83 FR 46146 - Application To Amend Presidential Permit; Vermont Electric Power Company, Inc., as Agent for the Joint Owners in the Highgate Interconnection Facilities

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 177 (September 12, 2018)

Vermont Electric Power Company, Inc. (``VELCO''), as operating-and-management agent for the Joint Owners of the Highgate Interconnection Facilities (the ``Highgate Joint Owners'') filed an application to amend PP-82, issued on May 14, 1985 and amended on March 1, 1994, September 3, 2003, February 7, 2005, May 3, 2016 and January 8, 2018. VELCO requested that DOE reflect changes in ownership of the Highgate Interconnection Facilities and transfer the ownership interests in the Highgate Interconnection Facilities from two of the Highgate Joint Owners to the third Highgate Joint Owner.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 177 (Wednesday, September 12, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46146-46147]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-19842]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[OE Docket No. PP-82-6]


Application To Amend Presidential Permit; Vermont Electric Power 
Company, Inc., as Agent for the Joint Owners in the Highgate 
Interconnection Facilities

AGENCY: Office of Electricity, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of application.

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SUMMARY: Vermont Electric Power Company, Inc. (``VELCO''), as 
operating-and-management agent for the Joint Owners of the Highgate 
Interconnection Facilities (the ``Highgate Joint Owners'') filed an 
application to amend PP-82, issued on May 14, 1985 and amended on March 
1, 1994, September 3, 2003, February 7, 2005, May 3, 2016 and January 
8, 2018. VELCO requested that DOE reflect changes in ownership of the 
Highgate Interconnection Facilities and transfer the ownership 
interests in the Highgate Interconnection Facilities from two of the 
Highgate Joint Owners to the third Highgate Joint Owner.

DATES: Comments or motions to intervene must be submitted on or before 
October 12, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Comments or motions to intervene should be addressed as 
follows: Office of Electricity (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 by email to [email protected]; 
Christopher Drake (Program Attorney) at 202-586-2919, or by email to 
[email protected].

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 August 13, 2018, VELCO filed an application with DOE, as 
required by 10 CFR 205.322, requesting that DOE amend PP-82-5 to 
reflect a change in names and ownership interests and authorize, under 
Article 10 of PP-82-5, the transfer of the Highgate Interconnection 
Facilities so that Vermont Transco LLC (Transco) will acquire 100% of 
the ownership interest in the facility from the two other Highgate 
Joint Owners: the Town of Stowe Electric Department and the City of 
Burlington Electric Department. Transco would then become sole owner of 
the Highgate Interconnection Facilities.
    The international transmission facilities authorized by 
Presidential Permit No. PP-82, as amended, include a back-to-back 
converter station in Highgate, Vermont, and a 345 kilovolt (kV) 
transmission line extending approximately 7.5 miles from the converter 
station to the United States-Canada border in Franklin, Vermont. VELCO 
does not propose to make any physical changes to the Highgate 
Interconnection Facilities, but rather asks the Department to amend the 
permit to reflect the change in ownership of the Highgate Transmission 
Facility.
    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 the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission'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 Mr. Colin Owyang, Vice President, General Counsel & 
Corporate Secretary, Vermont Electric Power Company, Inc., 366 Pinnacle 
Ridge Road, Rutland, VT 05701, [email protected] AND Margaret H. 
Claybour, Esq., Van Ness Feldman, LLP, 1050 Thomas Jefferson Street NW, 
Suite 700, Washington, DC 20007-3877, [email protected].
    Before a Presidential permit may be granted or amended, DOE must 
determine that the proposed action will not adversely impact the 
reliability of

[[Page 46147]]

the U.S. electric power supply system. In addition, DOE will consider 
the environmental impacts of the proposed action (i.e., granting the 
Presidential permit or amendment, with any conditions and limitations, 
or denying the permit) according to the standards of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended. DOE also must obtain the 
favorable recommendation 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. In 
addition, the application may be reviewed or downloaded electronically 
at http://energy.gov/oe/services/electricity-policy-coordination-and-implementation/international-electricity-regulatio-2. Upon reaching the 
home page, select ``Pending Applications.''

    Signed in Washington, DC, on August 31, 2018.
Christopher A. Lawrence,
Program and Management Analyst, Office of Electricity.
[FR Doc. 2018-19842 Filed 9-11-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P