00-27390. Office of Fossil Energy; Notice of Filings of Coal Capability of South Carolina Electric & Gas Co., Northern States Power Co., Cedar Bluff Power Project, L.P. and MC Energy Partners, L.P. Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act

AGENCY:

Office of Fossil Energy, Department of Energy.

ACTION:

Notice of filing.

SUMMARY:

South Carolina Electric & Gas Co., Northern States Power Co., Cedar Bluff Power Project, L.P., and MC Energy Partners, L.P. submitted coal capability self-certifications pursuant to section 201 of the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978, as amended.

ADDRESSES:

Copies of self-certification filings are available for public inspection, upon request, in the Office of Coal & Power Im/Ex, Fossil Energy, Room 4G-039, FE-27, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ellen Russell at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title II of the Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978 (FUA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 8301 et seq.), provides that no new baseload electric powerplant may be constructed or operated without the capability to use coal or another alternate fuel as a primary energy source. In order to meet the requirement of coal capability, the owner or operator of such facilities proposing to use natural gas or petroleum as its primary energy source shall certify, pursuant to FUA section 201(d), to the Secretary of Energy prior to construction, or prior to operation as a base load powerplant, that such powerplant has the capability to use coal or another alternate fuel. Such certification establishes compliance with section 201(a) as of the date filed with the Department of Energy. The Secretary is required to publish a notice in the Federal Register that a certification has been filed. The following owners/operators of the proposed new baseload powerplants have filed a self-certification in acccordance with section 201(d).

Owner: South Carolina Electric & Gas Company (C&E 00-24).

Operator: South Carolina Electric & Gas Company.

Location: Beech Island, Aiken County, SC.

Plant Configuration: Combined-cycle.

Capacity: 490 MW.

Fuel: Natural gas.

Purchasing Entities: South Carolina Electric & Gas.

In-Service Date: June 1, 2002.

Owner: Northern States Power Company (C&E 00-25).

Operator: Northern States Power Company.

Location: Burnsville, MN.

Plant Configuration: Combined-cycle.

Capacity: 313 MW.

Fuel: Natural gas.

Purchasing Entities: Northern States Power Company.

In-Service Date: May 1, 2002.

Owner: Cedar Bluff Power Project, L.P. (C&E 00-26).

Operator: Cedar Bluff Power Project, L.P.

Location: Liberty County, TX.

Plant Configuration: Combined-cycle.

Capacity: 685 MW.

Fuel: Natural gas.

Purchasing Entities: Not yet determined.

In-Service Date: January 1, 2003.

Owner: MC Energy Partners, L.P. (C&E 00-27).

Operator: MC Energy Partners, L.P.

Location: Montgomery County, TX.

Plant Configuration: Combined-cycle.

Capacity: 685 MW.

Fuel: Natural gas.

Purchasing Entities: Not yet determined.

In-Service Date: January 1, 2003.

Issued in Washington, DC, October 17, 2000.

Anthony J. Como,

Deputy Director, Electric Power Regulation, Office of Coal & Power Im/Ex, Office of Coal & Power Systems, Office of Fossil Energy.