[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 177 (Tuesday, September 12, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55015-55016]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-23309]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. RP00-514-000]


Southern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Proposed Changes to FERC 
Gas Tariff

September 6, 2000.
    Take notice that on August 31, 2000, Southern Natural Gas Company 
(Southern) tendered for filing as part of its FERC Gas Tariff, Seventh 
Revised Volume No. 1, the following revised tariff sheets to become 
effective October 1, 2000:

Fourth Revised Sheet No. 101
Original Sheet No. 101A
Original Sheet No. 101B
First Revised Sheet No. 102
Original Sheet No. 102A
Second Revised Sheet No. 104
Third Revised Sheet No. 116
Fourth Revised Sheet No. 117

    Southern states that the tariff sheets filed by Southern set forth 
the terms and conditions under which Southern proposes to implement a 
new method of awarding firm capacity on its system. Southern proposes 
to replace its first-come, first-served method with a net present value 
method (NPV). The NPV method will be based on objective criteria which 
Southern will be required to post.
    Southern requests evaluated at the same time must be evaluated 
under the same criteria.
    Southern states that it may have an open season or it may award 
requests as they are submitted or, if they are pending, it may use the 
NPV method to evaluate pending requests if capacity becomes available. 
Such tariff provisions shall apply to capacity that is or becomes 
available--not to expansion capacity. Southern may, however, reserve 
capacity that becomes available or is going to become available for an 
open season relating to an expansion.
    If Southern reserves such capacity, it will pose such reservation 
on its website and it will not award that capacity unless it rescinds 
its reservation on the website. Such open season will be held the later 
of one year from the date of the reservation or one year from the date 
the capacity becomes available. In the event Southern holds an open 
season for the capacity, it may set a reserve price for the capacity. 
If it does not post the reserve price it must establish with a 
reputable third party that it set the reserve price prior to the open 
season unless it blinds the identity of the bids by having bidders 
submit the bids to the third party. If the identity of the bidders is 
unknown to Southern, then Southern may establish the reserve price 
after it views the bid prices.
    Southern will continue to award Receipt Point changes on a first-
come, first-served basis, but delivery point changes will be awarded in 
conjunction with the new NPV methodology. Both delivery point changes 
and receipt point changes will be designated a NPV of zero, unless 
other consideration is given.
    In addition, as part of the net present value procedures, Southern 
is changing the timeframe in which executed contracts must be returned 
to Southern from thirty (30) days to five (5) days.
    Southern has requested to place the new capacity award methodology 
into effect October 1, 2000.
    Any person desiring to be heard or to protest said filing should 
file a motion to intervene or a protest with the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426, 
in accordance with Sections 385.214 or 385.211 of the Commission's 
Rules and Regulations. All such motions or protests must be filed in 
accordance with Section 154.210 of the Commission's Regulations. 
Protests will be considered by the Commission in determining the 
appropriate action to be taken, but will not serve to make protestants 
parties to the proceedings. Any person wishing to become a party must 
file a motion to intervene. Copies of this filing are on file with the 
Commission and are available for public inspection in the Public 
Reference Room. This filing may be viewed on the web at http://
www.ferc.fed.us/online/

[[Page 55016]]

rims.htm (call 202-208-2222 for assistance).

David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-23309 Filed 9-11-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M