[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 197 (Friday, October 10, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61301-61302]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-24266]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Bonneville Power Administration; Proposed Revision of BPA's 
Billing Credits Policy of 1993

AGENCY: Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Department of Energy.

ACTION: Proposed Revision of BPA's Billing Credits Policy.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces BPA's proposal to revise its Billing 
Credit Policy and to provide Billing Credits for conservation.

DATES: Written comments are due to the address below no later than 
November 14, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Comments and suggestions on the proposed Billing Credits 
Policy revision for this project may be mailed by letter to Bonneville 
Power Administration, Public Affairs--DKE-7, P.O. Box 14428, Portland, 
OR 97292-4428. Or you may FAX them to 503-230-4019; submit them on-line 
at www.bpa.gov/comment; or email them to [email protected]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Wilson, Bonneville Power 
Administration--PSW-6, P.O. Box 3621, Portland, Oregon, 97208-3621; 
toll-free telephone number 1-800-622-4519; fax number 503-230-3242; 
email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Proposed Action: Proposed Revision of BPA's Billing Credits Policy.
    Process to Date: Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) worked with 
its customers throughout 2014 to explore improvements to its Energy 
Efficiency (EE) program. Based on the collaborative work with its 
customers, BPA proposes to revise its Billing Credits Policy to offer a 
Billing Credit program for conservation pursuant to section 6(h) of the 
1980 Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act 
that focuses on the independent conservation activity of BPA's 
customers and the potential of that activity to reduce the BPA

[[Page 61302]]

Administrator's need to acquire resources from conservation. BPA's 
existing Billing Credits Policy interprets the Billing Credits 
provisions in the Northwest Power Act, prescribes criteria for customer 
and resource eligibility, and establishes procedures for granting 
Billing Credits. With the proposed revision of BPA's Billing Credits 
Policy, BPA would consider customer requests for Billing Credits in 
exchange for a customer's independent acquisition of conservation 
performed during the FY2016-2017 rate period and throughout the 
duration of customers' existing Regional Dialogue contracts.

Billing Credit Amount

    BPA proposes to develop a formula for determining the Billing 
Credit amount based on the costs that BPA avoids by not providing the 
customer Energy Efficiency Incentive (EEI) funding under Energy 
Conservation Agreements (ECA). The formula would be designed with the 
intent to reasonably assure rate neutrality for all customers, whether 
or not they choose to participate in the Billing Credit program.
    The formula would be constructed as follows. BPA would determine 
the average annual incremental cost that BPA would incur by borrowing 
for, and managing the distribution of, EEI funds for the participating 
customers. In making that determination, BPA would use a comparable 
amortization period and interest rates matching those forecast in the 
rate case for the initial years the Billing Credit would be granted. 
The average annual incremental cost over the amortization period would 
represent the annual Billing Credit amount that a participating 
customer is expected to receive.
    BPA's final rates would be updated to account for customer choices 
to forego the EEI and to include the costs of customer Billing Credits. 
A participating customer would agree to a Billing Credits special 
provision in its Regional Dialogue Contract that would define the 
amount of forecasted conservation savings the customer is obligated to 
achieve, which is expected to be the same amount that would have been 
achieved under the ECA.

Public Involvement

    BPA has established a 30-day comment period during which customers, 
stakeholders, and any other interested parties are invited to comment 
on the proposed policy revision. This comment period will help BPA 
ensure that a full range of issues related to this proposal is 
addressed in an Administrator's Record of Decision. BPA will consider 
and respond to comments received on the proposed policy revision. BPA's 
subsequent decision will be documented in an Administrator's Record of 
Decision.

National Environmental Policy Act

    BPA is in the process of assessing the potential environmental 
effects of the proposed billing credits policy revision consistent with 
the National Environmental Policy Act. Comments regarding the potential 
environmental effects of the proposal may be submitted to Katherine 
Pierce, NEPA Compliance Officer, KEC-4, Bonneville Power 
Administration, 905 NE 11th Avenue, Portland, OR 97232. Any such 
comments received by the comment deadline will be considered by BPA's 
NEPA compliance staff in the NEPA process that will be conducted for 
this proposal.

    Issued in Portland, Oregon, on October 1, 2014.
Elliot E. Mainzer,
Administrator and Chief Executive Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-24266 Filed 10-9-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P