67236 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 249 / Friday, December 28, 2001 / Notices

circulated for review and comment.

BPA and EFSEC will hold at least one

public comment meeting on the Draft

EIS. BPA and EFSEC will consider and

respond in the Final EIS to comments

received on the Draft EIS.

Proposed Action. MRP proposes to

construct the Mercer Ranch Power

Project, a new power plant in

southwestern Benton County,

Washington. The proposed capacity of

the plant is nominally 800 MW, which

brings the project under the jurisdiction

of the Energy Facility Site Evaluation

Council (EFSEC) for the State of

Washington.

The MRP generating facility will be

designed for a life of 40 years. The

project is proposed to be constructed as

a merchant plant for electric power

generation, with generated power routed

to the FCRTS.

The new power plant will be located

on a site consisting of approximately 40

acres, adjacent to approximately 9,000

acres of irrigated cropland owned by

Mercer Ranches, Inc. This site is located

in unincorporated Benton County, near

the border with Klickitat County. It is

approximately 12 miles west of the

unincorporated town of Paterson,

Washington; 17 miles east of the

unincorporated town of Roosevelt; and

2.5 miles north of the Columbia River.

The project site is approximately 500

feet above sea level and 245 feet above

the normal Columbia River elevation.

The sole fuel for the power generation

facility will be pipeline-quality natural

gas. Gas transportation services will be

provided by the NWP natural gas

transmission pipeline, which runs

through the plant site. It is anticipated

that the natural gas tie-in pipeline will

be constructed and owned by MRP since

it will be on land owned by MRP.

The power plant will include three

individual generating units. Each unit

will consist of one General Electric

PG7241FA combustion turbine

generator (CTG), one triple pressure

reheat type Heat Recovery Steam

Generator (HRSG) with natural gas

supplementary firing capabilities, and

one reheat Steam Turbine Generator

(STG). The CTGs and the HRSG

supplemental firing system will burn

only natural gas. Additional equipment

dedicated to each unit will include

generator step-up transformers,

electrical distribution gear, and all

associated ancillary equipment. The

plant will also use air-cooling

technologies for condensing lowpressure steam. Water for plant

operations will come from the Columbia

River via existing surface water rights.

The Mercer Ranch power project

would deliver electricity to the regional

power grid through an interconnection

to one or more BPA 500-kV

transmission line near the plant. The

interconnection and proposed upgrade

to the transmission grid would include

less than one-half mile of new 500-kV

transmission line (approximately 2 to 3

towers) and a switchyard (Crow Butte)

consisting of up to eight bays to be

located east of Dead Canyon. The

switchyard would connect the power

plant to the existing Ashe-Slatt #1

transmission line and may intertie to the

Ashe-Marion #2 500-kV transmission

line and the proposed John Day-McNary

500-kV transmission line.

Responsibility for construction and

operation of the power plant is

principally with MRP. MRP would

construct and own the interconnecting

500-kV transmission line. BPA would

construct and operate the switchyard.

Process to Date. BPA is the lead

Federal agency for the joint NEPA/SEPA

EIS, and EFSEC is the lead Washington

State agency. EFSEC has already held

open houses introducing the MRP

Project to interested parties in Benton

County. MRP will prepare an

Application for Site Certification and

submit it to EFSEC in January 2002. The

application will address the MRP

Project in detail. BPA and EFSEC will

conduct joint scoping meetings after

receipt and preliminary review of the

initial submission.

Alternatives Proposed for

Consideration. Alternatives thus far

identified for evaluation in the EIS are

(1) the proposed actions, and (2) no

action. Other alternatives may be

identified through the scoping process.

Identification of Environmental

Issues. EFSEC will prepare an EIS

consistent with its responsibilities

under Chapter 80.50 of the Revised

Code of Washington and Chapter 197–

11 of the Washington Administrative

Code. BPA must make a decision

whether to construct the proposed

switchyard and interconnect the

proposed power plant to the regional

transmission grid. Therefore, BPA and

EFSEC intend to prepare a joint NEPA/

SEPA EIS addressing both the power

plant and the associated electric power

interconnection and transmission

facilities. The principal issues identified

thus far for consideration in the Draft

EIS are (1) air quality impacts, (2)

aesthetic and visual impacts, (3) socioeconomic impacts, (4) wetlands and

wildlife habitat impacts, (5) water

quality impacts, and (6) cultural

resource impacts. These issues, together

with any additional significant issues

identified through the scoping process,

will be addressed in the EIS.

Issued in Portland, Oregon, on December

18, 2001.

Stephen J. Wright,

Acting Administrator and Chief Executive

Officer.

[FR Doc. 01–31920 Filed 12–27–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–U

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

National Energy Technology

Laboratory; Notice of Intent To Grant

Exclusive Patent License

AGENCY: Department of Energy (DOE),

National Energy Technology Laboratory

(NETL).

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of an

intent to grant to Woodward Industrial

Controls of Fort Collins, Colorado, an

exclusive license to practice the

inventions described in U.S. patent

applications titled, ‘‘Real-Time

Combustion Controls and Diagnostics

Sensors’’ and ‘‘Flashback Detection

Sensor for Lean Premix Fuel Nozzles.’’

The inventions are owned by the United

States of America, as represented by the

Department of Energy (DOE). The

proposed license will be exclusive,

subject to a license and other rights

retained by the U.S. Government, and

other terms and conditions to be

negotiated.

DOE intends to grant the license,

upon a final determination in

accordance with 35 U.S.C. 209(c),

unless within 15 days of publication of

this Notice the Technology Transfer

Manager, Department of Energy,

National Energy Technology Laboratory,

P.O. Box 880, Morgantown, WV 26507–

0880, receives in writing any of the

following, together with the supporting

documents:

(i) A statement from any person

setting forth reasons why it would not

be in the best interest of the United

States to grant the proposed license; or

(ii) An application for a nonexclusive

license to the invention, in which

applicant states that it already has

brought the invention to practical

application or is likely to bring the

invention to practical application

expeditiously.

DATES: Written comments or

nonexclusive license applications are to

be received at the address listed below

no later than fifteen (15) days after the

date of this published Notice.

ADDRESSES: Technology Transfer

Manager, U.S. Department of Energy,

National Energy Technology Laboratory,

P.O. Box 880, Morgantown, WV 26507–

0880.

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 249 / Friday, December 28, 2001 / Notices 67237

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Diane Newlon, Technology Transfer

Manager, U.S. Department of Energy,

National Energy Technology Laboratory,

P.O. Box 880, Morgantown, WV 26507–

0880; Telephone (304) 285–4065.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 35 U.S.C.

209(c) provides the Department with

authority to grant exclusive or partially

exclusive licenses in Department-owned

inventions, where a determination can

be made, among other things, that the

desired practical application of the

invention has not been achieved, or is

not likely expeditiously to be achieved,

under a nonexclusive license. The

statute and implementing regulations

(37 CFR part 404) require that the

necessary determinations be made after

public notice and opportunity for filing

written objections.

Woodward Industrial Controls of Fort

Collins, Colorado, has applied for an

exclusive license to practice the

inventions and has a plan for

commercialization of the inventions.

The proposed license will be

exclusive, subject to a license and other

rights retained by the U.S. Government,

and subject to a negotiated royalty. The

Department will review all timely

written responses to this notice, and

will grant the license if, after expiration

of the 15-day notice period, and after

consideration of written responses to

this notice, a determination is made, in

accordance with 35 U.S.C. 209(c), that

the license grant is in the public

interest.

Issued: December 18, 2001.

Rita A. Bajura,

Director, National Energy Technology

Laboratory.

[FR Doc. 01–31921 Filed 12–27–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. EL02–42–000]

Dynegy Power Marketing, Inc., Mirant

Americas Energy Marketing, LP, Mirant

California, LLC, and Williams Energy

Marketing & Trade, Complainants, v.

California Independent System

Operator Corporation, Respondent;

Notice of Complaint

December 19, 2001.

Take notice that on December 18,

2001, Dynegy Power Marketing, Inc.,

Mirant Americas Energy Marketing, LP,

Mirant California, LLC, and Williams

Energy Marketing & Trading Company

(Complainants) submitted a complaint

against the California Independent

System Operator Corporation (CAISO)

alleging that the CAISO is acting

unlawfully by implementing changes to

its operating procedures related to IntraZonal Congestion Management and

implementing market rule modifications

for importers without first seeking

authorization under section 205 of the

Federal Power Act. Complainants

further allege that certain operating

procedures violate the terms of the

Commission-approved reliability mustrun contracts.

Accordingly, Complainants request

that the Commission issue an immediate

order directing the CAISO to operate

under its prior operating procedures

until such time as the CAISO has

received all Commission authorizations

to make these changes. Complainants

also request that Commission Staff hold

a technical conference to develop a 60-

minute market.

Copies of this filing were served upon

the CAISO and other interested parties.

Any person desiring to be heard or to

protest this filing should file a motion

to intervene or protest with the Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission, 888

First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426,

in accordance with rules 211 and 214 of

the Commission’s rules of practice and

procedure (18 CFR 385.211 and

385.214). All such motions or protests

must be filed on or before January 7,

2002. Protests will be considered by the

Commission in determining the

appropriate action to be taken, but will

not serve to make protestants parties to

the proceeding. Any person wishing to

become a party must file a motion to

intervene. Answers to the complaint

shall also be due on or before January

7, 2002. Copies of this filing are on file

with the Commission and are available

for public inspection. This filing may

also be viewed on the web at http://

www.ferc.gov using the ‘‘RIMS’’ link,

select ‘‘Docket#’’ and follow the

instructions (call 202–208–2222 for

assistance). Comments, protests and

interventions may be filed electronically

via the Internet in lieu of paper. See, 18

CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the

instructions on the Commission’s web

site under the ‘‘e-Filing’’ link.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 01–31991 Filed 12–27–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. RP02–81–001]

El Paso Natural Gas Company; Notice

of Tariff Filing

December 20, 2001.

Take notice that on December 18,

2001, El Paso Natural Gas Company

(EPNG) tendered for filing as part of its

FERC Gas Tariff, Second Revised

Volume No. 1–A, Substitute Eighth

Revised Sheet No. 37, with an effective

date of January 1, 2002.

On November 29, 2001 in Docket No.

RP02–81–000, EPNG submitted for

filing ten revised tariff sheets to be

effective on January 1, 2002. EPNG

states that it is submitting Substitute

Eighth Revised Sheet No. 37 to reflect

the same maximum monthly California

reservation rate shown on the Sheet No.

22 submitted in the original filing on

November 29.

Any person desiring to protest said

filing should file a protest with the

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,

888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC

20426, in accordance with section

385.211 of the Commission’s rules and

regulations. All such protests must be

filed in accordance with section 154.210

of the Commission’s regulations.

Protests will be considered by the

Commission in determining the

appropriate action to be taken, but will

not serve to make protestants parties to

the proceedings. Copies of this filing are

on file with the Commission and are

available for public inspection. This

filing may also be viewed on the web at

http://www.ferc.gov using the ‘‘RIMS’’

link, select ‘‘Docket#’’ and follow the

instructions (call 202–208–2222 for

assistance). Comments, protests and

interventions may be filed electronically

via the Internet in lieu of paper. See, 18

CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the

instructions on the Commission’s web

site under the ‘‘e-Filing’’ link.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 01–31998 Filed 12–27–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P