[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 44 (Friday, March 6, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11229-11230]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-5779]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP98-249-000]


Florida Gas Transmission Company; Notice of Application

March 2, 1998.
    Take notice that on February 24, 1998, Florida Gas Transmission 
Company (Florida Gas), 1400 Smith Street, Houston, Texas 77002, filed 
an application in Docket No. CP98-249-000 pursuant to Section 7(c) of 
the Natural Gas Act, and Part 157 of the Commission's Regulations. 
Florida Gas seeks authority to acquire firm and interruptible 
transportation services from an intrastate pipeline; and to construct, 
own, and operate a short pipeline lateral and delivery point in 
Washington County, Alabama. The details of Florida Gas's proposal are 
more fully set forth in its application which is on file with the 
Commission and available for public inspection.
    Florida Gas proposes to:
    (1) Construct, own and operate about one mile of 10-inch lateral 
and a new delivery point in Washington County, Alabama for deliveries 
to Alabama Power Company (Alabama Power); and
    (2) Acquire firm and interruptible capacity on Bay Gas Storage 
Company, Ltd. (Bay Gas Storage), an intrastate pipeline, for deliveries 
to Alabama Power and Alabama Electric Coop, Inc. (Alabama Coop).
    Florida Gas requests Commission authorization to obtain up to 
32,000 MMBtu per day of firm capacity on Bay Gas Storage to effectuate 
a FTS-WD Transportation Agreement between Florida Gas and Alabama Power 
for delivery to Alabama Power's Olin Cogen Plant Delivery Point. 
Florida Gas further requests authority to use up to 32,000 MMBtu per 
day of interruptible service on Bay Gas Storage to effectuate 
interruptible transportation service for Alabama Coop in the near 
future. Florida Gas and Bay Gas Storage have entered into a firm and 
interruptible intrastate transportation agreement contingent upon 
approval by the Commission.
    Florida Gas also proposes to construct a new tap, valve, an end of 
line valve assembly, and electronic flow measurement equipment in 
Washington County, Alabama to accommodate gas deliveries to Alabama 
Power's proposed meter station to receive firm gas volumes. Florida Gas 
states that Alabama Power would reimburse it for all construction 
costs, about $769,000. Florida Gas proposes to deliver up to 32,000 
MMBtu of gas per day at line pressure. Alabama Power proposes to 
construct, own and operate the meter station connecting to Florida 
Gas's facilities serving the power plant.
    Florida Gas says that Alabama Power will pay monthly for the 
transportation charges under its Service Agreement with Florida Gas for 
service under Rate Schedule FTS-WD, and will also reimburse Florida Gas 
for both the cost of new facilities installed downstream of the Bay Gas 
Storage facilities and for the cost of the third party transportation 
from Bay Gas Storage.
    Florida Gas also says that the costs of any interruptible 
transportation on Bay Gas Storage will be more than offset by revenues 
collected from Alabama Coop under the Rate Schedule ITS-WD Service 
Agreement. The interruptible rate to be charged Alabama Coop pursuant 
to the Service Agreement under Rate Schedule ITS-WD will be

[[Page 11230]]

higher than the interruptible rate which Bay Gas Storage will charge 
Florida Gas.
    Thus, Florida Gas says that since revenues collected will exceed 
costs, there will be no costs shifted to Florida Gas's other customers 
and that because the costs of the capacity to be acquired from Bay Gas 
Storage will be either reimbursed by the firm Shipper utilizing the 
firm capacity (Alabama Power) or more than offset by revenues from the 
interruptible Shipper (Alabama Coop) utilizing the interruptible 
capacity, the allocation of these costs are not skewed to favor any 
party.
    Florida Gas requests that a preliminary determination of this 
Application, subject to final environmental review, be granted by May 
1, 1998, to assure that service can commence by the planned November 1, 
1998, in-service date of the Olin Cogen Plant. Florida Gas says that 
without the expedited approval of the authorizations requested herein, 
Florida Gas would have to begin the process to construct more than 11 
additional miles of facilities parallel the existing intrastate 
pipeline owned by Bay Gas Storage. Florida Gas says that this 
alternative construction activity would be undertaken under its Part 
157, Subpart F blanket certificate, and that it would have additional 
environmental impact and an estimated cost of $4 million.
    Any person desiring to be heard or making any protest with 
reference to said application should on or before March 23, 1998, file 
with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20426, a motion to intervene or a protest in accordance 
with the requirements of the Commission's Rules of Practice and 
Procedure (18 CFR 385.214 or 385.211) and the Regulations under the 
Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.10). All protests filed with the Commission 
will be considered by it in determining the appropriate action to be 
taken but will not serve to make the protestants parties to the 
proceeding. The Commission's rules require that protestors provide 
copies of their protests to the party or person to whom the protests 
are directed.
    Any person wishing to become a party to a proceeding or to 
participate as a party in any hearing therein must file a motion to 
intervene in accordance with the Commission's Rules. A person obtaining 
intervenor status will be placed on the service list maintained by the 
Secretary of the Commission and will receive copies of all documents 
issued by the Commission, filed by the applicant, or filed by all other 
intervenors. An intervenor can file for rehearing of any Commission 
order and can petition for court review of any such order. However, an 
intervenor must serve copies of comments or any other filing it makes 
with the Commission to every other intervenor in the proceeding, as 
well as filing an original and 14 copies with the Commission.
    A person does not have to intervene, however, in order to have 
comments considered. A person, instead, may submit two copies of such 
comments to the Secretary of the Commission. Commenters will be placed 
on the Commission's environmental mailing list, will receive copies of 
environmental documents, and will be able to participate in meetings 
associated with the Commission's environmental review process. 
Commenters will not be required to serve copies of filed documents on 
all other parties. However, commenters will not receive copies of all 
documents filed by other parties or issued by the Commission, and will 
not have the right to seek rehearing or appeal the Commission's final 
order to a Federal court. The Commission will consider all comments and 
concerns equally, whether filed by commenters or those requesting 
intervenor status.
    Take further notice that, pursuant to the authority contained in 
and subject to the jurisdiction conferred upon the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission by Sections 7 and 15 of the NGA and the 
Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, a hearing will be held 
without further notice before the Commission or its designee on these 
applications if no motion to intervene is filed within the time 
required herein, if the Commission on its own review of the matter 
finds that a grant of the certificate is required by the public 
convenience and necessity. If a motion for leave to intervene is timely 
filed, or if the Commission on its own motion believes that a formal 
hearing is required, further notice of such hearing will be duly given.
    Under the procedure herein provided for, unless otherwise advised, 
it will be unnecessary for Florida Gas to appear or be represented at 
the hearing.
David P. Boergers,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-5779 Filed 3-5-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M