Energy Policy Act of 2005 Section 1221 & 368 Update Board Meeting – Los Cabos, Mexico December 7 & 8, 2006

Section 1221 Review Section 1221of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 required DOE to issue a national transmission congestion study for comment by August 2006 and then every three years thereafter. Based on the study and public comments, DOE may designate selected geographic areas as "National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors." Applicants for projects proposed within designated corridors that are not acted upon by state siting authorities within one year may request FERC to exercise federal "backstop" siting authority.

Section Timeline 08/08/06 – DOE issues (National Electric Transmission Congestion Study) with a 60-day comment period. 10/10/06 – Comment period on congestion study and designation closes. DOEs current emphasis is on the review of comments received. DOE taking its time to get the next step correct (corridor designation).

Section Review The EPA of 2005 directs the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, and the Interior to designate under their respective authorities corridors on federal land in 11 Western States for oil, gas and hydrogen pipelines and electricity transmission and distribution facilities (energy corridors). The Agencies intend to prepare a programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) entitled "Designation of Energy Corridors on Federal Land in 11 Western States" to address the environmental impacts from the proposed action and the range of reasonable alternatives.

Section 368 The West-wide Energy Corridor PEIS evaluates potential impacts associated with the designation of corridors on federal land in 11 Western States for oil, gas and hydrogen pipelines and electricity transmission and distribution facilities.

Section Timeline The Draft PEIS is scheduled to be issued in winter The availability of the Draft PEIS and dates for public hearings soliciting comments on it will be announced in the Federal Register and local media. Comments on the Draft PEIS will be considered in preparing the Final PEIS

Section Summary The Proposed Action in this PEIS is to designate corridors on federal land in the 11 Western States (Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming) for oil, gas and hydrogen pipelines and electricity transmission and distribution facilities.

Hanging around for Questions?

WREGIS at WECC WREGIS Administrator - Phil Lusk Has more than 30 years of professional and educational experience in energy efficiency and renewable energy. During his professional career, he has organized, directed and coordinated more than 90 research and demonstration projects. Two projects received the National Award for Innovation from the U.S. Department of Energy. Specific past duties included business case and plan development, customer development and relations, scenario analysis for various financial strategies, trending analysis, and capital investment analysis. He has a B.A. in Energy and the Environment from the UNC-Chapel Hill, a M.A. in Economics from the University of South Carolina. Prior to joining WECC, he worked with the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, where he served as the Emerging Technologies Analyst.

WREGIS at WECC WREGIS Assistant Administrator - Andrea Coon More than five years of experience in the utility arena, including 18 months working for the Utah Committee of Consumer Services and 3 ½ years working for the Utah Division of Public Utilities. Her recent projects and areas of interest included Qualified Facility (QF) pricing, special contracts, PacifiCorps Request for Proposals, PacifiCorps Integrated Resource Plan, the states Power Cost Adjustment Mechanism (PCAM), the regional Committee on Regional Electric Power Cooperation (CREPC), as well as local and national electric industry trends and conditions. Prior to being an instructor in Economics for two years at the University of Utah, she worked in both radio and television communications for more than five years. B.S. in Economics from Brigham Young University, and also received a Master of Professional Communication at Westminster College and a Certified Public Manager by the Utah Department of Resource Management. She is expecting to graduate with a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Utah in December 2006.