[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 102 (Friday, May 24, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45874-45875]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-11497]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[GDO Docket No. EA-427]


Application for Amended Authorization To Export Electric Energy; 
Versant Power

AGENCY: Grid Deployment Office, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of application.

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SUMMARY: Versant Power (the Applicant), formerly known as Emera Maine, 
has applied to transmit electric energy from the United States to 
Canada pursuant to the Federal Power Act.

DATES: Comments, protests, or motions to intervene must be submitted on 
or before June 10, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Comments, protests, motions to intervene, or requests for 
more information should be addressed by electronic mail to 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janessa Zucchetto, (240) 474-8226, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The United States Department of Energy (DOE) 
regulates electricity exports from the United States to foreign 
countries in accordance with section 202(e) of the Federal Power Act 
(FPA) (16 U.S.C. 824a(e)) and regulations thereunder (10 CFR 205.300 et 
seq.). Sections 301(b) and 402(f) of the DOE Organization Act (42 
U.S.C. 7151(b) and 7172(f)) transferred this regulatory authority, 
previously exercised by the now-defunct Federal Power Commission, to 
DOE.
    Section 202(e) of the FPA provides that an entity which seeks to 
export electricity must obtain an order from DOE authorizing that 
export (16 U.S.C. 824a(e)). On April 10, 2023, the authority to issue 
such orders was delegated to the DOE's Grid Deployment Office (GDO) by 
Delegation Order No. S1-DEL-S3-2023 and Redelegation Order No. S3-DEL-
GD1-2023.
    On December 5, 1963, DOE issued Order No. E-6751 authorizing Maine 
Public Service Company (Maine Public) to transmit electric energy from 
the United States to Canada. On October 7, 2020, Versant Power filed an 
application (Application or App.) with DOE seeking to rescind Order No. 
E-6751 and have the authorization to export electric energy issued to 
Versant Power. App. at 1.DOE did not act upon Versant Power's initial 
application to rescind and reissue Order No. E-6751.
    According to the Application, Maine Public merged with Bangor Hydro 
Electric Company (Bangor Hydro) to form Emera Maine on January 1, 2014. 
App. at 1. Emera Maine then changed its name to Versant Power in May 
2020. Id. Versant Power states that it is a ``Maine corporation in the 
business of the purchase, sale, transmission and distribution of 
electricity in the state of Maine.'' Id. at 2. The Applicant states it 
is the principal operating subsidiary of BHE Holdings, Inc., a Delaware 
corporation. Id. Versant Power further states that it ``has received 
market-based rate authority from the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission.'' Id. The Applicant does not ``own [any] generation and 
only engage[s] in the wholesale marketing of generation[.]'' Id. at 6. 
Additionally, Versant Power represents that since it is primarily a 
transmission and distribution utility, ``any sales of electric energy 
will be surplus to the needs of the customers within [the Applicant's] 
service territory, so that the export of power will not impair the 
sufficiency of electric power supply in the U.S.'' App. at 6. Further, 
the Applicant states it agrees to abide by the export limits of the 
transmission facilities over which it seeks to export and asserts its 
exports ``will not impede or tend to impede the coordinated use of 
transmission facilities within the meaning of Section 202(e) of the 
FPA.'' Id. at 8.
    The existing international transmission facilities to be utilized 
by the Applicant have been previously

[[Page 45875]]

authorized by Presidential permits issued pursuant to Executive Order 
10485, as amended, and are appropriate for open access transmission by 
third parties. See App. at Exhibit C.
    Procedural Matters: Any person desiring to be heard in this 
proceeding should file a comment or protest to the Application at 
[email protected]. Protests should be filed in accordance 
with Rule 211 of FERC's Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 
385.211). Any person desiring to become a party to this proceeding 
should file a motion to intervene at [email protected] in 
accordance with FERC Rule 214 (18 CFR 385.214).
    Comments and other filings concerning Versant Power's Application 
should be clearly marked with GDO Docket No. EA-427. Additional copies 
are to be provided directly to Philip C. Smith, Corporate Counsel, 
Versant Power, P.O. Box 932, Bangor, ME 04401, 
[email protected], and Bonnie A. Suchman, Suchman Law LLC, 
8104 Paisley Place, Potomac, Maryland 20854, [email protected].
    A final decision will be made on the requested authorization after 
the environmental impacts have been evaluated pursuant to DOE's 
National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Procedures (10 CFR part 
1021) and after DOE evaluates whether the proposed action will have an 
adverse impact on the sufficiency of supply or reliability of the 
United States electric power supply system.
    Copies of this Application will be made available, upon request, by 
accessing the program website at https://www.energy.gov/gdo/pending-applications-0 or by emailing [email protected].
    Signing Authority: This document of the Department of Energy was 
signed on May 21, 2024, by Maria Robinson, Director, Grid Deployment 
Office, 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 publication in the 
Federal Register.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on May 21, 2024.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2024-11497 Filed 5-23-24; 8:45 am]
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