[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 102 (Friday, May 26, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 27970]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-12989]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. PL94-3-000]


City of Hamilton, Ohio; Order on Request for Designation of 
Market Center

Issued May 22, 1995.
    On May 23, 1994, the City of Hamilton, Ohio (Hamilton) filed a 
Request to Designate Lebanon, Ohio a Market Center and to require 
Tariff Changes. The City of Hamilton,\1\ a municipal gas system located 
in Butler County, Ohio, serves approximately 23,000 residential, 
commercial, and industrial customers. Hamilton is located approximately 
16 miles from Lebanon, Ohio. Within a 20-mile radius of Lebanon, five 
interstate pipelines interconnect.\2\

    \1\Hamilton states that it is directly connected to two 
interstate pipeline systems, Texas Gas Transmission Corporation 
(Texas Gas) and Texas Eastern Transmission Corporation (Texas 
Eastern), and has contracted for substantial storage capacity on ANR 
Pipeline Company (ANR); these three pipelines interconnect in the 
area of Lebanon, Ohio.
    \2\Hamilton states that: (1) these pipelines are ANR, Columbia 
Gas Transmission Corporation, CNG Transmission Corporation, Texas 
Eastern, and Texas Gas; (2) Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Company also 
delivers gas to Lebanon through facilities owned by Texas Eastern 
and ANR (``the Lebanon Lateral''); (3) all major producing areas, 
including Canada, are accessible through at least one of these 
pipelines; (4) several storage areas are accessible to the Lebanon 
area.
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    Hamilton requests that the Commission issue a policy statement 
designating Lebanon, Ohio as a market center and requiring changes to 
the tariffs of the interstate pipelines which connect in the Lebanon 
Market Center. Hamilton asserts that certain tariff provisions 
currently impede the development of an efficient market center at 
Lebanon. Hamilton contends that use of a policy statement in this case 
is consistent with continued implementation of the Commission's mandate 
in Order No. 636\3\ for pipelines to remove impediments to the 
development of market centers.

    \3\Pipeline Service Obligations and Revisions to Regulations 
Governing Self-Implementing Transportation; and Regulation of 
Natural Gas Pipelines After Partial Wellhead Decontrol, 57 Fed. Reg. 
13,267 (April 16, 1992), III FERC Stats. & Regs. Preambles 
para.30,939 (April 8, 1992); order on reh'g, Order No. 636-A, 57 
Fed. Reg. 36,128 (August 12, 1992, III Stats. & Regs. Preambles 
para.30,950 (August 3, 1992); order on reh'g, Order No. 636-B, 57 
Fed. Reg. 57,911 (December 8, 1992), 61 FERC para.61,272 (November 
27, 1992) appeal redocketed sub nom., Atlanta Gas Light Company and 
Chattanooga Gas Company, et al. v. FERC, No. 94-1171 (D.C. Cir. (May 
27, 1994).
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Discussion

    We agree with the City of Hamilton that market centers should be 
encouraged to develop and allowed to operate so that both the industry 
and consumers of natural gas will benefit. The Commission has made 
clear its intent that market centers should develop and that rate 
structures not inhibit market centers. Consistent with the basic 
operational characteristics of the market, Order no. 636 states the 
Commission's belief that market centers should develop naturally and 
that the Commission should not designate market centers.\4\ Market 
centers have developed since Order No. 636 without the Commission 
designating locations as market centers.

    \4\The Commission stated that it was adopting Order No. 636

    in order to facilitate the meeting of gas purchasers and gas 
sellers in a national gas market. Market centers may, in certain 
areas, create additional meeting places for gas purchasers and gas 
sellers. These inter-pipeline market centers would allow gas from 
production areas attached to different pipelines to meet where the 
pipelines intersect to create a market for gas purchasers from 
different market areas. The Commission believes that market centers 
should develop naturally and, therefore, will not mandate market 
centers. However, as stated above, the Commission is requiring in 
new Sections 284.8(b)(5) and 284.9(b)(5) that there must be nothing 
in a pipeline's tariff that inhibits the development of market 
centers. (Order No. 636, para.30,939 at 30,427-28. Emphasis added; 
footnote omitted.)

    The Commission provided specific examples of rate structures 
that may inhibit market centers. In various restructuring 
proceedings, the Commission provided examples of those rate 
structures which may impede the development of market centers. See 
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation, 63 FERC para.61,194 at 
62,501 (1993), and Arkla Energy Resources Company, 62 FERC 
para.61,076 at 61,461 (1993).
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    Hamilton specifies some of its concerns regarding the efficiency of 
the running of a market center at Lebanon and expresses concerns about 
the consideration of other issues in individual proceedings. There is 
more to be considered here than economy of administrative effort, 
however. The Commission's policy that market centers should evolve 
naturally does not compromise Hamilton's interests. Hamilton has raised 
and may raise tariff and rate issues in particular pipelines' 
individual rate cases.\5\ Discussion among the pipelines to better 
coordinate their operations is also encouraged.

    \5\In Texas Eastern Transmission Corporation's (Texas Eastern) 
one year restructuring report, Hamilton State that Texas Eastern's 
backhaul service was merely a transfer of gas within a market center 
and that a rate reduction was appropriate. Citing the Commission's 
earlier order on restructuring, the Commission said that:

    The Commission continues to believe, as it previously advised 
Hamilton, that the appropriate place to discuss the maximum rate for 
backhaul services is in Texas Eastern's next rate case proceeding. 
69 FERC para.61,362, 62,370 (1994).
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    For these reasons, the Commission sees no reason to change its 
policy now. The market is better able than the Commission to determine 
where market centers should be located. As we have already stated, 
unless a market center proposal or specific rate and tariff terms 
violate the Commission's rules and regulations, the Commission is 
unlikely to intrude on the natural process of development of a market 
center. Accordingly, the Commission will not designate Lebanon a market 
center and Hamilton's request that the Commission generally review 
pipeline operations and tariffs is denied.

The Commission orders

    The request for designation of Lebanon, Ohio as a market center and 
for a general review of pipeline tariffs and operations is denied.

    By the Commission.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 95-12989 Filed 5-25-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M