[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 74 (Thursday, April 16, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21221-21222]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-07971]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[DOE Docket No. PP-362-1]


Application To Rescind Presidential Permit; Application for 
Presidential Permit; Champlain Hudson Power Express, Inc. and CHPE, LLC

AGENCY: Office of Electricity, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of application.

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SUMMARY: Champlain Hudson Power Express, Inc. (CHPEI) and CHPE, LLC 
(together, the Applicants) have filed a joint application to 
voluntarily transfer ownership of the facilities owned by CHPEI and 
authorized for cross-border electric power transmission by Presidential 
Permit No. PP-362, to CHPE, LLC. The application requests that the 
Department of Energy (DOE) rescind the Presidential permit held by 
CHPEI and simultaneously issue a permit to CHPE, LLC covering the same 
international transmission facilities.

DATES: Comments, protests, or motions to intervene must be submitted on 
or before May 18, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Comments or motions to intervene should be addressed to 
Christopher Lawrence, [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher Lawrence (Program Office) 
at 202-586-5260 or by email to [email protected], or 
Christopher Drake (Attorney-Adviser) at 202-586-2919 or by email to 
[email protected].

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 April 6, 2020, the Applicants filed an application with the 
Office of

[[Page 21222]]

Electricity of the Department of Energy (DOE), as required by 
regulations at 10 CFR 205.320 et seq., requesting DOE to amend or, in 
the alternative, rescind and reissue Presidential Permit No. PP-362 to 
enable the transfer of the permit from CHPEI to its affiliate CHPE, 
LLC.
    On October 6, 2014, DOE issued Presidential Permit No. PP-362, 
authorizing CHPEI to construct, operate, and maintain the Champlain 
Hudson Power Express Project (Project). As described in PP-362, the 
Project is a 1,000 Megawatt (MW), high-voltage direct current (HVDC), 
underground and underwater merchant transmission system that will cross 
the United States-Canada international border underwater near the Town 
of Champlain, New York, extend approximately 336 miles south through 
New York State, and interconnect to facilities located in Queens 
County, New York owned by the Consolidated Edison Company of New York. 
The aquatic segments of the transmission line will primarily be 
submerged in Lake Champlain and the Hudson, Harlem, and East rivers. 
The terrestrial portions of the transmission line will primarily be 
buried in existing road and railroad rights-of-way (ROW).
    Since the issuance of PP-362 in 2014, the upstream owners of CHPEI 
have created a new affiliated entity, CHPE, LLC, that will --subject to 
regulatory approvals--construct, operate, and maintain the Project. The 
Project's upstream owners intend that the assets of CHPEI will be 
transferred to CHPE, LLC.
    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 (2) copies of each 
comment or motion to intervene should be filed with DOE on or before 
the date listed above.
    Comments and other filings concerning this application should be 
clearly marked with OE Docket No. PP-362-1. Additional copies are to be 
provided directly to Mr. Donald Jessome, Chief Executive Officer, 
Transmission Developers Inc., Pieter Schuyler Building, 600 Broadway, 
Albany, New York 12207-2283, [email protected] 
and
    Jay Ryan, Baker Botts L.L.P., 700 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 
20001, [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 will consider the environmental impacts of the 
proposed action (i.e., granting the Presidential permit or amendment, 
with any conditions and limitations, or denying the permit) pursuant to 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and 
determine 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 consider relevant 
to the public interest. DOE also must obtain the favorable 
recommendation of the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense 
before taking final action on a Presidential permit application.
    This application may be reviewed or downloaded electronically at 
http://energy.gov/oe/services/electricity-policy-coordination-and-implementation/international-electricity-regulatio-2. Upon reaching the 
home page, select ``Pending Applications.''

    Signed in Washington, DC, on April 10, 2020.
Christopher Lawrence,
Management and Program Analyst, Transmission Permitting and Technical 
Assistance, Office of Electricity.
[FR Doc. 2020-07971 Filed 4-15-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P