[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 37 (Thursday, February 24, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9259-9260]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-4324]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP00-82-000]


Williams Gas Pipelines Central, Inc.; Notice of Application

February 17, 2000.
    Take notice that on February 8, 2000, Williams Gas Pipelines 
Central, Inc. (Williams Central), P.O. Box 3288, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 
74101, filed an application pursuant to Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas 
Act (NGA) for a certificate of public convenience and necessity 
authorizing the construction of a pipeline expansion project on its 
Sedalia Line and its Ottawa Crossover facilities. The details of 
Williams Central's proposal are more fully set forth in the application 
which is on file with the Commission and open to public inspection. 
This application may also be viewed on the Internet at http://www.ferc.fed.us/online/rims.htm (call 202-208-2222 for assistance). Any 
questions regarding this application should be directed to Bart 
Wherritt, Manager, Certificates & Tariffs at (918) 573-4369, or at 
Williams Gas Pipelines Central, Inc., P.O. Box 3288, Tulsa, Oklahoma 
74101.
    Williams Central proposes to construct about 1.5 miles of 24-inch 
pipeline and related facilities between the Ottawa Crossover and the 
Ottawa Compressor Station. They also propose to upgrade of two existing 
compressor units on its Sedalia Line at the Peculiar Compressor Station 
from 1,350 horsepower each to 2,000 horsepower each, and install new 
ISO rated 1,590 horsepower turbine set at the Peculiar Compressor 
Station. Finally, they propose to convert an 800 horsepower compressor 
unit at Concordia Compressor Station from Natural Gas Policy Act (NGPA) 
Section 311 authorization to NGA Section 7(c) authorization.
    Williams Central says that the additional facilities will allow 
them to provide incremental firm transportation service to two 
customers of its East of Ottawa/Sedalia Line system (UtiliCorp United, 
Inc. (UtiliCorp); and U.S. Energy Services, as agent for Tyson Foods, 
Inc.). The new service provided will support growing LDC requirements, 
industrial needs and most significantly, the new Pleasant Hill power 
plant that will be constructed in Cass County, Missouri. The cost to 
construct the Ottawa pipeline, upgrade the two existing compressor 
units, and install the new Solar turbine at the Peculiar station is 
estimated to be about $9.7 million. The cost associated with the 
conversion of the 800 horsepower compressor unit at Concordia station 
is $2.3 million, for a total project cost of $13.0 million.
    Williams Central says that beginning on June 1, 2001, they will 
provide 35,000 Dth/d of firm service year-round to UtiliCorp in both 
the production and market areas for four years. During the initial four 
year term, for the 35,000 Dth/d amount, Williams Central and UtiliCorp 
have agreed that the reservation rate paid by UtiliCorp will not exceed 
the maximum reservation rate in effect on October 31, 1999. The

[[Page 9260]]

primary delivery point for this 35,000 Dth/d will be at the 
interconnection of Williams Central's facilities and a 7.7 mile non-
jurisdictional lateral pipeline to be constructed by UtiliCorp from the 
Pleasant Hill power plant. Williams Central will also provide to 
UtiliCorp 16,000 Dth/d of firm service during the summer months only 
for use at the Pleasant Hill plant for four years. The balance of the 
86,000 Dth/d Pleasant Hill requirement during the summer months will be 
provided through capacity release arrangements between UtiliCorp and 
other third parties that Williams Central says they will help to 
arrange.
    Williams Central will also provide 7,000 Dth/d of firm service 
under NGPA Section 311 to UtiliCorp during the winter months (October 
through March) with the primary delivery points at various existing 
town borders on the East of Ottawa/Sedalia Line system. Williams 
Central will also provide 2,200 Dth/d of incremental firm service to 
U.S. Energy/Tyson Foods in the production and market area for five 
years, with the market area primary delivery point located at the 
Sedalia town border on the Sedalia system.
    William Central also requests approval to rolled-in the costs of 
the proposed new, converted, and upgraded facilities with existing 
their facilities' costs in their next general rate case. Williams 
Central says that impact of such rolled-in treatment will be a decrease 
in their 100% load factor rates for firm transportation across both 
their Production and Market areas from $0.3065 per Dth currently to 
$0.2992 per Dth after the proposed roll-in, a decrease of about 2.4%. 
They say that this meets the Commission's ``threshold requirement'' 
that there be no financial subsidies from existing capacity holders on 
the pipeline, as set forth in the Commission's Statement of Policy on 
the Certification of New Interstate Natural Gas Pipeline Facilities, 
issued in Docket No. PL99-3-000.
    Any person desiring to be heard or making any protest the reference 
to said application should on or before March 9, 2000, 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 Commissions' 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 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, of 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 
the 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 Williams Central to appear or be represented at 
the hearing.

David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-4324 Filed 2-23-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M