[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 225 (Friday, November 21, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 69387]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-27639]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

43 CFR Parts 2800 and 2880

[LLWO301000.L13400000]
RIN 1004-AE24


Competitive Processes, Terms, and Conditions for Leasing Public 
Lands for Solar and Wind Energy Development and Technical Changes and 
Corrections

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; extension of comment period.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: On September 30, 2014, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
published in the Federal Register with a 60-day comment period a 
proposed rule, to facilitate responsible solar and wind energy 
development and to receive fair market value for such development. (79 
FR 59021) The proposed rule would promote the use of preferred areas 
for solar and wind energy development and establish competitive 
processes, terms, and conditions (including rental and bonding 
requirements) for solar and wind energy development rights-of-way both 
inside and outside these preferred areas. The proposed rule would also 
make technical changes, corrections, and clarifications to existing 
rights-of-way regulations. Some of these changes would affect all 
rights-of-way and some provisions would affect particular types of 
actions, such as transmission lines with a capacity of 100 Kilovolts 
(kV) or more, or pipelines 10 inches or more in diameter.
    The BLM received requests to extend the comment period of this 
proposed rule. In response to these requests, the BLM is extending the 
comment period for 15 days beyond the end of the initial comment 
period. As a result of this extension, the comment period will now 
close on December 16, 2014.

DATES: Send your comments on this proposed rule to the BLM on or before 
December 16, 2014. The BLM need not consider, or include in the 
administrative record for the final rule, comments that the BLM 
receives after the close of the comment period or comments delivered to 
an address other than those listed below (see ADDRESSES).

ADDRESSES: Mail: U.S. Department of the Interior, Director (630), 
Bureau of Land Management, Mail Stop 2134 LM, 1849 C St. NW., 
Washington, DC 20240, Attention: 1004-AE24. Personal or messenger 
delivery: Bureau of Land Management, 20 M Street SE., Room 2134 LM, 
Attention: Regulatory Affairs, Washington, DC 20003. Federal 
eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions 
at this Web site.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ray Brady, Bureau of Land Management, 
at 202-912-7312, for information relating to the BLM's solar and wind 
renewable energy programs, or the substance of the proposed rule. For 
information pertaining to the changes made for any transmission line 
with a capacity of 100 kV or more, or any pipeline 10 inches or more in 
diameter you may contact Lucas Lucero at 202-912-7342. For information 
on procedural matters or the rulemaking process you may contact Jean 
Sonneman at 202-912-7405. Persons who use a telecommunications device 
for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service 
(FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339, to contact the above individuals.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Public Comment Procedures

    If you wish to comment, you may submit your comments by any one of 
the several methods listed in the ADDRESSES section.
    Please make your comments as specific as possible by confining them 
to issues directly related to the content of the proposed rule, and 
explain the basis for your comments. The comments and recommendations 
that will be most useful and likely to influence agency decisions are:
    1. Those supported by quantitative information or studies; and
    2. Those that include citations to, and analyses of, the applicable 
laws and regulations.
    The BLM is not obligated to consider or include in the 
Administrative Record for the rule comments received after the close of 
the comment period (see DATES) or comments delivered to an address 
other than those listed above (see ADDRESSES).
    Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, will 
be available for public review at the address listed under ADDRESSES 
during regular hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.), Monday through Friday, 
except holidays.
    Before including your address, telephone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, be advised that 
your entire comment--including your personal identifying information--
may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask in your 
comment to withhold from public review your personal identifying 
information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Janice M. Schneider,
Assistant Secretary, Land and Minerals Management.
[FR Doc. 2014-27639 Filed 11-20-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P