§ 585.506 - What operating fees must I pay on a commercial lease?

§ 585.506 What operating fees must I pay on a commercial lease?

Once you commence commercial operations, you must pay ONRR as provided in 30 CFR 1218.51 operating fees on your commercial lease as described in § 585.503.

(a) BOEM will determine the annual operating fee for activities relating to the generation of electricity on your lease based on the formula F = M * H * c * P * r, where:

(1) F is the dollar amount of the annual operating fee;

(2) M is the nameplate capacity expressed in megawatts;

(3) H is the number of hours in a year, equal to 8,760, used to calculate an annual payment;

(4) c is the “capacity factor” representing the anticipated efficiency of the facility's operation expressed as a decimal between zero and one;

(5) P is a measure of the annual average wholesale electric power price expressed in dollars per megawatt hour, as provided in paragraph (c)(2) of this section; and

(6) r is the operating fee rate expressed as a decimal between zero and one.

(b) The annual operating fee formula relating to the value of annual electricity generation is restated as:

Equation 1 to Paragraph (b)

F (annual operating fee)	=	M (nameplate capacity)	*	H (hours per year)	*	c (capacity factor)	*	P (power price)	*	r (operating fee rate)

(c) BOEM will specify operating fee parameters in the Final Sale Notice for commercial leases issued competitively and in the lease for those issued noncompetitively.

(1) Unless BOEM specifies otherwise, the operating fee rate “r” is 0.02 for each year the operating fee applies when you begin commercial operations. We may apply a different fee rate for new projects (i.e., a new generation based on new technology) after considering factors such as program objectives, state of the industry, project type, and project potential. Also, we may agree to reduce or waive the fee rate under § 585.510.

(2) The power price “P,” for each year when the operating fee applies, will be determined annually. The process by which the power price will be determined will be specified in the Final Sale Notice and/or in the lease. BOEM:

(i) Will use the most recent annual average wholesale power price in the State in which a project's transmission cables make landfall, as published by the Department of Energy (DOE), Energy Information Administration (EIA), or other publicly available wholesale power price indices; and

(ii) May adjust the published average wholesale power price to reflect documented variations by State or within a region and recent market conditions.

(3) BOEM will select the capacity factor “c” based upon applicable analogs drawn from present and future domestic and foreign projects that operate in comparable conditions and on comparable scales.

(i) Upon the completion of the first year of the operations period on a lease, BOEM may adjust the capacity factor as necessary (to accurately represent a comparison of actual production over a given period of time with the amount of power a facility would have produced if it had run at full capacity) in a subsequent year.

(ii) After the first adjustment, BOEM may adjust the capacity factor (to accurately represent a comparison of actual generation over a given period of time with the amount of power a facility would have generated if it had run at full capacity) no earlier than in 5-year intervals from the most recent year that BOEM adjusts the capacity factor.

(iii) The process by which BOEM will adjust the capacity factor, including any calculations (incorporating an average capacity factor reflecting actual operating experience), will be specified in the lease. The operator or lessee may request review and adjustment of the capacity factor under § 585.510.

(4) For the nameplate capacity “M,” BOEM will use the total installed capacity of the equipment you install, as specified in your approved COP.

(d) You must submit all operating fee payments to ONRR in accordance with the provisions under 30 CFR 1218.51.

(e) BOEM will establish the operating fee in the Final Sale Notice or in the lease on a case-by-case basis for:

(1) Activities that do not relate to the generation of electricity (e.g., hydrogen production); and

(2) Leases issued for hydrokinetic activities requiring a FERC license.