[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 7, 2001)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 13689-13690]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-5518]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

18 CFR Part 284

[Docket No. PL00-1-000]


Dialog Concerning Natural Gas Transportation Policies Needed To 
Facilitate Development of Competitive Natural Gas Markets

March 2, 2001.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice organizing staff conference.

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SUMMARY: In Order 637, issued on February 9, 2000, the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission (Commission) revised its regulatory policies, 
amended its regulations, and established new procedures to enhance the 
competitiveness and efficiency of markets for the transportation of 
natural gas in interstate commerce. This notice provides the 
organizational framework for the second of three public staff 
conferences in a dialog between the industry and Commission staff. This 
conference focuses on affiliate issues.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The conference will take place on March 15, 2001, 
starting at 1 p.m. Persons wishing to submit further comments following 
the conclusion of the conference must submit them by April 30, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20426.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert A. Flanders, Office of Markets, 
Tariffs and Rates, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First 
Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, (202) 208-2084, e-mail: 
[email protected]

Notice Organizing Staff Conference on Competitive Natural Gas 
Markets

    This notice provides the organizational format for the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission staff conference to be held on March 15, 
2001 to discuss how the changes in the natural gas market affect the 
way in which the Commission should regulate transportation transactions 
between pipelines and their affiliates, as well as between pipeline 
capacity holders and their affiliates, capacity managers and agents. 
The purpose of this conference is to continue the dialog begun with the 
September 19, 2000 staff conference to enable the industry to discuss 
with staff, as well as with each other, issues relating to the 
development of Commission policy and regulatory responses to rate and 
service revisions to meet the needs of the changing natural gas market. 
The conference will begin at 1:00 p.m. at the Commission's offices, 888 
First Street, NE., Washington, DC in the Commission's Meeting Room.
    The November 22, 2000 notice \1\ of the conference requested those 
who were interested in making presentations or participating to 
indicate their interest by January 5, 2001. Sixteen requests to 
participate in the roundtable debate were made and comments from 
twenty-six interested persons were received.
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    \1\ 65 FR 75627 (Dec. 4, 2000).
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    The conference will be structured as a roundtable debate with staff 
as moderator. Panel participants are identified below. In order to 
facilitate a robust discussion of the affiliate issues identified in 
the November 22, 2000 notice, a roundtable debate format was selected. 
Accordingly, participants will not have the opportunity to make oral

[[Page 13690]]

presentations. Interested persons have already had the opportunity to 
submit written comments reflecting their positions, and, as discussed 
below, are invited to submit additional comments. Participants should 
feel free to discuss or debate all topics during the course of the 
roundtable debate.
    The composition of the roundtable panel is as follows:

Dena Wiggins, Process Gas Consumers Group, et al.
Representative to be designated, Ad Hoc Marketers Group
Thomas Riley, Independent Oil & Gas Assoc. of West Virginia
Alice Curtis, American Gas Association
Craig Goodman, National Energy Marketers Assoc.
Joan Dreskin, Interstate Natural Gas Assoc. of America
Jeff Holligan, Amoco Production Company and BP Energy Company
Denise Goulet, National Assoc. of State Utility Consumer Advocates
John Smith, The Williams Companies
Mark Haskell, Natural Gas Supply Assoc.
Leslie Lawner, Enron North America Corporation
Paul Koonce, Dominion Resources, Inc.
Michael Linn, Independent Petroleum Assoc. of America
Ed Ross, Dynegy, Inc.
Phillip Teumim, New York Public Service Commission
Kirby Bosley, Reliant Energy Services, Inc.
Mike Reidy, California Dairy Coalition of Concerned Energy Consumers

    The Capitol Connection patrons in the Washington, DC area will 
receive notices regarding the broadcast of the conference. The 
conference will be available, for a fee, live over the Internet, via C-
Band Satellite, and via telephone conferencing. Persons interested in 
receiving the broadcast, or who need further information, should 
contact David Reininger or Julia Morelli at the Capitol Connection 
(703-993-3100) as soon as possible or visit the Capitol Connection web 
site at http://www.capitolconnection.org and click on ``FERC.''
    The Commission invites interested persons and participants to 
submit additional comments on the affiliate issues debated at the 
conference including any related matters or alternative proposals that 
commenters may wish to discuss and must be received by the Commission 
before 5 p.m. on April 30, 2001.
    After-conference comments may be filed either in paper format or 
electronically. Those filing electronically do not need to make a paper 
filing. For paper filings, the original and 14 copies of such comments 
should be submitted to the Office of the Secretary, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426 and 
should refer to Docket No. PL00-1-000.
    Comments filed via the Internet must be prepared in WordPerfect, MS 
Word, Portable Document Format, or ASCII format. To file the document, 
access the Commission's website (www.ferc.fed.us) and click on ``Make 
An E-Filing,'' and then follow the instructions for each screen. First-
time users will have to establish a user name and password. The 
Commission will send an automatic acknowledgment to the sender's E-Mail 
address upon receipt of comments.
    User assistance for electronic filing is available at 202-208-0258 
or by E-Mail to [email protected]. Comments should not be submitted 
to the E-Mail address. All 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, NE., Washington, DC 20426 
during regular business hours. Additionally, all comments may be 
viewed, printed, or downloaded remotely via the Internet through FERC's 
Homepage using the RIMS link. User assistance for RIMS is available at 
202-208-2222, or by E-Mail to [email protected].
    Questions about the conference should be directed to: Robert 
Flanders, Office of Markets Tariffs and Rates, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, 
202-208-2084, [email protected]

Linwood A. Watson,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-5518 Filed 3-6-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M