[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 222 (Tuesday, November 18, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68673-68674]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-27259]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[OE Docket No: PP-398]


Amended Application for Presidential Permit; Great Northern 
Transmission Line

AGENCY:  Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, DOE.

ACTION:  Notice of amended application.

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

SUMMARY:  Minnesota Power, an operating division of ALLETE, Inc., has 
submitted an amended application for a Presidential permit to 
construct, operate, maintain, and connect an electric transmission line 
across the United States border with Canada.

DATES:  Comments or requests to intervene should be submitted on or 
before December 18, 2014.

ADDRESSES:  Comments or requests to intervene should be addressed as 
follows: Christopher Lawrence, Office of Electricity Delivery and 
Energy Reliability (OE-20), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Christopher Lawrence (Program Office) 
at 202-586-5260 or via electronic mail at 
[email protected], or Katherine L. Konieczny (Attorney-
Adviser) at 202-586-0503 or via electronic mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  The construction, operation, maintenance, 
and connection of facilities crossing the international border of the 
United States for the transmission of electric energy between the 
United States and a foreign country is prohibited in the absence of a 
Presidential permit issued pursuant to Executive Order (EO) 10485, as 
amended by EO 12038.
    On April 15, 2014, Minnesota Power filed an application with the 
Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability of the Department 
of Energy (DOE) for a Presidential permit. Minnesota Power has it 
principal place of business in Duluth, Minnesota. Minnesota Power is an 
investor-owned utility and provides retail electric service to 144,000 
customers and wholesale electric service to 16 municipalities and 
several industrial customers.
    On May 14, 2014, DOE published a Notice of Application in the 
Federal Register. On October 29, 2014, Minnesota Power submitted an 
amendment to its Presidential permit application. In the amendment 
letter notifying DOE of a new proposed border crossing, Minnesota Power 
stated that in the course of its review and consultation with state and 
federal agencies, as well as more input with landowners and 
stakeholders in the vicinity of the proposed border crossing, Minnesota 
Power determined that the originally proposed border crossing submitted 
in its application is no longer feasible.
    Minnesota Power now proposes to cross the U.S. international border 
approximately 4.3 miles to the east of its original proposed crossing. 
The new proposed border crossing for the Great Northern Transmission 
Line Project would originate at the Minnesota-

[[Page 68674]]

Manitoba border roughly 2.9 miles east of Highway 89 in Roseau County. 
It would proceed southeast 0.2 miles and then travel south 2.3 miles to 
390th Street and turn east following the Blue and Orange Routes as 
proposed in the April 15, 2014 application.
    Procedural Matters: Any person may comment on this application by 
filing such comment at the address provided above. Any person seeking 
to become a party to this proceeding must file a motion to intervene at 
the address provided above in accordance with Rule 214 of FERC's Rules 
of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.214). Two copies of each comment 
or motion to intervene should be filed with DOE on or before the date 
listed above.
    Additional copies of such motions to intervene also should be filed 
directly with: David Moeller, Senior Attorney, Minnesota Power, 30 West 
Superior St., Duluth, MN 55802, [email protected] AND Mike Donahue, 
Project Manager, Minnesota Power, 30 West Superior St., Duluth, MN 
55802, [email protected] AND Jim Atkinson, Environmental Manager, 
Minnesota Power, 30 West Superior St., Duluth, MN 55802, 
[email protected].
    Before a Presidential permit may be issued, DOE must determine 
whether issuance of the permit would be consistent with the public 
interest. In making that determination, DOE considers the potential 
environmental impacts of the proposed project pursuant to the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), determines the project's impact on 
electric reliability by ascertaining whether the proposed project would 
adversely affect the operation of the U.S. electric power supply system 
under normal and contingency conditions, and considers any other 
factors that may also be relevant to the public interest. DOE must also 
obtain the favorable recommendations of the Secretary of State and the 
Secretary of Defense before issuing a Presidential permit.
    Copies of the amended application will be made available, upon 
request, for public inspection by accessing the program Web site at 
http://energy.gov/oe/services/electricity-policy-coordination-and-implementation/international-electricity-regulatio-2 or by emailing 
Angela Troy at [email protected].

    Issued in Washington, DC, on November 12, 2014.
Christopher A. Lawrence,
Electricity Policy Analyst, National Electricity Delivery Division, 
Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability.
[FR Doc. 2014-27259 Filed 11-17-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P