[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 226 (Friday, November 21, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70638-70639]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-27721]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Western Area Power Administration


Solicitation of Interest for Transmission Line Projects Under 
EPAct05 Section 1222 Associated With Renewable Generation Sources

AGENCY: United States Department of Energy, Western Area Power 
Administration.

ACTION: Request for Statements of Interest.

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SUMMARY: The United States Department of Energy (DOE or Department), 
acting through the Western Area Power Administration (Western), a power 
marketing administration within the Department, is seeking Statements 
of Interest (SOIs) from entities that are interested in providing 
contributed funds for Western's participation in the upgrade of 
Western's existing transmission facilities or the construction of new 
transmission line projects in the states in which Western operates. The 
purpose of the request for SOIs is to identify potential projects which 
would facilitate the transmission of wind generation or other renewable 
generation sources to load centers under the authority granted the 
Secretary of Energy in section 1222 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 
(EPAct05) (Pub. L. 109-58; 119 Stat. 952).

DATES: To be assured of consideration, all SOIs should be received by 
Western by January 5, 2009.

ADDRESSES: SOIs should be mailed to: Ms. Laverne Kyriss, Senior 
Planning Advisor, Corporate Services Office, Western Area Power 
Administration, P.O. Box 281213, Lakewood, CO 80228-8213. SOIs may also 
be e-mailed to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information concerning the 
SOIs, contact: Ms. Laverne Kyriss, Senior Planning Advisor, Corporate 
Services Office, Western Area Power Administration, P.O. Box 281213, 
Lakewood, CO 80228-8213, telephone (720) 962-7170, e-mail 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to section 9(c) of the Reclamation 
Project Act of 1939 (43 U.S.C. 485h(c)) and section 5 of the Flood 
Control Act of 1944 (16 U.S.C. 825s), Western, a DOE agency, markets 
and transmits wholesale electrical power from 57 power generation 
facilities owned and operated primarily by the U.S. Bureau of 
Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to cooperatives, 
Native American tribes, government agencies, and municipalities. 
Western markets power over 17,000 miles of high-voltage transmission 
lines in the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, 
Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South 
Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. Western operates in these 15 states 
under federal reclamation law and may receive funds under the 
Contributed Funds Act (43 U.S.C. 395) to fund work for operations 
permitted under reclamation law, i.e. projects that are used to 
transport federally produced electricity.
    Since 2005, the Secretary of Energy (Secretary), acting through the 
Administrators of Western or the Southwestern Power Administration 
(Southwestern), has had the authority to accept contributed funds under 
section 1222(c) of EPAct05 to design, develop, construct, operate, 
maintain, or own, or participate with other entities in designing, 
developing, constructing, operating, maintaining, or owning, an 
electric power transmission facility and related facilities needed to 
upgrade existing transmission facilities owned by Western and 
Southwestern if the electric transmission facilities are located in a 
national interest electric transmission corridor designated pursuant to 
section 216 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824o), or are necessary 
to accommodate an actual or projected increase in demand for electric 
transmission capacity. Section 1222(b) of EPAct05 gives the Secretary, 
acting through the Administrators of Western or Southwestern, authority 
for developing new electric transmission facilities, similar to that 
provided in section 1222(a) for existing facilities, in states in which 
Western and Southwestern operate. Section 1222(c) provides for the 
Secretary to accept and use funds contributed by another entity for the 
purpose of carrying out a project. Section 1222(g) of EPAct05 provides 
that through September 30, 2015, the Secretary may accept no more than 
$100 million from other entities for use in developing projects. In 
order to exercise these authorities, the Secretary, in consultation 
with the applicable Administrator, must make certain determinations 
provided in section 1222 of EPAct05 with respect to the project.
    Given the economic, environmental, and national security benefits 
flowing from the use of electricity generated from renewable energy 
resources, Western is seeking SOIs from entities that are interested in 
providing contributed funds for Western's participation in the design, 
development, construction, operation, maintenance, or ownership of 
upgraded or new transmission projects that would facilitate the 
transmission of wind generation or other renewable generation sources 
from remote locations to distant load centers. While Western will 
consider all projects outlined in the SOIs received for ultimate 
recommendation to the Secretary, there are specific existing electric 
transmission corridors that currently contain Western transmission 
facilities (both transmission lines and intermediate substations) that 
could transmit significant quantities of electricity generated from 
renewable resources to load centers if upgrades to existing facilities 
were made or new facilities built. These include:
    1. Antelope Valley Substation in west-central North Dakota to Sioux 
City Substation in western Iowa (approximately 700 miles);
    2. Miracle Mile Substation in central Wyoming to Stegall Substation 
in western Nebraska (approximately 200 miles), continuing about 100 
miles to Ault Substation in northern Colorado; and
    3. Mead Substation in southern Nevada to Gila Substation in 
southwestern Arizona (approximately 250 miles).
    SOIs submitted with respect to the facilities outlined above, or 
any other proposed upgrade or new transmission projects should include 
the following information:
    1. Name and general description of the entity submitting the SOI.
    2. Name, mailing address, telephone number, facsimile number, and 
e-mail address of that entity's primary contact.
    3. A description of the proposed transmission project including 
project location (location must be within states in which Western 
operates), minimum transfer capability, descriptions of any previous 
transmission work done for the proposed project (plan of service, cost 
estimate, schedule, system studies, environmental activity, siting 
activity, etc.), and any other information that would be useful in 
evaluating the proposed transmission project.
    4. Description of the renewable energy resources the proposed 
project would serve, including type(s) of renewable resource, size and 
general location of the resource, general location of load or markets, 
availability of generation-related ancillary services, a description of 
the entity's involvement in the renewable energy resource, if any, and 
any other information that would be useful in evaluating the project.
    5. Amount of transmission rights or long-term transmission service 
the entity may desire if and when the project is completed.

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    6. The proposed role that Western might play in the development of 
the transmission project.
    7. The amount of funds the entity might be willing to contribute to 
Western to accomplish its role.
    8. A brief description of any other information that would be 
useful in evaluating the SOI. Each SOI will be evaluated by Western 
based on the feasibility of developing a project that meets the 
criteria set forth in EPAct05 section 1222, while advancing the goal of 
facilitating the transmission of wind generation or other renewable 
generation sources from remote locations to distant load centers. Given 
the $100 million limit through September 30, 2015, on the Secretary's 
authority to accept contributed funds, the SOIs received in response to 
this request, and the request for SOIs simultaneously being issued by 
Southwestern, will be evaluated through a competitive evaluation 
process.

Environmental Compliance

    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.); the Council on Environmental Quality 
Regulations for implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508); and DOE 
NEPA Implementing Procedures and Guidelines (10 CFR part 1021), Western 
has determined this action is categorically excluded from further NEPA 
analysis. Future actions that the Secretary and Western may undertake 
under EPAct05 section 1222 as a result of this request will undergo 
separate NEPA analysis on a project by project basis.

    Dated: November 13, 2008.
Timothy J. Meeks,
Administrator.
 [FR Doc. E8-27721 Filed 11-20-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P