Notice2022-17575
Revision to Power Marketing Policy Georgia-Alabama-South Carolina System of Projects
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
August 16, 2022
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentSoutheastern Power Administration
Abstract
Pursuant to its Procedure for Public Participation in the Formulation of Marketing Policy, published in the Federal Register on July 6, 1978, Southeastern Power Administration (Southeastern) published on January 14, 2022, a notice of intent to revise its power marketing policy to include provisions regarding renewable energy certificates (RECs) from its Georgia-Alabama-South Carolina System of Projects. The current power marketing policy was published on December 28, 1994, for the Georgia-Alabama-South Carolina System (System) and is reflected in contracts for the sale of system power, which are maintained in Southeastern's headquarters office. The following is the proposed revision to the Georgia-Alabama-South Carolina System Power Marketing Policy to include a procedure for distribution of RECs to Preference Customers. Southeastern solicits written comments in formulating the final marketing policy revision.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 157 (Tuesday, August 16, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 157 (Tuesday, August 16, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50333-50334]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-17575]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Southeastern Power Administration
Revision to Power Marketing Policy Georgia--Alabama--South
Carolina System of Projects
AGENCY: Southeastern Power Administration, DOE.
ACTION: Notice of proposed revision to power marketing policy.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to its Procedure for Public Participation in the
Formulation of Marketing Policy, published in the Federal Register on
July 6, 1978, Southeastern Power Administration (Southeastern)
published on January 14, 2022, a notice of intent to revise its power
marketing policy to include provisions regarding renewable energy
certificates (RECs) from its Georgia-Alabama-South Carolina System of
Projects. The current power marketing policy was published on December
28, 1994, for the Georgia-Alabama-South Carolina System (System) and is
reflected in contracts for the sale of system power, which are
maintained in Southeastern's headquarters office. The following is the
proposed revision to the Georgia-Alabama-South Carolina System Power
Marketing Policy to include a procedure for distribution of RECs to
Preference Customers. Southeastern solicits written comments in
formulating the final marketing policy revision.
DATES: A public information and comment forum will be held on October
19, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. by webinar. Persons desiring to attend the forum
should notify Southeastern by October 10, 2022, so that a list of forum
participants can be prepared. Persons desiring to speak at the forum
should specify this in their notification to Southeastern; others may
speak if time permits. Written comments are due November 3, 2022,
fifteen (15) days after the scheduled comment forum.
ADDRESSES: Five copies of written comments should be submitted to:
Virgil G. Hobbs III, Administrator, Southeastern Power Administration,
Department of Energy, 1166 Athens Tech Road, Elberton, Georgia 30635-
6711, and emailed to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#aecdc1c3c3cbc0daddeeddcbdecf80cac1cb80c9c1d8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a9cac6c4c4ccc7dddae9daccd9c887cdc6cc87cec6df">[email protected]</span></a>. The public information and
comment forum for the revision of the Georgia-Alabama-South Carolina
System Power marketing policy to include provisions for RECs will be by
Microsoft Teams. Please register your intent to attend, including name,
address, phone number, and email address, with Southeastern' s Legal
Assistant, Karen Fitzpatrick at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#adc6ccdfc8c383cbc4d9d7ddccd9dfc4cec6eddec8ddcc83c9c2c883cac2db"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="771c1605121959111e030d071603051e141c37041207165913181259101801">[email protected]</span></a>, to
receive updates on the meeting status of the comment forum. Registered
attendees will be contacted on October 17, 2022 regarding meeting links
and call-in information for the webinar.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Leon Jourolmon IV, General Counsel,
Southeastern Power Administration, 1166 Athens Tech Road, Elberton, GA
30635. Telephone: (706) 213-3800. Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1b777e74753571746e6974777674755b687e6b7a357f747e357c746d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f69a939998d89c998384999a9b9998b685938697d8929993d8919980">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to its Procedure for ``Public
Participation in Formulation of Marketing Policy'', published a
``Notice of Issuance of Final Power Marketing Policy, Georgia-Alabama-
South Carolina System of Projects'' in the Federal Register on December
28, 1994, 59 FR 66957. The policy establishes the marketing area for
system power and addresses the utilization of area utility systems for
essential purposes. The policy also addresses wholesale rates, resale
rates, and conservation measures, but does not address RECs. Under
Section 5 of the Flood Control Act of 1944 (16 U.S.C. 825s),
Southeastern is responsible for the transmission disposition of
electric power and energy from reservoir projects operated by the
Department of the Army. Furthermore, Southeastern must transmit and
dispose of such power and energy in such manner as to encourage the
most widespread use at the lowest possible rates consistent with sound
business principles. Rate schedules are drawn to recover all costs
associated with producing and transmitting the power in accordance with
repayment criteria.
Southeastern began the development of a REC distribution process at
the request of customers in the Kerr-Philpott System. To expand the REC
distribution to additional customers, Southeastern has begun to develop
a process for REC distribution in the Georgia-Alabama-South Carolina
System (System). The purpose of the distributions is to provide
customers with a product that the customers have asked to receive,
which will add value to the green, renewable hydropower already
delivered. The revisions will not
[[Page 50334]]
change the Administrator's prior determinations regarding power
allocation within the System marketing area.
All documents introduced at the public information and comment
forum, and all comments, questions and answers will be available for
inspection and copying in accordance with the Freedom of Information
Act (5 U.S.C. 552).
Public Notice and Comment
On January 14, 2022, Southeastern published in the Federal
Register, 87 FR 2429, a ``Notice of Intention to begin a public
process'' to revise its marketing policy by including provisions
regarding RECs from the System. The notice requested that written
comments and proposals be submitted on or before March 15, 2022.
Southeastern received no public comments.
Proposed Revision to the Power Marketing Policy
The System consists of ten projects in or on the border of the
states of Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina. The projects are
Hartwell, Richard B. Russell, J. Strom Thurmond, Carters, Buford,
Allatoona, Jones Bluff, Millers Ferry, West Point and Walter F. George.
The power generated at these projects is purchased by and benefits 192
preference customers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South
Carolina, and North Carolina. The System provides 2,184,257 kilowatts
of capacity and about 3,383,000 MWh of average annual energy from
stream-flow based on modeling for the period of record.
Southeastern proposes to revise the Power Marketing Policy for the
System to include the following additional provisions for RECs
associated with hydroelectric generation:
Renewable Energy Certificates: The M-RETS Tracking System creates
and tracks certificates reporting generation attributes, by generating
unit, for each megawatt-hour (MWh) of energy produced by registered
generators. The System projects are registered generators within M-
RETS. The RECs potentially satisfy Renewable Portfolio Standards, state
policies, and other regulatory or voluntary clean energy standards in a
number of states. Southeastern has subscribed to M-RETS and has an
account in which RECs are collected and tracked for each MWh of energy
produced from the System. Within M-RETS, certificates can be
transferred to other M-RETS subscribers or to a third-party tracking
system.
M-RETS creates a REC for every MWh of renewable energy produced in
the region, tracks the life cycle of each REC created, and ensures
against any double-counting or double-use of each REC. These RECs may
be used by electricity suppliers and other energy market participants
to comply with relevant state policies and regulatory programs and to
support voluntary ``green'' electricity markets.
Southeastern proposes distribution of M-RETS-created RECs to
Preference Customers with allocations of power from the System.
REC Distribution: M-RETS (or a successor application) will be the
transfer mechanism for all RECs related to the System. Southeastern
shall maintain an account with M-RETS and collect RECs from the
generation at the System projects. Southeastern will verify the total
amount of RECs each month. Preference Customers with an allocation of
power from the System are eligible to receive RECs by transfer from
Southeastern's M-RETS account to their M-RETS account or that of their
agent. Transfers to each customer will be based on the customer's
monthly invoices during the same three-month period (quarter). Where
applicable, RECs will be project-specific based on the customer's
contractual arrangements.
All RECs distributed by Southeastern shall be transferred within
forty-five days of the end of a quarter. Each customer must submit to
Southeastern, by the tenth business day after the quarter, any notice
of change to M-RETS account or agent. Any REC transfers that were not
claimed or if a transfer account was not provided to Southeastern will
be forfeited if they become nontransferable as described in the M-RETS
terms of service, procedures, policies, or definitions of reporting and
trading periods, or any subsequent rules and procedures for transfers
as established.
The initial transfer process in M-RETS will be accomplished by the
sixtieth day after the end of the first completed quarter subsequent to
publication of the final policy revision. Any balance of RECs that
exist in Southeastern's M-RETS account, other than the first quarter
after policy revision publication, may also be transferred to
Preference Customers according to the customer's invoiced energy at the
time of the REC creation.
Rates: No rates shall be established by Southeastern for RECs
transferred to Preference Customers. Any cost to Southeastern, such as
the M-RETS subscription, will be incorporated into marketing costs and
included in recovery through the energy and capacity rates of the
System.
Signing Authority
This Department of Energy document was signed on August 10, 2022 by
Virgil G. Hobbs III, Administrator, Southeastern Power Administration,
pursuant to delegated authority from the Secretary of Energy. That
document, with the original signature and date, is maintained by DOE.
For administrative purposes only, and in compliance with requirements
of the Office of the Federal Register, the undersigned DOE Federal
Register Liaison Officer has been authorized to sign and submit the
document in electronic format for publication, as an official document
of the Department of Energy. This administrative process in no way
alters the legal effect of this document upon publication in the
Federal Register.
Signed in Washington, DC, on August 11, 2022.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2022-17575 Filed 8-15-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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