[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 184 (Friday, September 21, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47921-47922]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-20597]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Western Area Power Administration
Pacific Northwest-Pacific Southwest Intertie Project--Rate Order
No. WAPA-181
AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE.
ACTION: Notice of rate order extending transmission service rates.
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SUMMARY: The Deputy Secretary of Energy extends, on an interim basis,
the existing Pacific Northwest-Pacific Southwest Intertie Project
(Intertie) transmission service rates through September 30, 2020.
Existing Rate Schedules INT-FT5 and INT-NFT4 expired on April 30, 2018.
The Administrator of the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA)
approved rates for short-term sales of firm and non-firm transmission
service on April 26, 2018, to cover the period between May 1, 2018, and
the date this rate extension goes into effect or October 31, 2018,
whichever occurs first. The extended transmission service rates will be
in effect on an interim basis until the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC) confirms, approves, and places them into effect on a
final basis, or until they are replaced by other rates.
DATES: Transmission Service Rate Schedules INT-FT5 and INT-NFT4 will
become effective October 22, 2018, and will remain in effect through
September 30, 2020.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Ronald E. Moulton, Regional
Manager, Desert Southwest Customer Service Region, Western Area Power
Administration, P.O. Box 6457, Phoenix, AZ 85005-6457, or Ms. Tina
Ramsey, Rates Manager, Desert Southwest Customer Service Region,
Western Area Power Administration, P.O. Box 6457, Phoenix, AZ 85005-
6457, (602) 605-2565, or e-mail [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: By Delegation Order No. 00-037.00B,
effective November 19, 2016, the Secretary of Energy delegated: (1) The
authority to develop power and transmission rates to WAPA's
Administrator; (2) the authority to confirm, approve, and place such
rates into effect on an interim basis to the Deputy Secretary of
Energy; and (3) the authority to confirm, approve, and place into
effect on a final basis, to remand, or to disapprove such rates to
FERC.
Rate Schedules INT-FT5 and INT-NFT4 under Rate Order No. WAPA-157
\1\ were approved by FERC for a 5-year period through April 30, 2018.
WAPA's Administrator approved the use of existing Intertie rates under
his authority to set rates for short-term sales to cover the period
between May 1, 2018, and the date this rate extension goes into effect
or October 31, 2018, whichever occurs first.
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\1\ FERC confirmed and approved Rate Order No. WAPA-157 on
August 22, 2013, in Docket No. EF13-4-000. See Order Confirming and
Approving Rate Schedules on a Final Basis, 144 FERC ] 61,143.
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In accordance with 10 CFR 903.23(a), WAPA is extending the Intertie
transmission service rates under Rates Schedules INT-FT5 and INT-NFT4.
Extending these rate schedules through September 30, 2020, will provide
WAPA and its customers time to evaluate the potential benefits of
combining transmission rates on Federal projects located within WAPA's
Desert Southwest Region. Combining rates may lead to more efficient use
of the Federal transmission systems, diversify the customers who use
those systems, and be financially advantageous. If, after a thorough
evaluation, WAPA determines that combining transmission rates will
produce material benefits, it would initiate a rate adjustment to
combine the rates.
The notice of proposed rate extension was published in the Federal
Register on March 9, 2018 (83 FR 10475). In accordance with 10 CFR
903.23(a), WAPA determined it was not necessary to hold a public
information or public comment forum but provided a 30-day consultation
and comment period on the proposed rate extension. The consultation and
comment period ended on April 9, 2018.
Following DOE's review of WAPA's proposal, I hereby approve Rate
Order No. WAPA-181, which extends existing Transmission Service Rate
Schedules INT-FT5 and INT-NFT4 through September 30, 2020. Rate Order
No. WAPA-181 will be submitted to FERC for confirmation and approval on
a final basis.
Dated: September 11, 2018.
Dan Brouillette,
Deputy Secretary of Energy.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
DEPUTY SECRETARY
In the Matter of: Western Area Power Administration Rate
Extension of Pacific Northwest-Pacific Southwest Intertie Project
Transmission Service Rate Schedules
Rate Order No. WAPA-181
ORDER CONFIRMING AND APPROVING AN EXTENSION OF PACIFIC NORTHWEST-
PACIFIC SOUTHWEST INTERTIE PROJECT TRANSMISSION SERVICE RATE SCHEDULES
Section 302 of the Department of Energy (DOE) Organization Act (42
U.S.C. 7152) transferred to and vested in the Secretary of Energy the
power marketing functions of the Secretary of the Department of the
Interior and the Bureau of Reclamation under the Reclamation Act of
1902 (ch. 1093, 32 Stat. 388), as amended and supplemented by
subsequent laws, particularly section 9(c) of the Reclamation Project
Act of 1939 (43 U.S.C. 485h(c)), and other acts that specifically apply
to the project involved.
By Delegation Order No. 00-037.00B, effective November 19, 2016,
the Secretary of Energy delegated (1) the authority to develop power
and transmission rates to the Administrator of the Western Area Power
Administration (WAPA); (2) the
[[Page 47922]]
authority to confirm, approve, and place such rates into effect on an
interim basis to the Deputy Secretary of Energy; and (3) the authority
to confirm, approve, and place into effect on a final basis, to remand,
or to disapprove such rates to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC). This extension is issued pursuant to the Delegation Order and
DOE rate extension procedures documented at 10 CFR 903.23(a).
BACKGROUND
On August 22, 2013, FERC confirmed, approved, and placed into
effect on a final basis Intertie Transmission Service Rate Schedules
INT-FT5 and INT-NFT4 under Rate Order No. WAPA-157.\1\ These
transmission service rate schedules were approved for 5-year period
beginning May 1, 2013, and ending April 30, 2018.
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\1\ FERC confirmed and approved Rate Order No. WAPA-157 on
August 22, 2013, in Docket No. EF13-4-000. See Order Confirming and
Approving Rate Schedules on a Final Basis, 144 FERC ] 61,143.
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Pursuant to 10 CFR 903.23(a), WAPA filed a notice in the Federal
Register on March 9, 2018, proposing to extend Rate Schedules INT-FT5
and INT-NFT4 under Rate Order No. WAPA-181 (83 FR 10475). WAPA held a
consultation and comment period on the proposed rate extension but did
not conduct a public information forum or public comment forum. WAPA
received no comments during the consultation and comment period, which
ended on April 9, 2018.
DISCUSSION
On April 30, 2018, existing Rate Schedules INT-FT5 and INT-NFT4
expired. Pursuant to Delegation Order No. 00-037.00B, Section 1.5,
rates for short-term sales were approved by WAPA's Administrator to
cover the period between May 1, 2018, and the date the rate extension
goes into effect or October 31, 2018, whichever occurs first. The
existing transmission service rates provide adequate revenue to pay all
annual costs, including interest expense, and to repay required
investment according to the cost recovery criteria set forth in DOE
Order RA 6120.2. Rate Order No. WAPA-181, which extends the existing
rate schedules through September 30, 2020, ensures adequate revenue to
pay all annual costs for the allowable period.
[FR Doc. 2018-20597 Filed 9-20-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P