[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 36 (Wednesday, February 24, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 9192]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-03829]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. RM11-6-000]


Billing Procedures for Annual Charges for Recompensing the United 
States for the Use, Occupancy, and Enjoyment of Federal Lands; Notice 
of Statement of Annual Charges for the Use of Government Lands for 
Fiscal Year 2016

    By this notice, the Commission states that in accordance to the 
Final Rule issued on January 17, 2013 \1\ the federal lands fee 
schedule of per-acre rates have been calculated for Fiscal Years (FY) 
2016 through 2020. Pursuant to the Final Rule, the Commission re-
calculates the federal lands fee schedule every five years by using the 
per-acre land values published in the National Agricultural Statistics 
Service (NASS) Census. The Commission established the FY 2016 through 
FY 2020 federal lands fee schedule based on data published in the 2012 
NASS Census. In addition, the Commission determines a state-specific 
reduction that removes the value of irrigated lands on a state-by-state 
basis, plus a seven percent reduction to remove the value of buildings. 
An encumbrance factor of 50 percent along with a rate of return of 5.77 
percent are calculated with the per-acre land values less the state-
specific reduction to derive at the individual state/county per-acre 
federal land rates assessed to hydropower projects.
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    \1\ Annual Charges for Use of Government Lands, Final Rule, 
Order No. 774, 78 FR 5256 (January 25, 2013), 142 FERC Stats & Regs. 
] 61,045 (2013).
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    The FY 2016 federal lands fee schedule rates have significantly 
increased in comparison to the FY 2015 federal lands fee schedule rates 
issued on January 8, 2015 for a number of hydropower projects located 
in multiple states/counties. In particular, hydropower projects located 
in the Kenai Peninsula Area of Alaska land rates increased by 71 
percent in comparison to land rates assessed in FY 2015. The FY 2016 
increase of per-acre land rates was mainly attributed to the increase 
of per-acre land and building values published in the 2012 NASS Census. 
The per-acre land value for land in the Kenai Peninsula Area was 
increased from $1,328 in the 2007 NASS Census to $2,423 in the 2012 
NASS Census. This increase along with factoring in the state-specific 
reduction, the 50 percent encumbrance factor, and the 5.77 percent rate 
of return ultimately resulted in a 71 percent increase of per-acre land 
rates assessed to hydropower projects located in the Kenai Peninsula 
Area. In addition, per-acre land values for San Bernardino County 
located in California, Boulder and Clear Creek Counties located in 
Colorado, and Blaine County located in Idaho all significantly 
increased as a result of the 2012 published NASS Census.
    Conversely, the FY 2016 federal lands fee schedule rates have 
significantly decreased in comparison to the FY 2015 federal lands fee 
schedule rates issued on January 8, 2015 for a number of hydropower 
projects located in other locations as a result of the decreased per-
acre land values published in the 2012 NASS Census. Specifically 
hydropower projects occupying federal lands in Alpine, Lake, and 
Riverside Counties located in California, Aleutian Islands Area located 
in Alaska, and Grays Harbor County located in Washington will receive 
as much as a 37 percent decrease in comparison to the federal lands 
annual charges issued in FY 2015.
    If you have any questions regarding this notice, please contact 
Steven Bromberek at (202) 502-8001 or Norman Richardson at (202) 502-
6219.

    Dated: February 18, 2016.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-03829 Filed 2-23-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P