San Carlos Irrigation ProjectPower Division, Arizona Power Rate Adjustment

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

San Carlos Irrigation Project--Power Division, Arizona Power Rate

Adjustment

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Proposed Rate Adjustment.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) proposes to adjust the

electric power rates for operating and maintaining the Power Division

of San Carlos Irrigation Project (SCIP/PD).

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before June 3, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on rate adjustments should be sent to:

Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs, Attn: Branch of Irrigation and

Power, MS-4513-MIB, Code 210, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne Nordwall, Area Director, Bureau

of Indian Affairs, Phoenix Area Office, P.O. Box 10, Phoenix, AZ 85001;

Telephone 602-379-6956.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The authority to issue this document is

vested in the Secretary of the Interior by 5 U.S.C. 301; the Act of

August 7, 1946, c. 802, Section 3 (60 Stat. 895; 25 U.S.C. 385c); the

Act of May 25, 1948 (62 Stat. 269); and the Act of December 23, 1981,

section 112 (95 Stat. 1404). The Secretary has delegated this authority

to the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs pursuant to part 209

Departmental Manual, Chapter 8.1A and Memorandum dated January 25,

1994, from Chief of Staff, Department of the Interior, to Assistant

Secretaries, and Heads of Bureaus and Offices.

The SCIP/PD has taken the steps necessary to reduce the contract

demand in the power supply contract between the Bureau of Indian

Affairs, on behalf of SCIP/PD, and the Arizona Public Service Company.

This action has resulted in a savings in purchased power costs as of

June 1, 1998. This savings is proposed to be passed on in an adjustment

to the Schedule No. 2--General Rate schedule.

Executive Order 12988

The Department has certified to the Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) that this proposed rate adjustment meets the applicable standards

provided in sections 3(a) and 3(b)(2) of Executive Order 12988.

Executive Order 12866

This proposed rate adjustment is not a significant regulatory

action and has been reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget

under Executive Order 12866.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

This proposed rate making is not a rule for the purposes of the

Regulatory Flexibility Act because it is ``a rule of particular

applicability relating to rates.'' 5 U.S.C. Sec. 601(2).

Executive Order 12630

The Department has determined that this proposed rate adjustment

does not have significant ``taking'' implications.

Executive Order 12612

The Department has determined that this proposed rate adjustment

does not have significant Federalism effects because it pertains solely

to Federal-tribal relations and will not interfere with the roles,

rights, and responsibilities of states.

NEPA Compliance

The Department has determined that this proposed rate adjustment

does not constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the

quality of the human environment and that no detailed statement is

required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

This proposed rate adjustment does not contain collections of

information requiring approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act of

1995.

Unfunded Mandates Act of 1995

This proposed rate adjustment imposes no unfunded mandates on any

governmental or private entity and is in compliance with the provisions

of the Unfunded Mandates Act of 1995.

[[Page 23854]]

Rate Adjustment

The following illustrates the impact of the proposed rate

adjustment:

Present Rate

Rate Schedule No.2--General Rate

(A) Application of Schedule. This schedule applies to single and

three phase electric service for all purposes except residences and

small, non-commercial users. Unless specifically permitted by the

contract, use must be limited to the customer's premises and the power

supplied must not be resold. If more than one meter is required by the

customer's installation or for the customer's convenience, bills will

be independently calculated for each meter.

(B) Monthly Rate.

(1) $13.00 minimum which includes the first 50 kilowatt-hours.

(2) 16.00 cents per kilowatt-hour for the next 350 kilowatt-hours

(3) 10.0 cents per kilowatt-hour for the next 600 kilowatt-hours.

(4) 7.0 cents per kilowatt-hour for the next 9,000 kilowatt-hours.

(5) Additional kilowatt-hours at 5.63 cents per kilowatt-hour, less

a credit of 0.7 cents per kilowatt-hour above 200 times the billing

demand (50KW minimum).

(C) Minimum Bill. The minimum bill will be $2.63 per month per

kilowatt of billing demand, except where the customer's requirements

are of a distinctly recurring seasonal nature. Then the minimum monthly

bill will not be more than an amount sufficient to make the total

charges for the twelve (12) months ending with the current month, equal

to twelve times the highest monthly minimum computed for the same

twelve-month period. However, no monthly billing will be less than

$13.00.

(D) Contract Demand. Each contract for 15 KW or over will state the

number of kilowatts which the customer expects to require and desires

to have reserved for his service. This quantity is called the contract

demand.

(E) Actual Demand. The actual demand for any month will be the

average amount of power used during the period of 15 consecutive

minutes when such average is the greatest for the month as determined

by suitable meters, or if meters are unavailable, the actual demand

will be the connected load or such portion of the connected load as the

Project Engineer may determine to be appropriate based on available

information as to the customer's use of connected lights, appliances,

and equipment, or from checking meters.

(F) Billing Demand. The billing demand for a month will be the

contract demand or the actual demand for the month, whichever is

greater.

(G) Purchased Power Adjustment. An adjustment will be added for

each kilowatt-hour used equal to the estimated purchased power

adjustment (rounded to the nearest $0.0001) paid by the Project to the

Project's power suppliers.

Proposed Rate

Rate Schedule No. 2--General Rate

(A) Application of Schedule. Unchanged from present.

(B) Monthly Rate.

(1) $12.00 minimum which includes the first 50 kilowatt-hours.

(2) 15.00 cents per kilowatt-hour for the next 350 kilowatt-hours

(3) 9.0 cents per kilowatt-hour for the next 600 kilowatt-hours.

(4) 6.0 cents per kilowatt-hour for the next 9,000 kilowatt-hours.

(5) Additional kilowatt-hours at 4.60 cents per kilowatt-hour, less

a credit of 0.7 cents per kilowatt-hour above 200 times the billing

demand (50KW minimum).

(C) Minimum Bill. The minimum bill will be $2.14 per month per

kilowatt of billing demand, except where the customer's requirements

are of a distinctly recurring seasonal nature. Then the minimum monthly

bill will not be more than an amount sufficient to make the total

charges for the twelve (12) months ending with the current month equal

to twelve times the highest monthly minimum computed for the same

twelve-month period. However, no monthly billing will be less than

$12.00.

(D) Contract Demand. Unchanged from present.

(E) Actual Demand. Unchanged from present.

(F) Billing Demand. Unchanged from present.

(G) Purchased Power Adjustment. Unchanged from present.

Dated: April 27, 1999.

Kevin Gover,

Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.

[FR Doc. 99-11183 Filed 5-3-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-02-P