§ 2801.5 - What acronyms and terms are used in the regulations in this part?

§ 2801.5 What acronyms and terms are used in the regulations in this part?

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 89 FR 35677, May 1, 2024.

Cross Reference

Link to a correction published at 89 FR 53870, June 28, 2024.

(a) Acronyms. As used in this part:

ALJ means Administrative Law Judge.

BLM means the Bureau of Land Management.

CERCLA means the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.).

EA means environmental assessment.

EIS means environmental impact statement.

FLPMA means the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.).

IBLA means the Department of the Interior, Board of Land Appeals.

IPD-GDP means the Implicit Price Deflator, Gross Domestic Product, as published in the most recent edition of the Survey of Current Business of the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis.

NEPA means the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).

RMA means the Ranally Metro Area Population Ranking as published in the most recent edition of the Rand McNally Commercial Atlas and Marketing Guide.

(b) Terms. As used in this part, the term:

Acreage rent means rent assessed for solar and wind energy development grants and leases that is determined by the number of acres authorized for the grant or lease.

Act means the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.).

Actual costs means the financial measure of resources the Federal government expends or uses in processing a right-of-way application or in monitoring the construction, operation, and termination of a facility authorized by a grant or permit. Actual costs includes both direct and indirect costs, exclusive of management overhead costs.

Ancillary means a secondary use entirely within the scope of a primary authorization that is for the sole purpose of supporting the operations allowed by that primary authorization and that the same holder of the primary authorization does not make available to third parties through commercial sales.

Application filing fee means a filing fee specific to solar and wind energy applications. This fee is an initial payment for the reasonable costs for processing, inspecting, and monitoring a right-of-way.

Assignment means the transfer, in whole or in part, of any right or interest in a right-of-way grant or lease from the holder (assignor) to a subsequent party (assignee) with the BLM's written approval. A change in ownership of the grant or lease, or other related change-in-control transaction involving the holder, including a merger or acquisition, also constitutes an assignment for purposes of these regulations requiring the BLM's written approval, unless applicable statutory authority provides otherwise.

Capacity fee is the fee charged to right-of-way holders once energy production commences that is based on the production of energy on public lands from solar and wind energy generating facilities.

Casual use means activities ordinarily resulting in no or negligible disturbance of the public lands, resources, or improvements. Examples of casual use include: Surveying, marking routes, and collecting data to use to prepare grant applications.

Commercial purpose or activity refers to the circumstance where a holder attempts to produce a profit by allowing the use of its facilities by an additional party. BLM may assess an appropriate rent for such commercial activities. The holder's use may not otherwise be subject to rent charges under BLM's rental provisions.

Complete application means the BLM has verified that your application contains all of the information required under section 2804.12. The BLM will notify you after it determines that your application is complete.

Cost recovery is a fee charged to an applicant or holder to pay the United States for processing and monitoring costs that concern applications and other documents relating to the public lands, or that are incurred when processing, inspecting, or monitoring any proposed or authorized rights-of-way located on the public lands.

Designated leasing area means a parcel of land with specific boundaries identified by the BLM land use planning process as being a preferred location for solar or wind energy development that may be offered competitively.

Designated right-of-way corridor means a parcel of land with specific boundaries identified by law, Secretarial order, the land use planning process, or other management decision, as being a preferred location for existing and future linear rights-of-way and facilities. The corridor may be suitable to accommodate more than one right-of-way use or facility, provided that they are compatible with one another and the corridor designation.

Discharge has the meaning found at 33 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2) of the Clean Water Act.

Domestic Content reduction means an item or product that qualifies for the domestic content preference under the Build America, Buy America Act, Public Law 117-58, 135 Stat. 429, §§ 70901 through 70927 (Nov. 15, 2021), and the implementing guidance at 2 CFR part 184.

Exempt from rent means that the BLM is precluded by statute or regulation from collecting rent.

Facility means an improvement or structure, whether existing or planned, that is or would be owned and controlled by the grantee within a right-of-way.

Grant means any an authorization or instrument (e.g., easement, lease, license, or permit) the BLM issues under Title V of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, 43 U.S.C. 1761 et seq., and those authorizations and instruments any authorization or instrument the BLM and its predecessors issued for like purposes before October 21, 1976, under then existing statutory authority, except for solar or wind energy leases. It does not include authorizations issued under the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 185).

Hazard tree, for purposes of vegetation management for a powerline facility and when used in section 2805.22 of this part, means any tree, brush, shrub, other plant, or part thereof, hereinafter “vegetation” (whether located on public lands inside or outside the linear boundary of the right-of-way for the powerline facility), that has been designated, prior to failure, by a certified or licensed arborist or forester under the supervision of the Bureau of Land Management or the right-of-way holder to be:

(i) Dead; likely to die or fail before the next routine vegetation management cycle; or in a position that, under geographical or atmospheric conditions, could cause the vegetation to fall, sway, or grow into the powerline facility before the next routine vegetation management cycle; and

(ii) Likely to cause substantial damage to the powerline facility; disrupt powerline facility service; come within 10 feet of the powerline facility; or come within the minimum vegetation clearance distance as determined in accordance with applicable reliability and safety standards and as identified in the right-of-way for the powerline facility and the associated approved operating plan or agreement.

Hazardous material means:

(i) Any substance or material defined as hazardous, a pollutant, or a contaminant under CERCLA at 42 U.S.C. 9601(14) and (33);

(ii) Any regulated substance contained in or released from underground storage tanks, as defined by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act at 42 U.S.C. 6991;

(iii) Oil, as defined by the Clean Water Act at 33 U.S.C. 1321(a) and the Oil Pollution Act at 33 U.S.C. 2701(23); or

(iv) Other substances applicable Federal, state, tribal, or local law define and regulate as “hazardous.”

Holder means any entity with a BLM right-of-way authorization.

Maintenance when the term is used in relation to vegetation management for a powerline facility means:

(i) With respect to routine maintenance, the repair or replacement of any component of a powerline facility due to ordinary wear and tear, such as repair of broken strands of conductors and overhead ground wire; replacement of hardware (e.g., insulator assembly) and accessories; maintenance of counterpoise, vibration dampers, and grading rings; scheduled replacement of decayed and deteriorated wood poles; and aerial or ground patrols to perform observations, conduct inspections, correct problems, and document conditions to provide for operation in accordance with applicable reliability and safety standards and as identified in an approved operating plan or agreement;

(ii) With respect to non-routine maintenance, the realigning, upgrading, rebuilding, or replacing an entire powerline facility or any segment thereof, including reconductoring, as identified in an approved operating plan or agreement; and

(iii) With respect to maintenance to address emergency conditions, the immediate repair or replacement of any component of a powerline facility that is necessary to prevent imminent loss, or to redress the loss, of electric service due to equipment failure in accordance with applicable reliability and safety standards and as identified in an approved operating plan or agreement.

Management overhead costs means Federal expenditures associated with a particular Federal agency's directorate. The BLM's directorate includes all State Directors and the entire Washington Office staff, except where a State Director or Washington Office staff member is required to perform work on a specific right-of-way case.

Maximum operating sag means the theoretical position of a powerline facility conductor (wire) when operating at 100 degrees Celsius, which must be accounted for when determining minimum vegetation clearance distance.

Megawatt hour (MWMWh) capacity fee means the fee paid in addition to the acreage rent for solar and wind energy development grants and leases. The MW capacity fee is the approved MW capacity of the solar or wind energy grant or lease multiplied by the appropriate MW rate. A grant or lease may provide for stages of development, and the grantee or lessee will be charged a fee for each stage by multiplying the MW rate by the approved MW capacity for the stage of the projectrate means the 5 calendar-year average of the annual average wholesale electricity prices per MWh for the major trading hubs serving the 11 western States of the continental United States.

Megawatt rate means the price of each MW of capacity for various solar and wind energy technologies as determined by the MW rate formula. Current MW rates are found on the BLM's MW rate schedule, which can be obtained at any BLM office or at http://www.blm.gov. The MW rate is calculated by multiplying the total hours per year by the net capacity factor, by the MW hour (MWh) price, and by the rate of return, where:

(i) Net capacity factor means the average operational time divided by the average potential operational time of a solar or wind energy development, multiplied by the current technology efficiency rates. The BLM establishes net capacity factors for different technology types but may determine another net capacity factor to be more appropriate, on a case-by-case or regional basis, to reflect changes in technology, such as a solar or wind project that employs energy storage technologies, or if a grant or lease holder or applicant is able to demonstrate that another net capacity factor is appropriate for a particular project or region. The net capacity factor for each technology type is:

(A) Photovoltaic (PV)—20 percent;

(B) Concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) and concentrated solar power (CSP)—25 percent;

(C) CSP with storage capacity of 3 hours or more—30 percent; and

(D) Wind energy—35 percent;

(ii) Megawatt hour (MWh) price means the 5 calendar-year average of the annual weighted average wholesale prices per MWh for the major trading hubs serving the 11 western States of the continental United States (U.S.);

(iii) Rate of return means the relationship of income (to the property owner) to revenue generated from authorized solar and wind energy development facilities based on the 10-year average of the 20-year U.S. Treasury bond yield rounded to the nearest one-tenth percent; and

(iv) Hours per year means the total number of hours in a year, which, for purposes of this part, means 8,760 hours.

Minimum vegetation clearance distance (MVCD) means the calculated distance (stated in feet or meters) that is used to prevent flashover between conductors and vegetation for various altitudes and operating voltages. The MVCD is measured from a conductor's maximum operating sag to vegetation on public lands within the linear right-of-way for a powerline facility and on public lands adjacent to either side of the linear right-of-way for a powerline facility for purposes of felling or pruning hazard trees, which the right-of-way holder uses to determine whether vegetation poses a system reliability hazard to the powerline facility.

Monetary value of the rights and privileges you seek means the objective value of the right-of-way or what the right-of-way grant is worth in financial terms to the applicant.

Monitoring activities means those activities the Federal Government performs to ensure compliance with a right-of-way grant, including administrative actions, such as assignments, amendments, or renewals.

(i) For Monitoring Categories 1 through 4, monitoring activities include inspecting construction, operation, maintenance, and termination of permanent or temporary facilities and protection and rehabilitation activities up to the time the holder completes rehabilitation of the right-of-way, and the BLM approves it;

(ii) For Monitoring Category 5 (Master Agreements), monitoring activities include those actions or activities agreed to in the Master Agreement; and

(iii) For Monitoring Category 6, monitoring activities include those actions or activities agreed to between the BLM and the applicant.

Operating plan or agreement means a plan or agreement prepared by the right-of-way holder, approved by the authorized officer, and incorporated by reference into the corresponding right-of-way that provides for long-term, cost-effective, efficient, and timely inspection, operation, maintenance, and vegetation management of the facility or facilities on public lands within the linear right-of-way and on public lands adjacent to either side of the linear right-of-way to fell or prune hazard trees and to construct, reconstruct, and maintain access roads and trails, to enhance electric reliability, promote public safety, and avoid fire hazards.

Operations and maintenance means activities conducted by a ROW holder to manage facilities and vegetation within and adjacent to the ROW boundary.

Performance and reclamation bond means the document provided by the holder of a right-of-way grant or lease that provides the appropriate financial guarantees, including cash, to cover potential liabilities or specific requirements identified by the BLM for the construction, operation, decommissioning, and reclamation of an authorized right-of-way on public lands.

(i) Acceptable bond instruments. The BLM will accept cash, cashier's or certified check, certificate or book entry deposits, negotiable U.S. Treasury securities, and surety bonds from the approved list of sureties (U.S. Treasury Circular 570) payable to the BLM. Irrevocable letters of credit payable to the BLM and issued by banks or financial institutions organized or authorized to transact business in the United States are also acceptable bond instruments. An insurance policy can also qualify as an acceptable bond instrument, provided that the BLM is a named beneficiary of the policy, and the BLM determines that the insurance policy will guarantee performance of financial obligations and was issued by an insurance carrier that has the authority to issue policies in the applicable jurisdiction and whose insurance operations are organized or authorized to transact business in the United States.

(ii) Unacceptable bond instruments. The BLM will not accept a corporate guarantee as an acceptable form of bond instrument.

Powerline facility means one or more electric distribution or transmission lines authorized by a right-of-way, and all appurtenances to those lines supporting conductors of one or more electric circuits of any voltage for the transmission of electric energy, overhead ground wires, and communications equipment that is owned by the right-of-way holder; that solely supports operation and maintenance of the electric distribution or transmission lines; and that is not leased to other parties for communications uses that serve other purposes.

Processing activities means those actions or activities the Federal Government undertakes to evaluate an application for a right-of-way grant, including administrative actions, such as assignments, amendments, or renewals. It also includes preparation of an appropriate environmental document and compliance with other legal requirements in evaluating an application.

(i) For Processing Categories 1 through 4, processing activities means preliminary application reviews, application processing and administrative actions related to the right-of-way or temporary use permit;

(ii) For Processing Category 5 (Master Agreements), processing activities means those actions or activities agreed to in the Master Agreement; and

(iii) For Processing Category 6, processing activities means those actions or activities agreed to between the BLM and the applicant.

Public lands means any land and interest in land owned by the United States within the several states and administered by the Secretary of the Interior through BLM without regard to how the United States acquired ownership, except lands:

(i) Located on the Outer Continental Shelf; and

(ii) Held for the benefit of Indians, Aleuts, and Eskimos.

Reasonable costs has the meaning found at section in Section 304(b) of the ActFLPMA.

Reclamation cost estimate (RCE) means the estimate of costs to restore the land to a condition that will support pre-disturbance land uses. This includes the cost to remove all improvements made under the right-of-way authorization, return the land to approximate original contour, and establish a sustainable vegetative community, as required by the BLM. The RCE will be used to establish the appropriate amount for financial guarantees of land uses on the public lands, including those uses authorized by right-of-way grants or leases issued under this part.

Release has the meaning found at 42 U.S.C. 9601(22) of CERCLA.

Renewable energy coordination office (RECO) means one of the National, State, district, or field offices established by the Secretary under 43 U.S.C. 3002(a) that is responsible for implementing a program for improving Federal permit coordination with respect to solar, wind, and geothermal projects on BLM-administered land, and such other activities as the Secretary determines necessary.

Right-of-way means the public lands that the BLM authorizes a holder to use or occupy under a particular grant or lease.

Screening criteria for solar and wind energy development refers to the policies and procedures that the BLM uses to prioritize how it processes solar and wind energy development right-of-way applications to facilitate the environmentally responsible development of such facilities through the consideration of resource conflicts, land use plans, and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. Applications for projects with lesser resource conflicts are anticipated to be less costly and time-consuming for the BLM to process and will be prioritized over those with greater resource conflicts.

Short-term right-of-way grant means any grant issued for a term of 3 years or less for such uses as storage sites, construction areas, and site testing and monitoring activities, including site characterization studies and environmental monitoring.

Solar or wind energy development means the use of public lands to generate electricity from solar or wind energy resources. It includes the construction, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning of any such facilities, as well as the subsequent reclamation of the site.

Solar or wind energy lease means any right-of-way issued for solar or wind energy development in an area classified or allocated for solar or wind energy (i.e., a designated leasing area) in a resource management plan.

Subleasing means allowing another party or parties to use your facility for the purposes specified in your authorization, for which use you may charge fees. The BLM may permit subleasing under the requirements of 43 CFR 2805.14 and 2865.14.

Substantial deviation means a change in the authorized location or use that requires-construction or use outside the boundaries of the right-of-way, or any change from, or modification of, the authorized use. The BLM may determine that there has been a substantial deviation in some of the following circumstances: When a right-of-way holder adds overhead or underground lines, pipelines, structures, or other facilities within the right-of-way not expressly included in the current grant. Maintenance actions or safety-related improvements within an existing right-of-way, including vegetation management, are not considered a substantial deviation. Activities undertaken to reasonably prevent and suppress wildfires on or adjacent to the right-of-way do not constitute a substantial deviation.

Third party means any person or entity other than BLM, the applicant, or the holder of a right-of-way authorization.

Tramway means a system for carrying passengers, logs, or other material using traveling carriages or cars suspended from an overhead cable or cables supported by a series of towers, hangers, tailhold anchors, guyline trees, etc.

Transportation and utility corridor means a parcel of land identified through a land use planning process as being a preferred location for existing and future linear rights-of-way and facilities. The corridor may be suitable to accommodate more than one right-of-way use or facility, provided that the uses are compatible with one another and the corridor designation.

Vegetation management means:

(i) Emergency vegetation management —unplanned felling and pruning of vegetation on public lands within the linear right-of-way for a powerline facility and unplanned felling and pruning of hazard trees on abutting public lands that have contacted or present an imminent danger of contacting the powerline facility to avoid the disruption of electric service or to eliminate an immediate fire or safety hazard; and

(ii) Non-emergency (routine) vegetation management —planned actions as described in an operating plan or agreement periodically taken to fell or prune vegetation on public lands within the linear right-of-way for a powerline facility and on abutting public lands to fell or prune hazard trees to ensure normal powerline facility operations and to prevent wildfire in accordance with applicable reliability and safety standards and as identified in an approved operating plan or agreement.

Waived from rent means a discretionary decision by the BLM to reduce the rent. Waivers may result in a reduction in rent or no rent at all.

Zone means a geographic grouping necessary for linear right-of-way rent assessment purposes, covering all lands in the contiguous United States.

[70 FR 21058, Apr. 22, 2005, as amended at 81 FR 92205, Dec. 19, 2016; 89 FR 25956, Apr. 12, 2024; 89 FR 41331, May 13, 2024; 89 FR 35677, May 1, 2024; 89 FR 53870, June 28, 2024]