[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 170 (Wednesday, September 2, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46781-46782]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-23591]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP98-724-000]


Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline, L.L.C., Notice of Request Under 
Blanket Certificate

August 27, 1998.
    Take notice that on August 13, 1998, as supplemented on August 20, 
1998, Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline, L.L.C. (Maritimes), 1284 Soldiers 
Field Road, Boston, Massachusetts, 02135, filed a request pursuant to 
Sections 157.205 and 157.211 of the Commission's Regulations under the 
Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.205 and 157.211(b)). Maritimes seeks 
authorization to install, own and operate a one-half mile, 16-inch 
diameter natural gas lateral line and certain other natural gas 
facilities in Cumberland County, Maine. These facilities will establish 
a new delivery point for Gorham Energy Limited Partnership (Gorham 
Energy) which is proposed to be in service on November 1, 1999. This 
request is made in accordance with the authority granted Maritimes in 
its blanket certificate issued in Docket No. CP96-178-000, under Part 
157, Subpart F of the

[[Page 46782]]

Commissions' Regulations. The details of Maritimes' request are more 
fully set forth in the request which is on file with the Commission and 
open to public inspection.
    Maritimes says that Gorham Energy has requested and Maritimes has 
agreed to establish a new delivery point near milepost 99 of the Joint 
Facilities in the Town of Gorham, Cumberland County, Maine. The Joint 
Facilities natural gas pipeline is currently under construction and 
will be operated by Maritimes and jointly owned by Maritimes and 
Portland Natural Gas Transmission System (PNGTS).\1\
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    \1\ Under its Joint Facilities Ownership Agreement with PNGTS, 
Maritimes gave notice to PNGTS of this proposed expansion. PNGTS 
indicated it did not wish to participate in the expansion, but even 
so, under the Ownership Agreement, PNGTS is entitled to a 0.000001 
percent interest in these proposed facilities. Thus, this request is 
made on behalf of and at the request of PNGTS to the extent 
necessary to account for PNGTS's 0.000001 percent interest.
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    Gorham Energy intends to build an 800 Megawatt electric power 
generation facility in Gorham, Maine (Gorham Plant), subject to its 
receipt of all applicable permits including this Commission's 
Certificate of Exempt Wholesale Generator status and approval of an 
Interconnection Agreement with Central Maine Power Company. Gorham 
Energy proposes to build an electric generating facility within a 260 
acre site which it will acquire in Gorham from Regional Waste Systems, 
the current owner of the site. The Gorham Plant facilities will include 
dual-fuel fired turbines (principally natural gas), electric generation 
equipment, fuel oil storage, operations and maintenance buildings, 
electric switch gear, and plant roadways; all of which will occupy only 
about 19 acres of the site. The facilities will be capable of 
generating 800 MW of power for transmission into the grid at 345 kV. 
The site location takes advantage of the nearness of the existing 
electric transmission infrastructure and the Joint Facilities natural 
gas pipeline now under construction.
    Maritimes proposes to construct and install a tap and side valve 
assembly, metering facilities, about 0.49 miles of 16-inch diameter 
lateral pipeline and associated auxiliary facilities. Construction is 
proposed to take place during summer and fall of 1999, and the project 
has an estimated cost of $2,300,000. Maritimes says the Gorham Energy 
will reimburse it for 100% of the costs and expenses incurred for 
installing the tap, lateral line, meter station, EGM and yard piping up 
to the insulating flange of Gorham Plant. Gorham Energy will construct 
all nonjurisdictional facilities downstream of the above facilities 
proposed to be constructed by Maritimes. The meter station, metering 
and certain auxiliary piping will be constructed, owned, operated, and 
maintained by Maritimes. The regulators, heaters, and other remaining 
natural gas facilities inside the Gorham Plant will be constructed, 
owned, operated and maintained by Gorham Energy.
    After the installation of the facilities, Maritimes will transport 
up to 165,000 Dth/d of natural gas for Gorham Energy under Maritimes' 
Part 284 Blanket Certificate and its Rate Schedule MN365. Maritimes 
says that such transportation rights currently only apply to the 
lateral (from the interconnection with the Joint Facilities to Gorham 
Plant). Maritimes says that the rate to be charged Gorham Energy will 
reflect the fact that Gorham Energy is reimbursing Maritimes for the 
cost of the facilities and will be at or below the lateral line rate 
approved by the Commission for Phase II of Maritimes' project, a rate 
which is also less than the maximum rate approved by the Commission for 
Phase I of its Project.
    Maritimes further says that Gorham Energy is responsible for 
arranging its own natural gas supply and transportation upstream of the 
Joint Facilities interconnection point. Gorham Energy has informed 
Maritimes that it will arrange for the transportation of natural gas 
supply from various supply sources to milepost 99 of the Joint 
Facilities (the interconnection of the Joint Facilities and the lateral 
proposed to be constructed by Maritimes herein). Such new 
transportation is said to be using only the currently certificated 
capacity on the Maritimes or PNGTS pipeline systems. Maritimes cites 
the existing certificates for itself and PNGTS which fix the 
certificated capacity of their systems at about 440,860 Mcf/d and 
210,000 Mcf/d, respectively.
    Maritimes says that peak day or annual commitments under firm 
service agreements between Maritimes and PNGTS and their respective 
customers will not be adversely affected by construction of the new 
facilities. Maritimes also say that existing Maritimes and PNGTS 
tariffs do not prohibit the addition of new delivery points.
    Any person or the Commission's staff may, within 45 days after 
issuance of the instant notice by the Commission, file pursuant to Rule 
214 of the Commission's Procedural Rules (18 CFR 385.214) a motion to 
intervene or notice of intervention, and pursuant to Section 157.205 of 
the Regulations under the Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.205), a protest 
to the request. If no protest is filed within the time allowed 
therefor, the proposed activity shall be deemed authorized effective 
the day after the time allowed for filing a protest. If a protest is 
filed and not withdrawn within 30 days after the time allowed for 
filing a protest, the instant request shall be treated as an 
application for authorization pursuant to Section 7 of the Natural Gas 
Act.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-23591 Filed 9-1-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M