[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 116 (Tuesday, June 17, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 32773]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-15792]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. RP97-391-000]


Gas Research Institute; Notice of Annual Application

June 11, 1997.
    Take notice that on June 10, 1997, Gas Research Institute (GRI) 
filed an application requesting advance approval of its 1998-2002 Five-
Year Research, Development and Demonstration (RD&D) Plan and 1998 RD&D 
Program, and the funding of its RD&D activities for 1998, pursuant to 
the Natural Gas Act and Section 154.401(b) of the Commission's 
Regulations.
    In its application, GRI requests approval of a total obligations 
budget of $164.3 million in 1998, which is $6.1 million less than the 
$170.4 million approved for GRI's 1997 RD&D Program. Of this amount, 
GRI plans to obligate $141.4 million to contract RD&D expenditures, 
while the remaining $22.9 million will be obligated to administrative 
and general expenditures.
    During the twelve months ending December 31, 1998, GRI expects to 
collect $163 million from FERC-approved surcharges, and $7 million from 
intrastate and other sources, for total receipts of $170 million. GRI 
states that it intends to disburse this entire amount by the end of 
1998. Accordingly, GRI plans to end 1998 with the same cash balance 
level of $40 million it plans to have at the start of 1998.
    GRI proposes to fund its 1998 RD&D Program using the following 
previously-approved (for 1997) surcharges: (1) A demand/reservation 
surcharge on two-part rates of 26.0 cents per Dth per Month for ``high 
load-factor customers''; (2) a demand/reservation surcharge on two-part 
rates of 16.0 cents per Dth per month for ``low load-factor 
customers''; (3) a volumetric commodity/usage surcharge of 0.88 cents 
per Dth for firm services involving two-part rates and for one-part 
interruptible rates; (4) a special ``small customer'' surcharge of 2.0 
cents per Dth; and (5) a surcharge of 1.74 cents per Dth per month for 
one-part, firm service outside the ``small customer'' class.
    Since it does not seek to change its surcharges for 1998, GRI asks 
that the Commission not require its member pipelines to file new tariff 
sheets to simply restate the currently effective surcharges.
    The Commission staff will analyze GRI's application and prepare a 
Commission Staff Report. This Staff Report will be served on all 
parties and filed with the Commission as a public document by August 
11, 1997. Comments on the Staff Report by all parties, except GRI, must 
be filed with the Commission on or before August 22, 1997. GRI's reply 
comments must be filed on or before August 29, 1997.
    Any person desiring to be heard or to protest GRI's application, 
except for GRI members and state regulatory commissions, who are 
automatically permitted to participate in the instant proceedings as 
intervenors, should file a motion to intervene or protest with the 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20426, in accordance with Rules 214 and 211 of the 
Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR 385.214 and 
385.211. All protests, motions to intervene and comments should be 
filed on or before June 25, 1997. All comments and protests will be 
considered by the Commission in determining the appropriate action to 
be taken, but will not serve to make protestants parties to this 
proceeding. Any person wishing to become a party, other than a GRI 
member or a state regulatory commission, must file a motion to 
intervene. Copies of this application are on file with the Commission 
and are available for public inspection.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-15792 Filed 6-16-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M