Notice2021-15596
Application To Export Electric Energy; North Star Electric Cooperative
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
July 22, 2021
Issuing agencies
Energy Department
Abstract
North Star Electric Cooperative (Applicant or North Star) has applied for authorization to transmit electric energy from the United States to Canada pursuant to the Federal Power Act.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 138 (Thursday, July 22, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 138 (Thursday, July 22, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38702-38703]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-15596]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[OE Docket No. EA-489]
Application To Export Electric Energy; North Star Electric
Cooperative
AGENCY: Office of Electricity, Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of application.
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SUMMARY: North Star Electric Cooperative (Applicant or North Star) has
applied for authorization to transmit electric energy from the United
States to Canada pursuant to the Federal Power Act.
DATES: Comments, protests, or motions to intervene must be submitted on
or before August 23, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Comments, protests, motions to intervene, or requests for
more information should be addressed by electronic mail to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0d4861686e797f646e6479742348757d627f797e4d657c23696268236a627b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="753019101601071c161c010c5b300d051a070106351d045b111a105b121a03">[email protected]</span></a>, or by facsimile to (202) 586-8008.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matt Aronoff, 202-586-5863,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4b262a3f3f232e3c652a392425242d2d0b233a652f242e652c243d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7914180d0d111c0e57180b1617161f1f391108571d161c571e160f">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Energy (DOE) regulates
exports of electricity from the United States to a foreign country,
pursuant to sections 301(b) and 402(f) of the Department of Energy
Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7151(b) and 42 U.S.C. 7172(f)). Such
exports require authorization under section 202(e) of the Federal Power
Act (16 U.S.C. 824a(e)).
On June 6, 2021, North Star filed an application with DOE
(Application or App.) to transmit electric energy from the United
States to Canada for a term of five years. North Star states that it
``is a cooperative corporation organized under Minnesota state law with
its principal place of business [in] Baudette, MN.'' App. at 4. North
Star also describes itself as ``a distribution cooperative member-owner
of Minnkota Power Cooperative (`Minnkota'), a generation and
transmission . . . cooperative that provides wholesale power
requirements to North Star and its other member-owned cooperatives.''
Id. at 1-2. North Star further represents that ``because [it] is a
cooperative, [its] customers are its member-owners.'' Id. at 1.
North Star states that it ``does not own any of its own power
generation facilities itself, but instead purchases all of its power
supply requirements (to serve its retail customers) from Minnkota.''
App. at 2.
At the time of its application, North Star served residential
customers in Canada ``via two radial, low-voltage feeds that cross the
U.S.-Canadian border and extend ten miles from Minnkota's International
Falls Substation in northern Minnesota to the border and then into
Canada.'' App. at 2. It describes these customers as ``in Canadian
waters.'' Id. North Star has applied for an export authorization ``so
that it may continue to serve its existing customers in Canada and to
serve any future customers that may be tapped off the described radial
lines,'' including three new customers--also in Canadian waters--who
have requested service. Id. at 3. North Star contends that its proposed
exports ``will not impair the sufficiency of electric supply within the
United States'' and will not ``impede or tend to impede the
coordination in the public interest of facilities subject to the
jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.'' Id.
The Applicant represents that the existing cross-border
distribution facilities to be utilized by the Applicant have been in
operation for at least 50 years. See App. at 7. North Star has exported
power over these distribution facilities without holding the required
export authorization under section 202(e) of the Federal Power Act, and
``regrets that it did not obtain this required authorization earlier.''
Id. at 3. The Applicant states that ``in July 2018, after being
approached by three
[[Page 38703]]
prospective customers about extending retail service to new customer[s]
in Canadian waters, North Star discovered it did not have the necessary
authorization'' to export power to customers in Canada. Id. at 2-3.
North Star, via its power supplier, found that it did not hold a
required Presidential Permit. See id. at 3. North Star has represented
that it ``was not aware of the requirement to have either a
Presidential permit or export authorization.'' Id. North Star has
further represented that ``[a]s soon as it became aware of [the]
requirements, [it] contacted counsel to determine appropriate remedial
actions, including filing the necessary applications and obtaining the
required permit(s) and authorization.'' Id. Accordingly, the Applicant
has submitted this application for export and, concurrently, submitted
an application for a Presidential Permit.
Procedural Matters: Any person desiring to be heard in this
proceeding should file a comment or protest to the Application at the
address provided above. Protests should be filed in accordance with
Rule 211 of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) Rules of
Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211). Any person desiring to become
a party to this proceeding should file a motion to intervene at the
above address in accordance with FERC Rule 214 (18 CFR 385.214).
Comments and other filings concerning North Star's application to
export electric energy to Canada should be clearly marked with OE
Docket No. EA-489. Additional copies are to be provided directly to
Daniel E. Frank, 700 Sixth St. NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20001-
3980, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3450555a5d51585246555a5f7451425146475c515047190855145c46515209" http: sutherland.com">sutherland.com</a>">danielfrank@eversheds-<a href="http://sutherland.com">sutherland.com</a></a>.
A final decision will be made on the requested authorization after
the environmental impacts have been evaluated pursuant to DOE's
National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Procedures (10 CFR part
1021) and after DOE evaluates whether the proposed action will have an
adverse impact on the sufficiency of supply or reliability of the U.S.
electric power supply system.
Copies of the Application will be made available, upon request, by
accessing the program website at <a href="http://energy.gov/node/11845">http://energy.gov/node/11845</a>, or by
emailing Matt Aronoff at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#cda0acb9b9a5a8bae3acbfa2a3a2abab8da5bce3a9a2a8e3aaa2bb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8ce1edf8f8e4e9fba2edfee3e2e3eaeacce4fda2e8e3e9a2ebe3fa">[email protected]</span></a>.
Signed in Washington, DC, on July 19, 2021.
Christopher Lawrence,
Management and Program Analyst, Energy Resilience Division, Office of
Electricity.
[FR Doc. 2021-15596 Filed 7-21-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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