7086 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 15 / Tuesday, January 26, 2021 / Notices 

1Non-hydro renewable assets, as referred to in 

this notice, are production assets other than 

hydroelectric generators such as solar, wind energy, 

geothermal, biomass, etc., that rely on the heat or 

motion of the earth or sun’s radiation to produce 

energy. Specifically, these are denoted as renewable 

because the power production is based on a fuel 

source that is not consumed or destroyed by the 

generation process, such as buried hydrocarbons 

(coal, oil, natural gas), or the decay of rare 

irradiated heavy metals (nuclear). Biomass (trees, 

nut shells, grain husks and stalks, etc.) is 

considered renewable, despite its hydrocarbon 

source being consumed, due to its carbon release 

being offset by regrowth of carbon capturing 

equivalent biomass. 

2 18 CFR part 101; Accounting and Financial 

Reporting for Public Utilities Including RTOs, Order 

No. 668, 113 FERC ¶ 61,276 at 59 (2005). 

3Comments of the Edison Electric Institute, 

Docket No. AC20–103–000, at 3 (filed May 28, 

2020). 4Comments of Ameren Services Company, 

Docket No. AC20–103–000, at 8–9 (filed May 28, 

2020). 5 Id. at 6–7; Comments of Edison Electric Institute 

at 4. 6Ameren Illinois Co., 170 FERC ¶ 61,267, at P 52 

(2020) (citing Revisions to Uniform Systems of 

Accounts to Account for Allowances under the 

Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 and RegulatoryCreated Assets and Liabilities and to Form Nos. 1, 

1–F, 2 and 2–A, Order No. 552, FERC Stats. and 

Regs. ¶ 30,967 (1993) (cross-referenced at 62 FERC 

¶ 61,299)). 

7Revisions to Uniform Systems of Accounts to 

Account for Allowances under the Clean Air Act 

Amendments of 1990 and Regulatory-Created 

Assets and Liabilities and to Form Nos. 1, 1–F, 2 

and 2–A, Order No. 552, FERC Stats. and Regs. 

¶ 30,967 (cross-referenced at 62 FERC ¶ 61,299). 

www.ferc.gov using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link 

as described above. The eLibrary link 

also provides access to the texts of all 

formal documents issued by the 

Commission, such as orders, notices, 

and rulemakings. 

In addition, the Commission offers a 

free service called eSubscription which 

allows you to keep track of all formal 

issuances and submittals in specific 

dockets. This can reduce the amount of 

time you spend researching proceedings 

by automatically providing you with 

notification of these filings, document 

summaries, and direct links to the 

documents. For more information and to 

register, go to www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ 

esubscription.asp. 

Dated: January 12, 2021. 

Kimberly D. Bose, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2021–01556 Filed 1–25–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket No. RM21–11–000] 

Accounting and Reporting Treatment 

of Certain Renewable Energy Assets 

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission, DOE. 

ACTION: Notice of inquiry. 

SUMMARY: In this Notice of Inquiry, the 

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 

(Commission) seeks comments on the 

accounting and reporting treatment of 

certain renewable energy generating 

assets and renewable energy credits. In 

addition, the Commission seeks 

comments on the ratemaking 

implications of these accounting and 

reporting changes. 

DATES: Initial Comments are due March 

29, 2021, and Reply Comments are due 

April 26, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: Comments, identified by 

docket number, may be filed in the 

following ways: 

• Electronic Filing through http://

www.ferc.gov. Documents created 

electronically using word processing 

software should be filed in native 

applications or print-to-PDF format and 

not in a scanned format. 

• Mail/Hand Delivery: Those unable 

to file electronically may mail or handdeliver comments to: Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the 

Commission, 888 First Street NE, 

Washington, DC 20426. 

• Instructions: For detailed 

instructions on submitting comments, 

see the Comment Procedures Section of 

this document. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Daniel Birkam (Technical Information), 

Office of Enforcement, Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission, 888 First 

Street NE, Washington, DC 20426, 

(202) 502–8035, Daniel.Birkam@

ferc.gov 

Sarah Greenberg (Legal Information), 

Office of the General Counsel, Federal 

Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 

First Street NE, Washington, DC 

20426, (202) 502–6230, 

Sarah.Greenberg@ferc.gov 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

1. In this Notice of Inquiry (NOI), the 

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 

(Commission) seeks comments on the 

appropriate accounting treatment for 

certain renewable energy assets. First, 

the Commission seeks comments on 

whether to create new accounts within 

the Uniform System of Accounts 

(USofA) for non-hydro renewable 

energy generating assets,1 and, if so, 

how such accounts should be organized. 

Second, the Commission seeks 

comments on how to modify FERC 

Form No. 1 to reflect any new accounts. 

Third, the Commission seeks comments 

on whether to codify the proper 

accounting treatment of the purchase, 

generation, and use of renewable energy 

credits (RECs). Finally, the Commission 

seeks comments on the rate setting 

implications of these potential 

accounting and reporting changes. 

I. Background 

2. The USofA contains discrete 

accounts for steam production, nuclear 

production, hydraulic production, and 

other production.2 However, the USofA 

does not contain any accounts designed 

specifically for solar, wind, or other 

non-hydro renewable generating assets. 

Therefore, electric utilities currently 

record non-hydro renewable assets in 

the Other Production accounts of the 

USofA. Commenters have indicated that 

companies exercise ‘‘reasonable 

judgment’’ when determining in which 

Other Production account to book these 

assets.3

3. Recently, parties have expressed 

disagreement regarding which Other 

Production accounts should be used to 

book non-hydro renewable assets. In 

Docket No. AC20–103, the Commission 

received a request for confirmation that 

the costs of certain wind and solar 

generating equipment are properly 

booked to the Other Production 

Accounts 343 (Prime Movers), 344 

(Generators), and 345 (Accessory 

Electric Equipment). In that proceeding, 

commenters argued that the proposal 

booked an inappropriate amount of 

costs to Account 345, which are 

included in reactive power rates 

pursuant to the AEP Methodology.4

Commenters, including the Edison 

Electric Institute, suggested that the 

Commission consider creating new 

accounts for wind, solar, and other nonhydro renewables to resolve this issue.5

Concurrently with the issuance of this 

Notice of Inquiry, the Commission is 

issuing an order in Docket No. AC20– 

103, denying the request and explaining 

that this Notice of Inquiry will begin a 

proceeding in which the Commission 

will evaluate the need for further 

guidance regarding the proper 

accounting treatment of non-hydro 

renewable generating assets. 

4. In addition, the existing USofA 

accounts do not explicitly address the 

accounting treatment of the purchase, 

generation, or use of RECs. However, the 

Commission has stated that RECs are 

analogous to the sulfur dioxide emission 

allowances created by Title IV of the 

Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, 

which the Commission addressed in 

Order No. 552.6 Order No. 552 classified 

emission allowances as inventoriable 

items and established new inventory 

and expense accounts to record the 

allowances.7 In keeping with Order No. 

552, the Commission has found that 

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 15 / Tuesday, January 26, 2021 / Notices 7087 

8Ameren Illinois Co., 170 FERC ¶ 61,267 at P 52. 9 18 CFR part 101 Other Production includes the 

following Plant in Service Accounts: 340 (Land and 

Land Rights), 341 (Structures and Improvements), 

342 (Fuel Holders, Producers, and Accessories), 343 

(Prime Movers), 344 (Generators), 345 (Accessory 

Electric Equipment), 346 (Miscellaneous Power 

Plant Equipment), 347 (Asset Retirement Costs for 

Other Production Plant), and 348 (Energy Storage 

Equipment—Production). Also included are the 

following O&M Accounts: 546 (Operation 

Supervision and Engineering), 547 (Fuel), 548 

Generation expenses (Major only), 548.1 (Operation 

of Energy Storage Equipment), 549 (Miscellaneous 

Other Power Generation Expenses) (Major only)), 

550 (Rents), 550.1 (Operation Supplies and 

Expenses (Nonmajor only)), 551 (Maintenance 

Supervision and Engineering) (Major only)), 552 

(Maintenance of Structures (Major only)), 553 

(Maintenance of Generating and Electric Plant 

(Major only)), 553.1 (Maintenance of Energy Storage 

Equipment), 554 (Maintenance of Miscellaneous 

Other Power Generation Plant (Major only)), and 

554.1 (Maintenance of Other Power Production 

Plant (Nonmajor only)). 

10 In contrast, geothermal and biomass generation 

generally operate based on either floor mounted 

steam turbines or floor mounted fuel cycle turbines 

much like buried hydrocarbon generation, and thus, 

these plant in service assets can be fitted more 

readily into the existing descriptions of production 

accounts. 

11 18 CFR part 101, Instructions for Accounts 342, 

343, and 344. 

12 Id., Instructions for Account 342. 

13 Id., Instructions for Accounts 343 and 344. 

These are not defined in the USofA, but from 

common usage a ‘‘prime mover’’ would be the 

source of the initial force that moves the turbine or 

similar device (the diesel here). The ‘‘power driven 

main generator’’ would be the turbine, from the 

tines or blades to the dynamo, including the 

pressure casing and the shaft. 

14 Id., Instructions for Accounts 341, 345, and 

346. 

15The Hydraulic Production category contains 

accounts created for hydro-related items that do not 

fit in as sheltering structures, such as a hydro dam 

that is central to the capture of the flow of water 

includable in Account 332 (Reservoirs, Dams, and 

Waterways). The instructions to Account 332 state: 

‘‘This account shall include the cost in place of 

facilities used for impounding, collecting, storage, 

diversion, regulation, and delivery of water used 

primarily for generating electricity. For Major 

utilities, it shall also include the cost in place of 

facilities used in connection with (a) the 

conservation of fish and wildlife, and (b) 

recreation.’’ 

16 18 CFR part 101, Instructions for Account 553. 

17 Id., Instructions for Account 547. 

RECs that are purchased or generated 

should be recorded in Account 158.1 

(Allowance Inventory) and expensed to 

Account 509 (Allowances) as they are 

utilized.8 In addition to examining the 

issues identified above, we believe 

further consideration of whether to 

clarify and codify this accounting 

practice by modifying the account 

instructions of these inventory and 

expense accounts to explicitly include 

RECs is warranted at this time. 

II. Discussion 

A. Creation of New USofA Accounts 

5. Currently, electric utilities record 

non-hydro renewable assets, and 

associated operations and maintenance 

(O&M) expenses, in the ‘‘Other 

Production’’ function within the 

USofA.9 Within the USofA, the existing 

plant and associated O&M account 

definitions do not provide instructions 

or examples of items that are used in 

non-hydro renewable energy 

production, specifically for wind and 

solar powered production.10 This may 

be viewed as either a problem of 

insufficient account instructions, 

insufficient existing accounts, or 

insufficient existing functional 

categories. 

6. For instance, there is no account 

that clearly captures solar panels. Solar 

panels are not fuel holders (Account 

342), prime movers (Account 343) or 

generators (Account 344).11 Account 

342 includes: 

[T]he cost installed of fuel handling and 

storage equipment used between the point of 

fuel delivery to the station and the intake 

pipe through which fuel is directly drawn to 

the engine, also the cost of gas producers and 

accessories devoted to the production of gas 

for use in prime movers driving main electric 

generators.12

Solar panels do not store sunlight, 

and they have no moving parts; instead, 

solar energy is captured passively as 

radiation and is then converted 

electrochemically into electricity. 

Therefore, solar panels are not fuel 

holders. Similarly, Account 343 

‘‘include[s] the cost installed of Diesel 

or other prime movers devoted to the 

generation of electric energy, together 

with their auxiliaries,’’ while Account 

344 ‘‘include[s] the cost installed of 

Diesel or other power driven main 

generators.’’ 13 Both of these accounts 

describe equipment that operates like a 

diesel-powered turbine. Solar panels, 

which capture and convert a radiated 

energy source, are not prime movers or 

power-driven main generators. 

7. Photovoltaic (PV) inverters also do 

not fit within any of the definitions of 

the Other Production accounts. Inverters 

convert the direct current output of a PV 

solar panel into alternating current. 

None of the existing Other Production 

accounts accommodate such a 

component in their current form. 

8. Similarly, there is no account that 

includes wind generation towers. Such 

towers do not meet the definition of 

structures and improvements (Account 

341), miscellaneous power plant 

equipment (Account 346) or accessory 

electric equipment (Account 345).14

Specifically, the height of wind 

generation towers is central to the 

capture of wind energy; therefore, it is 

not simply a sheltering structure or a 

miscellaneous or accessory system. 

While wind generation towers do 

provide structural support for the 

turbine and blades, this is only a part of 

the towers’ function, not its primary 

role. The Commission has previously 

created separate categories for plant 

assets that did not fit into existing 

accounts due to unique features or 

functionality; such an approach may be 

appropriate here as well.15

9. Additionally, there are no accounts 

for computer hardware and software 

required to operate wind and solar 

generation remotely. Also, Account 553, 

major maintenance of generating and 

electric plant, which only includes costs 

associated with Accounts 343, 344, and 

345, does not accommodate costs to 

record maintenance of solar panels, 

wind turbine blades, or wind generation 

towers.16 Similarly, some of the O&M 

accounts do not apply to the related 

non-hydro renewable energy assets. For 

example, Account 547 (Fuel) is not 

applicable to wind and solar 

generation.17

10. Because the Commission’s USofA 

does not include accounts that clearly 

accommodate non-hydro renewable 

generating plants and associated O&M 

expenses, we seek input from interested 

entities on whether to create new 

accounts to accommodate these 

resources. If the Commission determines 

that non-hydro renewables should be 

recorded as separate generating 

functions, then plant and O&M accounts 

for each new generation function will 

need to be developed where 

appropriate. This is necessary both for 

the correct categorization and correct 

cost causation attributes of the accounts. 

11. Within each item below, 

interested entities should specify 

whether the response applies to wind, 

solar, other, or some combination of 

these technologies. 

(Q1) Interested entities should 

comment on whether the Commission 

should establish separate plant and 

O&M expense accounts for each major 

type of non-hydro renewable plant, 

including separate accounts for solar, 

wind, and other non-hydro renewable 

technologies. 

(Q2) Interested entities should 

provide examples of proposed new 

accounts related to non-hydro 

renewable plant and related O&M 

expenses for the Commission to 

consider. Interested entities should also 

include proposed examples of the 

corresponding account instructions. 

(Q3) Creating new accounts related to 

non-hydro renewable plant would 

require reclassification of assets from 

existing accounts to newly created plant 

asset accounts. This would also require 

7088 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 15 / Tuesday, January 26, 2021 / Notices 

18See Revisions to Uniform Systems of Accounts 

to Account for Allowances under the Clean Air Act 

Amendments of 1990 and Regulatory-Created 

Assets and Liabilities and to Form Nos. 1, 1–F, 2 

and 2–A, Order No. 552, FERC Stats. and Regs. 

¶ 30,967 (cross-referenced at 62 FERC ¶ 61,299). 

19See 18 CFR part 101, General Instruction 21. 

20Ameren Illinois Co., 170 FERC ¶ 61,267 at P 52. 

21 Id. 

22Account 158.2 represents allowances withheld 

by the EPA to be later reclassified in Account 158.1 

as they are released. Account 456 represents the 

account in which gross sales of RECs are to be 

recorded. 

23 18 CFR part 101, Instructions for Accounts 

158.1, 158.2, 456, and 509. 

reclassification of related accumulated 

reserves for depreciation. In addition, 

there would be other impacts related to 

associated accumulated deferred income 

tax (ADIT) balances. Finally, related 

O&M expenses would need to be 

reclassified to the newly created 

expense accounts. Interested entities 

should address the potential burden that 

these reclassification requirements 

would create. 

B. Modifications to FERC Form No. 1 

12. Adding new non-hydro renewable 

plant and related O&M expenses to the 

USofA would require changes to the 

FERC Form No. 1 to report these 

accounts in an organized and 

transparent manner. Thus, we seek 

input from interested entities on how 

the Commission could modify FERC 

Form No. 1 to accommodate any such 

changes. 

(Q4) We invite interested entities to 

submit comments regarding proposals 

for reporting the new accounts for nonhydro renewable plant and related O&M 

expenses in FERC Form No. 1 and 

whether new reporting schedules and 

footnote disclosures would be required. 

Interested entities should provide 

examples of any new reporting 

schedules and footnote disclosures. 

(Q5) We encourage interested entities 

to address the type of non-accounting 

information related to non-hydro 

renewable plant and related O&M 

expenses that could be included in the 

modified FERC Form No. 1 to support 

rate development and to provide useful 

information to parties who utilize the 

financial reports. 

C. Addressing Renewable Energy Credits 

13. The USofA does not provide 

instructions for recording the purchase, 

generation or use of RECs. However, for 

accounting purposes, RECs are 

analogous to sulfur dioxide emission 

allowances, for which the Commission 

has developed accounting guidance. In 

Order No. 552, the Commission 

concluded that the sulfur dioxide 

emission allowances are appropriately 

classified as inventoriable items.18 To 

that end, the Commission established 

new inventory and expense accounts to 

record these emission allowances. 

Account 158.1 (Allowance Inventory) 

includes the cost of allowances owned 

by the utility. The instructions to 

Account 158.1 provide for allowances to 

be expensed to Account 509 

(Allowances) as allowances are used.19

14. More recently, the Commission 

found it appropriate to apply the Order 

No. 552 accounting construct to the 

costs of RECs.20 Specifically, the 

Commission has found that RECs 

should be recorded in Account 158.1 

when they are purchased or generated, 

and then expensed to Account 509 as 

they are used.21

15. We are considering updating the 

instructions for allowances recorded in 

Accounts 158.1 and 158.2 (Allowance 

Withheld), and associated revenues and 

expenses recorded in Accounts 456 

(Other Electric Revenues) and 509 to 

explicitly include activities related to 

RECs.22 Thus, we seek input from 

interested entities regarding updates to 

existing inventory accounts to 

accommodate RECs. 

(Q6) We are considering modifying 

Accounts 158.1, 158.2, and 509 to 

include the cost of RECs and modifying 

Account 456 to include revenues from 

the sale of RECs.23 We invite interested 

entities to comment on these potential 

modifications. 

D. Assessing Rate Implications 

16. It is possible that the proposed 

additions and modifications to the 

USofA and the corresponding changes 

to the FERC Form No. 1 could have a 

significant and measurable impact on 

rates for existing utilities. In addition to 

changes to the accounting and reporting 

systems, entities may have 

corresponding changes to their existing 

cost-of-service schedules for ratemaking 

purposes. For instance, entities that 

reclassify assets into the new non-hydro 

renewable accounts may need to 

include or exclude certain account 

balances from their rates to remain 

consistent with Commission approved 

rate schedules. For this reason, we seek 

input from interested entities. 

(Q7) We would like to receive input 

from interested entities as to how 

electric utilities with formula rates 

would be impacted if the Commission 

creates new plant and O&M expense 

accounts related to non-hydro 

renewables. We invite interested 

persons to submit comments regarding 

how affected utilities would address any 

such changes. 

III. Comment Procedures 

17. The Commission invites interested 

persons to submit comments on the 

matters and issues proposed in this 

notice, including any related matters or 

alternative proposals that commenters 

may wish to discuss. Comments are due 

March 29, 2021, and Reply Comments 

are due April 26, 2021. Comments must 

refer to Docket No. RM21–11–000, and 

must include the commenter’s name, 

the organization they represent, if 

applicable, and their address. 

18. The Commission encourages 

comments to be filed electronically via 

the eFiling link on the Commission’s 

website at http://www.ferc.gov. The 

Commission accepts most standard 

word-processing formats. Documents 

created electronically using wordprocessing software should be filed in 

native applications or print-to-PDF 

format and not in a scanned format. 

Commenters filing electronically do not 

need to make a paper filing. 

19. Commenters that are not able to 

file comments electronically must send 

an original of their comments to: 

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 

Secretary of the Commission, 888 First 

Street NE, Washington, DC 20426. 

20. All comments will be placed in 

the Commission’s public files and may 

be viewed, printed, or downloaded 

remotely as described in the Document 

Availability section below. Commenters 

on this proposal are not required to 

serve copies of their comments on other 

commenters. 

IV. Document Availability 

21. In addition to publishing the full 

text of this document in the Federal 

Register, the Commission provides all 

interested persons an opportunity to 

view and/or print the contents of this 

document via the internet through the 

Commission’s Home Page (http://

www.ferc.gov). At this time, the 

Commission has suspended access to 

the Commission’s Public Reference 

Room due to the President’s March 13, 

2020 proclamation declaring a National 

Emergency concerning the Novel 

Coronavirus Disease (COVID–19). 

22. From the Commission’s Home 

Page on the internet, this information is 

available on eLibrary. The full text of 

this document is available on eLibrary 

in PDF and Microsoft Word format for 

viewing, printing, and/or downloading. 

To access this document in eLibrary, 

type the docket number excluding the 

last three digits of this document in the 

docket number field. 

23. User assistance is available for 

eLibrary and the Commission’s website 

during normal business hours from the 

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 15 / Tuesday, January 26, 2021 / Notices 7089 

Commission’s Online Support at (202) 

502–6652 (toll free at 1–866–208–3676) 

or email at ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, 

or the Public Reference Room at (202) 

502–8371, TTY (202) 502–8659. Email 

the Public Reference. 

24. Room at public.referenceroom@

ferc.gov. 

By direction of the Commission. 

Issued: January 19, 2021. 

Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr., 

Deputy Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2021–01657 Filed 1–25–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket Nos. EL21–40–000 and TX21–1– 

000] 

Athens Utilities Board, Gibson Electric 

Membership Corporation, Joe Wheeler 

Electric Membership Corporation, 

Volunteer Energy Cooperative v. 

Tennessee Valley Authority; Notice of 

Complaint 

Take notice that, on January 11, 2021, 

Athens Utilities Board, Gibson Electric 

Membership Corporation, Joe Wheeler 

Electric Membership Corporation, and 

Volunteer Energy Cooperative 

(Complainants) filed a formal complaint 

against Tennessee Valley Authority 

(TVA or Respondent), pursuant to 

sections 211A, 306, 307, 308, and 309 of 

the Federal Power Act (FPA), and 18 

CFR 386.206, requesting that the Federal 

Energy Regulatory Commission 

(Commission) exercise its authority 

under FPA section 211A to order TVA 

to provide unbundled transmission 

service at rates and on terms and 

conditions that are comparable to those 

under which TVA provides 

transmission services to itself and that 

are not unduly discriminatory or 

preferential. Complainants further 

request that the Commission exercise its 

authority under FPA section 210 to 

formalize the interconnection 

arrangements between Complainants 

and TVA in order to facilitate the 

provision of transmission service 

ordered under FPA section 211A, all as 

more fully explained in the complaint. 

The Complainants certify that copies 

of the complaint were served on the 

contacts listed for Respondent in the 

Commission’s list of Corporate Officials. 

Any person desiring to intervene or to 

protest this filing must file in 

accordance with Rules 211 and 214 of 

the Commission’s Rules of Practice and 

Procedure (18 CFR 385.211, 385.214). 

Protests will be considered by the 

Commission in determining the 

appropriate action to be taken, but will 

not serve to make protestants parties to 

the proceeding. Any person wishing to 

become a party must file a notice of 

intervention or motion to intervene, as 

appropriate. The Respondent’s answer 

and all interventions, or protests must 

be filed on or before the comment date. 

The Respondent’s answer, motions to 

intervene, and protests must be served 

on the Complainants. 

The Commission strongly encourages 

electronic filings of comments, protests 

and interventions in lieu of paper using 

the ‘‘eFiling’’ link at http://

www.ferc.gov. Persons unable to file 

electronically may mail similar 

pleadings to the Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street 

NE, Washington, DC 20426. Hand 

delivered submissions in docketed 

proceedings should be delivered to 

Health and Human Services, 12225 

Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 

20852. 

In addition to publishing the full text 

of this document in the Federal 

Register, the Commission provides all 

interested persons an opportunity to 

view and/or print the contents of this 

document via the internet through the 

Commission’s Home Page (http://

ferc.gov) using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link. 

Enter the docket number excluding the 

last three digits in the docket number 

field to access the document. At this 

time, the Commission has suspended 

access to the Commission’s Public 

Reference Room, due to the 

proclamation declaring a National 

Emergency concerning the Novel 

Coronavirus Disease (COVID–19), issued 

by the President on March 13, 2020. For 

assistance, contact the Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission at 

FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, or call 

toll-free, (886) 208–3676 or TYY, (202) 

502–8659. 

Comment Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern 

Time on February 1, 2021. 

Dated: January 19, 2021. 

Kimberly D. Bose, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2021–01611 Filed 1–25–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Project No. 15055–000] 

Northern States Power Company— 

Wisconsin; Notice of Intent To File 

License Application, Filing of PreApplication Document (PAD), 

Commencement of Pre-Filing Process 

and Scoping; Request for Comments 

on the PAD and Scoping Document, 

and Identification of Issues and 

Associated Study Requests 

a. Type of Filing: Notice of Intent to 

File License Application and 

Commencing Pre-Filing Process. 

b. Project No.: 15055–000. 

c. Date Filed: November 17, 2020. 

d. Submitted By: Northern States 

Power Company—Wisconsin (Northern 

States). 

e. Name of Project: Gile Flowage 

Storage Reservoir Project (Gile Project). 

f. Location: The project is located on 

the West Fork Montreal River in Iron 

County, Wisconsin. 

g. Filed Pursuant to: 18 CFR 5.3 of the 

Commission’s regulations. 

h. Potential Applicant Contact: James 

M. Zyduck, Director of Hydro Plants, 

Northern States Power Company, 1414 

West Hamilton Ave., P.O. Box 8, Eau 

Claire, WI 54702–0008; email at 

James.Zyduck@XcelEnergy.com. 

i. FERC Contact: Lee Emery at (202) 

502–8379; or email at lee.emery@

ferc.gov. 

j. Northern States filed its request to 

use the TLP on November 17, 2020. 

Northern States provided public notice 

of its request on November 13, 2020. In 

a letter dated January 19, 2021, the 

Director of the Division of Hydropower 

Licensing denied Northern States’ 

request to use the TLP and instead 

requires the use of the ILP to prepare the 

license application for the Gile Project. 

k. Cooperating Agencies: Federal, 

state, local, and tribal agencies with 

jurisdiction and/or special expertise 

with respect to environmental issues 

that wish to cooperate in the 

preparation of the environmental 

document should follow the 

instructions for filing such requests 

described in item m below. Cooperating 

agencies should note the Commission’s 

policy that agencies that cooperate in 

the preparation of the environmental 

document cannot also intervene. See 94 

FERC 61,076 (2001). 

l. With this notice, we are initiating 

informal consultation with the U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service under section 7 of 

the Endangered Species Act and the 

joint agency regulations thereunder at