[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 56 (Thursday, March 22, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16048-16050]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-7104]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP01-106-000]


Kern River Gas Transmission Company; Notice of Application

March 16, 2001.
    Take notice that on March 15, 2001, Kern River Gas Transmission 
Company (Kern River), 295 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, Utah 84158, 
filed an application in Docket No. CP01-106-000 pursuant to Sections 
7(c) and 7(b) of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) for temporary and permanent 
certificates of public convenience and necessity authorizing Kern River 
to construct and operate emergency facilities to provide up to 135,000 
Mcf per day of limited-term, incremental transportation capacity from 
Wyoming to California to help meet the urgent need for additional 
energy in California, all as more fully set forth in the application 
which is on file with the Commission and open to public inspection. 
This filing may be viewed on the web at http://www.ferc.us/online/rims.htm (call 202-208-2222 for assistance).
    Subject to receipt of all necessary permits and regulatory 
authorizations, Kern River anticipates an in-service date of 
approximately July 1, 2001 for this needed capacity.
    In addition, Kern River requests pre-granted approval and 
permission to abandon certain proposed temporary

[[Page 16049]]

facilities upon replacement by permanent facilities in a superceding 
expansion project. Further, Kern River requests approval of incremental 
transportation rates for the proposed services; approval of pro forma 
FERC Gas Tariff sheets reflecting the incremental transportation rates 
and associated incremental compressor fuel reimbursement provisions; 
and approval of its proposed accounting treatment for certain facility 
costs.
    Kern River states that the name, address, and telephone number of 
the person to whom correspondence and communication concerning this 
application should be addressed is: Gary Kotter, Manager, Certificates, 
Kern River Gas Transmission Company, P.O. Box 58900, Salt Lake City, 
Utah 84158, (801) 584-7117.
    Kern River states that the emergency facilities include: (1) three 
new compressor stations--the Elberta Compressor Station in Utah County, 
Utah; the Veyo Compressor Station in Washington County, Utah; and the 
Daggett Compressor Station in San Bernardino County, California; (2) 
upgrades and restages for the compressor units at three existing 
compressor stations--the Muddy Creek Compressor Station in Lincoln 
County, Wyoming; Fillmore Compressor Station in Millard County, Utah; 
and the Goodsprings Compressor Station in Clark County, Nevada; and (3) 
an upgrade of the existing Wheeler Ridge Meter Station in Kern County, 
California.
    Kern River states that approval of new compressor stations at these 
cities also is pending in Docket No. CP01-31-000 for Kern River's 2002 
Expansion Project. However, due to the availability of suitable 
compressor units for immediate emergency installation, the compressor 
configurations proposed herein are different.
    According to Kern River, the compressor unit proposed for the new 
Daggett Compressor Station is a temporary facility, which will 
subsequently be replaced with a permanent compressor unit as part of 
Kern River's 2002 Expansion Project. Kern River states that upon 
conclusion of the proposed California Emergency Action, the remainder 
of the proposed emergency facilities will be permanently incorporated 
into either the 2002 Expansion Project or Kern River's forthcoming 2003 
Expansion Project.
    Kern River requests pre-granted approval and permission to abandon 
the proposed temporary emergency compressor unit at the Daggett 
Compressor Station upon the in-service date of the replacement 
permanent unit for the 2002 Expansion Project. It is stated that the 
in-service date for the replacement permanent compressor unit is May 1, 
2003. Kern River states that the certificate application for the 2002 
Expansion Project will be amended to reflect the delayed in-service 
date for the Daggett permanent compressor unit.
    According to Kern River, the proposed compression facilities will 
add a total of 53,900 ISO-rates horsepower (15,000 of which is 
temporary) to the Kern River system and will create 135,000 Mcf per day 
(Mcf/d) of incremental transportation capacity, year-round, from 
Wyoming to California. It is estimated that the cost of the proposed 
facilities is approximately $81 million, which includes $10.5 million 
for temporary facilities and $18.5 million of increased costs 
attributable to the significantly compressed and accelerated 
construction activities for the permanent facilities.
    It is further stated that an open-season has resulted in binding 
commitments under Rate Schedule KRF-1 for all of the proposed 
incremental capacity. A total of 135,000 Mcf/d of firm service will be 
provided commencing with an anticipated in-service date of about July 
1, 2001, with 114,000 Mcf/d of that capacity expiring April 30, 2002 
and the remaining 21,000 Mcf/d expiring April 30, 2003. It is stated 
that the latter increment of capacity represents capacity provided by 
the proposed emergency facilities that will be in excess of the 124,500 
Dth per day of long-term contract commitments for the 2002 Expansion 
Project.
    Kern River further requests approval of incremental transportation 
rates for the proposed capacity, approval of a pro forma FERC Gas 
Tariff provision providing for incremental compressor fuel 
reimbursement and approval of its proposed accounting treatment for 
certain facility costs.
    Kern River states that its proposed incremental transportation rate 
on a 100 percent load factor rate is $0.8790 per Mcf, exclusive of 
surcharges. It is stated that of this base incremental rate, the 
reservation charge component is $0.8190 per Mcf and the commodity 
charge component is $0.06 per Mcf. Kern River avers that the 
incremental fuel reimbursement rates are proposed to be 4.2 percent for 
the period from July 1, 2001 through April 30, 2002; and 6.2 percent 
for the period from May 1, 2002 through April 30, 2003.
    Pending issuance of a permanent certificate for its proposed 
emergency action, Kern River requests that the Commission issue it a 
temporary certificate pursuant to Section 157.17 of its regulations. It 
is stated that the proposed emergency facilities must be completed as 
soon as possible to address the urgent need for deliveries of 
additional natural gas supplies to existing and new electric generation 
markets to help meet California's energy needs during the 2001 cooling 
season.
    Any person desiring to be heard or to make protest with reference 
to said application should on or before March 30, 2001, 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 Commission's Rules of Practice and 
Procedure (18 CFR 385.211 or 385.214) 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 be 
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 parties directly involved. 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 Commission and will receive copies of all 
documents issued by the Commission, filed by the applicant, or 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 submit copies of comments or any other 
filing it makes with the Commission to every other intervenor in the 
proceeding, as well as 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 
comments to the Secretary of the Commission. Commenters will not 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

[[Page 16050]]

Commission's final order to a federal court.
    The Commission will consider all comments and concerns equally, 
whether filed by commenters or those requesting intervener status.
    Take further notice that, pursuant to the authority contained in 
and subject to jurisdiction conferred upon the 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 this application 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 Kern River to appear or be represented at 
the hearing.
    Also, comments, protest, or interventions may be filed 
electronically via the internet in lieu of paper. See 18 CFR 
385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's web site 
at http://www.ferc.fed.us/efi/doorbell.htm.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-7104 Filed 3-21-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M