### 11516 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 38 / Monday, February 27, 2012 / Notices

**ACTION :**  Notice of application.

**SUMMARY :**  NRG Power Marketing LLC (NRGPML) has applied for authority to transmit electric energy from the United States to Mexico pursuant to section 202(e) of the Federal Power Act (FPA).

**DATES :**  Comments, protests, or motions to intervene must be submitted on or before March 28, 2012.

**ADDRESSES :**  Comments, protests, or motions to intervene should be addressed to: Christopher Lawrence, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Mail Code: OE–20, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585. Because of delays in handling conventional mail, it is recommended that documents be transmitted by overnight mail, by electronic mail to Christopher.Lawrence@hq.doe.gov, or by facsimile to 202–586–8008.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Christopher Lawrence (Program Office) at 202–586–5260, or by email to Christopher.Lawrence@hq.doe.gov

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  Exports of electricity from the United States to a foreign country are regulated by the Department of Energy (DOE) pursuant to sections 301(b) and 402(f) of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7151(b), 7172(f)) and require authorization under section 202(e) of the FPA (16 U.S.C. 824a(e)).

On January 23, 2012, DOE received an application from NRGPML for authority to transmit electric energy from the United States to Mexico for five years as a power marketer using existing international transmission facilities. NRGPML does not own any electric transmission facilities nor does it hold a franchised service area. NRGPML states that it will make all of the necessary commercial arrangements and will obtain any and all of the required regulatory approvals to affect the export of electricity to Mexico as requested.

The electric energy that NRGPML proposes to export to Mexico would be surplus energy purchased from electric utilities and Federal power marketing agencies within the United States. The existing international transmission facilities to be utilized by NRGPML have previously been authorized by Presidential permits issued pursuant to Executive Order 10485, as amended, and are appropriate for open access transmission by third parties.

Procedural Matters: Any person desiring to be heard in this proceeding should file a comment or protest to the application at the address provided above. Protests should be filed in accordance with Rule 211 of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) Rules of Practice and Procedures (18 CFR 385.211). Any person desiring to become a party to these proceedings should file a motion to intervene at the above address in accordance with FERC Rule 214 (385.214). Five copies of such comments, protests, or motions to intervene should be sent to the address provided above on or before the date listed above.

Comments on the NRGPML application to export electric energy to Mexico should be clearly marked with OE Docket No. EA–384. An additional copy is to be filed directly with Herbert Thornhill, Legal Department, NRG Power Marketing LLC, 211 Carnegie Center, Princeton, NJ 08540.

A final decision will be made on this application after the environmental impacts have been evaluated pursuant to DOE’s National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Procedures (10 CFR Part 1021) and after a determination is made by DOE that the proposed action will not have an adverse impact on the reliability of the U.S. electric power supply system.

Copies of this application will be made available, upon request, for public inspection and copying at the address provided above, by accessing the program Web site at http://energy.gov/ node/11845 or by emailing Angela Troy
at Angela.Troy@hq.doe.gov.

Issued in Washington, DC, on February 20,
2012. Brian Mills, Director, Permitting and Siting, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability.
[FR Doc. 2012–4463 Filed 2–24–12; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 6450–01–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY**

**Environmental Management Site Specific Advisory Board, Paducah** 

**AGENCY :**  Department of Energy (DOE).

**ACTION :**  Notice of open meeting.

**SUMMARY :**  This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Paducah. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register

. **DATES :**  Thursday, March 15, 2012; 6 p.m.

**ADDRESSES :**  Barkley Centre, 111 Memorial Drive, Paducah, Kentucky
42001.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Reinhard Knerr, Deputy Designated Federal Officer, Department of Energy Paducah Site Office, Post Office Box 1410, MS–103, Paducah, Kentucky 42001, (270) 441–6825.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :** 

Purpose of the Board: The purpose of the Board is to make recommendations to DOE–EM and site management in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management and related activities. Tentative Agenda

• Call to Order, Introductions, Review of Agenda

• Administrative Issue

Æ Draft Recommendation on the Fiscal Year 2014 Integrated Priorities List

• Public Comments

• Adjourn Breaks Taken as Appropriate. Public Participation: The EM SSAB, Paducah, welcomes the attendance of the public at its advisory committee meetings and will make every effort to accommodate persons with physical disabilities or special needs. If you require special accommodations due to a disability, please contact Reinhard Knerr as soon as possible in advance of the meeting at the telephone number listed above. Written statements may be filed with the Board either before or after the meeting. Individuals who wish to make oral statements pertaining to agenda items should contact Reinhard Knerr at the telephone number listed above. Requests must be received as soon as possible prior to the meeting and reasonable provision will be made to include the presentation in the agenda. The Deputy Designated Federal Officer is empowered to conduct the meeting in a fashion that will facilitate the orderly conduct of business. Individuals wishing to make public comments will be provided a maximum of five minutes to present their comments. The EM SSAB, Paducah, will hear public comments pertaining to its scope (clean-up standards and environmental restoration; waste management and disposition;stabilization and disposition of nonstockpile nuclear materials; excess facilities; future land use and long-term stewardship; risk assessment and management; and clean-up science and technology activities). Comments outside of the scope may be submitted via written statement as directed above.

Minutes: Minutes will be available by writing or calling Reinhard Knerr at the address and phone number listed above. Minutes will also be available at the following Web site: http:// www.pgdpcab.energy.gov/ 2011Meetings.html.


### 11517 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 38 / Monday, February 27, 2012 / Notices

Issued at Washington, DC, on February 21,
2012. LaTanya R. Butler, Acting Deputy Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012–4461 Filed 2–24–12; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 6450–01–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY**

**[OE Docket No. RRTT–IR–001]**

**Rapid Response Team for Transmission** 

**AGENCY :**  Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Department of Energy, DoE.

**ACTION :**  Request for information.

**SUMMARY :**  The Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability is seeking information on the questions related to permitting of transmission lines. In responding to this RFI, please specify the role of your company or agency in the electric
sector.

**DATES :**  Comments must be submitted on or before March 28, 2012.

**ADDRESSES :**  Comments should be addressed to: Lamont Jackson, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Mail Code: OE–20, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585. Because of delays in handling conventional mail, it is recommended that documents be transmitted by overnight mail, by electronic mail to Lamont.Jackson@hq. doe.gov, or by facsimile to 202–586–
8008.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Lamont Jackson (Program Office) at 202–586–0808, or by email to Lamont. Jackson@hq.doe.gov.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  Infrastructure projects—such as high voltage, long distance, electric transmission facilities—often involve multiple Federal, State, local and Tribal authorizations and are subject to a wide array of processes and procedural requirements in order to obtain all necessary permits and other authorizations. Delays in securing required statutory reviews, permits, and consultations can threaten the completion projects of national and regional significance.

As our nation moves towards cleaner, more diverse fuel sources and responds to state renewable energy standards, a number of developers are looking to build electric generators where the fuel is most abundant, which is often far from electric customers, thereby requiring long transmission lines. At least three problems may arise when trying to develop this type of infrastructure: (1) Non-synchronous evaluations by all governmental entities with jurisdiction; (2) uncertainty about whether all necessary permits and approvals will be received; and (3) significantly different development times for generation and transmission. This Request for Information is focused on making the development times for generation and transmission to be more commensurate with one another.

While most types of electric generators can be developed within a few years, developing the transmission necessary for that generation may take much longer. The differential in development times between generation and transmission creates a Catch-22 that inhibits the development of both. (Of course if a load serving entity is developing both the generation and transmission for its own customers, then no such Catch-22 exists.) While generation developers need assurance that transmission will be built before they will commit to building the generation, the transmission developers need a commitment that the generation will be built. As the differential indevelopment times increases, the Catch22 deepens, thereby hampering the building the infrastructure this Nation needs. Presidential Memorandum—Speeding Infrastructure Development Through More Efficient and Effective Permitting and Environmental Review

On August 31, 2011, the President issued a memorandum to the heads of Executive Departments and Agencies. That Memorandum states:

in the current economic climate it is critical that agencies take steps to expedite permitting and review, through such strategies as integrating planning andenvironmental reviews; coordinating multiagency or multi-governmental reviews and approvals to run concurrently; setting clear schedules for completing steps in the environmental review and permitting process; and utilizing information technologies to inform the public about the progress of environmental reviews as well as the progress of Federal permitting and review
processes.

It further states that agencies should ‘‘ensure that their processes for reviewing infrastructure proposals work efficiently to protect our environment, provide for public participation and certainty of process, ensure safety, and support vital economic growth.’’ Rapid Response Team for Transmission

Recognizing the need for Federal agencies to coordinate their efforts on transmission and to quickly respond to challenges, nine Federal agencies have been closely coordinating their review of electric transmission on Federal lands under a joint Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) executed in 2009.

Building on the cooperation developed through the MOU, and in response to the Presidential Memorandum, on October 5, 2011, the Administration announced the creation of a Rapid Response Team for Transmission (RRTT).

The RRTT aims to improve the overall quality and timeliness of electric transmission infrastructure permitting, review, and consultation by the Federalgovernment on both Federal and nonFederal lands through:

• Coordinating statutory permitting, review, and consultation schedules and processes among involved Federal and state agencies, as appropriate, through Integrated Federal Planning;

• Applying a uniform and consistent approach to consultations with Tribal governments; and,

• Resolving interagency conflicts and ensuring that all involved agencies are fully engaged and meeting timelines.

Participating Agencies include: the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the Department of Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
Request for Information (RFI)

Building upon the Presidential Memorandum and in support of the RRTT, the Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity is seeking information on the questions asked below. In responding to this RFI, please specify the role of your company or agency in the electric sector.

(1). The development timelines for generation and attendant transmission are often not coordinated or run concurrently. Because of the lengthy time to obtain regulatory reviews, permits and approvals (collectively ‘‘Regulatory Permits’’), major new transmission lines can take significantly longer to develop than some types of generation to which the transmission would connect. This Request for Information will refer to the difference in development times between generation and transmission as