[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 250 (Wednesday, December 30, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 71806-71807]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-34587]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
18 CFR Parts 161, 250, and 284
[Docket Nos. RM98-10-000 and RM98-12-000]
Regulation of Short-Term Natural Gas Transportation Services;
Regulation of Interstate Natural Gas Transportation Services; Order
Granting Extention of Time for Filing Comments
December 23, 1998.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE
ACTION: Order granting extension of time for filing comments.
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SUMMARY: On July 29, 1998, the Commission issued a Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking (NOPR) in Docket No. RM98-10-000 (63 FR 42982) and a Notice
of Inquiry (NOI) in Docket No. RM98-12-000 (63 FR 42974) dealing with
the Regulation of Short-Term Natural Gas Transportation Services. The
date for filing comments in these proceedings is being extended at the
request of various interested parties.
DATES:
Comments on the NOPR are extended to and including April 22, 1998.
Comments on the NOI are extended to and including February 22, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street,
N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David P. Boergers, Secretary 888 First
Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426, (202) 208-0400.
Before Commissioners: James J. Hoecker, Chairman; Vicky A. Bailey,
William L. Massey, Linda Breathitt, and Curt Hebert, Jr.
Regulation of Short-Term Natural Gas Transportation Services, Docket
No. RM98-10-000
Regulation of Interstate Natural Gas Transportation Services, Docket
No. RM98-12-000
Order Granting Extension of Time for Filing Comments
(Issued December 23, 1998)
On December 7, 1998, the Natural Gas Council (composed of the
American Gas Association, the Interstate Natural Gas Association of
America, the Natural Gas Supply Association, and the Independent
Petroleum Association of America) joined by the Process Gas Consumers
Group, the American Iron and Steel Institute, the Georgia Industrial
Group, and the Edison Electric Institute submitted a letter, filed in
Docket No. RM98-10-000, requesting an extension of time until April 22,
1999, within which to file comments in response to the Commission's
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR), issued July 29, 1998, in Docket
No. RM98-10-000,1 and the Notice of Inquiry (NOI), issued
July 29, 1998, in Docket No. RM98-12-000.2 Comments on the
NOPR and NOI currently are due by January 22, 1999.
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\1\ 63 FR 42982 (Aug. 11, 1998).
\2\ 63 FR 42974 (Aug. 11, 1998).
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The Commission will grant an extension, until April 22, 1999, for
parties to file comments on the NOPR and NOI. However, the Commission
would be interested in any comments that can be filed on a voluntary
basis, within the current schedule addressing the relationship between
the short-term issues in the NOPR and the long-term issues in the NOI.
The Commission emphasizes that any comments filed in January will not
be the last opportunity for parties to have input on these important
matters. The Commission merely wishes to be more fully apprised of the
current state of the parties' ideas.
So far, the public discussions on the proposals in the NOPR and NOI
have concentrated on the issue of auctions. The other issues included
in the NOPR, such as negotiated terms and conditions or certificate
policy, have received little attention. Similarly, there has been
little dialogue concerning rate designs for long-term contracts that
would remove or lessen the current bias toward short-term contracts.
The extension will provide time for the industry to focus on these
important issues and to better formulate comments. The informal
dialogue that has occurred to date between the Commission staff and all
the segments of the industry appears to have been worthwhile. The
extension also will give the Commission's staff the opportunity to
continue holding conferences and using other means to continue the
interaction with all segments of the industry on all of the issues
raised in the NOPR and NOI. The Commission requests that by January 22,
1999, parties identify any issues, other than those related to
auctions, for which it might be beneficial for the Commission staff to
convene a technical conference during the pendency of the extended
comment period.
The additional time has been requested to permit the groups who
joined in the request to engage in further discussions regarding the
issues raised in the NOPR and NOI. The results of such consensus-
building efforts will be of most value to the Commission if they
[[Page 71807]]
include all of the affected interests. The groups have committed to
apprising the Commission of the status of their discussions at some
interim date and the Commission would find that information helpful.
The Commission orders: The date for filing comments on the Notice
of Proposed Rulemaking and the Notice of Inquiry in these dockets is
extended to April 22, 1999.
By the Commission.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-34587 Filed 12-29-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
