83 FR 9851 - Call for 2025 Resource Pool Applications

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Western Area Power Administration

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 46 (March 8, 2018)

The Department of Energy (DOE), Western Area Power Administration. (WAPA), a Federal power marketing administration of DOE, published its 2025 Power Marketing Plan (Marketing Plan) for the Sierra Nevada Customer Service Region (SNR) in the Federal Register on August 15, 2017. The Marketing Plan specifies the terms and conditions under which WAPA will market power from the Central Valley Project (CVP) and the Washoe Project beginning January 1, 2025, and continuing through December 31, 2054. As required by the Marketing Plan, WAPA is issuing a call for applications for SNR's 2025 Resource Pool. Preference entities who wish to apply for a new allocation of power from WAPA's SNR must submit a formal application using the Applicant Profile Data (APD) form and must meet the Eligibility and Allocation Criteria described in the Marketing Plan. In addition, if a customer that currently has an allocation of power wishes to apply for an additional power allocation, it also must submit an application using the APD form and meet the Eligibility and Allocation Criteria. The General Criteria, and Contract Principles as defined in the Marketing Plan will apply to new allottees and existing customers.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 46 (Thursday, March 8, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9851-9852]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-04672]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Western Area Power Administration


Call for 2025 Resource Pool Applications

AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of the Sierra Nevada Region's call for 2025 Resource 
Pool applications.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE), Western Area Power 
Administration. (WAPA), a Federal power marketing administration of 
DOE, published its 2025 Power Marketing Plan (Marketing Plan) for the 
Sierra Nevada Customer Service Region (SNR) in the Federal Register on 
August 15, 2017. The Marketing Plan specifies the terms and conditions 
under which WAPA will market power from the Central Valley Project 
(CVP) and the Washoe Project beginning January 1, 2025, and continuing 
through December 31, 2054. As required by the Marketing Plan, WAPA is 
issuing a call for applications for SNR's 2025 Resource Pool. 
Preference entities who wish to apply for a new allocation of power 
from WAPA's SNR must submit a formal application using the Applicant 
Profile Data (APD) form and must meet the Eligibility and Allocation 
Criteria described in the Marketing Plan. In addition, if a customer 
that currently has an allocation of power wishes to apply for an 
additional power allocation, it also must submit an application using 
the APD form and meet the Eligibility and Allocation Criteria. The 
General Criteria, and Contract Principles as defined in the Marketing 
Plan will apply to new allottees and existing customers.

DATES: Applications must be received by 4 p.m., PDT, on May 7, 2018. 
WAPA will accept applications through its on-line APD form, 
electronically, or by certified mail (or its equivalent). Applications 
sent by regular mail will be accepted if postmarked at least 3 days 
before May 7, 2018, and received no later than May 10, 2018. WAPA will 
not consider applications that are not received by the prescribed 
dates.

ADDRESSES: Entities interested in applying for an allocation of WAPA 
power may submit an application on-line at https://www.wapa.gov/regions/SN/PowerMarketing/Pages/2025-Program.aspx, or may complete the 
APD form also available at https://www.wapa.gov/regions/SN/PowerMarketing/Pages/2025-Program.aspx and mail it to Ms. Sandee 
Peebles, Public Utilities Specialist, Sierra Nevada Customer Service 
Region, Western Area Power Administration, 114 Parkshore Drive, Folsom, 
CA 95630. APD forms with an e-signature may be emailed to 
[email protected]. The e-signature must be received by WAPA within 
the time required in the DATES section. If an entity submits an APD 
form via the web page or email and an e-signature is not available, the 
applicant must mail the signed APD form signature page to the physical 
address above, or scan the signed page and send it via email to 
[email protected]. WAPA will publish a notice of Proposed Allocations 
in the Federal Register after evaluating all applications.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Sandee Peebles, Public Utilities 
Specialist, Sierra Nevada Customer Service Region, Western Area Power 
Administration, 114 Parkshore Drive, Folsom, CA 95630, telephone (916) 
353-4454, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The Marketing Plan describes how SNR will market its power 
resources beginning January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2054. As part 
of the Marketing Plan, WAPA will create the 2025 Resource Pool, which 
offers no less than 2 percent of SNR's marketable power resources. The 
Resource Pool percentage may be increased as discussed in the Marketing 
Plan. WAPA, at its discretion, will allocate a percentage of the 2025 
Resource Pool to selected applicants that meet the Eligibility Criteria 
defined in the Marketing Plan. This allocation percentage will be 
multiplied by the 2025 Resource Pool percentage to determine the 
applicant's percentage of the Base Resource as described in the 
Marketing Plan. WAPA will publish a notice of Proposed Allocations in 
the Federal Register once those allocations have been determined. The 
public will have an opportunity to comment on the Proposed Allocations. 
After reviewing the comments, WAPA will publish a notice of Final 
Allocations in the Federal Register. Once the final 2025 Resource Pool 
allocations have been published, WAPA will work with the new allottees 
to develop a customized product to meet their needs as requested by 
such allottees and as more fully described in the Marketing Plan.

Call for 2025 Resource Pool Applications

Applications for Power

    Through this Federal Register notice, WAPA formally requests 
applications from qualified preference entities wishing to purchase 
power from SNR from January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2054. 
Existing customers do not need to submit an application unless they are 
seeking to increase their allocation. All applicants must submit 
applications using the APD form, so that WAPA has a uniform basis upon 
which to evaluate the applications. To be considered, applicants must 
meet the Eligibility Criteria contained in the

[[Page 9852]]

Marketing Plan and must submit a completed APD application form by the 
deadline specified in the DATES section. To ensure full consideration 
is given to all applicants, WAPA will not consider requests for power 
or applications submitted before publication of this Federal Register 
notice or after the deadlines specified in the DATES section.

Applicant Profile Data

    The APD has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget 
under Control No. 1910-5136. Applications may be completed on-line on 
WAPA's web page at https://www.wapa.gov/regions/SN/PowerMarketing/Pages/2025-Program.aspx or submitted by mail, as described in the 
ADDRESSES section. APD forms are available on WAPA's web page or by 
request to the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 
section. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure it submits its 
application in a timely manner so WAPA receives the applications before 
the date and time stated in the DATES section.
    Applicants must provide all information requested on the APD form, 
if available and applicable. Please indicate if the requested 
information is not applicable or not available. WAPA may request, in 
writing, additional information from any applicant whose application is 
deficient. The applicant will have 10 business days from the postmark 
date on WAPA's request to provide the information. In the event an 
applicant fails to provide all information to WAPA, the application 
will not be considered.
    The information in the APD form should be answered as if prepared 
by the entity/organization seeking the allocation of Federal power.
    The information collected under this process will not be part of a 
system of records covered by the Privacy Act and may be available under 
the Freedom of Information Act. If you are submitting any confidential 
or business sensitive information, please mark such information before 
submitting your application.

Recordkeeping Requirement

    If WAPA accepts an application and the applicant receives an 
allocation of Federal power, the applicant must keep all information 
related to the APD for a period of 3 years after signing a contract for 
Federal power. There is no recordkeeping requirement for unsuccessful 
applicants who do not receive an allocation of Federal power.
    WAPA has obtained Office of Management and Budget Clearance Number 
1910-5136 for collection of the above information. The APD is collected 
to enable WAPA to properly perform its function of marketing limited 
amounts of Federal hydropower. The data supplied will be used by WAPA 
to evaluate who will receive an allocation of Federal power.

Contracting Process

    After WAPA has evaluated the applications, WAPA will publish a 
notice of Proposed Allocations in the Federal Register. The public will 
have an opportunity to comment on the Proposed Allocations. After 
reviewing the comments, WAPA will publish a notice of Final Allocations 
in the Federal Register. WAPA will begin the contracting process with 
the new allottees after publishing the final allocations in the Federal 
Register, tentatively scheduled for early 2019. WAPA will offer a pro-
forma contract for power allocated under the Final 2025 Resource Pool 
Allocations. Allottees will be required to execute a contract within 6 
months of the contract offer. Electric service contracts will be 
effective upon WAPA's signature, and service will begin on January 1, 
2025 and continue through December 31, 2054.

Authorities

    SNR's 2025 Power Marketing Plan, published in the Federal Register 
(82 FR 38675) on August 15, 2017, was established pursuant to the 
Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101-7352); the 
Reclamation Act of June 17, 1902 (ch. 1093, 32 Stat. 388) as amended 
and supplemented by subsequent enactments, particularly section 9(c) of 
the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 (43 U.S.C. 485(c)); and other acts 
specifically applicable to the projects involved. This action falls 
within the Marketing Plan and, thus, is covered by the same authority.

Regulatory Procedure Requirements

Environmental Compliance

    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (42 
U.S.C. 4321-4370), Council on Environmental Quality NEPA implementing 
regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and DOE NEPA implementing 
regulations (10 CFR part 1021), WAPA completed a Categorical Exclusion 
(CX). This NEPA review identified and analyzed environmental effects 
related to the Marketing Plan. This action falls within the Marketing 
Plan and, thus, is covered by the CX.

Review Under the Paperwork Reduction Act

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 (44 U.S.C. 
3501, et seq.), WAPA has received approval from the Office of 
Management and Budget for the collection of customer information in 
this rule, under control number 1910-5136.
    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required 
to respond to a Federal collection of information unless it displays a 
valid OMB control number.

Determination Under Executive Order 12866

    WAPA has an exemption from centralized regulatory review under 
Executive Order 12866; accordingly, no clearance of this Federal 
Register notice by the Office of Management and Budget is required.

    Dated: February 20, 2018.
Mark A. Gabriel,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2018-04672 Filed 3-7-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P