[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 14, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 13651-13652]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-6168]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

18 CFR Part 154, 158, 201, 250, and 284

[Docket No. RM95-3-000; Rm95-4-000]


Filing and Reporting Requirements for Interstate Natural Gas 
Company Rate Schedules and Tariffs; Revisions to Uniform System of 
Accounts Forms, Statements, and Reporting Requirements for Natural Gas 
Companies; Notice of Informal Technical Conference

March 8, 1995.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of informal technical conference.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will hold an informal 
technical conference pursuant to the Notices of Proposed Rulemaking 
issued on December 16, 1994, in Docket Nos. RM95-3-000 and RM95-4-000. 
The conference is a preliminary step in the process of modifying the 
electronic filing requirements to complement the proposed revisions to 
the regulations set forth in the December 16, 1994 notices.

DATES: Tuesday and Wednesday, April 4 and 5, 1995: 9:00 a.m.

ADDRESSES: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 810 First Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20426. [[Page 13652]] 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Richard A. White, Office of the General Counsel, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 825 North Capitol Street, NE., Washington, DC 
20426, (202) 208-0491.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In addition to publishing the full text of 
this document in the Federal Register, the Commission also provides all 
interested persons an opportunity to inspect or copy the contents of 
this document during normal business hours in Room 3104, 941 North 
Capitol Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.

    The Commission Issuance Posting System (CIPS), an electronic 
bulletin board service, provides access to the texts of formal 
documents issued by the Commission. CIPS is available at no charge to 
the user and may be accessed using a personal computer with a modem by 
dialing (202) 208-1397. To access CIPS, set your communications 
software to 19200, 14400, 12000, 9600, 7200, 4800, 2400, 1200, or 300 
bps, full duplex, no parity, 8 data bits, and 1 stop bit. The full text 
of this rule will be available on CIPS for 60 days from the date of 
issuance in ASCII and WordPerfect 5.1 formats. After 60 days, the rule 
will be archived, but still accessible. The complete text on diskette 
in Wordperfect format may also be purchased from the Commission's copy 
contractor, La Dorn Systems Corporation, also located in Room 3104, 941 
North Capitol Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.
    Take notice that on Tuesday, April 4, 1995 and, if necessary, 
Wednesday, April 5, 1995, an informal technical conference will be 
convened to begin designing modifications to the electronic filing 
requirements necessitated by proposed Rulemaking issued on December 16, 
1994, in Docket Nos. RM95-3-000 and RM95-4-000,\1\ the Commission 
directed its Staff to convene a technical conference to obtain the 
participation of the industry and others for this purpose.

    \1\Published in the Federal Register on January 13, 1995 at 60 
FR 3111 and 3141, respectively.
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    The conference is a preliminary step in the process of modifying 
the Commission's electronic filing requirements to complement the 
proposed revisions to the regulations set forth in the December 16, 
1994 notices.
    Objectives to be achieved by modifying the electronic filing 
requirements include:

     To employ user-friendly form fill, word processing, or 
spreadsheet applications as much as possible.
     To minimize the burden of the reporting requirements 
for regulated entites.
     To eliminate unnecessary processing steps by the 
Commission and the companies.
     To facilitate access to the information by the public.
     To the greatest extent possible, electronic data should 
be capable of being linked to related data in other filings.
     To ensure that electronically submitted data contains 
the same information as the paper copy of the filing.
     To ensure that electronic data can be easily correlated 
with the data in the paper filing.
     To ensure that all spreadsheets contain the underlying 
formulae and links.
    The specific objectives of this conference are:
     To provide a form within which Staff can gain a better 
understanding of how the industry stores and processes the data 
required in the Commission's forms and filings.
     To determine the most efficient electronic means for 
the preparation and submittal of data.
     To determine the most efficient electronic means for 
the dissemination of data to the public.
     To determine whether additional conferences are 
desirable; and, if so, the format, agenda, and dates.

    In light of these objectives, Commission Staff anticipates 
considering the following topics at the conference:

     An appropriate filing format for each type of 
submittal.
     How companies store data (mainframe, PCs, paper only) 
that the Commission proposes to be filed electronically.
     How companies prepare Form 2, Form 11, discount rate 
reports, index of customers, and section 4 rate cases (using 
commercial software, proprietary software, spreadsheets, databases, 
wordprocessing software). Whether companies use different hardware 
and software for different parts of the submittal. What spreadsheet, 
database, and wordprocessing software is used predominantly.
     Those aspects of the Commission's current electronic 
filing requirements that should not be changed.
     The use of form fill software for submitting each 
filing.
     Whether the Commission's form fill software for 
submitting FERC Form No. 1 would be useful for submitting other 
filings. (The Commission's form fill software for submitting FERC 
Form No. 1 is available on the Commission Issuance Posting System 
(CIPS) under option ``FERC Form No. 1 Forum.'' The bulletin board 
number is (202) 208-1397.)
     What information from electronic filings should be 
accessible to the public. In what form would such data be most 
useful (spreadsheet, database, wordprocessing, ASCII).
     Transmission of electronic data to the Commission 
through telecommunication.
     Any special concerns of state commissions, small 
businesses, customers, consumer groups, and nonindustry users of 
electronically filed data.
     Participants should also be prepared to discuss any 
other relevant matter.

    Commission Staff is currently preparing an agenda for the 
conference. In order that the conference be as productive as possible, 
Staff invites comments on the goals, issues, and topics of discussion. 
Such comments should be addressed to Richard A. White, Office of the 
General Counsel, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 825 North 
Capitol Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, (202) 208-0491. Comments 
should be received by March 28, 1995. Commenters are encouraged to 
submit comments on a 3\1/2\ inch diskette in ASCII format.
    The conference will begin at 9:00 a.m. on April 4, 1995, in a 
hearing or conference room of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 
810 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. The conference room will 
be designated in a subsequent notice. All interested persons are 
invited to attend.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 95-6168 Filed 3-13-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M