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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 248 (Friday, December 27, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 105561]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-30865]

[[Page 105561]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. RM19-15-002; AD16-16-002]

Qualifying Facility Rates and Requirements; Implementation Issues 
Under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978; Notice of 
Revised Procedural Schedule for the Environmental Assessment for 
Qualifying Facility Rates and Requirements Implementation Issues Under 
the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978

    On July 16, 2020, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
(Commission) issued Order No. 872,\1\ approving certain revisions to 
its regulations implementing sections 201 and 210 of the Public Utility 
Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA).\2\ On September 5, 2023, the 
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (Ninth Circuit) remanded 
Order No. 872, without vacatur, based on its finding that, pursuant to 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA),\3\ the Commission must 
prepare an environmental assessment (EA) analyzing the potential 
impacts of the rule on climate change and air quality.\4\
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    \1\ Qualifying Facility Rates & Requirements; Implementation 
Issues Under the Pub. Util. Regul. Policies Act of 1978, Order No. 
872, 172 FERC ] 61,041, order on reh'g, Order No. 872-A, 173 FERC ] 
61,158 (2020), aff'd in part and remanded in part sub nom. Solar 
Energy Indus. Ass'n v. FERC, 80 F.4th 956 (9th Cir. 2023) (Solar 
Energy).
    \2\ 16 U.S.C. 796(17)-(18), 824a-3.
    \3\ 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; see also 18 CFR pt. 380 (2024) 
(Commission's regulations implementing NEPA).
    \4\ Solar Energy, 80 F.4th at 996-97.
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    On September 24, 2024, Commission staff issued a notice of intent 
to prepare an EA, which included an anticipated schedule for issuing 
the EA and a comment period.
    By this notice, Commission staff is updating the procedural 
schedule \5\ and setting forth a revised schedule for completion of the 
EA. The revised schedule is shown below.
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    \5\ The unique identification number for documents relating to 
this environmental review is EAXX-19-20-000-1726219809.
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Schedule for Environmental Review

Issuance of EA--June 30, 2025
End of Public Comment Period--July 30, 2025

    If a schedule change becomes necessary, additional notice will be 
provided so that the relevant agencies are kept informed of the 
progress.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
using the Commission's eFiling system at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp. Commenters can submit brief comments up to 6,000 
characters, without prior registration, using the eComment system at 
http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp. You must include your 
name and contact information at the end of your comments. For 
assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at 
[email protected], (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-
8659 (TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, you may submit a paper copy. 
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. The first page of any filing should include 
the docket number RM19-15-002. Comments emailed to Commission staff are 
not considered part of the Commission record.
    In order to receive notification of the issuance of the EA and to 
keep track of formal issuances and submittals in specific dockets, the 
Commission offers a free service called eSubscription. This service 
provides automatic notification of filings made to subscribed dockets, 
document summaries, and direct links to the documents. 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, the public is 
encouraged to contact OPP at (202) 502-6595 or [email protected].
    Additional information about the final rule is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs at (866) 208-FERC or on the 
FERC website (www.ferc.gov). Using the ``eLibrary'' link, select 
``General Search'' from the eLibrary menu, enter the selected date 
range and ``Docket Number'' excluding the last three digits (i.e., 
RM19-15), and follow the instructions. For assistance with access to 
eLibrary, the helpline can be reached at (866) 208-3676, TTY (202) 502-
8659, or at [email protected]. The eLibrary link on the FERC 
website also provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by 
the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rule makings.

    Dated: December 18, 2024.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-30865 Filed 12-26-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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