[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 126 (Monday, July 1, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54447-54448]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-14418]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[GDO Docket No. EA-48-O]


Application To Amend Export Authorization; El Paso Electric 
Company

AGENCY: Grid Deployment Office, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of application.

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SUMMARY: El Paso Electric Company (EPE or Applicant) has applied to 
amend its authorization to transmit electric energy from the United 
States to Mexico pursuant to the Federal Power Act to reflect a change 
in counterparty.

DATES: Comments, protests, or motions to intervene must be submitted on 
or before July 31, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Comments, protests, motions to intervene, or requests for 
more information should be addressed by electronic mail to 
hq.doe.gov">Electricity.Exports@hq.doe.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brett Thompson, (202) 288-2028, 
hq.doe.gov">Electricity.Exports@hq.doe.gov.

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 April 16, 1992, DOE issued Order No. EA-48-I authorizing EPE to 
export electric energy from the United States to Comisi[oacute]n 
Federal de Electricidad (CFE) in Mexico. Most recently, this export 
authorization was temporarily amended by Order No. EA-48-N on February 
25, 1998. On May 1, 2024, EPE filed an application with DOE (App. or 
Application) requesting to amend its export authorization to reflect a 
change in counterparty from CFE to the Centro Nacional de Control de 
Energ[iacute]a (CENACE). App. at 2.
    According to the Application, EPE and CFE entered into an 
Interchange Agreement (Enabling Contract) to ``govern the exchange of 
power between the two countries.'' Id. EPE states that ``reforms in 
Mexico have resulted in CFE no longer being responsible for energy 
transactions with EPE pursuant to the Enabling Contract. Rather, 
[CENACE] now operates [Mexico's] wholesale electricity market, has 
operational control of the national electric system, and establishes 
energy imports and exports for reliability and emergency situations.'' 
Id. EPE states that the Enabling Contract was assigned from CFE to 
CENACE effective April 16, 2024. Id. EPE requests that DOE amend its 
export authorization to reflect CENACE as the counterparty rather than 
CFE and confirm that the export authorization will remain applicable to 
the Enabling Contract now that it has been assigned to CENACE. Id.
    Procedural Matters: Any person desiring to be heard in this 
proceeding should file a comment or protest to the Application at 
hq.doe.gov">Electricity.Exports@hq.doe.gov. Protests should be filed in accordance 
with Rule 211 of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (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 
Electricity.Exports@

[[Page 54448]]

hq.doe.gov in accordance with FERC Rule 214 (18 CFR 385.214).
    Comments and other filings concerning El Paso Electric Company's 
Application should be clearly marked with GDO Docket No. EA-48-O. 
Additional copies are to be provided directly to Abe Gonzalez, El Paso 
Electric, P.O. Box 982, El Paso, Texas 79960, 
[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 hq.doe.gov">Electricity.Exports@hq.doe.gov.
    Signing Authority: This document of the Department of Energy was 
signed on June 24, 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 June 26, 2024.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2024-14418 Filed 6-28-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P