[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 103 (Tuesday, May 29, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29101-29102]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-13359]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP01-361-000]


Northwest Pipeline Corporation; Notice of Application

May 22, 2001.
    Take notice that on May 11, 2001, Northwest Pipeline Corporation 
(Northwest) 295 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, Utah 84108, filed, in 
Docket No. CP01-361-000, an application pursuant to Section 7(c) of the 
Natural Gas Act and Part 157 of the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission's (Commission) regulations for a certificate of public 
convenience and necessity authorizing: (1) two taps on Northwest's 
mainline near Vail, Washington, (2) a 20-inch diameter 48.9-mile 
lateral pipeline in Thurston and Grays Harbor Counties, Washington, (3) 
4700 horsepower of compression at an existing compressor station in 
Thurston County, (4) a delivery meter station in Grays Harbor County, 
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 
at http://www.ferc.fed.us/online/rims.htm (call 202-208-2222 for 
assistance).
    Specifically, Northwest requests authorization to construct the 
Grays Harbor Lateral to provide natural gas deliveries to Duke Energy 
Grays Harbor, LLC (Duke) for electricity generation at a planned new 
power plant in Grays Harbor County. Duke has executed a Rate Schedule 
TF-1 Transportation Agreement (Lateral Transportation Agreement), for 
the firm transportation of up to 161,500 Dth per day over the proposed 
Grays Harbor Lateral, for a primary term of 30 years.
    Northwest requests approval of non-conforming provisions in its 
Lateral Transportation Agreement with Duke that include: giving Duke a 
preferential right to acquire any compression-only expansive capacity 
on the lateral for a period of ten years; an agreement by Northwest not 
to solicit expansion transportation commitments through a mainline 
expansion open season process for expansion capacity on the proposed 
delivery facilities and; a provision to adjust Duke's cost 
responsibility in the event that Northwest installs additional 
compression to provide expansion capacity for a third-party shipper. 
Northwest also requests any necessary waiver of Northwest's tariff 
provisions, specifically requesting waiver of Section 21.3 of its 
tariff's General Terms and Conditions to the extent necessary for the 
Lateral Transportation Agreement provisions to supersede the otherwise 
applicable tariff provision for early lump sum buyouts of a cost of 
service charge.
    The estimated cost of the proposed lateral facilities is 
approximately $75.2 million with an estimated initial monthly cost-of-
service charge for Duke of $1,406,692. Pursuant to the Lateral 
Transportation Agreement, Duke will reimburse Northwest for all actual 
costs associated with the proposed facilities by paying a monthly cost-
of-service charge over 30 years. In recognition of Duke's facilities 
reimbursement obligation, the associated Rate Schedule TF-1 reservation 
charge for Duke's transportation on the lateral will be discounted to 
zero. Northwest requests a preliminary determination on non-
environmental issues by November 15, 2001, and a final certificate 
order no later than April 15, 2002, in order to complete the project 
before November 2002, the date Duke estimates it will require test gas 
for its new plant.
    Questions regarding the details of this proposed project should be 
directed to Mr. Gary Kotter, Manager Certificates, Northwest Pipeline 
Corporation, P.O. Box 58900, Salt Lake City, Utah 84158-0900 or call 
(801) 584-7117.
    There are two ways to become involved in the Commission's review of 
this project. First, any person wishing to obtain legal status by 
becoming a party to the proceedings for this project should, on or 
before June 12, 2001, file with the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, a motion to 
intervene in accordance with the requirements of the Commission's Rules 
of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.214 or 385.211) and the 
Regulations under the NGA (18 CFR 157.10). A person obtaining party 
status will be placed on the service list maintained by the Secretary 
of the Commission and will receive copies of all documents filed by the 
applicant and by all other parties. A party must submit 14 copies of 
filings made with the Commission and must mail a copy to the applicant 
and to every other party in the proceeding. Only parties to the 
proceeding can ask for court review of Commission orders in the 
proceeding.
    However, a person does not have to intervene in order to have 
comments considered. The second way to participate is by filing with 
the Secretary of the Commission, as soon as possible, an original and 
two copies of comments in support of or in opposition to this project. 
The Commission will consider these comments in determining the 
appropriate action to be taken, but the filing of a comment alone will 
not serve to make the filer a party to the proceeding. The Commission's 
rules require that persons filing comments in opposition to the project 
provide copies of their protests only to the party or parties directly 
involved in the protest.
    Persons who wish to comment only on the environmental review of 
this project should submit an original and two copies of their comments 
to the Secretary of the Commission. Environmental commenters will be 
placed on the Commission's environmental mailing list, will receive 
copies of the environmental documents, and will be notified of meetings 
associated with the Commission's environmental review process. 
Environmental commenters will not be required to serve copies of filed 
documents on all other parties. However, the non-party commenters will 
not receive copies of all documents filed by other parties or issued by 
the Commission (except for the mailing of environmental documents 
issued by the Commission) and will not have the right to seek court 
review of the Commission's final order.
    The Commission may issue a preliminary determination on non-
environmental issues prior to the completion of its review of the 
environmental aspects of the project. This preliminary determination 
typically considers such issues as the need for the project and its 
economic effect on existing customers of the applicant, on other 
pipelines in the area, and on landowners and communities. For example, 
the Commission considers the extent to which the applicant may need to 
exercise eminent domain to obtain rights-of-way for the proposed 
project and balances that against the non-environmental benefits to be 
provided by the project. Therefore, if a person has comments on 
community and landowner impacts from this proposal, it is important 
either to file comments or to intervene as early in the process as 
possible.
    Comments, protests, and 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.
    If the Commission decides to set the application for a formal 
hearing before an Administrative Law Judge, the Commission will issue 
another notice describing that process. At the end of the Commission's 
review process, a

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final Commission order approving or denying a certificate will be 
issued.

David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-13359 Filed 5-25-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M