18 CFR Part 157, Subpart A - Applications for Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity and for Orders Permitting and Approving Abandonment under Section 7 of...Any Operation, Sales, Service, Construction, Extension, Acquisition or Abandonment

This document contains corrections to the final rule that was published in the Federal Register on Monday, November 2, 2015 (Order No. 587-W). These revisions correct an instruction error and reinstate the regulations describing the exhibits required to be attached to each certificate application by interstate natural gas pipelines. This document corrects that omission.

Pursuant to the authority delegated by 18 CFR 375.308(x)(1), the Director of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP) computes and publishes the project cost and annual limits for natural gas pipelines blanket construction certificates for each calendar year.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is amending its regulations to incorporate by reference the latest version (Version 3.0) of seven business practice standards adopted by the Wholesale Gas Quadrant of the North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB) applicable to interstate natural gas pipelines. These updated business practice standards contain and supplement the revisions to the NAESB scheduling standards accepted by the Commission in Order No. 809 as part of the Commission's efforts to harmonize gas-electric scheduling coordination, and are required to be implemented on April 1, 2016, the same date as the regulations adopted in Order No. 809. In addition, the updated standards revise the codes used to identify receipt and delivery locations in the Index of Customers. Further, for consistency with the revisions to the Index of Customers, the Commission is also amending its regulations to make conforming changes to the Commission's regulations on interstate natural gas pipeline filings and postings.

This document contains corrections to the final rule (RM12-11-003) which was published in the Federal Register of Friday, July 24, 2015 (80 FR 43944). The final rule amended regulations to: provide pre-granted authority under a new paragraph to abandon or replace auxiliary facilities, subject to certain conditions; permit auxiliary facilities that cannot meet the conditions for the pre-granted abandonment authority in the new paragraph to be abandoned under the blanket certificate regulations, subject to those regulations' requirements; and permit replacement facilities constructed under the regulations to be abandoned under the blanket certificate regulations, subject to those regulations' requirements.

Pursuant to the authority delegated, the Director of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP) computes and publishes the project cost and annual limits for natural gas pipelines blanket construction certificates for each calendar year.

On rehearing, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) reaffirms its basic determinations in Order No. 790 and modifies and clarifies certain aspects of the Final Rule. Order No. 790 amended the Commission's regulations to clarify that auxiliary installations added to existing or proposed interstate transmission facilities under the Commission's regulations must be located within the authorized right-of-way or site for existing facilities or the right-of-way or site to be used for facilities proposed in a pending application for case-specific certificate authority or in a prior notice filing under the Commission's blanket certificate regulations, and use only the same temporary work space that was or will be used to construct the existing or proposed facilities. Order No. 790 also codified the common industry practice of notifying landowners prior to coming onto their property to undertake projects, or certain replacements, or certain maintenance activities.

Pursuant to delegated authority, the Director of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP) computes and publishes the project cost and annual limits for natural gas pipelines blanket construction certificates for each calendar year.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is issuing this Final Rule to amend its regulations to clarify that auxiliary installations added to existing or proposed interstate transmission facilities under the Commission's regulations must be located within the authorized right-of-way or facility site for the existing or proposed facilities and use only the same temporary work space that was or will be used to construct the existing or proposed facilities; and to codify the common industry practice of notifying landowners prior to coming onto their property to install auxiliary or replacement facilities, certain replacements, or conduct maintenance activities.

Pursuant to the authority delegated by 18 CFR 375.308(x)(1), the Director of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP) computes and publishes the project cost and annual limits for natural gas pipelines blanket construction certificates for each calendar year.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is correcting a final rule that appeared in the Federal Register of October 29, 2012 (77 FR 65463). In this final rule, the Commission is revising its rules and regulations relating to the filing of privileged material in keeping with the Commission's efforts to comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Government Paperwork Elimination Act and the E-Government Act of 2002.

In this Final Rule, the Commission revises its rules and regulations relating to the filing of privileged material in keeping with the Commission's efforts to comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Government Paperwork Elimination Act and the E-Government Act of 2002. First, the Commission establishes two categories of privileged material for filing purposes: Privileged material and critical energy infrastructure information. This revision will expand the ability to file electronically by permitting electronic filing of materials subject to Administrative Law Judge protective orders as appropriate. Second, the Commission revises its regulations to provide a single set of uniform procedures for filing privileged materials. These revisions continue the Commission's effort to reassess and streamline its regulations to ensure that they are efficient, effective and up to date. Also, the Commission revises Rule 213(d) of its Rules of Practice and Procedure, which establishes the timeline for filing answers to motions, to clarify that the standard fifteen day reply time will not apply to motions requesting an extension of time or a shortened time period for action. Instead, the Commission proposes to set the time for responding to such motions at five days, unless another time period is established by notice based on the circumstances.

Pursuant to the authority delegated by 18 CFR 375.308(x)(1), the Director of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP) computes and publishes the project cost and annual limits for natural gas pipelines blanket construction certificates for each calendar year.