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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 167 (Wednesday, August 30, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59883-59884]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-18727]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[GDO Docket No. EA-342-C]

Application for Renewal of Authorization To Export Electric 
Energy; Royal Bank of Canada

AGENCY: Grid Deployment Office, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of application.

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SUMMARY: Royal Bank of Canada (the Applicant or RBC) has applied for 
renewed authorization to transmit electric energy from the United 
States to Canada pursuant to the Federal Power Act.

DATES: Comments, protests, or motions to intervene must be submitted on 
or before September 29, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Comments, protests, motions to intervene, or requests for 
more information should be addressed by electronic mail to 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christina Gomer, (240) 474-2403, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The United States Department of Energy (DOE) 
regulates electricity exports from the United States to foreign 
countries in accordance with section 202(e) of the Federal Power Act 
(FPA) (16 U.S.C. 824a(e)) and regulations thereunder (10 CFR 205.300 et 
seq.). Sections 301(b) and 402(f) of the DOE Organization Act (42 
U.S.C. 7151(b) and 7172(f)) transferred this regulatory authority, 
previously exercised by the now-defunct Federal Power Commission, to 
DOE.
    Section 202(e) of the FPA provides that an entity which seeks to 
export electricity must obtain an order from DOE authorizing that 
export. (16 U.S.C. 824a(e)). On April 10, 2023, the authority to issue 
such orders was delegated to the DOE's Grid Deployment Office (GDO) by 
Delegation Order No. S1-DEL-S3-2023 and Redelegation Order No. S3-DEL-
GD1-2023.
    On September 4, 2008, DOE issued Order No. EA-342, authorizing RBC 
to transmit electric energy from the United States to Canada as a power 
marketer. Such authority was renewed in 2013 (EA-342-A) and 2018 (EA-
342-B). On June 12, 2023, RBC filed an application

[[Page 59884]]

with DOE (Application or App.) for renewal of its export authority for 
an additional five-year term. App. at 1.
    In its Application, RBC states that ``[n]either RBC nor any of its 
affiliates (collectively, the `RBC Companies') owns, operates or 
controls any electric power transmission or distribution facilities in 
the United States.'' Id. at 2. RBC also states that ``the RBC Companies 
also do not own, operate or control any electric generation assets.'' 
Id. RBC represents that it ``will purchase the power to be exported 
from electric facilities, federal power marketing agencies, qualifying 
cogeneration, small power production facilities and exempt wholesale 
generators, as those terms are defined in the FPA, and other public 
utilities.'' Id. at 4. RBC contends that ``[a]ny power purchased by RBC 
for export will be surplus to the needs of those entities selling power 
to RBC'' and thus, ``RBC's exports will not impair the sufficiency of 
electric supply within the United States, nor will the transmissions 
impede or tend to impede the coordination in the public interest of 
U.S. transmission facilities.'' Id.
    The existing international transmission facilities to be utilized 
by the Applicant have been previously authorized by Presidential 
permits issued pursuant to Executive Order 10485, as amended, and are 
appropriate for open access transmission by third parties. See id. at 
Exhibit D.
    Procedural Matters: Any person desiring to be heard in this 
proceeding should file a comment or protest to the Application at 
[email protected]. Protests should be filed in accordance 
with Rule 211 of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC's) Rules 
of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211). Any person desiring to 
become a party to this proceeding should file a motion to intervene at 
[email protected] in accordance with FERC Rule 214 (18 CFR 
385.214).
    Comments and other filings concerning RBC's Application should be 
clearly marked with GDO Docket No. EA-342-C. Additional copies are to 
be provided directly to Laura Mul, RBC Capital Markets, LLC, 200 Vesey 
Street, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10281, [email protected].
    A final decision will be made on the requested authorization after 
the environmental impacts have been evaluated pursuant to DOE's 
National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Procedures (10 CFR part 
1021) and after DOE evaluates whether the proposed action will have an 
adverse impact on the sufficiency of supply or reliability of the 
United States electric power supply system.
    Copies of this Application will be made available, upon request, by 
accessing the program website at https://www.energy.gov/gdo/pending-applications or by emailing [email protected].
    Signing Authority: This document of the Department of Energy was 
signed on August 24, 2023, by Maria Robinson, Director, Grid Deployment 
Office, pursuant to delegated authority from the Secretary of Energy. 
That document with the original signature and date is maintained by 
DOE. For administrative purposes only, and in compliance with 
requirements of the Office of the Federal Register, the undersigned DOE 
Federal Register Liaison Officer has been authorized to sign and submit 
the document in electronic format for publication, as an official 
document of the Department of Energy. This administrative process in no 
way alters the legal effect of this document upon publication in the 
Federal Register.

    Signed in Washington, DC on August 25, 2023.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2023-18727 Filed 8-29-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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