[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 124 (Friday, June 26, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38368-38369]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-13825]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Western Area Power Administration


Central Arizona Project--Rate Order No. WAPA-193

AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, Department of Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice of proposed extension of transmission service formula 
rates.

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SUMMARY: Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) proposes to extend 
its existing formula rates for transmission service on the Central 
Arizona Project (CAP) through December 31, 2025. The proposed formula 
rates are unchanged from the existing formula transmission service 
rates, under Rate Schedules CAP-FT3, CAP-NFT3, and CAP-NITS3 that 
expire on December 31, 2020.

DATES: A consultation and comment period will begin June 26, 2020 and 
end July 27, 2020. WAPA will accept written comments any time during 
the consultation and comment period.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and requests to be informed of Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) actions concerning the proposed 
transmission service rate extension submitted by WAPA to FERC should be 
sent to: Ms. Tracey LeBeau, Regional Manager, Desert Southwest Region, 
Western Area Power Administration, P.O. Box 6457, Phoenix, Arizona 
85005-6457, or email: [email protected]. WAPA will post information 
about the proposed transmission rate extension and written comments 
received to its website at: https://www.wapa.gov/regions/DSW/Rates/Pages/central-arizona-rates.aspx.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Tina Ramsey, Rates Manager, Desert 
Southwest Customer Service Region, Western Area Power Administration, 
(602) 605-2565 or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 27, 2020, FERC approved and 
confirmed Rate Schedules CAP-FT3, CAP-NFT3, and CAP-NITS3 for the 
period January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2020.\1\ Previously, in 
Rate Order No. WAPA-172-issued on December 21, 2015, the Deputy 
Secretary of Energy approved and placed these rate schedules into 
effect on an interim basis from January 1, 2016, through December 31, 
2020.\2\ In

[[Page 38369]]

accordance with 10 CFR 903.23(a),\3\ WAPA is proposing to extend the 
existing CAP transmission service formula rates under Rate Schedules 
CAP-FT3, CAP-NFT3, and CAP-NITS3 through December 31, 2025.
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    \1\ Order Confirming and Approving Rate Schedules on a Final 
Basis, FERC Docket No. EF19-6-000, 170 FERC ] 62,055 (2020).
    \2\ 80 FR 81310 (Dec. 29, 2015).
    \3\ 50 FR 37835 (Sept. 18, 1985) and 84 FR 5347 (Feb. 21, 2019).
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    Extending these rate schedules through December 31, 2025, will 
provide WAPA and its customers time to evaluate the potential benefits 
of combining transmission service rates on Federal projects located 
within WAPA's Colorado River Storage Project Management Center (CRSP) 
and Desert Southwest Region (DSW). Ongoing efforts made towards 
combining transmission rates, which up to this time have been solely 
focused within DSW, have been expanded to include CRSP transmission 
system rates. Combining rates may lead to more efficient use of Federal 
transmission systems, diversify the customers who use those systems, 
and be financially advantageous. If, after a thorough evaluation, WAPA 
determines that combining transmission service rates will produce 
material benefits, it would initiate a public process before making a 
decision to combine the rates.
    The existing formula rates provide sufficient revenue to pay all 
annual costs including interest expense and repay investment within the 
allowable period consistent with the cost recovery criteria set forth 
in DOE Order RA 6120.2.

Legal Authority

    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, or to remand or 
disapprove such rates, to FERC. By Delegation Order No. 00-002.00S, 
effective January 15, 2020, the Secretary of Energy also delegated the 
authority to confirm, approve, and place such rates into effect on an 
interim basis to the Under Secretary of Energy. By Redelegation Order 
No. 00-002.10E, effective February 14, 2020, the Under Secretary of 
Energy further delegated the authority to confirm, approve, and place 
such rates into effect on an interim basis to the Assistant Secretary 
for Electricity.
    In accordance with 10 CFR 903.23(a), WAPA has determined that it is 
not necessary to hold public information or public comment forums for 
this rate action but is initiating a 30-day consultation and comment 
period to give the public an opportunity to comment on the proposed 
extension. WAPA will review and consider all timely comments at the 
conclusion of the consultation and comment period and make adjustments 
to the proposal as appropriate.

Signing Authority

    This document of the Department of Energy was signed on June 22, 
2020, by Mark A. Gabriel, Administrator, Western Area Power 
Administration, pursuant to delegated authority from the Secretary of 
Energy. That document, with the original signature and date, is 
maintained by DOE. For administrative purposes only, and in compliance 
with requirements of the Office of the Federal Register, the 
undersigned DOE Federal Register Liaison Officer has been authorized to 
sign and submit the document in electronic format for publication, as 
an official document of the Department of Energy. This administrative 
process in no way alters the legal effect of this document upon its 
publication in the Federal Register.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on June 23, 2020.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2020-13825 Filed 6-25-20; 8:45 a.m.]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P