Hearing and Opportunity for Public Comment; Regarding Proposed Comparable Transmission Terms and Conditions

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Bonneville Power Administration

Hearing and Opportunity for Public Comment; Regarding Proposed

Comparable Transmission Terms and Conditions

AGENCY: Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), DOE.

ACTION: Notice of Opportunity to Comment.

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SUMMARY: BPA File No: TC-96. BPA requests that all comments and

documents intended to become part of the Official Record in this

process contain the file number designation TC-96.

BPA is proposing terms and conditions for transmission services

over the network transmission system of the Federal Columbia River

Transmission System (FCRTS) which BPA considers to be comparable to the

uses BPA itself makes of such system for its own power transactions.

Such terms and conditions are proposed to be effective October 1, 1996.

BPA previously initiated a regional administrative proceeding to which

parties have been officially designated. By this notice, BPA is

announcing the availability of the proposed transmission terms and

conditions and the period for comments from persons not designated as

parties to the proceeding.

DATES: Persons wishing to comment on the proposed transmission terms

and conditions who are not parties to the proceeding (``participants'')

must submit written comments on the proposals by October 2, 1995.

[[Page 35186]]

Written comments should be submitted to the Manager, Corporate

Communications--CK; Bonneville Power Administration; P.O. Box 12999;

Portland, Oregon, 97212.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Michael Hansen, Public Involvement

and Information Specialist, at the address listed above, (503) 230-4328

or call toll-free 1-800-622-4519. Information also may be obtained

from:

Mr. Steve Hickok, Group Vice President, Sales and Customer Service, S-

700, P.O. Box 3621, Portland, OR, 97232, (503) 230-5356.

Mr. George Eskridge, Manager, SE Sales and Customer Service District,

1101 W. River, Suite 250, Boise, ID 83702, (208) 334-9137.

Mr. Ken Hustad, Manager, NE Sales and Customer Service District,

Crescent Court, Suite 500, 707 Main, Spokane, WA 99201, (509) 353-2518.

Ms. Ruth Bennett, Manager, SW Sales and Customer Service District, 703

Broadway, Vancouver, WA 98660, (360) 418-8600.

Ms. Marg Nelson, Manager, NW Sales and Customer Service District, Suite

400, 1601 5th Avenue, Suite 1000, Seattle, WA 98101-1670, (206) 216-

4271.

Responsible Official: Mr. Dennis Metcalf, BPA Transmission Team

Lead, is the responsible official for the development of BPA's

transmission terms and conditions.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: BPA is proposing to establish terms and

conditions of general applicability for transmission services

comparable to the uses BPA provides itself over the integrated network

transmission system of the FCRTS. These proposed terms and conditions

for comparable services are intended to: (1) Respond to customer

requests in the context of the renegotiation of BPA's power sales

contracts that BPA eliminate its transmission-based market power; (2)

with respect to network transmission services, comply with the Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC's) requirement that members of

regional transmission associations develop and publish tariffs meeting

the Commission's comparability standards; and (3) facilitate an

opportunity for FERC to review the rates for these services, which BPA

has filed concurrently with this notice as meeting the just,

reasonable, and not unduly discriminatory or preferential standard, in

the context of the associated contractual terms and conditions. The

tariffs are proposed to be effective October 1, 1996.

The Federal Power Act amendments passed by Congress in the Energy

Policy Act of 1992, Pub. L. No.102-486, 106 Stat. 2776 (1992), provide

that BPA may institute a formal regional hearing on transmission terms

and conditions which it proposes to establish for general

applicability. 16 U.S.C. Sec. 824k(i)(2). BPA has instituted that

proceeding through a prehearing conference on March 22, 1995, and

parties to the proceeding have been designated. A full description of

the procedural background is found in BPA's ``Notice of Proposed

Wholesale Power Rates and Transmission Rates'' published elsewhere in

this issue. Parties will be served with the proposals on July 10, 1995.

Persons who are not parties to the proceeding but who wish to comment

on the proposals are ``participants'' and may request copies of the

proposals from BPA's Public Information Center, BPA Headquarters

Building, 1st Floor, 905 NE. 11th Street, Portland, OR, 97208, or BPA's

Document Request Line, 503-230-3478 or toll free 1-800-622-4520.

Comments from participants are incorporated into the Official Record

and will be considered by the Hearing Officer and the Administrator.

Public field hearings are an opportunity for participants to have

their views included in the official record. Participants may appear at

the field hearings and present oral testimony. Written transcripts will

be made at all of the field hearings. The transcripts of these hearings

will be part of the record upon which the Administrator makes final

rate decisions. All of the field hearings are scheduled to begin at

7:00 p.m. registration begins at 6:30 p.m. Following are the tentative

dates and locations for the filed hearings. Confirmation of these

hearing dates will be made through mailings and public advertising or

by calling BPA Corporate Communications at the telephone number listed

in Section 1 above.

September 19, 1995.

Best Western Burley Inn, 800 N. Overland Avenue, Burley, Idaho

83318.

September 20, 1995.

Cavanaugh's, Ballroom B, 200 North Main, Kalispell, Montana 59901.

September 21, 1995.

Red Lion GateWay, 3280 Gateway Drive, Springfield, Oregon 97477.

September 26, 1995.

Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel, Widbey-Camano Room, 3105 Pine, Everett,

Washington.

September 27, 1995 Cavanaugh's, East 110 Fourth Avenue, Spokane,

Washington 99202.

September 28, 1995.

Pasco Red Lion, Design Room, 2525 North 20th, Pasco, Washington

99301.

BPA is proposing comparable network transmission tariffs based on

the tariffs contained in the FERC's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on

Promoting Wholesale Competition Through Open Access Non-discriminatory

Transmission Services by Public Utilities, Docket No. RM95-8-000.

Proposed commitments and requirements are described for: (1) Integrated

network service pursuant to which an entity may use the integrated

network transmission system of the FCRTS flexibly to meet its network

loads on a basis comparable to BPA's native load obligations; and (2)

flexible, point-to-point firm and nonfirm transmission services over

the integrated network transmission system of the FCRTS and available

to serve network loads as well as off-system sales.

Issued in Portland, Oregon, on June 28, 1995.

Randy W. Hardy,

Administrator and Chief Executive Officer.

[FR Doc. 95-16617 Filed 7-5-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450-01-P