[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 196 (Thursday, October 12, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47505-47506]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-21938]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Western Area Power Administration


Recommendation for the Western Area Power Administration Loveland 
Area Projects and Colorado River Storage Project To Pursue Final 
Negotiations Regarding Membership in a Regional Transmission 
Organization

AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), a power marketing 
administration (PMA) of the Department of Energy (DOE), is publishing 
this recommendation for the Loveland Area Projects (LAP) and the 
Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) to pursue final negotiations 
regarding membership in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), a Regional 
Transmission Organization (RTO). WAPA is seeking public comment from 
its customers, Native American Tribes, stakeholders, and the public on 
the substance of WAPA's recommendation to pursue final negotiations 
regarding LAP and CRSP membership in SPP.

DATES: To ensure consideration, all comments should be received by WAPA 
by email or at the address below on or before 4 p.m. MST November 27, 
2017. WAPA will present a detailed explanation of the recommendation 
for LAP and listen to customers' and other interested parties' comments 
at a forum in Loveland, Colorado. WAPA also will present a detailed 
explanation of the recommendation for CRSP and listen to customers' and 
other interested parties' comments at forums held in locations 
throughout the CRSP marketing area. The specific times and locations of 
these forums are posted on the Web sites identified in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section. Key information that formed the 
basis for this recommendation will be presented at the forums and is 
posted at the Web sites listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
section. Any decision to pursue the recommendation will be informed by 
comments received.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments by email to [email protected] or 
by mail to Mr. Rodney G. Bailey, Power Marketing Advisor, Western Area 
Power Administration, 150 East Social Hall Avenue, Suite 300, Salt Lake 
City, UT 84111-1580. Written comments must be received by the deadline 
identified in the DATES section to be considered in WAPA's decision 
process and should include the following information:
    1. Name and general description of the entity submitting the 
comment.
    2. Name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address of 
the entity's primary contact.
    3. Identification of any specific recommendation the comment 
references.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Rodney Bailey, Power Marketing 
Advisor, Western Area Power Administration, 150 East Social Hall 
Avenue, Suite 300, Salt Lake City, UT 84111-1580, telephone (801) 524-
4007.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 2013, representatives for LAP and CRSP, 
along with eight other transmission owners, informally referred to as 
the Mountain West Transmission Group (Mountain West), began discussing 
combining their transmission systems under a single tariff to eliminate 
pancaked transmission rates and enable generation optimization across 
the footprint. After reaching conceptual agreement on the possibility 
of a joint tariff, the discussions focused on the Mountain West 
participants joining an RTO with a fully integrated energy and 
ancillary services market. With this perspective, the Mountain West 
participants, individually and collectively, completed transmission 
cost studies, adjusted production cost modeling, and performed various 
other analyses. The Mountain West participants sent a request for 
information to SPP and three other RTOs. After having considered the 
responses to its request, in conjunction with each Mountain West 
participant's individual analyses and the collective Mountain West 
analyses, the Mountain West participants reached consensus to further 
investigate membership in SPP. After extensive discussions among the 
Mountain West participants, preliminary negotiations with SPP, and 
further analysis by WAPA subject matter experts, and pursuant to its 
authority under Section 1232(a)(1)(A) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 
(42 U.S.C. 16431), WAPA recommends pursuing final negotiations 
regarding LAP and CRSP membership in SPP. Any decision by WAPA to move 
forward in final negotiations with SPP will be consistent with CRSP and 
LAP statutory requirements and as outlined in the basis for the 
recommendation and explanatory material posted to WAPA's Rocky Mountain 
Region (RMR) and Colorado River Storage Project Management Center (CRSP 
MC) Web sites at https://www.wapa.gov/regions/rm and https://www.wapa.gov/regions/crsp, respectively. At the conclusion of those 
final negotiations, WAPA intends to provide notification of its 
decision for LAP and CRSP to either execute a membership agreement with 
SPP or terminate formal negotiations.
    Therefore, WAPA is soliciting comments from its customers and other 
interested parties regarding this recommendation. If the membership 
negotiations are successful, then LAP and CRSP would sign an SPP 
membership agreement to become members of SPP and participate in the 
SPP Integrated Marketplace, the LAP and CRSP transmission systems would 
be placed under the SPP tariff, and the Western Area Colorado Missouri 
Balancing Authority responsibilities would transfer to SPP. Section 
1232(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 authorizes the appropriate 
Federal regulatory authority to enter into a contract, agreement, or 
other arrangement transferring control and use of all or part of the 
transmission system of a Federal utility to a Transmission 
Organization. (42 U.S.C. 16431(b)). The Administrator of WAPA is 
designated as the appropriate Federal regulatory authority with respect 
to all or part of WAPA's transmission system in accordance with the 
Energy Policy Act of 2005.

Availability of Information

    The basis for this recommendation and explanatory material to be 
presented at the forums are available for review and comment on the Web 
sites referenced in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section. Comments 
received in response to this notice will be posted on the same Web 
sites after the close of the comment period.

[[Page 47506]]

Environmental Compliance

    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321-4347), Council on Environmental Quality 
Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and DOE NEPA Regulations (10 CFR 
part 1021), WAPA is in the process of determining whether an 
environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement should be 
prepared or if this action can be categorically excluded from those 
requirements. Further environmental review actions will be posted to 
the RMR and CRSP MC Web sites referenced in the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section.

    Dated: September 21, 2017.
Mark A. Gabriel,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2017-21938 Filed 10-11-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P