82 FR 20331 - Certification Notice-247; Notice of Filing of Self-Certification of Coal Capability Under the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 82 (May 1, 2017)

Page Range		20331-20332
FR Document		2017-08737

On March 31, 2017, PSEG Power, LLC, as owner and operator of a new baseload electric generating powerplant, submitted a coal capability self-certification to the Department of Energy (DOE) pursuant to Sec. 201(d) of the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978 (FUA), as amended, and DOE regulations. The FUA and regulations thereunder require DOE to publish a notice of filing of self- certification in the Federal Register.

Federal Register, Volume 82 Issue 82 (Monday, May 1, 2017)

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 82 (Monday, May 1, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20331-20332]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-08737]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Certification Notice--247; Notice of Filing of Self-Certification 
of Coal Capability Under the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act

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

ACTION: Notice of filing.

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SUMMARY: On March 31, 2017, PSEG Power, LLC, as owner and operator of a 
new baseload electric generating powerplant, submitted a coal 
capability self-certification to the Department of Energy (DOE) 
pursuant to Sec.  201(d) of the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act 
of 1978 (FUA), as amended, and DOE regulations. The FUA and regulations 
thereunder require DOE to publish a notice of filing of self-
certification in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Copies of coal capability self-certification filings are 
available for public inspection, upon request, in the Office of 
Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Mail Code OE-20, Room 8G-
024, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 
20585.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher Lawrence at (202) 586-
5260.

[[Page 20332]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title II of FUA, as amended (42 U.S.C. 8301 
et seq.), provides that no new base load electric powerplant may be 
constructed or operated without the capability to use coal or another 
alternate fuel as a primary energy source. Pursuant to the FUA, in 
order to meet the requirement of coal capability, the owner or operator 
of such a facility proposing to use natural gas or petroleum as its 
primary energy source shall certify to the Secretary of Energy 
(Secretary) prior to construction, or prior to operation as a base load 
electric powerplant, that such powerplant has the capability to use 
coal or another alternate fuel. Such certification establishes 
compliance with FUA section 201(a) as of the date it is filed with the 
Secretary. 42 U.S.C. 8311.
    The following owner of a proposed new baseload electric generating 
powerplant has filed a self-certification of coal-capability with DOE 
pursuant to FUA section 201(d) and in accordance with DOE regulations 
in 10 CFR 501.60, 61:

Owner: PSEG Power, LLC
Capacity: 540 megawatts (MW)
Plant Location: PSEG Fossil Sewaren Generating Station, Sewaren, NJ
In-Service Date: April 2018

    Issued in Washington, DC, on April 11, 2017.
Brian Mills,
Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability.
[FR Doc. 2017-08737 Filed 4-28-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P

Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 82 / Monday, May 1, 2017 / Notices 20331

impacts on cultural resources or eligible EIS, adoption of this alternative would environmental harm from the GPP
historic properties; (5) presence of not meet the GPP Export Project and Export Project have been adopted.
known contamination due to industrial Pipeline Expansion Project objectives.
Floodplain Statement of Findings
activities; (6) presence of natural visual
Decision DOE prepared this Floodplain
screening; and (7) accessibility. For each
of the three proposed compressor DOE has decided to issue Order No. Statement of Findings in accordance
stations and their proposed sites, the 3978 authorizing GPP to export with DOE’s regulations, entitled
EIS determined the alternative either domestically produced LNG by vessel ‘‘Compliance with Floodplain and
offered no significant environmental from the GPP Export Project located Wetland Environmental Review
advantage or would have a more near Sabine Pass, Jefferson County, Requirements’’ (10 CFR part 1022). The
substantial impact on wetlands Texas to non-FTA countries, in a required floodplain assessment was
compared to the proposed site. volume up to the equivalent to 808 Bcf/ conducted during development and
Regarding the associated aboveground yr of natural gas for a term of 20 years preparation of the EIS (see Section
facilities for the pipeline expansion, the to commence on the earlier of the date 4.1.4.1 of the EIS). The EIS determined
proposed aboveground facilities were all of first commercial export or seven years that the proposed Golden Pass LNG
within the existing GPPL pipeline right- from the date that the Order is issued. export terminal site is within the 100-
of-way. As a result, the EIS did not Concurrently with this Record of year floodplain, as are some portions of
identify any environmental concerns Decision, DOE is issuing Order No. the pipeline expansion facilities and
that indicated the need to evaluate 3978, in which it finds that the one compressor station. While the
alternative sites. requested authorization has not been placement of these facilities within
For alternative sites for pipe storage floodplains would be unavoidable, DOE
shown to be inconsistent with the
and contractor yard, the EIS considered has determined that the current design
public interest, and that the Application
one alternative to the proposed site. The for the GPP Export Project minimizes
should be granted subject to compliance
alternative site consisted of land with floodplain impacts to the extent
with the terms and conditions set forth
varying commercial/industrial and practicable.
in the Order, including the 83
agricultural uses. If the alternative site
was selected, the agricultural use would environmental conditions Issued in Washington, DC, on April 25,
be displaced. The proposed site, in recommended in the EIS and adopted in 2017.
comparison, is already previously the FERC Order at Appendix A. Douglas W. Hollett,
distributed industrial-use land used for Additionally, this authorization is Assistant Secretary (Acting), Office of Fossil
the construction of the existing GPPL conditioned on GPP’s compliance with Energy.
pipeline. As a result, the alternative site any other mitigation measures imposed [FR Doc. 2017–08744 Filed 4–28–17; 8:45 am]
did not offer a significant environmental by other federal or state agencies. BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
advantage over the proposed site. Basis of Decision
Finally, the EIS included an
alternative compressor station design. DOE’s decision is based upon the DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Instead of the proposed gas-fired analysis of potential environmental
compressors, the alternative design impacts presented in the EIS, and DOE’s Certification Notice—247; Notice of
evaluated the use of electric-powered determination in Order No. 3978 that Filing of Self-Certification of Coal
compressors. When comparing the two the opponents of GPP’s Application Capability Under the Powerplant and
designs, the EIS focused on the issue of have failed to overcome the statutory Industrial Fuel Use Act
additional infrastructure needed to presumption that the proposed export
AGENCY: Office of Electricity Delivery
power the electric-power compressor authorization is not inconsistent with
and Energy Reliability, DOE.
stations. Use of electricity would require the public interest. Although not
required by NEPA, DOE/FE also ACTION: Notice of filing.
each station to install varying lengths of
distribution lines to the compressor considered the Addendum, which
SUMMARY: On March 31, 2017, PSEG
stations and a substation and/or switch summarizes available information on
Power, LLC, as owner and operator of a
station to meet power requirements. potential upstream impacts associated
new baseload electric generating
Additionally, the electrical power could with unconventional natural gas
powerplant, submitted a coal capability
come from existing electrical generation activities, such as hydraulic fracturing.
self-certification to the Department of
plants with varying fuel uses. However, Mitigation Energy (DOE) pursuant to § 201(d) of the
overall emissions reductions resulting Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act
from the use of electric-powered versus As a condition of its decision to issue
of 1978 (FUA), as amended, and DOE
gas-powered compressor stations will Order No. 3978 authorizing GPP to
regulations. The FUA and regulations
vary depending on the fuel used. As a export LNG to non-FTA countries, DOE
thereunder require DOE to publish a
result, the EIS concluded the alternative is imposing requirements that will avoid
notice of filing of self-certification in the
did not offer a significant environmental or minimize the environmental impacts
Federal Register.
advantage over the proposed of the GPP Export Project. These
conditions include the 83 ADDRESSES: Copies of coal capability
compressor station design.
environmental conditions self-certification filings are available for
Environmentally Preferred Alternative recommended in the EIS and adopted in public inspection, upon request, in the
When compared against the other the FERC Order at Appendix A. Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy
srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

action alternatives assessed in the EIS, Mitigation measures beyond those Reliability, Mail Code OE–20, Room
as discussed above, the proposed GPP included in Order No. 3978 that are 8G–024, Forrestal Building, 1000
Export Project and Pipeline Expansion enforceable by other Federal and state Independence Avenue SW.,
Project are the environmentally agencies are additional conditions of Washington, DC 20585.
preferred alternatives. While the No- Order No. 3978. With these conditions, FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Action Alternative would avoid the DOE/FE has determined that all Christopher Lawrence at (202) 586–
environmental impacts identified in the practicable means to avoid or minimize 5260.

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20332 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 82 / Monday, May 1, 2017 / Notices

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title II of Washington, DC 20585–0350. Because be clearly marked with OE Docket No.
FUA, as amended (42 U.S.C. 8301 et of delays in handling conventional mail, EA–328–B. An additional copy is to be
seq.), provides that no new base load it is recommended that documents be provided directly to both Chantal
electric powerplant may be constructed transmitted by overnight mail, by Marchese, Royal Bank of Canada, 200
or operated without the capability to use electronic mail to Electricity.Exports@ Bay Street, 30th Floor, North Tower,
coal or another alternate fuel as a hq.doe.gov, or by facsimile to 202–586– Toronto, Ontario Canada M5J 2J5 and
primary energy source. Pursuant to the 8008. Marcus Chun, RBC Capital Markets, 200
FUA, in order to meet the requirement SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Exports of Bay Street, 9th Floor, South Tower,
of coal capability, the owner or operator electricity from the United States to a Toronto, Ontario Canada M5J 2J2.
of such a facility proposing to use foreign country are regulated by the A final decision will be made on this
natural gas or petroleum as its primary Department of Energy (DOE) pursuant to application after the environmental
energy source shall certify to the sections 301(b) and 402(f) of the impacts have been evaluated pursuant
Secretary of Energy (Secretary) prior to Department of Energy Organization Act to DOE’s National Environmental Policy
construction, or prior to operation as a (42 U.S.C. 7151(b), 7172(f)) and require Act Implementing Procedures (10 CFR
base load electric powerplant, that such authorization under section 202(e) of part 1021) and after a determination is
powerplant has the capability to use the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. made by DOE that the proposed action
coal or another alternate fuel. Such 824a(e)). will not have an adverse impact on the
certification establishes compliance On September 28, 2012, DOE issued sufficiency of supply or reliability of the
with FUA section 201(a) as of the date Order No. EA–328–A to RBC Energy, U.S. electric power supply system.
it is filed with the Secretary. 42 U.S.C. which authorized the Applicant to Copies of this application will be
8311. transmit electric energy from the United made available, upon request, for public
The following owner of a proposed States to Canada as a power marketer for inspection and copying at the address
new baseload electric generating a five-year term using existing provided above, by accessing the
powerplant has filed a self-certification international transmission facilities. program Web site at http://energy.gov/
of coal-capability with DOE pursuant to That authority expires on September 26, node/11845, or by emailing Angela Troy
FUA section 201(d) and in accordance 2017. On March 24, 2017, RBC Energy at Angela.Troy@hq.doe.gov.
with DOE regulations in 10 CFR 501.60, filed an application with DOE for Issued in Washington, DC, on April 11,
61: renewal of the export authority 2017.
Owner: PSEG Power, LLC contained in Order No. EA–328 for an Brian Mills,
Capacity: 540 megawatts (MW) additional five-year term. Senior Planning Advisor, Office of Electricity
Plant Location: PSEG Fossil Sewaren In its application, RBC Energy states Delivery and Energy Reliability.
Generating Station, Sewaren, NJ that it does not own or operate any [FR Doc. 2017–08735 Filed 4–28–17; 8:45 am]
In-Service Date: April 2018 electric generation or transmission BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
Issued in Washington, DC, on April 11, facilities, and it does not have a
2017. franchised service area. The electric
Brian Mills, energy that RBC Energy proposes to DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy export to Canada would be surplus
Reliability. energy purchased from third parties Office of Energy Efficiency and
[FR Doc. 2017–08737 Filed 4–28–17; 8:45 am] such as electric utilities and Federal Renewable Energy
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P power marketing agencies pursuant to
voluntary agreements. The existing Proposed Agency Information
international transmission facilities to Collection Extension
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY be utilized by RBC Energy have AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and
previously been authorized by Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of
[OE Docket No. EA–328–B]
Presidential Permits issued pursuant to Energy.
Application To Export Electric Energy; Executive Order 10485, as amended, ACTION: Notice and request for
RBC Energy Services LP and are appropriate for open access comments.
transmission by third parties.
AGENCY: Office of Electricity Delivery Procedural Matters: Any person SUMMARY: The Department of Energy’s
and Energy Reliability, DOE. desiring to be heard in this proceeding (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and
ACTION: Notice of application. should file a comment or protest to the Renewable Energy (EERE), pursuant to
application at the address provided the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
SUMMARY: RBC Energy Services LP above. Protests should be filed in intends to extend for three years with
(Applicant or RBC Energy) has applied accordance with Rule 211 of the Federal the Office of Management and Budget
to renew its authority to transmit Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) (OMB), the EERE Environmental
electric energy from the United States to Rules of Practice and Procedures (18 Questionnaire (OMB No. 1910–5175).
Canada pursuant to section 202(e) of the CFR 385.211). Any person desiring to Comments are invited on: (a) Whether
Federal Power Act. become a party to these proceedings the proposed collection of information
DATES: Comments, protests, or motions should file a motion to intervene at the is necessary for the proper performance
to intervene must be submitted on or above address in accordance with FERC of the functions of DOE, including
before May 31, 2017. Rule 214 (18 CFR 385.214). Five copies whether the information shall have
srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

ADDRESSES: Comments, protests, of such comments, protests, or motions practical utility; (b) the accuracy of
motions to intervene, or requests for to intervene should be sent to the DOE’s estimate of the burden of the
more information should be addressed address provided above on or before the proposed collection of information,
to: Office of Electricity Delivery and date listed above. including the validity of the
Energy Reliability, Mail Code: OE–20, Comments and other filings methodology and assumptions used; (c)
U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 concerning RBC Energy’s application to ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
Independence Avenue SW., export electric energy to Canada should clarity of the information to be

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Document Created: 2017-04-29 03:16:17
Document Modified: 2017-04-29 03:16:17

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 filing.
Dates		April 2018
Contact		Christopher Lawrence at (202) 586- 5260.
FR Citation		82 FR 20331