Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 245 / Thursday, December 20, 2001 / Notices 65703

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Western Area Power Administration

Energy Imbalance Service

AGENCY: Western Area Power

Administration, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rate.

SUMMARY: The Western Area Power

Administration (Western) is proposing a

revision to the current rate schedule for

Energy Imbalance Service for the

Western Area Colorado Missouri control

area (WACM).

The Department of Energy (DOE)

Deputy Secretary approved rates for

Transmission and Ancillary Services,

including Energy Imbalance Service, on

March 23, 1998 (Rate Order No. WAPA–

80, published in the Federal Register on

April 6, 1998). The Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission (FERC)

confirmed and approved the rate

schedule on July 21, 1998, under FERC

Docket No. EF98–5181–000. Rate

Schedule L–AS4, the rate schedule for

Energy Imbalance Service, was

contained within Rate Order No.

WAPA–80 and became effective on

April 1, 1998, for the period ending

March 31, 2003.

The proposed rate is a revision to L–

AS4 and provides sufficient revenue to

pay annual costs incurred in WACM’s

management of control area resources

and obligations. The proposed rate is

scheduled to go into effect on April 1,

2002, and will remain in effect through

March 31, 2003. This Federal Register

notice begins the formal process for the

proposed rate.

DATES: The consultation and comment

period begins with the publication of

this notice and ends on January 31,

2002. An informal public information

meeting will be held on January 15,

2002. No public comment forum will be

held.

ADDRESSES: If you wish to submit

comments, please do so in writing and

address them to: Mr. Joel K. Bladow,

Regional Manager, Rocky Mountain

Customer Service Region, Western Area

Power Administration, 5555 East

Crossroads Boulevard, Loveland, CO

80538–8986. Western must receive

written comments by January 31, 2002,

to be assured consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Daniel T. Payton, Rates Manager, Rocky

Mountain Customer Service Region,

Western Area Power Administration,

5555 East Crossroads Boulevard,

Loveland, CO 80538–8986, telephone

(970) 461–7442, e-mail

dpayton@wapa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

proposed rate is needed to adequately

recover the cost of energy purchased

when entities conducting business

within WACM are unable to match their

resources and obligations accurately.

The current rate schedule L–AS4

provides for the ability to charge 100

mills per kilowatt-hour for under

deliveries occurring more than five

times per month outside of a bandwidth

of ±1.5%. Within the bandwidth, the

customer returns energy to Western. For

over deliveries, the current rate

schedule provides for the Transmission

Customer to be credited up to 50

percent of the regional average monthly

price for non-firm purchases.

WACM has experienced a great deal

of price volatility over the last year,

with prices ranging from a high of $575

per megawatt (MW) on-peak to a low of

$22 per MW on-peak. WACM, as a

control area operator, has final

responsibility for balancing resources

against obligations. As such, in times of

deficit energy, WACM is required to

purchase energy to keep the control area

in balance. The existing 100-mill charge

is inadequate to repay the costs of

balancing energy in a high-cost market.

At other times, it may be excessive. This

proposed pass-through cost

methodology will result in an equitable

recovery of expenses.

Any change to Energy Imbalance

Service will be as set forth in a revision

to this schedule pursuant to applicable

Federal laws, regulations, and policies

and made part of the applicable service

agreement.

Formula Rate

Western provides Energy Imbalance

Service when there is a difference

between a customer’s resources and

obligations. Energy Imbalance is

calculated as resources minus

obligations (adjusted for losses) for any

combination of scheduled transfers/

transactions located within WACM over

each hour. Resources are defined as the

quantity of actual generation plus

scheduled resources, imports, or

receipts. Obligations are defined as the

quantity of actual deliveries plus

scheduled obligations, exports or

deliveries plus losses not accounted for

separately. Some deviation from zero is

expected, and a bandwidth is

established to accommodate reasonable

variations from an exact match of

obligations and resources. Deviation

beyond that bandwidth is not

considered to be prudent utility

practice.

WACM will establish a bandwidth of

±4 percent (8 percent bandwidth), with

a minimum deviation of 2 megawatts

(MW) to be applied hourly to any energy

imbalance that occurs as a result of a

difference in the customers’ resources

and obligations. WACM has proposed

this increase in the bandwidth because

the original rate schedule’s bandwidth

of ±1.5 percent was not reasonable with

regard to current industry

instrumentation accuracy, which is

approximately 1 percent. WACM

proposes to increase the bandwidth to

±4 percent to accommodate a wider

range of customers’ imbalances in a

non-punitive manner, while still

recovering WACM’s expenses to balance

energy. Four percent was determined to

be the maximum capacity risk that

WACM was willing to consider. With an

estimated average control area load of

2,900 MW, the selection of a 4 percent

bandwidth creates a capacity risk of 116

MW for WACM. The 2 MW minimum

deviation accommodates a situation

where entities with smaller loads are

not harmed by the industry standard of

scheduling in whole megawatts.

All Energy Imbalance Service

provided, both inside and outside the

bandwidth, will be handled through

financial settlement, accounted for

hourly, at the end of each month.

Within the established bandwidth,

charges for under deliveries or

compensation for over deliveries will be

aggregated and distributed to customers

on a pass-through cost basis. The intent

is to keep the control area whole within

this range. Prices inside the bandwidth

will be based on WACM’s weighted

average of nonfirm purchases and sales.

Outside the bandwidth, WACM will

provide disincentives for those

exceeding the established limits. These

disincentives will be in the form of

higher charges for under deliveries and

lower compensation for over deliveries.

Prices outside the bandwidth will be

based on WACM’s marginal nonfirm

purchases or sales.

Within the Bandwidth

Within the bandwidth, the gross

energy imbalance for each applicable

entity within WACM shall be totaled

and netted to determine an aggregate

energy imbalance for WACM. The sign

of the net amount will determine which

of the following pricing mechanisms

will apply:

For excursions by individual

customers during hours of WACM net

over-delivery, WACM will provide the

customer with a financial charge for

under deliveries or credit for over

deliveries, as applicable, equal to 100

percent of the weighted average of

nonfirm Loveland Area Projects (LAP)

energy sale prices for that hour made by

Western’s Energy Management and

65704 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 245 / Thursday, December 20, 2001 / Notices

Marketing Office (EMMO) in Montrose.

If during the hour in question, there are

no LAP sales by EMMO, WACM will

use the daily on-or off-peak weighted

average nonfirm energy LAP sale prices.

If there were no LAP sales made by

EMMO during the day in question, then

the Palo Verde nonfirm index will be

used for on- and off-peak hours.

For excursions by individual

customers during hours of WACM net

under-delivery, for each hour, WACM

will provide the customer with a

financial charge for under deliveries or

credit for over deliveries, as applicable,

equal to 100 percent of the weighted

average of nonfirm energy LAP purchase

prices for that hour made by EMMO. If

during the hour in question, there are no

LAP purchases by EMMO, WACM will

use the daily on-or off-peak weighted

average of nonfirm LAP purchase prices.

If there were no LAP purchases made by

EMMO during the day in question, then

the Palo Verde nonfirm index will be

used for on- and off-peak hours.

Transmission expenses incurred in

the sale or purchase of balancing energy

will be factored in the sale and purchase

prices.

Outside the Bandwidth

Outside the bandwidth, aggregated

WACM energy imbalance will not be

taken into account. Each entity within

WACM will be charged or credited

independently for energy imbalance

service taken.

For positive excursions (over

deliveries) outside the bandwidth,

WACM will credit the customer for 90

percent of the weighted average of the

lowest marginal nonfirm energy LAP

sale prices for that hour made by

EMMO. If during the hour in question,

there are no LAP sales, WACM will use

90 percent of the weighted average of

the lowest marginal nonfirm energy LAP

sale prices for the day. If there were no

LAP sales made by EMMO during the

day in question, WACM will use 90

percent of the Palo Verde nonfirm index

for on- and off-peak hours.

For negative excursions (under

deliveries) outside the bandwidth,

WACM will charge the customer 110

percent of the weighted average of the

highest marginal nonfirm energy LAP

purchase prices for that hour made by

EMMO. If during the hour in question,

there are no LAP purchases, WACM will

use 110 percent of the weighted average

of the highest marginal nonfirm LAP

purchase prices for the day. If there

were no LAP purchases made by EMMO

during the day in question, WACM will

use 110 percent of the Palo Verde

nonfirm index for on- and off-peak

hours.

Transmission expenses incurred in

the sale or purchase of balancing energy

will be factored in the sale and purchase

prices.

WACM reserves the right to offer no

financial credit during periods when

control area operations are

compromised by over-delivery; e.g.,

during periods of high water or other

operating constraints.

WACM will keep hourly records of

Energy Imbalance Service amounts by

customer and will produce a monthly

report showing such amounts.

In the case of a generator imbalance

where the generator is jointly owned,

the charges/credits for Energy Imbalance

Service will be assigned to the operating

agent of the generator, unless WACM

has been provided with a signed

agreement from the generator owners

designating a specific methodology used

to allocate among owners and entitlees,

the amount of aggregate energy

imbalance due to the generator(s).

Western reserves the right to refuse a

designation that does not provide for the

full and accurate recovery of all energy

imbalance existing among owners/

entitlees.

Physical Resource Loss

Western recognizes that the loss of a

physical resource/generator, by virtue of

an uncontrollable event (forced outage),

can represent a significant percentage of

an entity’s resource, and may result in

an out-of-bandwidth condition. Western

proposes to lessen the impact of such

instances by widening the bandwidth an

additional amount to accommodate the

amount of time required for an

emergency response. This would be

equivalent to the entity’s resource loss

in MW, divided by 8. The divisor of 8

is justified by the 15-minute response

requirement, divided in half. The period

immediately preceding the resource loss

should have production on-schedule

and the period after the loss should

have the group response on-schedule.

The 15-minute period immediately

following the trip would begin with an

out-of-balance condition in the amount

of the entity’s schedule/allocation from

the off-line unit and end with a

balanced condition due to the group

response. Thus, the amount of

imbalance in the 15-minute period

would be one-half of the energy in that

period, for a total of one-eighth of the

schedule from the tripped unit for that

hour. The standard bandwidth would be

extended by that one-eighth amount for

either the hour of the trip or the hour

of the trip and the next hour, depending

on whether or not the 15-minute period

rested entirely within an hour or

overlapped into the following hour.

Western would also apply this

expanded bandwidth to those cases

where there is the loss of a resource

(either internal to or scheduled into

WACM) by virtue of an uncontrollable

event, which is replaced for 1 or 2 hours

by a coordinated response from a

Western-recognized reserve-sharing

group.

Western would provide a similarly

expanded bandwidth of 1 to 2 hours for

those members of a bona fide reservesharing group whose calculation of

energy imbalance is pushed out of

balance by virtue of a response to

another member’s loss of a unit during

a reserve group activation. In this case,

the expanded bandwidth would be the

supplying members’ response level for

the trip, divided by 8. Again, the divisor

of 8 is justified by the 15-minute

response requirement, divided in half.

Sample Calculations

Within the Bandwidth

Within the bandwidth, credits and

charges will be based on the weighted

average of all nonfirm energy sales or

purchases made within the hour or day,

as depicted in Table 1:

TABLE 1

Credits for Over Deliveries: Weighted Average Nonfirm Sale Price

(WANSP)

Charges for Under Deliveries: Weighted Average Nonfirm Purchase

Price (WANPP)

Scenario: Aggregate over delivery Scenario: Aggregate under delivery

Sale #1 25 MW @ $200 ($5,000) Purchase #1 100 MW @ $200 ($20,000)

Sale #2 25 MW @ $100 ($2,500) Purchase #2 50 MW @ $100 ($5,000)

Sale #3 25 MW @ $ 43 ($1,075) Purchase #3 100 MW @ $ 65 ($6,500)

Sale #4 25 MW @ $ 25 ($ 625) Purchase #4 50 MW @ $ 35 ($1,750)

Calculation: Calculation:

($5,000+$2,500+$1,075+$625) = $9,200 ($20,000+$5,000+$6,500+$1,750) = $33,250

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 245 / Thursday, December 20, 2001 / Notices 65705

TABLE 1—Continued

Credits for Over Deliveries: Weighted Average Nonfirm Sale Price

(WANSP)

Charges for Under Deliveries: Weighted Average Nonfirm Purchase

Price (WANPP)

$9,200/100 MW = $92 $33,250/300 MW = $110.83

WANSP: $92/MW WANPP: $110.83/MW

Or Palo Verde posted rate, if no sales (Applicable transmission

cost deducted)

Or Palo Verde posted rate, if no purchases (Applicable transmission cost added)

Outside the Bandwidth

Reference is made above to the

weighted average of the lowest and

highest marginal nonfirm sale and

purchase price(s) for the hour or day

that a sale or purchase is made by

EMMO. These prices will apply only to

imbalances outside the bandwidth. The

weighted average of the lowest and

highest marginal nonfirm energy sale

and purchase prices will be derived as

depicted in Table 2:

TABLE 2

Credits for Over Deliveries: Weighted Average Lowest Marginal Nonfirm

Sale Price (WALMNSP)

Charges for Under Deliveries: Weighted Average Highest Marginal

Nonfirm Purchase Price (WAHMNPP)

Scenario: Customer surplus 35 MW Scenario: Customer deficit 175 MW

Sale #1 25 MW @ $25 ($625) Purchase #1 100 MW @ $200 ($20,000)

Sale #2 25 MW @ $43 ($1,075) Purchase #2 50 MW @ $100 ($5,000)

Sale #3 25 MW @ $100 ($2,500) Purchase #3 100 MW @ $65 ($6,500)

Sale #4 25 MW @ $200 ($5,000) Purchase #4 50 MW @ $35 ($1,750)

Calculation keys off of surplus of 35 MW: Calculation keys off deficit of 175 MW:

($625)+(10 MW × $43) = $1,055 ($20,000)+($5,000)+(25 MW × $65) = $26,625

$1,055 / 35 MW = $30.14 $26,625 / 175 MW = $152.14

WALMNSP: $30.14/MW × 90 percent = $27.13/MW WAHMNPP: $152.14/MW × 110 percent = $167.36/MW

Or Palo Verde posted rate, if no sales (Applicable transmission

cost deducted)

Or Palo Verde posted rate, if no purchases (Applicable transmission cost added)

Procedural Requirements

The proposed rate will result in a

minor rate adjustment as defined at 10

CFR 903.2. A minor rate adjustment is

one that will not increase annual

revenue of the power system by more

than 1 percent. The proposed rate will

accomplish a pass-through of costs

incurred to purchase energy to balance

the control area, resulting in only

incidental changes in net revenue. An

informal public information meeting

will be held on January 15, 2002, at the

Rocky Mountain Customer Service

Region Office. No public comment

forum will be held. The comment

period will end on January 31, 2002. All

comments must be sent to the address

listed in the Addresses section. Western

will review written comments received

during the comment period and will

recommend that the proposed rate or a

revised proposed rate be approved on an

interim basis by the DOE Deputy

Secretary.

The proposed rate for Energy

Imbalance Service is being established

pursuant to the Department of Energy

Organization Act, 42 U.S.C. 7101–7352;

the Reclamation Act of 1902, ch. 1093,

32 Stat. 388, as amended and

supplemented by subsequent

enactments, particularly section 9(c) of

the Reclamation Project Act of 1939, 43,

U.S.C. 485h(c); and other acts

specifically applicable to the projects

involved.

By Amendment No. 3 to Delegation

Order No. 0204–108, published

November 10, 1993 (58 FR 59716), the

Secretary of DOE delegated (1) the

authority to develop long-term power

and transmission rates on a

nonexclusive basis to Western’s

Administrator; and (2) the authority to

confirm, approve, and place into effect

on a final basis, to remand, or to

disapprove such rates to FERC. In

Delegation Order No. 0204–172,

effective November 24, 1999, the

Secretary of Energy delegated the

authority to confirm, approve, and place

such rates into effect on an interim basis

to the Deputy Secretary. Existing DOE

procedures for public participation in

power rate adjustments are found at 10

CFR part 903.

Availability of Information

Comments, letters, memorandums, or

other documents made or kept by

Western in developing the proposed rate

will be made available for inspection

and copying at the Rocky Mountain

Customer Service Region, located at

5555 East Crossroads Boulevard,

Loveland, CO 80538–8986.

Regulatory Procedural Requirements

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis

The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980

(5 U.S.C. 601, et seq.) requires Federal

agencies to perform a regulatory

flexibility analysis if a final rule is likely

to have a significant economic impact

on a substantial number of small entities

and there is a legal requirement to issue

a general notice of proposed

rulemaking. Western has determined

that this action does not require a

regulatory flexibility analysis since it is

a rulemaking of particular applicability

involving rates or services applicable to

public property.

Environmental Compliance

In compliance with the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969

(NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.);

Council on Environmental Quality

Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500–1508);

and DOE NEPA Regulations (10 CFR

part 1021), Western determined that this

action is categorically excluded from the

preparation of an environmental

assessment or an environmental impact

statement.

Determination Under Executive Order

12866

Western has an exemption from

centralized regulatory review under

Executive Order 12866; accordingly, no

65706 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 245 / Thursday, December 20, 2001 / Notices

clearance of this notice by the Office of

Management and Budget is required.

Small Business Regulatory Enforcement

Fairness Act

Western has determined that this rule

is exempt from Congressional

notification requirements under 5 U.S.C.

801 because the action is a rulemaking

of particular applicability relating to

rates or services and involves matters of

procedure.

Dated: December 5, 2001.

Michael S. Hacskaylo,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 01–31347 Filed 12–19–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–7120–4]

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Proposed Collection;

Comment Request; Servicing of Motor

Vehicle Air Conditioners

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In compliance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.

3501 et seq.), this document announces

that EPA is planning to submit the

following renewal of the Information

Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB):

Servicing of Motor Vehicle Air

Conditioners, OMB Control Number

2060–0247, EPA Number 1617.04,

which will expire on May 31, 2002.

Before submitting the ICR to OMB for

review and approval, EPA is soliciting

comments on specific aspects of the

proposed information collection as

described below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on

or before February 19, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Global Programs Division,

(6205–J), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue,

NW., Washington, DC 20460. To obtain

a copy of the ICR, free of charge, you

may contact the Stratospheric Ozone

Hotline at 1/800–296–1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Nancy Smagin 202–564–9126 202–564–

2156 smagin.nancy.epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Affected entities: Entities potentially

affected by this action are those that

service motor vehicle air conditioners.

Entities that service motor vehicle air

conditioners must send a one-time

recovery/recycle equipment certification

to EPA. New technical colleges seeking

EPA authorization to certify technicians

to service motor vehicle air

conditioners. Additional laboratories,

although highly unlikely, seeking to

become EPA certified to test refrigerant,

which has been reclaimed to the

industry standard.

Title: ‘‘Servicing of Motor Vehicle Air

Conditioners’’

OMB Control No.: 2060–0247; EPA

ICR No. 1617.04, expiring on May 31,

2002.

Abstract: Section 609(d)(3)–(4) of the

Act requires that all entities that service

motor vehicle air conditioners acquire

approved refrigerant recycling

equipment. Proposed automotive

technician certification programs are

required to be approved by EPA in

section 609(b)(4). Under section

609(b)(2)(A), independent laboratories

must seek EPA approval to assure that

they meet an industry accepted standard

of quality. Owners may show that they

possess substantially identical

equipment as addressed in section

609(b)(2)(B), and obtain certification

from EPA. The recordkeeping

requirements for motor vehicle

recycling programs are derived from

section 114 of the Act. Responses

collected or recorded are required to

ensure that EPA standards are met, and

are consistent with the least stringent of

the Society of Automotive Engineers

(SAE) J standards.

An agency may not conduct or

sponsor, and a person is not required to

respond to, a collection of information

unless it displays a currently valid OMB

control number. The OMB control

numbers for EPA’s regulations are listed

in 40 CFR part 9 and 48 CFR Chapter

15.

The EPA would like to solicit

comments to:

(i) Evaluate whether the proposed

collection of information is necessary

for the proper performance of the

functions of the agency, including

whether the information will have

practical utility;

(ii) Evaluate the accuracy of the

agency’s estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection of information,

including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used;

(iii) Enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and

(iv) Minimize the burden of the

collection of information on those who

are to respond, including through the

use of appropriate automated electronic,

mechanical, or other technological

collection techniques or other forms of

information technology, e.g., permitting

electronic submission of responses.

Burden Statement: The estimated

annual burden associated with

recordkeeping is 5,320 hours, and the

total annual costs are estimated at

$266,000. The estimated annual

reporting burden is estimated at 3,562

hours, and the total annual costs are

estimated at $178,100. The total annual

public burden of capital/start-up and

total burden hours is 8,882, and the

summary total of all capital/start-up

costs and total annual costs is $444,100.

Dated: December 12, 2001.

Paul Stolpman,

Director, Office of Atmospheric Programs.

[FR Doc. 01–31345 Filed 12–19–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

[FRL–7120–7]

Agency Information Collection

Activities: Submission for OMB

Review; Renewal; Federal Plan

Recordkeeping and Reporting

Requirements for Large Municipal

Waste Combustors Constructed on or

Before September 20, 1994 (Subpart

FFF)

AGENCY: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In compliance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.

3501 et seq.), this document announces

that the following Information

Collection Request (ICR) has been

forwarded to the Office of Management

and Budget (OMB) for review and

approval: Federal Plan Recordkeeping

and Reporting Requirements for Large

Municipal Waste Combustors

Constructed on or Before September 20,

1994 (subpart FFF), ICR Number,

1847.02, OMB Control Number, 2060–

0390, expiration date, December 31,

2001. The ICR describes the nature of

the information collection and its

expected burden and cost; where

appropriate, it includes the actual data

collection instrument.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on

or before January 22, 2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

a copy of the ICR contact Susan Auby

at EPA by phone at (202) 260–4901, by

E-mail at auby.susan@epamail.epa.gov,

or download off the Internet at http://

www.epa.gov/icr and refer to EPA ICR

No. 1847.20.For technical questions

about the ICR contact Carolyn Young,

202–564–7062, Office of Compliance,

young.carolyn@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: