80 FR 42490 - Application for Presidential Permit; ITC Lake Erie Connector Project

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 137 (July 17, 2015)

Page Range		42490-42491
FR Document		2015-17655

ITC Lake Erie Connector LLC (ITC Lake Erie) has applied for a Presidential Permit to construct, operate, maintain, and connect an electric transmission line across the United States border with Canada.

Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 137 (Friday, July 17, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 137 (Friday, July 17, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42490-42491]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-17655]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[OE Docket No. PP-412]


Application for Presidential Permit; ITC Lake Erie Connector 
Project

AGENCY: Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, DOE.

ACTION:  Notice of application.

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SUMMARY:  ITC Lake Erie Connector LLC (ITC Lake Erie) has applied for a 
Presidential Permit to construct, operate, maintain, and connect an 
electric transmission line across the United States border with Canada.

DATES:  Comments or motions to intervene must be submitted on or before 
August 17, 2015.

ADDRESSES:  Comments or motions to intervene should be addressed as 
follows: Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE-20), 
U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 
20585.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Christopher Lawrence (Program Office) 
at 202-586-5260 or via electronic mail at 
[email protected], Katherine Konieczny (Program Attorney) 
at 202-586-0503.

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 May 29, 2015, ITC Lake Erie filed an application with the Office 
of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability of the Department of 
Energy (DOE) for a Presidential Permit. ITC Lake Erie has it principal 
place of business in Novi, Michigan. ITC Lake Erie is a wholly-owned 
subsidiary of ITC Lake Erie Holdings LLC, which is, though another 
entity, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ITC Holdings Corp.
    ITC Lake Erie proposes to construct and operate the ITC Lake Erie 
Connector Project (the project), a  320 kilovolt (kV) high-
voltage direct current (HVDC) bi-directional electric transmission line 
that would originate Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada, and terminate 
in Erie County, Pennsylvania. The proposed project facilities would be 
capable of transmitting up to 1000 megawatts (MW) of power.
    The U.S. portion of the proposed project would cross the U.S.-
Canada border in Lake Erie as a submerged line, buried in the lake bed, 
and would run approximately 35.4 miles before reaching the shore on 
private property, west of Erie Bluffs Park. From the shore, the line 
would be buried underground for approximately 7.1 miles, along mostly 
roadway rights-of-way and terminate at the proposed Erie Converter 
Station. From the Erie Converter Station, a 345 kV alternating current 
(AC) transmission line would run approximately 1,900-3,000 feet 
(depending on final routing) underground and connect into the U.S. grid 
at the existing Erie West Substation owned by Penelec. The total length 
of the Project would be 72.4 miles, with the U.S. portion totaling 
about 42.5 miles.
    The Project would be operated in accordance with the established 
engineering and technical criteria of the Independent System Operator 
of Ontario (IESO) and the PJM Interconnection (PJM). In the U.S., the 
Project would be placed under operational control of PJM.
    Since the restructuring of the electric industry began, resulting 
in the introduction of different types of competitive entities into the 
marketplace, DOE has consistently expressed its policy that cross-
border trade in electric energy should be subject to the same 
principles of comparable open access and non-discrimination that apply 
to transmission in interstate commerce. DOE has stated that policy in 
export authorizations granted to entities requesting authority to 
export over international transmission facilities. Specifically, DOE 
expects transmitting utilities owning border facilities to provide 
access across the border in accordance with the principles of 
comparable open access and non-discrimination contained in the Federal 
Power Act and articulated in Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
(FERC) Order No. 888 (Promoting Wholesale Competition Through Open 
Access Non-Discriminatory Transmission Services by Public Utilities; 
FERC Stats. & Regs. ]31,036 (1996)), as amended. In furtherance of this 
policy, DOE invites comments on whether it would be appropriate to 
condition any Presidential Permit issued in this proceeding on 
compliance with these open access principles.
    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 copies of each comment 
or motion to intervene should be filed with DOE on or before the date 
listed above.
    Additional copies of such motions to intervene also should be filed 
directly with: Andrew Jamieson, Counsel, ITC Holdings Corp., 27175 
Energy Way, Novi, MI 48377, [email protected] AND John R. 
Staffier, Stunz, Davis & Staffier, P.C., 555 Twelfth Street NW., Suite 
360, Washington, DC 20004, [email protected] AND Ellen S. Young, 
Stunz, Davis & Staffier, P.C., 555 Twelfth Street NW., Suite 360, 
Washington, DC 20004 [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 considers the environmental impacts of the 
proposed project pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, determines 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. Also, DOE must obtain the 
concurrences of the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense 
before taking final action on a Presidential Permit application.
    Copies of this application will be made available, upon request, 
for public inspection and copying at the address provided above, or by 
accessing the program Web site at http://energy.gov/oe/services/electricity-policy-coordination-and-implementation/international-electricity-regulatio-2.


[[Page 42491]]


    Issued in Washington, DC, on July 13, 2015.
Christopher A. Lawrence,
Electricity Policy Analyst, National Electricity Delivery Division, 
Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, U.S. Department 
of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2015-17655 Filed 7-16-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P

42490 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 137 / Friday, July 17, 2015 / Notices

subject to a negotiated royalty. DOE will though another entity, a wholly-owned Services by Public Utilities; FERC Stats.
review all timely written responses to subsidiary of ITC Holdings Corp. & Regs. ¶31,036 (1996)), as amended. In
this notice, and will grant the license if, ITC Lake Erie proposes to construct furtherance of this policy, DOE invites
after expiration of the 15-day notice and operate the ITC Lake Erie Connector comments on whether it would be
period, and after consideration of any Project (the project), a ± 320 kilovolt appropriate to condition any
written responses to this notice, a (kV) high-voltage direct current (HVDC) Presidential Permit issued in this
determination is made in accordance bi-directional electric transmission line proceeding on compliance with these
with 35 U.S.C. 209(c) that the license is that would originate Haldimand County, open access principles.
in the public interest. Ontario, Canada, and terminate in Erie
County, Pennsylvania. The proposed Procedural Matters: Any person may
Issued: July 6, 2015. comment on this application by filing
project facilities would be capable of
Grace M. Bochenek, such comment at the address provided
transmitting up to 1000 megawatts
Director, National Energy Technology (MW) of power. above. Any person seeking to become a
Laboratory.
The U.S. portion of the proposed party to this proceeding must file a
[FR Doc. 2015–17654 Filed 7–16–15; 8:45 am] project would cross the U.S.-Canada motion to intervene at the address
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P border in Lake Erie as a submerged line, provided above in accordance with Rule
buried in the lake bed, and would run 214 of FERC’s Rules of Practice and
approximately 35.4 miles before Procedure (18 CFR 385.214). Two copies
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY reaching the shore on private property, of each comment or motion to intervene
[OE Docket No. PP–412] west of Erie Bluffs Park. From the shore, should be filed with DOE on or before
the line would be buried underground the date listed above.
Application for Presidential Permit; ITC for approximately 7.1 miles, along
Lake Erie Connector Project mostly roadway rights-of-way and Additional copies of such motions to
terminate at the proposed Erie Converter intervene also should be filed directly
AGENCY: Office of Electricity Delivery with: Andrew Jamieson, Counsel, ITC
and Energy Reliability, DOE. Station. From the Erie Converter
Station, a 345 kV alternating current Holdings Corp., 27175 Energy Way,
ACTION: Notice of application. Novi, MI 48377, ajamieson@
(AC) transmission line would run
SUMMARY: ITC Lake Erie Connector LLC approximately 1,900–3,000 feet itctransco.com AND John R. Staffier,
(ITC Lake Erie) has applied for a (depending on final routing) Stunz, Davis & Staffier, P.C., 555
Presidential Permit to construct, underground and connect into the U.S. Twelfth Street NW., Suite 360,
operate, maintain, and connect an grid at the existing Erie West Substation Washington, DC 20004, jstaffier@
electric transmission line across the owned by Penelec. The total length of sdatty.com AND Ellen S. Young, Stunz,
United States border with Canada. the Project would be 72.4 miles, with Davis & Staffier, P.C., 555 Twelfth Street
DATES: Comments or motions to
the U.S. portion totaling about 42.5 NW., Suite 360, Washington, DC 20004
intervene must be submitted on or miles. eyoung@sdatty.com.
The Project would be operated in
before August 17, 2015. Before a Presidential Permit may be
accordance with the established
ADDRESSES: Comments or motions to issued or amended, DOE must
engineering and technical criteria of the
intervene should be addressed as Independent System Operator of determine that the proposed action is in
follows: Office of Electricity Delivery Ontario (IESO) and the PJM the public interest. In making that
and Energy Reliability (OE–20), U.S. Interconnection (PJM). In the U.S., the determination, DOE considers the
Department of Energy, 1000 Project would be placed under environmental impacts of the proposed
Independence Avenue SW., operational control of PJM. project pursuant to the National
Washington, DC 20585. Since the restructuring of the electric Environmental Policy Act of 1969,
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: industry began, resulting in the determines the project’s impact on
Christopher Lawrence (Program Office) introduction of different types of electric reliability by ascertaining
at 202–586–5260 or via electronic mail competitive entities into the whether the proposed project would
at Christopher.Lawrence@hq.doe.gov, marketplace, DOE has consistently adversely affect the operation of the U.S.
Katherine Konieczny (Program expressed its policy that cross-border electric power supply system under
Attorney) at 202–586–0503. trade in electric energy should be
normal and contingency conditions, and
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject to the same principles of
any other factors that DOE may also
construction, operation, maintenance, comparable open access and non-
discrimination that apply to consider relevant to the public interest.
and connection of facilities at the
transmission in interstate commerce. Also, DOE must obtain the concurrences
international border of the United States
for the transmission of electric energy DOE has stated that policy in export of the Secretary of State and the
between the United States and a foreign authorizations granted to entities Secretary of Defense before taking final
country is prohibited in the absence of requesting authority to export over action on a Presidential Permit
a Presidential Permit issued pursuant to international transmission facilities. application.
Executive Order (E.O.) 10485, as Specifically, DOE expects transmitting Copies of this application will be
amended by E.O. 12038. utilities owning border facilities to made available, upon request, for public
On May 29, 2015, ITC Lake Erie filed provide access across the border in inspection and copying at the address
an application with the Office of accordance with the principles of
srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

provided above, or by accessing the
Electricity Delivery and Energy comparable open access and non- program Web site at http://energy.gov/
Reliability of the Department of Energy discrimination contained in the Federal oe/services/electricity-policy-
(DOE) for a Presidential Permit. ITC Power Act and articulated in Federal coordination-and-implementation/
Lake Erie has it principal place of Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) international-electricity-regulatio-2.
business in Novi, Michigan. ITC Lake Order No. 888 (Promoting Wholesale
Erie is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Competition Through Open Access
ITC Lake Erie Holdings LLC, which is, Non-Discriminatory Transmission

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Document Created: 2018-02-23 09:21:42
Document Modified: 2018-02-23 09:21:42

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
Action		Notice of application.
Dates		Comments or motions to intervene must be submitted on or before August 17, 2015.
Contact		Christopher Lawrence (Program Office) at 202-586-5260 or via electronic mail at [email protected], Katherine Konieczny (Program Attorney) at 202-586-0503.
FR Citation		80 FR 42490