Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 218 / Tuesday, November 12, 2024 / Notices 88995 

other information, call (866) 208–3676 

(toll free). For TTY, call (202) 502–8659. 

The Commission’s Office of Public 

Participation (OPP) supports meaningful 

public engagement and participation in 

Commission proceedings. OPP can help 

members of the public, including 

landowners, environmental justice 

communities, Tribal members and 

others, access publicly available 

information and navigate Commission 

processes. For public inquiries and 

assistance with making filings such as 

interventions, comments, or requests for 

rehearing, the public is encouraged to 

contact OPP at (202) 502–6595 or OPP@

ferc.gov. 

Dated: November 5, 2024. 

Carlos D. Clay, 

Acting Deputy Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2024–26149 Filed 11–8–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket No. CP24–93–000] 

Venice Gathering System, LLC; Notice 

of Scoping Period Requesting 

Comments on Environmental Issues 

for the Proposed Venice Gathering 

System Pipeline Abandonment Project 

The staff of the Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission (FERC or 

Commission) will prepare an 

environmental document, that will 

discuss the environmental impacts of 

the Venice Gathering System Pipeline 

Abandonment Project involving 

construction and operation of facilities 

by Venice Gathering System, LLC (VGS) 

in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. The 

Commission will use this environmental 

document in its decision-making 

process to determine whether the 

project is in the public convenience and 

necessity. 

This notice announces the opening of 

the scoping process the Commission 

will use to gather input from the public 

and interested agencies regarding the 

project. As part of the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 

review process, the Commission takes 

into account concerns the public may 

have about proposals and the 

environmental impacts that could result 

from its action whenever it considers 

the issuance of an authorizing Order. 

This gathering of public input is 

referred to as ‘‘scoping.’’ The main goal 

of the scoping process is to focus the 

analysis in the environmental document 

on the important environmental issues. 

Additional information about the 

Commission’s NEPA process is 

described below in the NEPA Process 

and Environmental Document section of 

this notice. 

By this notice, the Commission 

requests public comments on the scope 

of issues to address in the 

environmental document. To ensure 

that your comments are timely and 

properly recorded, please submit your 

comments so that the Commission 

receives them in Washington, DC on or 

before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on 

December 5, 2024. Comments may be 

submitted in written form. Further 

details on how to submit comments are 

provided in the Public Participation 

section of this notice. 

Your comments should focus on the 

potential environmental effects, 

reasonable alternatives, and measures to 

avoid or lessen environmental impacts. 

Your input will help the Commission 

staff determine what issues they need to 

evaluate in the environmental 

document. Commission staff will 

consider all written comments during 

the preparation of the environmental 

document. 

If you submitted comments on this 

project to the Commission before the 

opening of this docket on March 12, 

2024, you will need to file those 

comments in Docket No. CP24–93–000 

to ensure they are considered as part of 

this proceeding. 

This notice is being sent to the 

Commission’s current environmental 

mailing list for this project. State and 

local government representatives should 

notify their constituents of this 

proposed project and encourage them to 

comment on their areas of concern. 

Public Participation 

There are three methods you can use 

to submit your comments to the 

Commission. Please carefully follow 

these instructions so that your 

comments are properly recorded. The 

Commission encourages electronic filing 

of comments and has staff available to 

assist you at (866) 208–3676 or 

FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. 

(1) You can file your comments 

electronically using the eComment 

feature, which is located on the 

Commission’s website (www.ferc.gov) 

under the link to FERC Online. Using 

eComment is an easy method for 

submitting brief, text-only comments on 

a project; 

(2) You can file your comments 

electronically by using the eFiling 

feature, which is located on the 

Commission’s website (www.ferc.gov) 

under the link to FERC Online. With 

eFiling, you can provide comments in a 

variety of formats by attaching them as 

a file with your submission. New 

eFiling users must first create an 

account by clicking on ‘‘eRegister.’’ You 

will be asked to select the type of filing 

you are making; a comment on a 

particular project is considered a 

‘‘Comment on a Filing’’; or 

(3) You can file a paper copy of your 

comments by mailing them to the 

Commission. Be sure to reference the 

project docket number (CP24–93–000) 

on your letter. Submissions sent via the 

U.S. Postal Service must be addressed 

to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, 

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 

888 First Street NE, Room 1A, 

Washington, DC 20426. Submissions 

sent via any other carrier must be 

addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, 

Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, 

Rockville, Maryland 20852. 

Additionally, the Commission offers a 

free service called eSubscription which 

makes it easy to stay informed of all 

issuances and submittals regarding the 

dockets/projects to which you 

subscribe. These instant email 

notifications are the fastest way to 

receive notification and provide a link 

to the document files which can reduce 

the amount of time you spend 

researching proceedings. Go to https://

www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview to 

register for eSubscription. 

The Commission’s Office of Public 

Participation (OPP) supports meaningful 

public engagement and participation in 

Commission proceedings. OPP can help 

members of the public, including 

landowners, environmental justice 

communities, Tribal members and 

others, access publicly available 

information and navigate Commission 

processes. For public inquiries and 

assistance with making filings such as 

interventions, comments, or requests for 

rehearing, the public is encouraged to 

contact OPP at (202) 502–6595 or OPP@

ferc.gov. 

Summary of the Proposed Project 

VGS proposes to abandon certain 

onshore and offshore facilities 

comprising the Venice Gathering 

System located onshore in the state of 

Louisiana and offshore in state and 

federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico. 

Specifically, VGS proposes to abandon 

in-place a total of approximately 121.5 

miles of 8-inch to 26-inch-diameter 

pipeline extending south of Venice 

Energy Services Company LLC’s natural 

gas processing plant in Plaquemines 

Parish, Louisiana to offshore federal 

waters in the Gulf of Mexico in South 

Timbalier. Block 151 and West Delta 

Blocks 41 and 72. 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
88996 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 218 / Tuesday, November 12, 2024 / Notices 

1The appendices referenced in this notice will 

not appear in the Federal Register. Copies of the 

appendices were sent to all those receiving this 

notice in the mail and are available at www.ferc.gov 

using the link called ‘‘eLibrary’’. For instructions on 

connecting to eLibrary, refer to the last page of this 

notice. For assistance, contact FERC at 

FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or call toll free, (886) 

208–3676 or TTY (202) 502–8659. 

2For instructions on connecting to eLibrary, refer 

to the last page of this notice. 

3The Council on Environmental Quality 

regulations addressing cooperating agency 

responsibilities are at title 40, Code of Federal 

Regulations, § 1501.8. 

4The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s 

regulations are at title 36, Code of Federal 

Regulations, part 800. Those regulations define 

historic properties as any prehistoric or historic 

district, site, building, structure, or object included 

in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register 

of Historic Places. 

The general location of the project 

facilities is shown in appendix 1.1

Land Requirements for Construction 

Onshore project activities would be 

entirely within the existing Targa 

Terminal where approximately 100 feet 

of aboveground interconnection 

pipeline and associated valves would be 

abandoned by removal. As the pipeline 

and valves to be removed are 

aboveground, no ground disturbance 

would be required. 

Approximately 20.4 miles of pipeline 

to be abandoned is within the coastal 

zone of Louisiana state waters; however, 

no ground disturbance in these areas is 

proposed. Abandonment in-place of the 

remaining 101.1 miles of pipeline 

would require a total of approximately 

0.1 acre of seafloor disturbance within 

the existing right-of-way to allow for 

access to the pipeline via jetting for 

cutting and plugging at each end. 

NEPA Process and the Environmental 

Document 

Any environmental document issued 

by the Commission will discuss impacts 

that could occur as a result of the 

construction and operation of the 

proposed project under the relevant 

general resource areas: 

• Geology, soils, and sediments; 

• water resources and wetlands; 

• vegetation and wildlife; 

• threatened and endangered species; 

• cultural resources; 

• land use; 

• environmental justice; 

• air quality and noise; and 

• reliability and safety. 

Commission staff will also evaluate 

reasonable alternatives to the proposed 

project or portions of the project and 

make recommendations on how to 

lessen or avoid impacts on the various 

resource areas. Your comments will 

help Commission staff identify and 

focus on the issues that might have an 

effect on the human environment and 

potentially eliminate others from further 

study and discussion in the 

environmental document. 

Following this scoping period, 

Commission staff will determine 

whether to prepare an Environmental 

Assessment (EA) or an Environmental 

Impact Statement (EIS). The EA or the 

EIS will present Commission staff’s 

independent analysis of the issues. If 

Commission staff prepares an EA, a 

Notice of Schedule for the Preparation 

of an Environmental Assessment will be 

issued. The EA may be issued for an 

allotted public comment period. The 

Commission would consider timely 

comments on the EA before making its 

decision regarding the proposed project. 

If Commission staff prepares an EIS, a 

Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS/ 

Notice of Schedule will be issued, 

which will open up an additional 

comment period. Staff will then prepare 

a draft EIS which will be issued for 

public comment. Commission staff will 

consider all timely comments received 

during the comment period on the draft 

EIS and revise the document, as 

necessary, before issuing a final EIS. 

Any EA or draft and final EIS will be 

available in electronic format in the 

public record through eLibrary 2 and the 

Commission’s natural gas 

environmental documents web page 

(https://www.ferc.gov/industries-data/ 

natural-gas/environment/ 

environmental-documents). If 

eSubscribed, you will receive instant 

email notification when the 

environmental document is issued. 

With this notice, the Commission is 

asking agencies with jurisdiction by law 

and/or special expertise with respect to 

the environmental issues of this project 

to formally cooperate in the preparation 

of the environmental document.3

Agencies that would like to request 

cooperating agency status should follow 

the instructions for filing comments 

provided under the Public Participation 

section of this notice. 

Consultation Under Section 106 of the 

National Historic Preservation Act 

In accordance with the Advisory 

Council on Historic Preservation’s 

implementing regulations for section 

106 of the National Historic 

Preservation Act, the Commission is 

using this notice to initiate consultation 

with the applicable State Historic 

Preservation Office(s), and to solicit 

their views and those of other 

government agencies, interested Indian 

tribes, and the public on the project’s 

potential effects on historic properties.4

The environmental document for this 

project will document findings on the 

impacts on historic properties and 

summarize the status of consultations 

under section 106. 

Environmental Mailing List 

The environmental mailing list 

Federal, State, and local government 

representatives and agencies; elected 

officials; environmental and public 

interest groups; Native American Tribes; 

other interested parties; and local 

libraries and newspapers. This list also 

includes all affected landowners (as 

defined in the Commission’s 

regulations) who are potential right-ofway grantors, whose property may be 

used temporarily for project purposes, 

or who own homes within certain 

distances of aboveground facilities, and 

anyone who submits comments on the 

project and includes a mailing address 

with their comments. Commission staff 

will update the environmental mailing 

list as the analysis proceeds to ensure 

that Commission notices related to this 

environmental review are sent to all 

individuals, organizations, and 

government entities interested in and/or 

potentially affected by the proposed 

project. 

If you need to make changes to your 

name/address, or if you would like to 

remove your name from the mailing list, 

please complete one of the following 

steps: 

(1) Send an email to 

GasProjectAddressChange@ferc.gov 

stating your request. You must include 

the docket number CP24–93–000 in 

your request. If you are requesting a 

change to your address, please be sure 

to include your name and the correct 

address. If you are requesting to delete 

your address from the mailing list, 

please include your name and address 

as it appeared on this notice. This email 

address is unable to accept comments. 

OR 

(2) Return the attached ‘‘Mailing List 

Update Form’’ (appendix 2). 

Additional Information 

Additional information about the 

project is available from the 

Commission’s Office of External Affairs, 

at (866) 208–FERC, or on the FERC 

website at www.ferc.gov using the 

eLibrary link. Click on the eLibrary link, 

click on ‘‘General Search’’ and enter the 

docket number in the ‘‘Docket Number’’ 

field. Be sure you have selected an 

appropriate date range. For assistance, 

please contact FERC Online Support at 

FercOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or (866) 

208–3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 

502–8659. The eLibrary link also 

provides access to the texts of all formal 

documents issued by the Commission, 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 218 / Tuesday, November 12, 2024 / Notices 88997 

1Rate Order Nos. SWPA–71 (January 1, 2017), 

SWPA–73 (July 15, 2017), SWPA–80 (July 15, 2023) 

2Rate Order Nos. SWPA–72 (September 13, 

2017), SWPA–74 (September 22, 2019), SWPA–77 

(August 30, 2021), SWPA–81 (September 20, 2023). 3See 138 FERC ¶ 62,199 (2012). 

such as orders, notices, and 

rulemakings. 

Public sessions or site visits will be 

posted on the Commission’s calendar 

located at https://www.ferc.gov/newsevents/events along with other related 

information. 

Dated: November 5, 2024. 

Debbie-Anne A. Reese, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2024–26140 Filed 11–8–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Southwestern Power Administration 

Integrated System Power Rates 

AGENCY: Southwestern Power 

Administration, DOE. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rate. 

SUMMARY: Southwestern Power 

Administration (Southwestern) 

proposes to revise the existing 

Integrated System rate schedules to 

meet the identified average annual 

revenue need of $237,821,129, an 

increase of $44,230,649 (22.8 percent), 

effective April 1, 2025, through 

September 30, 2027. Interested persons 

may review the proposed rate and 

supporting studies on Southwestern’s 

website, request to participate in a 

public forum, and submit comments. 

Southwestern will evaluate all 

comments received in this process. 

DATES: A consultation and comment 

period will begin November 12, 2024 

and end February 10, 2025. Written 

comments are due on or before February 

10, 2025. If requested, a public 

information and comment forum 

(Forum) will be held on December 18, 

2024, at 9:00 a.m. to no later than 12:00 

p.m. Central Standard Time (CST). The 

Forum will be conducted via Microsoft 

Teams. Persons desiring to attend the 

Forum should notify Southwestern by 

December 11, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. CST, 

so that a list of Forum participants can 

be prepared. Requests to attend the 

Forum should be sent via email to 

swparates@swpa.gov should include the 

individual’s name, address, phone 

number, entity (if any) they represent, 

and email address. Persons desiring to 

speak at the Forum should specify this 

in their notification to Southwestern; 

others may speak if time permits. 

If Southwestern does not receive a 

request for a Forum, the Forum will not 

be held. If a Forum is requested, the 

Microsoft Teams meeting information 

will be posted to Southwestern’s 

website. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments should 

be submitted to: Fritha Ohlson, Senior 

Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, 

Office of Corporate Operations, 

Southwestern Power Administration, 

U.S. Department of Energy, One West 

Third Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103 or 

emailed to swparates@swpa.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Ashley Corker, Director, Division of 

Resources and Rates, Southwestern 

Power Administration, U.S. Department 

of Energy, One West Third Street, Tulsa, 

Oklahoma 74103, (918) 595–6682, 

ashley.corker@swpa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Southwestern markets power from 24 

multi-purpose reservoir projects with 

hydroelectric power facilities 

constructed and operated by the Corps. 

These projects are located in Arkansas, 

Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. 

Southwestern’s marketing area includes 

these states plus Kansas and Louisiana. 

The costs associated with 22 of these 24 

hydropower projects are repaid with 

revenues received under the Integrated 

System rates. These rates also cover the 

costs of Southwestern’s transmission 

facilities that consist of 1,381 miles of 

high-voltage transmission lines, 27 

substations, and 46 microwave and VHF 

radio sites. 

On September 30, 2013, the Deputy 

Secretary of Energy, via Rate Order No. 

SWPA–66, placed Southwestern’s 

Integrated System rate schedules (P–13, 

NFTS–13, and EE–13) into effect until 

September 30, 2017. Subsequently, rate 

schedule NFTS–13 was renamed to 

NFTS–13A and rate schedule P–13 was 

renamed to P–13A and then later to P– 

13B, in each case with no revenue 

adjustment.1 Additionally, all three rate 

schedules have been extended with no 

revenue adjustment.2 Most recently, the 

Southwestern Administrator extended 

rate schedules P–13B, NFTS–13A, and 

EE–13, via Rate Order No. SWPA–85, 

through September 30, 2025. 

The guidelines for preparation of 

power repayment studies are included 

in DOE Order No. RA 6120.2, ‘‘Power 

Marketing Administration Financial 

Reporting.’’ In simple terms, the rate 

process works as follows. First, 

Southwestern conducts a Power 

Repayment Study to determine whether 

its current revenues are sufficient for 

Southwestern to meet its repayment 

obligations. If a revenue shortfall (or 

surplus) is indicated, Southwestern 

conducts a revised Power Repayment 

Study to determine the level of revenue 

needed. If the revenue change needed to 

meet Southwestern’s repayment 

obligations is within a small margin of 

Agency discretion, Southwestern will 

finalize the Power Repayment Studies 

for that year and Southwestern’s rates 

will not be adjusted. This is what 

occurred annually for Southwestern’s 

Integrated System Rates from 2013 until 

2023. 

If, however, Southwestern’s annual 

Power Repayment Studies indicate a 

revenue shortfall (or surplus) outside of 

that small margin of Agency discretion, 

Southwestern must then engage in a 

Rate Design Study to inform the 

Administrator as to what the new 

proposed rates should be in order to 

generate the needed revenue. This is 

what occurred in 2023. 

Unlike previous years, Southwestern’s 

2023 Power Repayment Studies 

indicated the need for a revenue 

increase that was substantial enough to 

impact Southwestern’s ability to meet 

its repayment obligations. The 2023 

Power Repayment Studies indicated the 

need for an increase of $44,230,649 in 

average annual revenue. Southwestern 

then engaged in a Rate Design Study to 

develop rates necessary to generate this 

additional revenue. The resulting rates 

are described in the chart. 

Part of the total additional revenue 

identified by the Power Repayment 

Studies is a need to increase revenues 

specifically for purchased power and 

wheeling. The Purchased Power & 

Wheeling Adder (PPWA) produces 

revenues which are segregated to cover 

the cost of power purchased to meet 

contractual obligations. The PPWA is 

established to reflect revenues required 

to meet Southwestern’s purchased 

power and wheeling needs on an 

average annual basis. The PPWA rate 

will increase to reflect the increasing 

average cost of purchasing power over 

the period as well as the cost of firm 

transmission to wheel power and energy 

from two projects, Blakely Mountain 

and DeGray, from MISO into 

Southwestern’s system. Revenue from 

the sale of excess energy from Blakely 

Mountain and DeGray will offset the 

increase in purchased power and 

wheeling cost. The Administrator’s 

authority to adjust the PPWA at her or 

his discretion with the Purchased Power 

& Wheeling Adder Adjustment 

(PPWAA) will remain in force.3 The 

PPWAA is limited to two adjustments 

per year not to exceed a total of ±8.7 

mills per kilowatt-hour per year. The 

PPWA will increase to $0.0087 per 

kilowatt-hour and the PPWAA will 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES