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From:howard.fromer@enron.com
To:/o=enron/ou=na/cn=recipients/cn=notesaddr/cn=a3a4cb81-65db1a4f-862569e7-6cfe2f@enron.com, jeff.ader@enron.com, c..aucoin@enron.com, rick.bachmeier@enron.com, jeff.brown@enron.com, ees <.brown@enron.com<, dana.davis@enron.com, david.duran@enron.com,
Subject:FW: Member Alert #48-2001 - Court of Appeals issues Potential
Cc:
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Date:Mon, 26 Nov 2001 12:49:55 -0800 (PST)

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Attached FYI is a memo prepared by IPPNY summarizing a NY Court of Appeals =
(NY's highest court) decision issued last week that could impact environmen=
tal reviews of projects that are smaller than 80 MW and thus not subject to=
the State's siting law. As noted by IPPNY, the impact of this court ruling=
could be to delay the environmental review and thus the permitting time fo=
r these smaller plants. In other generation-related developments, the NYS =
Siting Board last week approved the Astoria Energy project. This is a 1,000=
MW natural gas-fired combined-cycle facility to be loacted in Astoria, Que=
ens, New York City. The plant is estimated to go in service the 3rd quarter=
of 2004. This brings to over 1600 MW the amount of new in-city generation =
recently approved by the State Siting Board, on top of the 400 Mw\W added t=
his past summer by the NY Power Authority.
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanessa Anctil [mailto:Vanessa@ippny.org]
Sent: Monday, November 26, 2001 3:25 PM
To: IPPNY Members 2
Cc: Carolyn Brown
Subject: Member Alert #48-2001 - Court of Appeals issues Potential Setbackt=
o SEQRA Generators In NYPA Turbine Ruling


Member Alert #48-2001
November 26, 2001

Court of Appeals issues Potential Setback to SEQRA Generators In NYPA Turbi=
ne Ruling

On November 20, 2001, the New York State Court of Appeals denied a motion b=
y the New York Power Authority ("NYPA") for leave to appeal a Appellate Div=
ision decision, Uprose v. Power Authority of State of New York, requiring t=
he preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement ("EIS") for its install=
ation of 10 GE LM6000 turbines at several sites in New York City. (IPPNY's=
brief supporting NYPA's motion was accepted by the Court.) The impact of =
the ruling may be to delay the environmental review for projects evaluated =
under the State Environmental Quality Review Act ("SEQRA").

The Court of Appeals, the State's highest court, did not affirm the Appella=
te Division's decision, it merely declined to consider the appeal, which wa=
s discretionary. The decision is binding only in the courts of the 2nd jud=
icial department, which includes Long Island and Westchester, although cour=
ts in other areas of the state may rely on the case for guidance.

Prior to the lawsuit, NYPA issued a negative declaration of potential signi=
ficant impact with regard to the turbine projects, a SEQRA prerequisite to =
proceeding without preparing an EIS. The Appellate Division decision requi=
red that NYPA prepare an EIS by January 31, 2002 because NYPA's analysis of=
particulate matter 2.5 ("PM2.5"), which relied on an evaluation of PM10 as=
a proxy, was insufficiently detailed to support a negative declaration.=20

The potential impact for new generation projects is that applicants proposi=
ng power plants under 80 MW, which are subject to SEQRA, may be required to=
prepare an EIS. A State agency may still be able to issue a negative decl=
aration, and thus avoid the requirement to prepare an EIS, if an applicant =
demonstrates in its Environmental Assessment Form ("EAF") that there is no =
potential for adverse environmental impacts from PM2.5. However, as a resu=
lt of the Uprose decision, the applicant may not be able to make this demon=
stration by relying on a PM10 proxy analysis. If the demonstration cannot =
be made that PM2.5 will not have a potential adverse environmental impact, =
the agency must make a positive declaration, requiring the preparation of a=
n EIS and associated public notice and participation. Potentially signific=
ant delay could result from this process.

The Appellate Division decision should have little impact on Article X appl=
ications. The Article X process supplants the SEQRA process. Essentially,=
the Article X process requires the preparation of an EIS equivalent, where=
in PM2.5 is analyzed. At least one case, Consolidated Edison's East River =
Repowering Project, has addressed the PM2.5 issue. In that case, the Depar=
tment of Environmental Conservation ("DEC"), Department of Health, and the =
Department of Public Service agreed that the only applicable legal standard=
for PM2.5 is the PM10 proxy standard. The Board on Electric Generation Si=
ting and the Environment ruled that PM2.5 was not an issue in the case beca=
use it is within the purview of the companion DEC air permit proceeding. A=
ruling distinguishing the Uprose case was made by the Commissioner of DEC.=
Although the court found that the proxy analysis conducted by NYPA was no=
t sufficiently detailed in the EAF to support a negative declaration under =
SEQRA in the Uprose case, the DEC Commissioner found in the East River case=
that the PM10 analysis will support the determination as to whether or not=
the proposed project complies with the PM2.5 standard.

In an unrelated development, the FERC last week issued two orders addressin=
g issues related to market mitigation. In its Order Establishing Refund Ef=
fective Date And Proposing To Revise Market-Based Rate Tariffs And Authoriz=
ations ("Market Rates Order"), FERC instituted a proceeding to investigate =
the justness and reasonableness of the terms and conditions of market-based=
rate tariffs and authorizations of wholesale generators. FERC noted that =
it intends to revise all existing market-based rate tariffs and authorizati=
ons by adding the following language (which will be included in all new aut=
horizations, as well):

"As a condition of obtaining and retaining market-based rate authority, the=
seller is prohibited from engaging in anticompetitive behavior or the exer=
cise of market power. The seller's market-based rate authority is subject t=
o refunds or other remedies as may be appropriate to address any anticompet=
itive behavior or exercise of market power."

FERC indicated that the refund effective date will be 60 days from notice o=
f the Market Rates Order in the Federal Register.

In a second order, FERC announced that it will implement an industry-wide s=
tandard market mitigation measure that will address conditions of market sh=
ortage in which market power could be abused. The surplus margin assessmen=
t ("SMA") tool will be employed by FERC to determine what entities possess =
market power. The SMA will replace the FERC's existing "Hub-and-Spoke" met=
hodology for determining whether an entity possesses market power. Entiti=
es that fail the screen are required to sell uncommitted capacity into the =
spot market pursuant to a form of cost-of-service rates. The SMA order exp=
ressly does not apply in New York, because FERC noted that it will not appl=
y this new mitigation procedure in markets (including NY) where market miti=
gation plans have been approved by FERC.

Copies of the orders are available upon request. If you have any questions=
, please don't hesitate to contact IPPNY.