[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 39 (Tuesday, February 27, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12504-12505]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-4732]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[FE Docket No. PP-68-2]


Application to Amend Presidential Permit San Diego Gas & Electric 
Company

AGENCY: Office of Fossil Energy, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of Application.

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SUMMARY: San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) has applied to amend 
Presidential Permit PP-68 authorizing the construction, operation, 
maintenance, and connection of a 230-kV electric transmission line at 
the U.S. international border with Mexico.

DATES: Comments, protests, or requests to intervene must be submitted 
on or before March 29, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments, protests, or requests to intervene should be 
addressed as follows: Office of Coal & Power Import and Export (FE-27), 
Office of Fossil Energy, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0350.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Russell (Program Office) 202-
586-9624 or Michael T. Skinker (Program Attorney) 202-586-6667.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The construction, operation, maintenance, 
and connection of facilities at the international border of the United 
States for the transmission of electric energy between the United 
States and a foreign country is prohibited in the absence of

[[Page 12505]]

a Presidential permit issued pursuant to Executive Order 10485, as 
amended by Executive Order 12038.
    On January 12, 1981, the Department of Energy (DOE), in 
Presidential Permit PP-68, authorized San Diego Gas & Electric Company 
(SDG&E) to construct, operate, maintain, and connect a 230,000-volt 
(230-kV) electric transmission line from its Miguel Substation, located 
approximately 10 miles north of the United States border with Mexico, 
to Tijuana, Mexico, where it interconnects with similar facilities at 
the Comision Federal de Electricidad's Tijuana Substation. SDG&E is a 
regulated public utility and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sempra 
Energy. On November 8, 1982, in Docket PP-68-1, DOE amended 
Presidential permit PP-68 to permit SDG&E to add a second set of 
conductors to the towers authorized in the original Presidential 
permit.
    On February 8, 2001, SDG&E filed an application with the Office of 
Fossil Energy (FE) of DOE to again amend the existing Presidential 
permit to authorize it to make certain changes to the existing 
transmission line to provide for the connection of the 510-megawatt 
(MW) Otay Mesa merchant powerplant being developed 1.5 miles north of 
the border. To interconnect the new powerplant to the existing PP-68 
international transmission facilities, SDG&E proposes to construct a 5-
acre switchyard within the fenced boundary of the powerplant and to 
construct approximately 0.1 miles of new 230kV transmission line to 
interconnect with the 230-kV Miguel-Tijuana transmission line.
    SDG&E also proposes to reconductor that portion of the existing 
transmission line from the new 5-acre switchyard, north to the Miguel 
Substation, a distance of approximately 8.5 miles. SDG&E proposes to 
bundle each circuit by adding a second set of conductors to each phase 
(i.e., 12 total conductors versus 6 that currently exist). The 1.5 mile 
portion of SDG&E's Miguel-Tijuana international transmission line south 
of the Otay Mesa powerplant will remain unchanged.
    Since the restructuring of the electric power industry began, 
resulting in the introduction of different types of competitive 
entities into the marketplace, DOE has consistently expressed its 
policy that cross-border trade in electric energy should be subject to 
the same principles of comparable open access and non-discrimination 
that apply to transmission in interstate commerce. DOE has stated that 
policy in export authorizations granted to entities requesting 
authority to export over international transmission facilities. 
Specifically, DOE expects transmitting utilities owning border 
facilities constructed pursuant to Presidential permits to provide 
access across the border in accordance with the principles of 
comparable open access and non-discrimination contained in the FPA and 
articulated in Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Order No. 888, as 
amended (Promoting Wholesale Competition Through Open Access Non-
Discriminatory Transmission Services by Public Utilities). In 
furtherance of this policy, DOE intends to condition any Presidential 
permit issued in this proceeding on compliance with these open access 
principles.

Procedural Matters

    Any person desiring to become a party to this proceeding or to be 
heard by filing comments or protests to this application should file a 
petition to intervene, comment or protest at the address provided above 
in accordance with Secs. 385.211 or 385.214 of the FERC's Rules of 
Practice and Procedures (18 CFR 385.211, 385.214). Fifteen copies of 
each petition and protest should be filed with the DOE on or before the 
date listed above.
    Additional copies of such petitions to intervene or protests also 
should be filed directly with: James F. Walsh, Sempra Energy, 101 Ash 
Street, HQ11B, San Diego, CA 92124 and Pat Fleming, Sempra Energy, 101 
Ash Street, HQ14A, San Diego, CA 92124.
    Before a Presidential permit may be issued or amended, the DOE must 
determine that the proposed action will not adversely impact on the 
reliability of the U.S. electric power supply system. In addition, DOE 
must consider the environmental impacts of the proposed actions 
pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. DOE also 
must obtain the concurrence of the Secretary of State and the Secretary 
of Defense before taking final action on a Presidential permit 
application.
    Copies of this application will be made available, upon request, 
for public inspection and copying at the address provided above. In 
addition, the application may be reviewed or downloaded from the Fossil 
Energy Home Page at: http://www.fe.doe.gov. Upon reaching the Fossil 
Energy Home page, select ``Electricity'' from the option's menu, and 
then ``Pending Proceedings.''

    Issued in Washington, DC., on February 21, 2001.
Anthony J. Como,
Deputy Director, Electric Power Regulation, Office of Coal & Power Im/
Ex, Office of Coal & Power Systems, Office of Fossil Energy.
[FR Doc. 01-4732 Filed 2-26-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P