[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 170 (Wednesday, September 2, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46781-46782]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-23591]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP98-724-000]
Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline, L.L.C., Notice of Request Under
Blanket Certificate
August 27, 1998.
Take notice that on August 13, 1998, as supplemented on August 20,
1998, Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline, L.L.C. (Maritimes), 1284 Soldiers
Field Road, Boston, Massachusetts, 02135, filed a request pursuant to
Sections 157.205 and 157.211 of the Commission's Regulations under the
Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.205 and 157.211(b)). Maritimes seeks
authorization to install, own and operate a one-half mile, 16-inch
diameter natural gas lateral line and certain other natural gas
facilities in Cumberland County, Maine. These facilities will establish
a new delivery point for Gorham Energy Limited Partnership (Gorham
Energy) which is proposed to be in service on November 1, 1999. This
request is made in accordance with the authority granted Maritimes in
its blanket certificate issued in Docket No. CP96-178-000, under Part
157, Subpart F of the
[[Page 46782]]
Commissions' Regulations. The details of Maritimes' request are more
fully set forth in the request which is on file with the Commission and
open to public inspection.
Maritimes says that Gorham Energy has requested and Maritimes has
agreed to establish a new delivery point near milepost 99 of the Joint
Facilities in the Town of Gorham, Cumberland County, Maine. The Joint
Facilities natural gas pipeline is currently under construction and
will be operated by Maritimes and jointly owned by Maritimes and
Portland Natural Gas Transmission System (PNGTS).\1\
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\1\ Under its Joint Facilities Ownership Agreement with PNGTS,
Maritimes gave notice to PNGTS of this proposed expansion. PNGTS
indicated it did not wish to participate in the expansion, but even
so, under the Ownership Agreement, PNGTS is entitled to a 0.000001
percent interest in these proposed facilities. Thus, this request is
made on behalf of and at the request of PNGTS to the extent
necessary to account for PNGTS's 0.000001 percent interest.
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Gorham Energy intends to build an 800 Megawatt electric power
generation facility in Gorham, Maine (Gorham Plant), subject to its
receipt of all applicable permits including this Commission's
Certificate of Exempt Wholesale Generator status and approval of an
Interconnection Agreement with Central Maine Power Company. Gorham
Energy proposes to build an electric generating facility within a 260
acre site which it will acquire in Gorham from Regional Waste Systems,
the current owner of the site. The Gorham Plant facilities will include
dual-fuel fired turbines (principally natural gas), electric generation
equipment, fuel oil storage, operations and maintenance buildings,
electric switch gear, and plant roadways; all of which will occupy only
about 19 acres of the site. The facilities will be capable of
generating 800 MW of power for transmission into the grid at 345 kV.
The site location takes advantage of the nearness of the existing
electric transmission infrastructure and the Joint Facilities natural
gas pipeline now under construction.
Maritimes proposes to construct and install a tap and side valve
assembly, metering facilities, about 0.49 miles of 16-inch diameter
lateral pipeline and associated auxiliary facilities. Construction is
proposed to take place during summer and fall of 1999, and the project
has an estimated cost of $2,300,000. Maritimes says the Gorham Energy
will reimburse it for 100% of the costs and expenses incurred for
installing the tap, lateral line, meter station, EGM and yard piping up
to the insulating flange of Gorham Plant. Gorham Energy will construct
all nonjurisdictional facilities downstream of the above facilities
proposed to be constructed by Maritimes. The meter station, metering
and certain auxiliary piping will be constructed, owned, operated, and
maintained by Maritimes. The regulators, heaters, and other remaining
natural gas facilities inside the Gorham Plant will be constructed,
owned, operated and maintained by Gorham Energy.
After the installation of the facilities, Maritimes will transport
up to 165,000 Dth/d of natural gas for Gorham Energy under Maritimes'
Part 284 Blanket Certificate and its Rate Schedule MN365. Maritimes
says that such transportation rights currently only apply to the
lateral (from the interconnection with the Joint Facilities to Gorham
Plant). Maritimes says that the rate to be charged Gorham Energy will
reflect the fact that Gorham Energy is reimbursing Maritimes for the
cost of the facilities and will be at or below the lateral line rate
approved by the Commission for Phase II of Maritimes' project, a rate
which is also less than the maximum rate approved by the Commission for
Phase I of its Project.
Maritimes further says that Gorham Energy is responsible for
arranging its own natural gas supply and transportation upstream of the
Joint Facilities interconnection point. Gorham Energy has informed
Maritimes that it will arrange for the transportation of natural gas
supply from various supply sources to milepost 99 of the Joint
Facilities (the interconnection of the Joint Facilities and the lateral
proposed to be constructed by Maritimes herein). Such new
transportation is said to be using only the currently certificated
capacity on the Maritimes or PNGTS pipeline systems. Maritimes cites
the existing certificates for itself and PNGTS which fix the
certificated capacity of their systems at about 440,860 Mcf/d and
210,000 Mcf/d, respectively.
Maritimes says that peak day or annual commitments under firm
service agreements between Maritimes and PNGTS and their respective
customers will not be adversely affected by construction of the new
facilities. Maritimes also say that existing Maritimes and PNGTS
tariffs do not prohibit the addition of new delivery points.
Any person or the Commission's staff may, within 45 days after
issuance of the instant notice by the Commission, file pursuant to Rule
214 of the Commission's Procedural Rules (18 CFR 385.214) a motion to
intervene or notice of intervention, and pursuant to Section 157.205 of
the Regulations under the Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.205), a protest
to the request. If no protest is filed within the time allowed
therefor, the proposed activity shall be deemed authorized effective
the day after the time allowed for filing a protest. If a protest is
filed and not withdrawn within 30 days after the time allowed for
filing a protest, the instant request shall be treated as an
application for authorization pursuant to Section 7 of the Natural Gas
Act.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-23591 Filed 9-1-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M
