[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 35 (Friday, February 21, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9897-9898]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-03696]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Western Area Power Administration


Falcon and Amistad Projects' Rate Order No. WAPA-164

AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration (Western), DOE.

ACTION: Notice of proposed extension for the Falcon and Amistad 
Projects' Power Rate Formula.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This action is a proposal to extend the existing Falcon and 
Amistad Projects' Firm Power Rate Formula through June 7, 2019. The 
Falcon and Amistad Projects' Firm Power Rate Formula will expire on 
June 7, 2014.

DATES: Thirty days after this notice is published, Western will take 
further action on the proposed formula rate extension consistent with 
10 CFR 903.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Lynn C. Jeka, CRSP Manager, 
Colorado River Storage Project Management Center, Western Area Power 
Administration, 150 East Social Hall Avenue, Suite 300, Salt Lake City, 
UT 84111-1580, (801) 524-6372, email: [email protected], or Mr. Rodney 
Bailey, Power Marketing Manager, Colorado River Storage Project 
Management Center, Western Area Power Administration, 150 East Social 
Hall Avenue, Suite 300, Salt Lake City, UT 84111-1580, (801) 524-4007, 
email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: By Delegation Order No. 00-037.00A, the 
Secretary of Energy delegated: (1) The authority to develop power and 
transmission rates to Western's Administrator; (2) the authority to 
confirm, approve, and place in effect such rates on an interim basis to 
the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Energy; and (3) the authority 
to confirm and approve on a final basis or to disapprove rates 
developed by the Administrator under the delegation to the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). This extension is issued pursuant 
to the Delegation Order and DOE rate extension procedures at 10 CFR 
903.23(a).
    The Falcon and Amistad Dams are features of international water 
storage projects located on the Rio Grande River between Texas and 
Mexico. Under the terms of Contract No. 7-07-50-P0890 (Contract), dated 
August 9, 1977, as amended, Western marketed the power from these dams 
to two electric cooperatives, South Texas Electric Cooperative, Inc., 
and Medina Electric Cooperative. The power rate formula of the Contract 
was initially approved by the Federal Power Commission, predecessor to 
FERC, in Docket No. E-9566 on August 12, 1977 (59 FPC 1653), for a 5-
year period effective on the date of initial operation of Amistad Power 
Plant, June 8, 1983.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ A 5-year rate extension of this same rate formula through 
June 7, 1993, was approved by FERC on July 20, 1988, at 44 FERC ] 
62,058. Subsequent 5-year extensions of the rate formula have been 
approved by FERC. The most recent approval was on December 17, 2009, 
in Docket No. EF09-5101-000, which approved the same rate formula 
through June 7, 2014 (129 FERC ] 62,206).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 9898]]

    According to article 9(a) of the Contract, Western calculates the 
annual installment to be paid by the customer for the power generated 
at the Falcon and Amistad power plants. The annual installment is 
adjusted on or before August 31 of the year preceding the fiscal year 
to which it pertains and Western identifies this amount in a revised 
Exhibit A to the Contract. Each annual installment pays the annual 
amortized portion of the United States' investment in the Falcon and 
Amistad hydroelectric facilities with interest and the associated 
operation, maintenance, and administrative costs. This repayment 
schedule is not dependent upon the power and energy made available for 
sale or the rate of generation each year.
    Thirty days after this notice is published, Western will take 
further action on the proposed formula rate extension for the Falcon 
and Amistad Projects, pursuant to the Delegation Order and DOE rate 
extension procedures at 10 CFR 903.23(a).

    Dated: February 4, 2014.
Mark A. Gabriel,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2014-03696 Filed 2-20-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P