file formats are acceptable: Microsoft Word (.doc), Corel Word Perfect 
(.wpd), Adobe Acrobat (.pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), plain text 
(.txt), Microsoft Excel (.xls), and Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt). The 
Department is striving to utilize only publicly available data for this 
study. Accordingly, do not submit information that you believe is or 
should be protected from public disclosure. DOE is responsible for the 
final determination concerning disclosure or nondisclosure of 
information submitted to DOE and for treating it in accordance with the 
DOE's Freedom of Information regulations (10 CFR 1004.11). All comments 
received by DOE regarding the 2009 Congestion Study will be posted on 
http://www.congestion09.anl.gov for public review.

    Note: Delivery of the U.S. Postal Service mail to DOE continues 
to be delayed by several weeks due to security screening. DOE 
therefore encourages those wishing to comment to submit their 
comments electronically by e-mail. If comments are submitted by 
regular mail, the Department requests that they be accompanied by a 
CD or diskette containing electronic files of the submission.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Meyer, DOE Office of Electricity 
Delivery and Energy Reliability, (202) 586-1411, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Section 1221 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-58) 
(EPAct) added several new provisions to the Federal Power Act (16 
U.S.C. 824p) (FPA), including FPA section 216. FPA section 216(a) 
requires the Secretary of Energy to conduct a study of electric 
transmission congestion within one year from the date of enactment of 
EPAct and every three years thereafter; such studies. The 2006 
Congestion Study looked at congestion nationwide except for the portion 
of Texas covered by the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas, to 
which FPA section 216 does not apply. The 2009 Congestion Study will be 
of a similar scope. FPA section 216(a) requires the congestion study be 
conducted in consultation with affected States and any appropriate 
regional entity referred to in FPA section 215, i.e., the regional 
electric reliability organizations.\1\
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    \1\ The regional reliability organizations under FPA section 215 
are the Florida Reliability Coordinating Council, the Midwest 
Reliability Organization, the Northeast Power Coordinating Council, 
Reliability First Corporation, SERC Reliability Corporation, the 
Southwest Power Pool, the Texas Regional Entity (TRE), and the 
Western Electricity Coordinating Council.
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    In preparing the 2006 Congestion Study, the Department gathered 
historical congestion data obtained from existing studies prepared by 
regional reliability councils, regional transmission organizations 
(RTOs) and independent system operators (ISOs), and regional planning 
groups. In addition, the Department sponsored modeling to simulate 
future congestion for years 2008 and 2011 in the Eastern 
Interconnection and years 2008 and 2015 in the Western Interconnection. 
DOE issued the 2006 Congestion Study on August 8, 2006, and requested 
comments on the study.
    Based on the historical data and the modeling results, the 2006 
Congestion Study identified several U.S. areas experiencing significant 
transmission congestion. Two ``Critical Congestion Areas'' (i.e., areas 
where the current and/or projected effects of congestion are especially 
broad and severe) were identified: the Atlantic coastal area from 
metropolitan New York through northern Virginia (the Mid-Atlantic 
Critical Congestion Area); and southern California (the Southern 
California Critical Congestion Area). Four ``Congestion Areas of 
Concern'' (i.e., areas where a large-scale congestion problem exists or 
may be emerging but more information and analysis appear to be needed 
to determine the magnitude of the problem) were identified: New 
England; the Phoenix-Tucson area; the San Francisco Bay area; and the 
Seattle-Portland area. Also, a number of ``Conditional Congestion 
Areas'' (i.e., areas where future congestion would result if large 
amounts of new generation were to be developed without simultaneous 
development of associated transmission capacity) were identified, 
including: Montana-Wyoming; Dakotas-Minnesota; Kansas-Oklahoma; 
Illinois, Indiana and upper Appalachia; and the Southeast. All comments 
received on the 2006 Congestion Study are available at http://nietc.anl.gov.

II. Comments

    The Department is no longer accepting comments on the 2006 
Congestion Study. All comments filed in response to today's notice 
should be addressed to the preparation of the 2009 Congestion Study, 
and sent to the Department in the manner indicated in the ADDRESSES 
portion of this notice. In written comments in response to this notice 
and at the technical workshops, DOE requests States, utilities, 
regional transmission organizations (RTOs), independent system 
operators (ISOs), and other stakeholders to describe changes in their 
respective areas since 2005 that affect the location, duration, 
frequency, magnitude, and significance of transmission congestion, 
including related constraints. Special attention should be given to the 
question of how to gauge the magnitude or significance of congestion 
using publicly available data. In addition, DOE is particularly 
interested in comments that speak to the most appropriate and effective 
methods for distinguishing between the effects of technical limits on 
line loadings and possible contractual limits on the use of those same 
lines.

III. Technical Workshops

    Between June and September 2008, DOE will host six regional 
technical

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workshops to receive and discuss input relevant to the 2009 Congestion 
Study, including comments on what publicly-available data should be 
considered to identify and understand the significance and character of 
transmission congestion. Each workshop will consist of panels of 
invited speakers who will present their views, followed by a discussion 
among the panelists led by DOE staff.
    Workshops dates and times: The dates and times for the technical 
workshops are:
    1. June 11, 2008, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., San Francisco, CA.
    2. June 18, 2008, 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Oklahoma City, OK.
    3. July 9, 2008, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Hartford, CT.
    4. July 24, 2008, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Atlanta, GA.
    5. August 6, 2008, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Las Vegas, NV.
    6. September 17, 2008, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Chicago, IL.
    Workshop locations: The locations of the technical workshops are:
    1. San Francisco--Hyatt Regency San Francisco, 5 Embarcadero 
Center, San Francisco, CA 94111.
    2. Oklahoma City--Skirvin Hilton Oklahoma City, One Park Avenue, 
Oklahoma City, OK 73102.
    3. Hartford--Hartford Marriott Downtown, 200 Columbus Boulevard, 
Hartford, CT 06103.
    4. Atlanta--Westin Peachtree Plaza, 210 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, 
GA 30303.
    5. Las Vegas--Atomic Testing Museum, 755 E. Flamingo Road, Las 
Vegas, NV 89119.
    6. Chicago--Wyndham Chicago, 633 North St. Clair, Chicago, IL 
60611.
    Tentative Agenda: An agenda for each technical workshop will be 
posted in advance of the scheduled date at http://www.congestion09.anl.gov.
    Public Participation: The workshops will be open to the public, and 
will be simulcast over the Internet. Advance registration for Web cast 
is required by visiting http://www.iian.ibeam.com/events/ener001/26552/. A complete archive of each event will be on this Web site soon 
after the conclusion of the event, and will be downloadable in podcast 
format.
    Any member of the public interested in offering oral comments at a 
technical workshop may do so on the day of the workshop, subject to the 
time available. Approximately one-half hour will be reserved for public 
comments. Time allotted per speaker will depend on the number who wish 
to speak but is not expected to exceed three minutes. Anyone who is not 
able to attend the workshop or has had insufficient time to present 
material is invited to submit a written statement in the manner 
indicated in the ADDRESSES portion of this notice, above.

    Note: The Department will consult with the States and regional 
reliability organizations in the preparation of the 2009 Congestion 
Study. DOE recognizes that in addition to (or as an alternative to) 
participating in the regional workshops, some States or reliability 
organizations may wish to discuss congestion matters with the 
Department on a bilateral basis. DOE will reserve time at the sites 
of the regional workshops for such bilateral discussions, and it 
invites interested States or reliability organizations to contact 
the Department to identify mutually convenient times. In addition, 
the Department will maintain an ``open door'' policy, and will 
schedule congestion meetings at DOE headquarters upon request with 
States, reliability organizations, Regional Transmission 
Organizations, Independent System Operators, utilities, and other 
stakeholders.


    Issued in Washington, DC on May 30, 2008.
Kevin M. Kolevar,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy 
Reliability.
 [FR Doc. E8-12434 Filed 6-3-08; 8:45 am]
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