[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 200 (Monday, October 18, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63826-63827]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-26143]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Western Area Power Administration


Transmission Infrastructure Program--TransWest Express 
Transmission Project Capacity

AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of request for Statements of Interest.

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SUMMARY: The Western Area Power Administration (Western), a Federal 
power marketing administration of the United States Department of 
Energy (DOE), is requesting Statements of Interest (SOIs) from entities 
that are interested in purchasing transmission service. Western is 
currently evaluating its role in the TransWest Express Transmission 
Project (TWE Project) that would create a new transmission path from 
south central Wyoming to southern Nevada. As part of that evaluation, 
Western is requesting SOIs from any entity or entities desiring to 
purchase Long-Term Firm Transmission Service to deliver generation over 
the TWE Project.

DATES: To be assured consideration, all responses should be received by 
Western on or before 4 p.m. MST on December 2, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Send written responses to: T. Craig Knoell, Transmission 
Infrastructure Program Manager, Western Area Power Administration, P.O. 
Box 281213, Lakewood, CO 80228-8213. Responses may be delivered by 
certified mail, commercial mail, e-mail: [email protected], or fax: 720-
962-7700.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Stacey Harris, Public Utilities 
Specialist-TWE Project Manager, Transmission Infrastructure Program, 
Western Area Power Administration, P.O. Box 281213, Lakewood, CO 80228-
8213, e-mail: [email protected]. This notice also is available on 
Western's Web site at http://www.wapa.gov/fedreg/fedreg10.htm.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Western markets and transmits Federal power 
resources from various multi-purpose hydroelectric projects to 
customers in accordance with Federal law. Western owns and operates an 
integrated 17,000 circuit mile, high-voltage transmission system across 
15 western states covering a 1.3 million square mile service area. 
Western's transmission system is used to deliver Federal hydropower to 
Western's customers. In addition, the system is used to deliver power 
from interconnected power producers, including clean renewable energy 
resources.

[[Page 63827]]

    Under section 402 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 
(Recovery Act), 42 U.S.C. 16421a, Public Law 111-5, 123 Stat. 141, Div 
A, Title IV, section 402 (2009) (adding Section 301 to the Hoover Power 
Plant Act of 1984 [Public Law 98-381, Title III, section 301]), Western 
may borrow funds from the United States Treasury to construct, finance, 
facilitate, plan, operate, maintain, and/or study construction of new 
or upgraded electric power transmission lines and related facilities 
with at least one terminus in Western's marketing area, that deliver or 
facilitate the delivery of power from renewable resources constructed 
or reasonably expected to be constructed after the date of enactment of 
the Recovery Act. In order to implement section 402, on March 4, 2009, 
Western published a Notice of Proposed Program and Request for Public 
Comments in the Federal Register (74 FR 9391) describing its proposed 
Transmission Infrastructure Program (TIP) and soliciting public input 
on that program. After considering the comments received on its March 4 
notice, Western published its final TIP Notice of Program on May 14, 
2009 (74 FR 22732).
    Western also published a Notice of Availability of Request for 
Interest on March 4, 2009, (74 FR 9391) that solicited interest in 
proposed transmission projects that resulted in the submission of over 
200 SOIs, including a SOI for the TWE Project. Western is evaluating 
its potential participation in the TWE Project. The TWE Project is 
proposed as a 725-mile, 3,000-megawatt (MW), 600-kilovolt (kV), two-
terminal, direct-current (DC) transmission system with terminals in 
Wyoming and Nevada and a potential interconnection at the Intermountain 
Power Project near Delta, Utah. The northern substation/converter 
station would be located near the Platte substation, in Carbon County, 
Wyoming. The southern substation/converter station would be located in 
southern Nevada near the Eldorado Valley. The northern terminal of the 
line is anticipated to interconnect with the planned 500-kV alternating 
current (AC) system that PacifiCorp has proposed as part of the Energy 
Gateway project. The southern terminal of the line would be 
interconnected with the 500-kV AC substations within the Eldorado 
Valley, where power can be wheeled to the various markets in the 
region. The estimated cost for the project is $3 billion and the 
planned in-service date is 2015. Western anticipates that it will be 
able to make approximately 250 MW of unidirectional surplus 
transmission capacity available from the Carbon County, Wyoming area to 
the Clark County, Nevada area.
    In this notice, Western solicits SOIs to allow Western to determine 
the level of interest in Western's portion of long-term firm 
transmission service on the TWE Project. Information received through 
this effort may assist Western in acquiring TWE Project support and 
approval. Specifically, Western is soliciting any and all interest from 
entities looking to transfer energy from the Carbon County, Wyoming 
area to the Clark County, Nevada area. Western's rate would be cost-
based; however, Western does not currently have sufficient information 
to estimate a rate. An expression of interest in purchasing this long-
term firm transmission service made by submitting a SOI is not binding 
or promissory. SOIs submitted with respect to this notice should, at a 
minimum, 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. Preferred interconnection points.
    4. Description of the resources the proposed TWE Project 
transmission path would facilitate delivery of, including type(s) of 
resources, general location of generation and load or markets, existing 
interconnection requests, anticipated resource capacity and capacity 
factor of resource, estimated commercial operation date of generation, 
and any other information that would be useful in evaluating submitted 
SOIs.
    5. The amount of transmission capacity and desired term of 
agreement for long-term firm transmission service and the 
interconnection or receipt points on the proposed path.
    6. A general description of financing for generation.
    7. A statement of financial stability.

Entities intending to submit a SOI should request from Western a SOI 
Evaluation Agreement. Entities must then execute the SOI Evaluation 
Agreement and pay a non-refundable SOI Evaluation Cost in the sum of 
$5,000. Western intends to use these funds to defray its cost in 
evaluating the SOIs and to continue its efforts in considering its 
potential participation in the TWE Project. By submitting an SOI and 
associated Evaluation Cost, submitters will be included for future 
consideration for Western's capacity in the TWE Project should the 
project proceed and Western participate in it.
    Western will treat data submitted by entities in this process, 
including financing arrangements with other parties, in accordance with 
the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Participants may identify for 
confidential treatment all or part of a submitted document under the 
FOIA exemption for ``Confidential Business Information'' with 
appropriate markings. Such markings will be considered in the event a 
FOIA request for the information is received.

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 the DOE 
NEPA Implementing Procedures and Guidelines (10 CFR Part 1021), Western 
has determined that this action is categorically excluded from further 
NEPA analysis. Future actions under this authority will undergo 
appropriate NEPA analysis.

    Dated: October 7, 2010.
Timothy J. Meeks,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2010-26143 Filed 10-15-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P