[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 27 (Wednesday, February 10, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6642-6643]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-3217]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission


Notice of Intent To Eliminate the Bulletin Board System

February 3, 1999.
    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (the Commission), hereby 
gives notice that it intends to eliminate the Commission's Bulletin 
Board System (BBS) effective on or about April 9, 1999. The BBS 
currently consists of four parts, the Commission Issuance Posting 
System (CIPS), the Electric Power Data (EPD), the FERC Form No. 1 
Forum, and the Gas Pipeline Data (GPD). As explained further below, the 
majority of the data from the BBS has been relocated to the 
Commission's internet site at http://www.ferc.fed.us. The Commission 
does not plan to move the remainder of the data.
    With the advent of the Commission's internet site, use of the BBS 
has dropped dramatically. Registered users have declined from over 3000 
to 395 in a continuing downward trend. Calls per day to the BBS have 
dropped from a high of 867 per day to less than 100 a day. This 
contrasts with the average number of user visits per day to the 
Commission's website of approximately 1590. The software used to 
operate the BBS is not year 2000 compliant. In view of the increasing 
popularity of the Commission's website and decline in use of the BBS, 
the Commission has decided to reduce duplication and costs by 
discontinuing the BBS.
    The Commission will move files of continuing interest to the public 
from the BBS to the Commission's internet site. Specifically, the data 
being moved to the Commission's Internet site is listed in Appendix A 
of this notice and described below.
    The internet version of CIPS, CIPS on the Web, became available on 
November 10, 1997. Based on input from users of CIPS on the Web, an 
upgrade was completed on January 6, 1999. The upgrade added new 
features such as the ability to do a combined search; to download 
multiple files; to find files loaded since the last time the user 
accessed the system; and improved Help screens. These new features 
provide much of the functionality available on CIPS.
    All data available on the Electric Power Data portion of the BBS 
has been to the Commission's internet site. This data may be found on 
the portion of the internet site dedicated to the electric industry. 
The Form No. 1 data and submission software found in the FERC No. 1 may 
also be found at this location.
    For this 1998 report to be filed in April 1999, the Commission is 
upgrading the submission software it provides electric utilities to 
complete Form No. 1. Details of this upgrade were provided in the 
notice issued in Docket No. RM93-20-000 on January 13, 1999 (64 Fed. 
Reg. 3074). The new submission software requires the data to be 
submitted in a new data format, a format consistent with the 
Commission's Form No. 1 database. To provide consistency and ease of 
use, the Commission plans to make available for viewing and printing 
the Form No. 1 data in its database via the Internet. Upon availability 
of the database, Form No. 1 data will no longer be made available by 
the Commission in the old format. The Commission does not have plans to 
maintain the old submission software used to view and print the 
historical data in the old format. Until the Form No. 1 database is 
available through the Internet, the data and submission software 
historically available for download from the BBS will be available on 
the Internet.
    The majority of the data available on the GPD has been relocated to 
the Commission's internet site. Form No. 8, the Underground Gas Storage 
Report, will not be moved from the BBS to the internet site. By Order 
No. 581,\1\ the Commission discontinued Form No. 8. No Form No. 8 data 
was filed after October 1995. While the electronic data collected in 
the form will not be available through the website, a paper version of 
the forms may be ordered from the Records Information Management System 
(RIMS). RIMS can be accessed from the Commission's website.
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    \1\ Revisions to Uniform System of Accounts, Forms, Statements, 
and Reporting Requirements for Natural Gas Companies, Order No. 581, 
60 Fed. Reg. 53,019 (October 11, 1995), 72 FERC para. 61,301 (1995), 
order on reh'g, Order No. 581-A, 74 FERC para. 61,223 (1996).
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    An area was established within the GPD for communications relating 
to the work being done by the working groups established pursuant to 
the orders issued in Docket Nos. RM95-3-000 \2\ and RM95-4-000.\3\ The 
tasks set for these working groups have been completed. The files found 
in this area will not be transferred to the Internet.
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    \2\ Filing and Reporting Requirements for Interstate Natural Gas 
Company Rate Schedules and Tariffs, Order No. 582, 60 Fed. Reg. 
52,960 (October 11, 1995), 72 FERC para. 61,300 (1995), order on 
reh'g, Order No. 582-1, 61 Fed. Reg. 9613 (March 11, 1996), 74 FERC 
para. 61,224 (1996).
    \3\ See, n.1.
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    Some of the files which relate to reporting periods pre-dating 
January 1, 1996 relating to Form 2 and Form 11 will not be transferred 
to the Internet. These files are now obsolete, no longer supported, or 
in insufficient demand. These include the print software, user manual, 
edit check software, company contacts, and data in the SAS format.\4\
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    \4\ SAS format is a proprietary format used by SAS, an 
integrated computer applications system, formerly used by the 
Commission to process selected electronic filings.
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Comment Procedures

    The Commission invites interested persons to submit written 
comments on the matters and issues in this notice. The original and 14 
copies of such comments must be received by the Commission before 5:00 
p.m. [insert date 30 days after publication in the Federal Register]. 
Comments should be submitted to the Office of the Secretary, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 
20426 and should refer to Public Access to the Commission's Bulletin 
Board System.
    In addition to filing paper copies, the Commission encourages the 
filing of comments either on computer diskette or via Internet E-Mail. 
Comments may be filed in the following formats: WordPerfect 6.1 or 
lower version, MS Word Office 97 or lower version, or ASCII format.
    For diskette filing, include the following information on the 
diskette label: Public Access to Commission's Bulletin Board System; 
the name of the filing entity; the software and version used to create 
the file; and the name and telephone number of a contact person.
    For Internet E-Mail submittal, comments should be sent to 
``[email protected]'' in the following format. On the subject 
line, specify ``Public Access to Commission's Bulletin Board System'' 
In the body of the E-Mail message, include the name of the filing 
entity; the software and version used to create the file, and the name 
and telephone number of the contact person. Attach the comment to the 
E-Mail in one of the formats specified above. The Commission will send 
an automatic acknowledgment to the sender's E-Mail address upon 
receipt. Questions on electronic filing should be directed to Brooks 
Carter at

[[Page 6643]]

(202) 501-8145 or by e-mail at [email protected].
    Comments should take note that, until the Commission amends its 
rules and regulations, the paper copy of the filing remains the 
official copy of the document submitted. Therefore, any discrepancies 
between the paper filing and the electronic filing or the diskette will 
be resolved by reference to the paper filing.
    All written comments will be placed in the Commission's public 
files and will be available for inspection in the Commission's Public 
Reference room at 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426, 
during regular business hours. Additionally, comments may be viewed and 
printed remotely via the Internet through FERC's Homepage using the 
RIMS link or the Energy Information Online icon. RIMS user assistance 
is available at 202-208-2222, or by E-Mail to [email protected].
David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-3217 Filed 2-9-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M