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<br />investment costs. These costs increased gradually through Fiscal Year <br />1974 to $4,641,359 and this is the amount to be repaid by power revenues <br />as of the end of Fiscal Year 1980. In order to derive the lowest power <br />rate possible, repayment of the irrigation cost, which is interest free, <br />will not start until Fiscal Year 1997. It was assumed that the power <br />rate would be reduced after the Fiscal Year 1990 "rate setting point" is <br />passed, and then reduced again after the Fiscal Year 2000 critical point <br />for irrigation repayment is passed. The assumption of power rate reduc- <br />tions was made to avoid the accumulation of surplus revenues while still <br />meeting repayment requirements. <br /> <br />VIII. ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION. <br /> <br />Western wi 11 prepare an env i ronmenta 1 assessment of the proposed <br />rate adjustment and will send copies thereof to interested persons during <br />the consultat ion and comment period. The env ironmental assessment will <br />consider the anticipated impacts on the physical and natural environments <br />of the area as well as the following Department of Energy Guidelines for <br />compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act: <br /> <br />A. The size of the increase. <br /> <br />B. The percentage of the area I s power requ irements served by the <br /> <br />RGP. <br /> <br />C. The relative prices between RGP supplied power and power from <br />other sources. <br /> <br />D, Switching by customers to other sources. <br />E. Impact on u 1 t imate consumers. <br /> <br />IX. REGULATORY FLEXIBILITY ACT OF 1980 <br /> <br />Pursuant to the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (5 U.S.C. 601 et <br />~) each agency, when required by 5 U.S.C. 553 to publish a proposed <br />rule, is further required to prepare and make available for pub1 ic com- <br />ment an initial regulatory flexibility analysis to describe the' impact of <br />the proposed rule on small entities. In this instance, the rate adjust- <br />ment for the Rio Grande Proj ect relates to non-regul ator y serv ices pro- <br />vided by Western at a particular rate. Under 5 U.S.C. 601(2), rates or <br />services of particular applicability are noc considered "rules" within <br />the meaning of the Act. Since the rate for Rio Grande Project power is <br />of limited applicability and is being set in accordance with specific <br />regulations and legislation under particular circumstances, Western <br />believes that no flexibility analysis is required. <br /> <br />X. PROCEDURES FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN RATE ADJUSTMENTS <br /> <br />The December 31, 1980 Federal Register (45 FR 86983-86986) contains <br />the "Procedures for Pub1 ic Participation in Power and Transmission Rate <br /> <br />(; "J 14 ;., '1 <br /> <br />31 <br />