Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 13 / Friday, January 19, 2024 / Notices 3651 

1Order Confirming and Approving Rate Schedule 

on a Final Basis, FERC Docket No. EF14–8–000, 149 

FERC ¶ 62,196 (2014). 

2Order Confirming and Approving Rate Schedule 

on a Final Basis, FERC Docket No. EF14–8–001, 167 

FERC ¶ 62,188 (2019). 

3 50 FR 37835 (Sept. 18, 1985) and 84 FR 5347 

(Feb. 21, 2019). 

to collect—the data under its APD to 

properly perform its function of 

marketing a limited amount of Federal 

hydropower. The information WAPA 

collects is voluntary. Due to the high 

demand for WAPA’s power and limited 

amount of available power, WAPA will 

use the information collected in the 

APD—and has used the information 

collected under the current OMBapproved control number—pursuant to 

its marketing plans, to determine an 

applicant’s eligibility for an allocation 

of Federal power. As a result, the 

information WAPA collects under its 

APD is both necessary and useful. 

WAPA notes the Paperwork 

Reduction Act is the process whereby 

WAPA obtains approval from OMB to 

collect information from the public. It is 

a legal requirement WAPA must comply 

with before requesting an interested 

party submit an application for power. 

The Paperwork Reduction Act process is 

not the process in which interested 

parties apply for a new allocation of 

Federal power. The allocation of power 

from WAPA is outside the scope of this 

process and is completed in a separate 

marketing plan process by each WAPA 

region, when required; (5) Annual 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 33; 

(6) Annual Estimated Number of Total 

Responses: 33; (7) Annual Estimated 

Number of Burden Hours: 248; and (8) 

Annual Estimated Reporting and 

Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $36,944. 

Statutory Authority: The Reclamation 

Act of 1902 established the Federal 

reclamation program. See Ch. 1093, 32 

Stat. 388 (1902), as amended and 

supplemented. The basic principle of 

the Reclamation Act of 1902 was that 

the United States, through the Secretary 

of the Interior, would build and operate 

irrigation works from the proceeds of 

public land sales in sixteen arid 

Western states (a seventeenth, Texas, 

was added in 1906). The Reclamation 

Project Act of 1939 expanded the 

purposes of the reclamation program 

and specified certain terms for contracts 

that the Secretary of the Interior enters 

into to furnish water and power. See Ch. 

418, 53 Stat. 1187 (1939), as amended 

and supplemented. Section 5 of the 

Flood Control Act of 1944, as amended, 

is read in pari materia with the 

Reclamation Laws with respect to 

WAPA. See Ch. 665, 58 Stat. 887, as 

amended and supplemented. In 1977, 

section 302 of the Department of Energy 

Organization Act transferred the power 

marketing functions of the Department 

of the Interior to the Secretary of Energy, 

acting by and through a separate 

Administrator for WAPA. See 42 U.S.C. 

7152 (a)(1)(D). Under this authority, 

WAPA markets Federal hydropower. 

Signing Authority 

This document of the Department of 

Energy was signed on January 12, 2024, 

by Tracey LeBeau Administrator, 

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 January 16, 

2024. 

Treena V. Garrett, 

Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. 

Department of Energy. 

[FR Doc. 2024–01013 Filed 1–18–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Western Area Power Administration 

Central Arizona Project, Colorado 

River Storage Project, Loveland Area 

Projects, Pacific Northwest-Pacific 

Southwest Intertie Project, and ParkerDavis Project—Rate Order No. WAPA– 

215 

AGENCY: Western Area Power 

Administration, DOE. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed extension of 

the formula rates for use under 

WestConnect Regional Non-Firm 

Transmission Service. 

SUMMARY: The Colorado River Storage 

Project Management Center (CRSP MC), 

Desert Southwest Region (DSW), and 

Rocky Mountain Region (RM) of the 

Western Area Power Administration 

(WAPA) propose extending the existing 

formula rates under Rate Schedule WC– 

8, without any changes, for on-peak and 

off-peak non-firm transmission service 

provided under the WestConnect Pointto-Point Regional Transmission Service 

Participation Agreement (WestConnect 

PA) through September 30, 2026. The 

existing formula rates expire on May 31, 

2024. 

DATES: A consultation and comment 

period will begin January 19, 2024 and 

end February 2, 2024. Written 

comments will be accepted any time 

during the consultation and comment 

period. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments and 

requests to be informed of Federal 

Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) 

actions concerning the proposed 

extension to be submitted by WAPA to 

FERC for approval should be sent to: 

Barton V. Barnhart, Regional Manager, 

Rocky Mountain Region, Western Area 

Power Administration, 5555 East 

Crossroads Boulevard, Loveland, CO 

80538–8986, or email: laptransadj@

wapa.gov. Information about the 

proposed formula rate extension and 

written comments will be posted to 

WAPA’s website at: www.wapa.gov/ 

about-wapa/regions/dsw/powermarketing/westconnect. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Tamala D. Gheller, CRSP Rates Manager, 

(970) 702–8826 or email: gheller@

wapa.gov; Tina Ramsey, DSW Rates 

Manager, (602) 605–2525 or email: 

dswpwrmrk@wapa.gov; or Sheila D. 

Cook, RM Rates Manager, (970) 685– 

9562 or email: laptransadj@wapa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

WestConnect consists of a group of 

electric utilities which provide hourly, 

non-firm transmission service in the 

Western Interconnection to eliminate 

pancaking of transmission charges, 

which is the practice of charging a 

transmission customer separately for the 

use of each utility’s transmission 

system. The WestConnect membership, 

including WAPA and investor-owned 

and consumer-owned utilities, 

encompasses an interconnected 

electrical grid stretching from western 

Nebraska to southern California and 

from Wyoming to the United StatesMexico border. 

On December 15, 2014, FERC 

confirmed and approved Rate Schedule 

WC–8, under Rate Order No. WAPA– 

163, effective June 1, 2014, through May 

31, 2019.1 On June 20, 2019, FERC 

confirmed and approved the extension 

of Rate Schedule WC–8, under Rate 

Order No. WAPA–187, effective June 1, 

2019, through May 31, 2024.2

In accordance with 10 CFR 903.23(a),3

CRSP MC, DSW, and RM are proposing 

to extend the existing formula rates 

under Rate Schedule WC–8 for the 

period of June 1, 2024, through 

September 30, 2026. The existing 

formula rates are viewable on WAPA’s 

website at: www.wapa.gov/about-wapa/ 

regions/dsw/power-marketing/ 

westconnect. The existing formula rates 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
3652 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 13 / Friday, January 19, 2024 / Notices 

4The determination was done in compliance with 

the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 

1969, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 4321–4347, the 

Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for 

implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500–1508); and 

DOE NEPA Implementing Procedures and 

Guidelines (10 CFR part 1021). 

provide sufficient revenue to pay annual 

costs, including interest expense, and 

repay investment within the allowable 

period consistent with the cost recovery 

criteria set forth in Department of 

Energy (DOE) Order RA 6120.2. 

This extension will allow CRSP MC 

and RM to proceed with final 

negotiations for membership in the 

Southwest Power Pool Regional 

Transmission Organization (SPP RTO), 

with potential membership beginning in 

or around April 2026, after which CRSP 

MC and RM would no longer provide 

this transmission service. DSW would 

evaluate whether it will continue selling 

this service beyond that date, as will 

CRSP MC and RM if their proposed 

integration into the SPP RTO is delayed 

or is not successful. 

In accordance with 10 CFR 903.23(a), 

CRSP MC, DSW, and RM have 

determined it is not necessary to hold a 

public information or public comment 

forum for this action but are initiating 

a 14-day consultation and comment 

period to give the public an opportunity 

to comment on the proposed extension. 

CRSP MC, DSW, and RM will review 

and consider all timely public 

comments at the conclusion of the 

consultation and comment period and 

adjust the proposal as appropriate. 

Legal Authority 

By Delegation Order No. S1–DEL– 

RATES–2016, effective November 19, 

2016, the Secretary of Energy delegated: 

(1) the authority to develop power and 

transmission rates to the WAPA 

Administrator; (2) the authority to 

confirm, approve, and place such rates 

into effect on an interim basis to the 

Deputy Secretary of Energy; and (3) the 

authority to confirm, approve, and place 

into effect on a final basis, or to remand 

or disapprove such rates, to FERC. By 

Delegation Order No. S1–DEL–S3–2023, 

effective April 10, 2023, the Secretary of 

Energy also delegated the authority to 

confirm, approve, and place such rates 

into effect on an interim basis to the 

Under Secretary for Infrastructure. By 

Redelegation Order No. S3–DEL– 

WAPA1–2023, effective April 10, 2023, 

the Under Secretary for Infrastructure 

further redelegated the authority to 

confirm, approve, and place such rates 

into effect on an interim basis to 

WAPA’s Administrator. 

Ratemaking Procedure Requirements 

Environmental Compliance 

Categorical exclusion determinations 

were previously issued for the 

underlying rates of the transmission 

projects included in the WestConnect 

PA under the following categorical 

exclusion listed in appendix B to 

subpart D of 10 CFR part 1021: B4.3 

(Electric power marketing rate 

changes).4 Those categorical exclusion 

determinations are also applicable to 

this rate action. Copies of the categorical 

exclusion determinations are available 

on WAPA’s website. For CRSP, the 

website is: www.wapa.gov/about-wapa/ 

regions/crsp/about-crsp/environment. 

Look for file titled ‘‘SLCA/IP Rate 

Determination—WAPA–206—(CX 

Determination 2024–2028)’’. For DSW, 

the website is: www.wapa.gov/aboutwapa/regions/dsw/environment. Look in 

the ‘‘2023’’ folder for file titled, ‘‘Rate 

Order WAPA–209’’. For RM, the website 

is: www.wapa.gov/about-wapa/regions/ 

rm/rm-environment/cx2016. Look for 

file titled, ‘‘2016–077 Proposed Formula 

Rate Adjustment for Transmission 

Ancillary Services and Sale of Surplus’’. 

Determination Under Executive Order 

12866 

WAPA has an exemption from 

centralized regulatory review under 

Executive Order 12866; accordingly, no 

clearance of this notice by the Office of 

Management and Budget is required. 

Signing Authority 

This document of the Department of 

Energy was signed on January 12, 2024, 

by Tracey A. LeBeau, Administrator, 

Western Area Power Administration, 

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 January 16, 

2024. 

Treena V. Garrett, 

Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. 

Department of Energy. 

[FR Doc. 2024–01012 Filed 1–18–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

[FRL–11669–01–OA] 

Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities 

Advisory Committee (FRRCC); Notice 

of Public Meeting 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act (FACA), notice 

is hereby given that the next meeting of 

the Farm, Ranch, and Rural 

Communities Advisory Committee 

(FRRCC) will be held in-person and 

virtually January 30–31, 2024. The 

FRRCC provides independent policy 

advice, information, and 

recommendations to the Administrator 

on a range of environmental issues and 

policies that are of importance to 

agriculture and rural communities. 

DATES: This meeting will be held inperson and virtually Tuesday, January 

30, 2024–Wednesday, January 31, 2024, 

from approximately 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 

p.m. (MST). 

This meeting will take place in-person 

and virtually. To register and receive 

information on how to listen to the 

meeting and to provide comments, 

please visit: www.epa.gov/faca/frrcc. 

Attendees must register online to 

receive instructions for virtual 

attendance. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

330 E Palace Avenue, Santa Fe, NM 

87501. 

Virtual Attendance: Virtual 

attendance will be via Zoom. The link 

to register for the meeting can be found 

on the FRRCC web page: www.epa.gov/ 

faca/frrcc. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Venus Welch-White, Designated Federal 

Officer (DFO), at FRRCC@epa.gov or 

202–566–2369. General information 

regarding the FRRCC can be found on 

the EPA website at: www.epa.gov/faca/ 

frrcc. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Meetings 

of the FRRCC are open to the public. An 

agenda will be posted at www.epa.gov/ 

faca/frrcc. 

Access and Accommodations: For 

information on access or services for 

individuals with disabilities, please 

visit: www.epa.gov/faca/frrcc. 

Due to unforeseen administrative 

circumstances, EPA is announcing this 


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