[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 42 (Friday, March 2, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8983-8984]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-04285]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[OE Docket No. PP-443]


Application for Presidential Permit; GridAmerica Holdings Inc.

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

ACTION: Notice of application.

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

SUMMARY: GridAmerica Holdings Inc. (GridAmerica) has applied for a 
Presidential permit to construct, operate, maintain, and connect an 
electric transmission line across the United States border with Canada.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before April 2, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed as follows: 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];

[[Page 8984]]

Rishi Garg (Program Attorney) at 202-586-0258.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The construction, operation, maintenance, 
and connection of facilities at 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 (E.O.) 10485, as 
amended by E.O. 12038.
    On December 22, 2017, GridAmerica filed an application with the 
Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE) of the 
Department of Energy (DOE) for a Presidential permit for the Granite 
State Power Link Project (GSPL Project). GridAmerica is a direct wholly 
owned unregulated subsidiary of National Grid USA (``National Grid 
USA'' and its subsidiaries, collectively, ``National Grid''). The 
Applicant has its principal place of business in Waltham, MA.
    GridAmerica proposes to construct, operate, maintain and connect a 
1,200 megawatt (MW) overhead high voltage direct current (HVDC) 
transmission cable system to deliver electricity from Quebec. The GSPL 
Project will consist of new electric transmission facilities between 
the Canadian Provence of Quebec and Monroe, New Hampshire. From the 
U.S. border, two new 315 kilovolt (kV) overhead double circuit 
alternating current (AC) lines, supported by a single structure, will 
extend from the international border between Canada and the United 
States for approximately 0.5 miles to an alternating current/direct 
current (AC/DC) converter station located in Norton, Vermont. A new 
400kV overhead High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) electric 
transmission line will connect the new Norton Converter Station to a 
new DC/AC converter station located in Monroe, New Hampshire. The path 
of the transmission line will parallel the right-of-way of an existing 
Quebec-New England HVDC line. From the Monroe Converter station, a new 
single circuit 345kV line will extend approximately 215 feet to a new 
substation constructed by New England Power where it will then 
interconnect into the New England electric grid. The proposed GSPL Line 
will extend a distance of approximately 59 miles from the U.S.-Canada 
border to Monroe, NH.
    Since the restructuring of the electric industry began, resulting 
in the introduction of different types of competitive entities into the 
marketplace, DOE has consistently expressed its policy that cross-
border trade in electric energy should be subject to the same 
principles of comparable open access and non-discrimination that apply 
to transmission in interstate commerce. DOE has stated that policy in 
export authorizations granted to entities requesting authority to 
export over international transmission facilities. Specifically, DOE 
expects transmitting utilities owning border facilities to provide 
access across the border in accordance with the principles of 
comparable open access and non-discrimination contained in the Federal 
Power Act and articulated in Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
(FERC) Order No. 888, (Promoting Wholesale Competition Through Open 
Access Non-Discriminatory Transmission Services by Public Utilities), 
61 FR 21,540 (May 10, 1996), as amended.
    Procedural Matters: Any person may comment on this application by 
filing such comment at the mailing address or by emailing Christopher 
Lawrence at [email protected] provided above. A copy of 
each comment should be filed with DOE on or before the date listed 
above.
    Additional copies of such comments shall be filed with: Mr. Joseph 
Rossignoli Director, U.S. Business Development, GridAmerica Holdings 
Inc., 40 Sylvan Road, Waltham, MA 02451, 
[email protected] and Mr. Timothy Roskelley, Anderson 
& Kreiger LLP, 50 Milk Street, Boston, MA 02109, 
[email protected].
    Before a Presidential permit may be issued or amended, DOE must 
determine that the proposed action is in the public interest. In making 
that determination, DOE may consider the environmental impacts of the 
proposed project; 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 any other factors that DOE may also deem 
relevant to the public interest. Also, DOE must obtain the concurrences 
of the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense before taking 
final action on a Presidential permit application.
    Copies of this application will be made available, upon request, 
for public inspection and copying at the address provided above, by 
accessing the program website at http://energy.gov/oe/services/electricity-policy-coordination-and-implementation/international-electricity-regulatio-2.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on February 23, 2018.
Christopher A. Lawrence,
Electricity Policy Analyst, National Electricity Delivery Division, 
Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability.
[FR Doc. 2018-04285 Filed 3-1-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P