[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 188 (Friday, September 29, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67275-67276]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-21449]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Southwestern Power Administration


Integrated System Rate Schedules

AGENCY: Southwestern Power Administration, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of rate order.

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SUMMARY: The Administrator, Southwestern Power Administration 
(Southwestern), has approved and placed into effect Rate Order No. 
SWPA-81, which provides a temporary extension of Southwestern's current 
Integrated System rate schedules (P-13B, NFTS-13A, and EE-13) through 
September 30, 2024, unless superseded.

DATES: Extension of the rate schedules is effective October 1, 2023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Fritha Ohlson, Senior Vice 
President, Chief Operating Officer, Office of Corporate Operations, 
(918) 595-6684, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Rate Order No. SWPA-81, as contained herein, 
has been approved and placed into effect by the Administrator, 
Southwestern, and provides for the temporary extension, through 
September 30, 2024, unless superseded, of the Integrated System Rate 
Schedule P-13B, Wholesale Rates for Hydro Peaking Power; Rate Schedule 
NFTS-13A, Wholesale Rates for Non-Federal Transmission/Interconnection 
Facilities Service; and Rate Schedule EE-13, Wholesale Rates for Excess 
Energy.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

ADMINISTRATOR, SOUTHWESTERN POWER ADMINISTRATION

In the matter of: Southwestern Power Administration Integrated System 
Rate Schedules
Rate Order No. SWPA-81

ORDER APPROVING EXTENSION OF RATE SCHEDULES ON A TEMPORARY BASIS

(9/25/2023)
    Pursuant to Sections 301(b) and 302(a) of the Department of Energy 
Organization Act, 42 U.S.C. 7151(b) and 7152(a), the functions of the 
Secretary of the Interior and the Federal Power Commission under 
Section 5 of the Flood Control Act of 1944, 16 U.S.C. 825s, relating to 
the Southwestern Power Administration (Southwestern), were transferred 
to and vested in the Secretary of Energy. By Delegation Order No. S1-
DEL-RATES-2016, effective November 19, 2016, the Secretary of Energy 
delegated: (1) the authority to develop power and transmission rates to 
Southwestern'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 the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). By 
Delegation Order No. S1-DEL-S3-2023, effective April 10, 2023, 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 for Infrastructure. By Redelegation Order No. S3-DEL-SWPA1-
2023, effective April 10, 2023, the Under Secretary for Infrastructure 
redelegated the authority to confirm, approve, and place such rates 
into effect on an interim basis to the Southwestern Administrator.

BACKGROUND

    On September 30, 2013, in Rate Order No. SWPA-66, the Deputy 
Secretary of Energy placed into effect Southwestern's Integrated System 
rate schedules (P-13, NFTS-13, and EE-13) on an interim basis for the 
period October 1, 2013 to September 30, 2017. FERC confirmed and 
approved Southwestern's interim Integrated System rates on a final 
basis on January 9, 2014 for a period ending September 30, 2017.
    Southwestern re-designated Integrated System rate schedule ``NFTS-
13'' as ``NFTS-13A'' with no revenue adjustment. In Rate Order No. 
SWPA-71, the Deputy Secretary of Energy placed into effect 
Southwestern's rate schedule NFTS-13A on an interim basis beginning 
January 1, 2017. FERC confirmed and approved NFTS-13A on a final basis 
on March 9, 2017.
    On September 13, 2017, in Rate Order No. SWPA-72, the Deputy 
Secretary of Energy extended all of Southwestern's Integrated System 
rate schedules (P-13, NTFS-13A, and EE-13) for two years, for the 
period of October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2019.
    Southwestern re-designated Integrated System rate schedule ``P-13'' 
as ``P-13A'' with no revenue adjustment to incorporate a new section 
regarding requirements for the peaking energy schedule submission time. 
In Rate Order No. SWPA-73, the Assistant Secretary for Electricity 
placed into effect Southwestern's rate schedule for P-13A on an interim 
basis beginning July 1, 2019. FERC confirmed and approved P-13A on a 
final basis on August 29, 2019.
    On September 22, 2019, in Rate Order No. SWPA-74, the Assistant 
Secretary for Electricity extended all of Southwestern's Integrated 
System rate schedules (P-13A, NFTS-13A, EE-13) for two years, for the 
period of October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2021.
    On August 30, 2021, in Rate Order No. SWPA-77, the Administrator, 
Southwestern, extended all of Southwestern's Integrated System rate 
schedules (P-13A, NFTS-13A, EE-13) for two years, for the period of 
October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2023.
    Southwestern re-designated Integrated System rate schedule ``P-
13A'' as ``P-13B'' with no revenue adjustment to update the peaking 
energy schedule submission time requirements. In Rate Order No. SWPA-
80, the Administrator, Southwestern, placed into effect Southwestern's 
rate schedule for P-13B on an interim basis beginning July 15, 2023. 
The P-13B rate schedule has been submitted to FERC for confirmation and 
approval on a final basis.

DISCUSSION

    Southwestern's current Integrated System rate schedules (P-13B, 
NFTS-13A, and EE-13) are based on its 2013 Power Repayment Study (PRS). 
Southwestern has conducted PRSs annually thereafter through 2023. Each 
PRS from 2014 through 2022 indicated a need for a revenue adjustment 
within a plus or minus two percent range of the revenue estimate based 
on the current rate schedules. It is Southwestern's practice for the 
Administrator to defer, on a case-by-case basis, revenue adjustments 
for the Integrated System within plus or minus two percent from the 
revenue estimate based on the current rate schedules. Thus, the 
Administrator has deferred revenue adjustments annually through 2022. 
The 2023 PRS indicated a need for a revenue adjustment above two 
percent and therefore Southwestern is working towards finalization of 
the 2023 PRS and development of a rate adjustment plan including design 
of a new set of

[[Page 67276]]

Integrated System rate schedules (P-23, NFTS-23, and EE-23). However, 
that effort and the associated procedures for public participation in 
accordance with 10 CFR part 903 will not be completed in time for the 
new rate schedules to be placed into effect prior to the September 30, 
2023, expiration of the current rate schedules, and thus temporary 
extension of the current rate schedules is necessary. Pursuant to 10 
CFR 903.23(b) and Redelegation Order No. S3-DEL-SWPA1-2023, 
Southwestern's Administrator may extend existing rates on a temporary 
basis without advance notice or comment pending further action. In such 
a circumstance, the Administrator shall publish notice of said 
extension in the Federal Register and promptly advise FERC of the 
extension. The revenue collection associated with the extension of the 
current rates will be considered in the development of the new rates 
based on the 2023 PRS such that repayment obligations are met 
consistent with the provisions of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 
No. RA 6120.2.

AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION

    Information regarding the extension of these rate schedules is 
available for public review in the offices of Southwestern Power 
Administration, Williams Tower I, One West Third Street Suite 1500, 
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103. The rate schedules are available on the 
Southwestern website at www.energy.gov/swpa/rates-and-repayment.

ORDER

    In view of the foregoing and pursuant to the authority delegated to 
me by the Secretary of Energy, I hereby extend, effective October 1, 
2023, the Integrated System Rate Schedule P-13B, Wholesale Rates for 
Hydro Peaking Power; Rate Schedule NFTS-13A, Wholesale Rates for Non-
Federal Transmission/Interconnection Facilities Service; and Rate 
Schedule EE-13, Wholesale Rates for Excess Energy. The rate schedules 
shall remain in effect on a temporary basis through September 30, 2024, 
unless superseded.

Signing Authority

    This document of the Department of Energy was signed on September 
25, 2023, by Mike Wech, Administrator for Southwestern 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 DOE. This administrative process in no way 
alters the legal effect of this document upon publication in the 
Federal Register.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on September 26, 2023.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2023-21449 Filed 9-28-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P