[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 242 (Tuesday, December 16, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76436-76437]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-29713]


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TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY


Notice of Consideration of Energy Efficiency and Smart Grid 
Standards

SUMMARY: The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is considering adopting 
for itself and the distributors of TVA power certain energy efficiency 
and Smart Grid standards. The standards being considered are the 
Integrated Resource Planning, Rate Design Modifications to Promote 
Energy Efficiency Investments, Consideration of Smart Grid Investments, 
and Smart Grid Information standards listed in section 111(d) of the 
Public Utility Regulatory Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-617) as amended by 
the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-140). The 
standards will be considered on the basis of their effect on 
conservation of energy, efficient use of facilities and resources, 
equity among electric consumers, and the objectives of the Tennessee 
Valley Authority Act. Comments are requested from the public on whether 
TVA should adopt these standards or any variations on them.

DATES: All comments on these standards must be received by April 30, 
2009. Written comments may be mailed to: Veenita Bisaria, Tennessee 
Valley Authority, 400 W. Summit Hill Drive, WT3D-K, Knoxville, TN 
37902, (865) 632-3939. Comments may also be submitted via the Web, at 
http://www.tva.com/purpa.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Veenita Bisaria, Tennessee Valley 
Authority (contact information above).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Of the standards being considered, the 
Public Utility Regulatory Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-617) as amended by 
the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-140) 
requires that TVA consider these standards. Accordingly, data, views, 
and comments are requested from the public on the Integrated Resource 
Planning, Rate Design Modifications to Promote Energy Efficiency 
Investments, Consideration of Smart Grid Investments, and Smart Grid 
Information standards. Comments on variations in any of the standards, 
as well as views for or against their adoption are welcome. These 
standards are being presented in order to initiate consideration and 
obtain the public's views on the need and desirability of such 
standards. Determinations on the appropriateness of the standards will 
be made by the TVA Board of Directors. The TVA Board will also 
determine, what, if any, standards included in this notice will be 
implemented by TVA for itself and the distributors of TVA power.
    Standards: The standards about which a determination will be made 
are:
    (1) Integrated Resource Planning. Each electric utility shall (A) 
integrate energy efficiency resources into utility, State, and regional 
plans; and (B) adopt policies establishing cost-effective energy 
efficiency as a priority resource.
    (2) Rate design modifications to promote energy efficiency 
investments. (A) The rates allowed to be charged by any electric 
utility shall (i) align utility incentives with the delivery of cost-
effective energy efficiency; and (ii) promote energy efficiency 
investments.
    (3) Consideration of smart grid investments. Each State shall 
consider requiring that, prior to undertaking investments in 
nonadvanced grid technologies, an electric utility of the State 
demonstrate to the State that the electric utility considered an 
investment in a qualified smart grid system based on appropriate 
factors, including (i) Total costs; (ii) cost-effectiveness; (iii) 
improved reliability; (iv) security; (v) system performance; and (vi) 
societal benefit.
    (4) Smart Grid information. (A) All electricity purchasers shall be 
provided direct access, in written or electronic machine-readable form 
as appropriate, to information from their electricity provider as 
provided in subparagraph (B).
    (B) Information. Information provided under this section, to the 
extent practicable, shall include:
    (i) Prices. Purchasers and other interested persons shall be 
provided with information on (I) time-based electricity prices in the 
wholesale electricity market; and (II) time-based electricity retail 
prices or rates that are available to the purchasers.
    (ii) Usage. Purchasers shall be provided with the number of 
electricity units, expressed in kwh, purchased by them.
    (iii) Intervals and projections. Updates of information on prices 
and usage shall be offered on not less than a daily basis, shall 
include hourly price and use information, where available, and shall 
include a day-ahead projection of such price information to the extent 
available.
    (iv) Sources. Purchasers and other interested persons shall be 
provided annually with written information on the sources of the power 
provided by the utility, to the extent it can be determined, by type of 
generation, including greenhouse gas emissions associated with each 
type of generation, for intervals during which such information is 
available on a cost-effective basis.
    (C) Access. Purchasers shall be able to access their own 
information at any time through the Internet and on other means of 
communication elected by that utility for Smart Grid applications. 
Other interested persons shall be able to access information not 
specific to any purchaser through the Internet. Information specific to 
any purchaser shall be provided solely to that purchaser.
    Procedures: Written data, views, and comments on the standards are 
requested from the public. All material relating to the standards must 
be received by 5 p.m. EST on April 30, 2009. All materials received by 
TVA before this designated time will be considered by TVA. Written 
statements of TVA staff concerning the standards will be made part of 
the official record at least 30 days before the date the record closes, 
at which time they will be made available to the public on request. In 
order to assist interested consumers in preparing written data, views, 
and comments for the record, TVA will operate a Web site (http://www.tva.com/purpa) on which interested parties can be informed about 
the standards set out in this notice and on which interested parties 
can submit comments and materials on the standards. The official record 
will consist of all comments and materials submitted electronically and 
all written materials submitted within the time set forth above. A 
summary of the record will be prepared by TVA staff and will be 
transmitted to the TVA Board of Directors along with the complete 
record. The record will be used by the Board in making the 
determinations required by section 111(d) of the Public Utility 
Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-617) as amended by the 
Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-140) and in 
fulfilling its obligation under the Tennessee Valley Authority Act. 
Individual copies of the record will

[[Page 76437]]

be available to the public at cost of reproduction. Copies will also be 
kept on file for public inspection at the following locations: 
Tennessee Valley Authority, 400 W. Summit Hill Drive, WT3D-K, 
Knoxville, TN 37902, and on the Web at http://www.tva.com/purpa.

    Dated: December 8, 2008.
Maureen H. Dunn,
Executive Vice President and General Counsel.
[FR Doc. E8-29713 Filed 12-15-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8120-01-P