[Federal Register: December 8, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 235)]
[Notices]
[Page 71031-71032]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08de04-73]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. RM05-1-000]
Regulations Governing the Conduct of Open Seasons for Alaska
Natural Gas Transportation Projects; Supplemental Notice of Technical
Conference and Agenda
November 29, 2004.
Take notice that as previously announced on October 26, 2004, the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will host a technical conference
in this proceeding on December 3, 2004 in Anchorage, Alaska. The
Commission has initiated a rulemaking to establish regulations
governing the conduct of open seasons for capacity on any Alaska
natural gas transportation projects. These regulations are required by
section 103(e) of the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Act of 2004, enacted
into law on October 13, 2004.
The Commission's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) was issued in
the above referenced Docket on November 15, 2004. The NOPR contains a
preamble explaining the background of the proposed rule, several
specific questions about issues related to the proposed rule, and
specific proposed regulatory text. Written comments on the NOPR are
required to be submitted by December 17, 2004. The Commission must
issue regulations within 120 days of enactment of the Act, that is, by
February 10, 2005. The Commission is now providing its agenda for the
technical conference. All interested parties and the public are invited
to attend.
Conference Information
Date: December 3, 2004.
Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Alaska time (2 p.m. to 8 p.m. eastern
standard time).
Location: Municipality of Anchorage, Loussac Library, Assembly
Chambers, 3600 Denali Street, Anchorage, Alaska 99503.
Summary of Proposed Regulations
The full text of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is available
through the Commission's eLibrary under Docket No. RM05-1. The proposed
regulations first set forth the purpose and applicability of the
proposed rules and certain definitions. That purpose is to prescribe
rules for the conduct of any open season on any Alaska natural gas
transportation project. Any applicant for a proposed Alaska natural gas
transportation project must include a showing in its application to
construct a project that it has conducted an open season for capacity
allocation that fully complies with the requirements of the rules.
The proposed rule requires that a public notice of an open season
be issued by the project sponsor at least 30 days prior to the
commencement of the open season through methods including postings on
Internet Web sites, press releases, direct mail solicitations, and
other advertising. Next, the proposed rule lists the information about
a proposed project that any notice of open season for an Alaska natural
gas transportation project must contain. The proposed rule states that
an open season for an Alaska natural gas transportation project must
remain open for a period of at least 90 days. Finally, the proposed
rule requires that capacity allocated as a result of any open season
shall be awarded without undue discrimination or preference of any
kind.
Technical Conference Agenda
The Agenda for the technical conference is attached. In order to
more efficiently use the limited time available, there will only be
oral presentations at this conference; no power point presentations or
use of other visual aids are being considered. Speakers should limit
their prepared remarks to 10 minutes or less and be prepared to discuss
the issues listed below with the Commission and their fellow panelists.
[[Page 71032]]
The Commission will first receive comments from a panel of Alaska
Elected Officials. Then the Commission Staff will present a short
summary of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Next the Commission will
hear comments from panels representing Potential Project Sponsors,
Potential Project Shippers, and Other Agencies or Affected Enterprises.
Lastly, the Technical Conference will close with an Open Forum
featuring responses or questions based on previous panels and any
additional points of view.
The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking includes five questions which the
Commission expects will be addressed in detail in each interested
party's written comments submitted by December 17th. However, as a
guide to the discussions at the technical conference, panelists should
be prepared to discuss the following general topics regarding the
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking:
Explain how the proposed rule meets or does not meet the
requirements of the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Act.
When should FERC oversight of capacity allocation
activities of potential project sponsors begin? What capacity
allocation activities happen before an open season under the rule is
undertaken?
Are there certain capacity allocation issues/factors that
are specific to the type of project sponsor, whether producer owned or
independent pipeline owned; in-state shipper/user or lower-48 market
shipper; producer/marketers or end-users; down-stream transporter,
upstream gathering/processing, local utility regulators?
Should potential project sponsors be required to conduct
and release results of Alaska market need studies before capacity is
allocated? Should potential project sponsors be required to conduct and
release results of Alaska infrastructure studies before capacity is
allocated?
Further Information
Transcripts of the conference will be immediately available from
Ace Reporting Company (202-347-3700 or 1-800-336-6646) for a fee. They
will be available for the public on the Commission's eLibrary system
seven calendar days after FERC receives the transcript. For information
about this proceeding, interested persons may go to the Commission's
Web site, http://www.ferc.gov, and search under the docket number for
this proceeding, Docket No. RM05-1. Materials for the conference will
also be posted on the Commission's monthly calendar page for this
event. Also, materials already provided to the Commission Staff by
certain interested parties have already been placed in the record of
this proceeding and are available electronically through the
Commission's eLibrary under Docket No. RM05-1.
Additionally, Capitol Connection offers the opportunity for remote
listening of the conference via the Internet or a Phone Bridge
Connection for a fee. Interested persons should make arrangements as
soon as possible by visiting the Capitol Connection Web site at http://www.capitolconnection.gmu.edu
and clicking on ``FERC.'' If you have any
questions contact David Reininger or Julia Morelli at the Capitol
Connection (703-993-3100).
Any questions or comments about this technical conference may be
directed to: Edwin Holden, 202-502-8089, Edwin.Holden@ferc.gov or
Richard Foley, 202-502-8955, Richard.Foley@ferc.gov.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
Technical Conference on Regulations Governing the Conduct of Open
Seasons for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects
Agenda
10 a.m. Opening Remarks--Pat Wood, III, Chairman, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC);
Nora Mead Brownell, Commissioner, FERC;
Joseph T. Kelliher, Commissioner, FERC;
Suedeen G. Kelly, Commissioner, FERC.
10:15 a.m. Panel I--Alaska Elected Officials. Introductions: Pat
Wood, III, Chairman, FERC.
Alaska Governor Frank H. Murkowski.
Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski.
Alaska State Senate President Gene Therriault.
Alaska State Representative Ralph Samuels.
11:30 a.m. Overview of the Proposed Rule for Regulations Governing
the Conduct of Open Seasons for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation
Projects Introduction: Robert Cupina, Deputy Director, Office of
Energy Projects, FERC.
Edwin Holden, Staff Counsel, FERC.
11:50 a.m. Panel 2--Comments on Proposed Rules by Potential Project
Sponsors; Moderator, Robert Cupina.
Panelists:
Tony Palmer, Vice President, TransCanada PipeLines
Ltd.;
Richard Guerrant, Vice President, ExxonMobil Gas;
Ken Konrad, Senior Vice President, BP Exploration
Alaska Inc.;
Joe Marushack, Vice President, ANS Gas Development,
ConocoPhillips Alaska;
Ron Brintnell, Director of Business Development,
Enbridge Energy Company, Inc.;
Tom Irwin, Commissioner, Alaska Dept. of Natural
Resources.
1:15 p.m. Panel 3--Comments on Proposed Rules by Potential Project
Shippers; Moderator, Robert Cupina.
Panelists:
Dave Anderson, Vice President International, Anadarko
Petroleum Corporation and Mark Hanley, Manager Public Affairs/
Alaska, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation;
Tony Izzo, President, Enstar Natural Gas Company;
Rick Mott, Vice President, Exploration and Land,
ConocoPhillips Alaska;
Bill Corbus, Commissioner, Alaska Department of
Revenue.
2:15 p.m. Panel 4--Comments on Proposed Rules by Other Agencies,
Affected Enterprises or General Public; Moderator, Robert Cupina.
Panelists:
Harold Heinze, Chief Executive, Alaska Natural Gas
Development Authority (ANGDA);
Jeff Walker, Regional Supervisor Field Operations,
Department of the Interior Minerals Management Service;
Colleen McCarthy, Deputy State Director, Energy, Bureau
of Land Management;
David Houseknecht, Research Geologist, U.S. Geological
Survey (traditional reserves);
Timothy Collett, Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey
(hydrate resources).
3:15 p.m. Open Forum--Moderator: Robert Cupina.
Responses/questions to previous discussions.
Additional points of view.
4 p.m. Closing Remarks/Adjourn; Commissioners/Robert Cupina.
[FR Doc. 04-26875 Filed 12-7-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P