2944 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 9 / Friday, January 12, 2001 / Notices

of the PBGC’s regulation on Premium

Rates (29 CFR part 4006) prescribe use

of an assumed interest rate in

determining a single-employer plan’s

variable-rate premium. The rate is the

‘‘applicable percentage’’ (currently 85

percent) of the annual yield on 30-year

Treasury securities for the month

preceding the beginning of the plan year

for which premiums are being paid (the

‘‘premium payment year’’). The yield

figure is reported in Federal Reserve

Statistical Releases G.13 and H.15.

The assumed interest rate to be used

in determining variable-rate premiums

for premium payment years beginning

in January 2001 is 4.67 percent (i.e., 85

percent of the 5.49 percent yield figure

for December 2000).

The following table lists the assumed

interest rates to be used in determining

variable-rate premiums for premium

payment years beginning between

February 2000 and January 2001.

For premium payment years

beginning in:

The assumed

interest rate is:

February 2000 ...................... 5.64

March 2000 ........................... 5.30

IApril 2000 ............................ 5.14

May 2000 .............................. 4.97

June 2000 ............................. 5.23

July 2000 .............................. 5.04

August 2000 ......................... 4.97

September 2000 ................... 4.86

October 2000 ........................ 4.96

November 2000 .................... 4.93

December 2000 .................... 4.91

January 2001 ........................ 4.67

Late Premium Payments;

Underpayments and Overpayments of

Single-Employer Plan Termination

Liability

Section 4007(b) of ERISA and

§ 4007.7(a) of the PBGC’s regulation on

Payment of Premiums (29 CFR part

4007) require the payment of interest on

late premium payments at the rate

established under section 6601 of the

Internal Revenue Code. Similarly,

§ 4062.7 of the PBGC’s regulation on

Liability for Termination of Singleemployer Plans (29 CFR part 4062)

requires that interest be charged or

credited at the section 6601 rate on

underpayments and overpayments of

employer liability under section 4062 of

ERISA. The section 6601 rate is

established periodically (currently

quarterly) by the Internal Revenue

Service. The rate applicable to the first

quarter (January through March) of

2001, as announced by the IRS, is 9

percent.

The following table lists the late

payment interest rates for premiums and

employer liability for the specified time

periods:

From Through Interest rate

(percent)

10/1/94 .............. 3/31/95 9

4/1/95 ................ 6/30/95 10

7/1/95 ................ 3/31/96 9

4/1/96 ................ 6/30/96 8

7/1/96 ................ 3/31/98 9

4/1/98 ................ 12/31/98 8

1/1/99 ................ 3/31/99 7

4/1/99 ................ 3/31/00 8

4/1/00 ................ 3/31/01 9

Underpayments and Overpayments of

Multiemployer Withdrawal Liability

Section 4219.32(b) of the PBGC’s

regulation on Notice, Collection, and

Redetermination of Withdrawal

Liability (29 CFR part 4219) specifies

the rate at which a multiemployer plan

is to charge or credit interest on

underpayments and overpayments of

withdrawal liability under section 4219

of ERISA unless an applicable plan

provision provides otherwise. For

interest accruing during any calendar

quarter, the specified rate is the average

quoted prime rate on short-term

commercial loans for the fifteenth day

(or the next business day if the fifteenth

day is not a business day) of the month

preceding the beginning of the quarter,

as reported by the Board of Governors

of the Federal Reserve System in

Statistical Release H.15 (‘‘Selected

Interest Rates’’). The rate for the first

quarter (January through March) of 2001

(i.e., the rate reported for December 15,

2000) is 9.50 percent.

The following table lists the

withdrawal liability underpayment and

overpayment interest rates for the

specified time periods:

From Through Interest rate

(percent)

1/1/95 ................ 3/31/95 8.50

4/1/95 ................ 9/30/95 9.00

10/1/95 .............. 3/31/96 8.75

4/1/96 ................ 6/30/97 8.25

7/1/97 ................ 12/31/98 8.50

1/1/99 ................ 9/30/99 7.75

10/1/99 .............. 12/31/99 8.25

1/1/00 ................ 3/31/00 8.50

4/1/00 ................ 6/30/00 8.75

7/1/00 ................ 3/31/01 9.50

Multiemployer Plan Valuations

Following Mass Withdrawal

The PBGC’s regulation on Duties of

Plan Sponsor Following Mass

Withdrawal (29 CFR part 4281)

prescribes the use of interest

assumptions under the PBGC’s

regulation on Allocation of Assets in

Single-employer Plans (29 CFR part

4044). The interest assumptions

applicable to valuation dates in

February 2001 under part 4044 are

contained in an amendment to part 4044

published elsewhere in today’s Federal

Register. Tables showing the

assumptions applicable to prior periods

are codified in appendix B to 29 CFR

part 4044.

Issued in Washington, DC, on this 5th day

of January 2001.

David M. Strauss

Executive Director, Pension Benefit Guaranty

Corporation.

[FR Doc. 01–1024 Filed 1–11–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7708–01–P

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE

COMMISSION

[Release No. 35–27335]

Filings Under the Public Utility Holding

Company Act of 1935, as Amended

(‘‘Act’’)

January 5, 2001.

Notice is hereby given that the

following filing(s) has/have been made

with the Commission pursuant to

provisions of the Act and rules

promulgated under the Act. All

interested persons are referred to the

application(s) and/or declaration(s) for

complete statements of the proposed

transaction(s) summarized below. The

application(s) and/or declaration(s) and

any amendment(s) is/are available for

public inspection through the

Commission’s Branch of Public

Reference.

Interested persons wishing to

comment or request a hearing on the

application(s) and/or declaration(s)

should submit their views in writing by

January 30, 2001, to the Secretary,

Securities and Exchange Commission,

Washington, DC 20549–0609, and serve

a copy on the relevant applicant(s) and/

or declarant(s) at the address(es)

specified below. Proof of service (by

affidavit or, in the case of an attorney at

law, by certificate) should be filed with

the request. Any request for hearing

should identify specifically the issues of

facts or law that are disputed. A person

who so requests will be notified of any

hearing, if ordered, and will receive a

copy of any notice or order issued in the

matter. After January 30, 2001, the

application(s) and/or declaration(s), as

filed or as amended, may be granted

and/or permitted to become effective.

Alliant Energy Corporation, et al. (70–

9455)

Alliant Energy Corporation (‘‘Alliant

Energy’’), a registered holding company,

its wholly owned nonutility subsidiary,

Alliant Energy Resources, Inc. (‘‘AER’’),

both of 222 West Washington Avenue,

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 9 / Friday, January 12, 2001 / Notices 2945

1On February 4, 2000, the Commission issued a

supplemental order clarifying the terms of the

Financing Order as it relates to the determination

of the interest rate on notes issued or guaranteed by

Alliant Energy. See Alliant Energy Corp., et al.,

Holding Co. Act Release No. 27130.

2The Guarantees authorized in this proceeding

are separate from and in addition to guarantees

provided by Alliant Energy in accordance with

terms of the Commission’s order dated December

18, 1998 (Holding Co. Act Release No. 26956) in

SEC File No. 70–9317, which primarily support

AER’s commercial paper program.

3The increase in short-term debt is required to

meet PSNC’s winter heating season requirements.

Madison, Wisconsin 53703, have filed

with this Commission a post-effective

amendment under sections 6(a), 7, 9(a),

10, 12(b) and 32(h) of the Act and rules

45, 53 and 54 to an applicationdeclaration previously filed under the

Act.

Alliant Energy’s public utility

subsidiaries are Wisconsin Power and

Light Company, South Beloit Water, Gas

& Electric Company, Interstate Power

Company and IES Utilities Inc.

Together, these companies provide

public utility service to approximately

919,000 electric and 393,000 retail gas

customers in parts of Wisconsin, Iowa,

Minnesota and Illinois. AER serves as

the holding company for most of Alliant

Energy’s nonutility subsidiaries and

investments.

By order dated August 26, 1999 in

this proceeding (HCAR No. 27069)

(‘‘Financing Order’’), Alliant Energy and

AER were authorized to engage in a

program of external and intrasystem

financing and other related transactions

for the period through December 31,

2001 (‘‘Authorization Period’’).1 Among

other specific approvals granted under

the Financing Order, the Commission

authorized Alliant Energy to enter into

guarantees, obtain letters of credit, enter

into expense agreements or otherwise

provide credit support (collectively,

‘‘Guarantees’’) with respect to the

obligations of any of its utility or

nonutility subsidiaries (collectively,

‘‘Subsidiaries’’) as may be appropriate to

enable any Subsidiary to carry on in the

ordinary course of business, in an

aggregate amount not to exceed $600

million outstanding at any one time.2

The Commission also authorized AER

or any present or future nonutility

subsidiary (‘‘Nonutility Subsidiary’’) of

AER to acquire or construct in one or

more transactions nonutility energy

assets in the United States, including

natural gas production, gathering,

processing, storage and transportation

facilities and equipment, liquid oil

reserves and storage facilities and

associated facilities (collectively,

‘‘Energy Assets’’), that would be

incidental to the oil and gas exploration

and production and energy marketing,

brokering and trading operations of

AER’s subsidiaries. Nonutility

Subsidiaries were authorized to invest

up to $125 million in Energy Assets

during the Authorization Period or in

the equity securities of existing or new

companies substantially all of whose

physical properties consist or would

consist of Energy Assets.

Also in the Financing Order, the

Commission authorized Alliant Energy

and any of its Nonutility Subsidiaries,

including AER, to acquire the equity

securities of one or more entities

(‘‘Financing Subsidiaries’’) organized

specifically for the purpose of

facilitating the financing of the activities

of the Nonutility Subsidiaries, but

reserved jurisdiction over the transfer of

the proceeds of any financing by a

Financing Subsidiary to Alliant Energy,

pending completion of the record.

Alliant Energy and AER, on behalf of

itself and its respective direct and

indirect Nonutility Subsidiaries (many

of which are held by AER), request (1)

an increase from $600 million to $1

billion in the amount of Guarantees

Alliant Energy may issue at any one

time, (2) authority to invest an

additional $220 million in Energy

Assets, including gas and oil

exploration and production properties

in Canada as well as the United States,

and (3) a release of jurisdiction

previously reserved over the transfer of

proceeds of financing by any Financing

Subsidiary to Alliant Energy.

Alliant Energy states that it has

provided Guarantees for obligations of

Subsidiaries in an aggregate principal

amount of $291.8 million. Applicants

state that as Alliant Energy’s nonutility

operations continued to expand, Alliant

Energy projects the need to provide

Guarantees in an aggregate principal

amount up to $1 billion at any time

outstanding. Alliant Energy asserts that,

because of the temporary nature of the

Guarantees and the low likelihood that

it would be called upon to pay

significant amounts under the

Guarantees, it does not believe that the

requested increase will expose it or its

Subsidiaries to improper risks.

AER states that two indirect wholly

owned subsidiaries of AER, Whiting

Petroleum Corporation (‘‘Whiting

Petroleum’’) and Alliant Energy

Industrial Services, Inc., have invested

an aggregate of $106.3 million in Energy

Assets. AER anticipates that this level of

investment activity in Energy Assets,

particularly by Whiting Petroleum’s

acquisition of oil and gas production

properties, will continue for the

foreseeable future. Accordingly, during

the remainder of the Authorization

Period, AER requests authorization to

invest, through Nonutility Subsidiaries,

an additional $220 million in Energy

Assets or in the equity securities of

existing or new companies substantially

all of whose physical properties consist

or would consist of Energy Assets,

including oil and gas exploration and

production operations in Canada.

SCANA Corporation, et al. (70–9533)

SCANA Corporation (‘‘SCANA’’), a

registered holding company, SCANA’s

public utility subsidiary companies,

Public Service Company of North

Carolina, Inc. (‘‘PSNC’’), South Carolina

Electric and Gas Company, South

Carolina Generating Company, Inc., and

SCANA’s nonutility subsidiary

companies, South Carolina Pipeline

Corporation, SCANA Energy Marketing

Inc., SCANA Energy Trading, LLC,

SCANA Propane Gas, Inc., SCANA

Propane Storage, Inc., Servicecare Inc.,

Primesouth, Inc., Palmark, Inc.,

Palmetto Lyme, LLC, SCANA Resources,

Inc., SCANA Development Corp.,

SCANA Petroleum Resources, Inc.,

SCANA Services, Inc., South Carolina

Fuel Company, Inc., SCANA Public

Service Company LLC, Cardinal

Pipeline Company, LLC and Pine

Needle LNG Company, LLC, all located

at 1426 Main Street, Columbia, South

Carolina 29201 (collectively,

‘‘Applicants’’) have filed a post-effective

amendment under sections 6(a), 7, 9(a),

10, and 12 of the Act and rules 43, 45,

53 and 54 under the Act. The

Commission issued a notice of the

original application-declaration on

August 31, 1999 (HCAR No. 27071).

By order dated February 14, 2000

(HCAR No. 27137) (‘‘Financing Order’’),

among other things, the Commission

authorized SCANA through February

11, 2003 (the ‘‘Authorization Period’’),

to issue and sell common stock and

long-term debt up to an aggregate

amount of $1.935 billion and PSNC to

issue and sell commercial paper and

short-term debt up to an aggregate

amount of $125 million.

Applicants now propose to increase:

(i) the amount of common stock with no

par value (other than for employee

benefit plans or stock purchase and

dividend reinvestment plans) and longterm debt issued by SCANA in an

aggregate principal amount not to

exceed $2.45 billion and (ii) the amount

of commercial paper and short-term

debt that PSNC is authorized to issue an

aggregate amount not to exceed $200

million.3

In addition, PSNC proposes to issue

$150 million in long-term debt through

the Authorization Period. The long-term

2946 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 9 / Friday, January 12, 2001 / Notices

debt securities issued by PSNC would

be comprised of medium-term notes

under an indenture or institutional debt.

Any long-term debt security would have

the designation, aggregate principal

amount, maturity and interest rate(s) or

methods of determining the same, terms

of payment of interest, redemption

provisions, sinking fund terms and

other terms and conditions as PSNC

may determine at the time of issuance.

PSNC states it will not issue any new

long-term debt, unless its outstanding

long-term debt is rated ‘‘investment

grade’’ by at least one nationally

recognized statistical rating agency.

The requested increases will remain

subject to the safeguard parameters set

forth in the Financing Order and the

order approving the merger between

SCANA and PSNC on February 9, 2000

(HCAR No. 27133) (‘‘Merger Order’’),

which include these limitations: (i) The

effective cost of money on long-term

debt securities will not exceed 300 basis

points over comparable term U.S.

Treasury securities and the effective

cost of money on short-term securities

will not exceed 300 basis point over

comparable term London Interbank

Offered Rate; (ii) maturity of

indebtedness will not exceed 50 years;

(iii) the underwriting fees, commissions,

or similar remuneration paid in

connection with the issue, sale or

distribution of a security will not exceed

5% of the principal amount of the

financing; and (iv) at all times during

the Authorization Period, SCANA’s

common equity will be at least 30% of

its consolidated capitalization.

The proceeds from the sale of

securities in external financing

transactions will be used for general

corporate purposes including: (i) The

financing, in part, of the capital

expenditures of the SCANA system; (ii)

the financing of working capital

requirements of the SCANA system; (iii)

the acquisition, retirement or

redemption under rule 42 of securities

previously issued by SCANA or its

subsidiaries without the need for prior

Commission approval; and (iv) other

lawful purposes, including direct or

indirect investment in companies

authorized under the Merger Order and

in companies, the acquisition of which

are permitted by rule 58 under the Act

and exempt telecommunication

companies as defined in section 34 of

the Act.

For the Commission, by the Division of

Investment Management, pursuant to

delegated authority.

Margaret H. McFarland,

Deputy Secretary.

[FR Doc. 01–1007 Filed 1–12–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8010–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3536]

Culturally Significant Objects Imported

for Exhibition Determinations:

‘‘Treasure From a Lost Civilization:

Ancient Chinese Art From Sichuan’’

DEPARTMENT: Department of State.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the

following determinations: Pursuant to

the authority vested in me by the Act of

October 19, 1965 (79 Stat. 985, 22 U.S.C.

2459), the Foreign Affairs Reform and

Restructuring Act of 1998 (112 Stat.

2681, et seq.), Delegation of Authority

No. 234 of October 1, 1999, and

Delegation of Authority No. 236 of

October 19, 1999, as amended, I hereby

determine that the objects to be

included in the exhibition ‘‘Treasure

from a Lost Civilization: Ancient

Chinese Art from Sichuan,’’ imported

from abroad for the temporary

exhibition without profit within the

United States, are of cultural

significance. The objects are imported

pursuant to a loan agreement with the

foreign lender. I also determine that the

exhibition or display of the exhibit

objects at the Seattle Art Museum,

Seattle, WA, from on or about May,

2001 to on or about August 2001, the

Kimbell Art Museum, Forth Worth, TX

from on or about September 2001 to on

or about January 2002, and the

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York,

from on or about March 2002 to on or

about June 2002, is in the national

interest. Public Notice of these

Determinations is ordered to be

published in the Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

further information, including a list of

the exhibit objects, contact Carol

Epstein, Attorney-Adviser, Office of the

Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of State

(telephone: 202/619–6981). The address

is U.S. Department of State, SA–44, 301

4th Street, SW., Room 700, Washington,

DC 20547–0001.

Dated: January 5, 2001.

William B. Bader,

Assistant Secretary for Educational and

Cultural Affairs, United States Department

of State.

[FR Doc. 01–1084 Filed 1–11–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710–08–P

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 3537]

Culturally Significant Objects Imported

for Exhibition; Determinations:

‘‘Vincent van Gogh and the Painters of

the Petit Boulevard’’

DEPARTMENT: Department of State.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the

following determinations: Pursuant to

the authority vested in me by the Act of

October 19, 1965 (79 Stat. 985, 22 U.S.C.

2459), the Foreign Affairs Reform and

Restructuring Act of 1998 (112 Stat.

2681, et seq.), Delegation of Authority

No. 234 of October 1, 1999, and

Delegation of Authority No. 236 of

October 19, 1999, as amended, I hereby

determine that the objects to be

included in the exhibition ‘‘Vincent van

Gogh and the Painters of the Petit

Boulevard’’ imported from abroad for

the temporary exhibition without profit

within the United States, are of cultural

significance. These objects are imported

pursuant to a loan agreement with a

foreign lender. I also determine that the

exhibition or display of the exhibit

objects at the Saint Louis Art Museum,

Saint Louis, MO, from on or about

February 17, 2001, through on or about

May 13, 2001, is in the national interest.

Public Notice of these Determinations is

ordered to be published in the Federal

Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

further information, including a list of

exhibit objects, contact Jacqueline

Caldwell, Attorney-Adviser, Office of

the Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of

State (telephone: 202/619–6982). The

address is U.S. Department of State, SA–

44, 301 4th Street, S.W., Room 700,

Washington, D.C. 20547–0001.

Dated: January 5, 2001.

William B. Bader,

Assistant Secretary for Educational and

Cultural Affairs, United States Department

of State.

[FR Doc. 01–1085 Filed 1–11–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710–08–P