Promoting Wholesale Competition Through Open Access Non- Discriminatory Transmission Services by Public Utilities; Recovery of Stranded Costs by Public Utilities and Transmitting Utilities; Availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

18 CFR Part 35

[Docket Nos. RM95-8-000 and RM94-7-001]

Promoting Wholesale Competition Through Open Access Non-

Discriminatory Transmission Services by Public Utilities; Recovery of

Stranded Costs by Public Utilities and Transmitting Utilities;

Availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement

April 12, 1996.

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule; availability of final environmental impact

statement.

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SUMMARY: The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has

prepared a final environmental impact statement (FEIS) for the proposed

rulemaking published April 7, 1995, providing for open access non-

discriminatory transmission services by public utilities to satisfy the

requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. The FEIS also

addresses the comments received on the Draft Environmental Impact

Statement.

DATES: The FEIS was made available on April 12, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Public Reference Room, 888 First Street NE., Washington,

D.C. 20426.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Public Reference Room staff at (202) 208-1371.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission (FERC or Commission) has prepared a final environmental

impact statement (FEIS) for the proposed rulemaking referenced above to

satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. The

FEIS also addresses the comments received on the Draft Environmental

Impact Statement (DEIS) issued by the

[[Page 17264]]

Commission on November 17, 1995 (60 FR 58304, November 27, 1995).

On July 18, 1995, the Commission issued a Notice of Intent to

Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Notice of Proposed

Rulemaking and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues (NOI).\1\

The NOI described proposed cases for examination and established a

procedure for public comments. Thirty-six comments were received in

response to the NOI. A public meeting was held on September 8, 1995, in

Washington, D.C. The most frequently raised issue involves air quality

impacts, particularly the possible transport of nitrogen oxides

(NOX) emissions by Midwestern generating plants to airsheds in the

Northeast and the resulting impacts on ozone non-attainment areas in

the Northeast.

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\1\ 60 FR 36752, July 18, 1995. The proposed rule in this

proceeding was issued March 29, 1995 (60 FR 17662, April 7, 1995).

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Based on the responses to the NOI, comments on the DEIS, and a

careful analysis of the major issues, the staff developed a study that

addresses the key potential environmental impacts of the rulemaking.

The staff used a modeling approach that includes a detailed

representation of the transmission grid. The model results and other

analyses allow the staff to examine a series of other issues, including

visibility; impacts on land, water and waste; and some potential

mitigation options. The modeling took into account comments from the

U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The FEIS finds, among other things, that the relative price of coal

and natural gas has a larger effect on NOX emissions than any

impacts of the rule. The proposed rules are projected to have only

slight impacts on NOX emissions, and the impacts are as likely to

be beneficial as harmful.

The FEIS has been placed in the public files of the FERC and is

available for public inspection at: Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission, Public Reference and Files Maintenance Branch, 888 First

Street NE., Washington, DC 20426, (202) 208-1371.

Copies of the FEIS have been mailed to Federal and State agencies

and individuals who requested copies of the FEIS in response to the NOI

and the DEIS.

The FEIS is available to the public on the Commission Posting

System (CIPS). CIPS is an electronic bulletin board service which

provides access to the text of formal documents issued by the

Commission. CIPS is available at no charge to the user and may be

accessed using a personal computer with a modem by dailing (202) 208-

1397. To access CIPS, set your communications software to 19200, 14400,

12000, 9600, 7200, 4800, 2400, or 1200 bps, full duplex, no parity, 8

data bits and 1 stop bit. For further assistance, call the CIPS Hotline

at (202) 208-2474.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96-9572 Filed 4-18-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-M