[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 3, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35235-35236]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-16639]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP01-388-000]


Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation; Notice of Application

June 27, 2001.
    Take notice that on June 18, 2001, Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line 
Corporation (Transco), P.O. Box 1396, Houston, Texas 77251-1096, filed 
in Docket No. CP01-388-000 an application pursuant to section 7(c) of 
the Natural Gas Act (NGA) and Part 157(A) of the regulations of the 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission), for a certificate of 
public convenience and necessity authorizing Transco's Momentum 
Expansion Project (Momentum), an incremental expansion of Transco's 
existing pipeline system which will provide 525,896 dekatherms per day 
(dt/d) of new firm transportation capacity to serve increased market 
demand in the Southeastern region of the United States by a proposed 
in-service date of May 1, 2003, all as more fully set forth in the 
application which is on file with the Commission and open to public 
inspection. The filing may be viewed on the web at http://www.rimsweb1.ferc.fed.us/rims.q?rp2-intro (call 202-208-2222 for 
assistance).
    Specifically, Transco states that it proposes to construct and 
operate the following facilities on its mainline pipeline system:
    1. 9.22 miles of 42-inch diameter pipeline loop from Mile Post 
632.89 on Transco's mainline in Amite County, Mississippi to Mile Post 
642.03 in Pike County, Mississippi (the Magnolia Loop);
    2. 7.90 miles of 42-inch diameter pipeline loop from Mile Post 
732.65 on Transco's mainline in Jones County, Mississippi to Mile Post 
740.50 (the suction side of Compressor Station No. 80) in Jones County 
(the Seminary Loop);
    3. 16.06 miles of 42-inch diameter pipeline loop from Mile Post 
756.94 on Transco's mainline in Clarke County, Mississippi to Mile Post 
772.80 in Clarke County (the Hale Loop);
    4. 30.00 miles of 48-inch diameter pipeline loop from Mile Post 
860.78 on Transco's mainline in Perry County, Alabama to Mile Post 
890.61 (the suction side of Compressor Station No. 100) in Chilton 
County, Alabama (the Jones Loop);
    5. 3.49 miles of 42-inch diameter pipeline loop from Mile Post 
905.74 on Transco's mainline in Chilton County, Alabama to Mile Post 
909.20 in Chilton County (the Richville Loop);
    6. 21.54 miles of 42-inch diameter pipeline loop from Mile Post 
926.87 (the discharge side of Compressor Station No. 105) on Transco's 
mainline in Coosa County, Alabama to Mile Post 948.13 in Tallapoosa 
County, Alabama (the Kellyton Loop);
    7. 7.51 miles of 42-inch diameter pipeline loop from Mile Post 
1,124,74 (the discharge side of Compressor Station No. 130) on 
Transco's mainline in Madison County, Georgia to Mile Post 1,132.23 in 
Elbert County, Georgia (the Bowman Loop);
    8. 4.18 miles of 42-inch diameter pipeline loop from Mile Post 
1,201.71 on Transco's mainline in Spartanburg County, South Carolina to 
Mile Post 1,205.81 (the suction side of Compressor Station No. 140) in 
Spartanburg County (the Greenville Loop);
    9. The installation of one new 15,000 horsepower compressor unit at 
Transco's existing Compressor Station No. 90, which is located in 
Marengo County, Alabama;
    10. The installation of one new 15,000 horsepower compressor unit 
at Transco's existing Compressor Station No. 105, which is located in 
Coosa County, Alabama;
    11. The installation of one new 15,000 horsepower compressor unit 
at Transco's existing Compressor Station No. 110, which is located in 
Randolph County, Alabama;
    12. The uprating of an existing 18,975 horsepower compressor unit 
(Unit No. 3) to 22,500 horsepower at Transco's existing Compressor 
Station No. 115, which is located in Coweta County, Georgia;
    13. The installation of one new 15,000 horsepower compressor unit 
at Transco's existing Compressor Station No. 125, which is located in 
Walton County, Georgia;
    14. The installation of gas coolers for existing Unit No. 18 at 
Transco's existing Compressor Station No. 130, which is located in 
Madison County, Georgia; and
    15. The installation of one new 15,000 horsepower compressor unit 
with gas coolers and the installation of high-pressure fuel injection 
on existing Unit No. 10 at Transco's existing Compressor Station No. 
160, which is located in Rockingham County, North Carolina.
    Transco states that it estimates that the proposed facilities will 
cost approximately $300 million. Transco states that the construction 
and operation of the proposed facilities will not have a significant 
impact on human health or the environment. The proposed facilities, for 
the most part, will be installed either entirely within or immediately 
adjacent to existing pipeline or utility rights-of-way and Transco's 
existing compressor station yards. Transco certifies that the proposed 
facilities will be designed, constructed, inspected, tested, operated 
and maintained in accordance with all applicable safety standards and 
plans for maintenance and inspection.
    Transco states that it held an open season from August 31 through 
September 29, 2000, during which it received written requests from 
potential shippers desiring new firm transportion service to be made 
available as a result of the Momentum project. As a result of the open 
season, Transco executed precedent agreements with the following 
nineteen shippers: Athens Development Company, L.L.C. (85,000 dt/d); 
Calpine Energy Services, L.P. (30,000 dt/d); Cardinal FG (3,400 dt/d); 
Cargill Inc. (750 dt/d); Carolina Power & Light Company (75,000 dt/d); 
City of Buford, Georgia (2,070 dt/d); City of Covington, Georgia (518 
dt/d); City of Elberton, Georgia (207 dt/d); City of Lawrenceville, 
Georgia (10,350 dt/d); City of Madison, Georgia (207 dt/d); City of 
Sugar Hill, Georgia (776 dt/d); City of Winder, Georgia (518 dt/d); 
Clinton-Newberry Natural Gas Authority (1,500 dt/d); Exelon Generating 
Company, L.L.C. (80,000 dt/d); Fort Hill Natural Gas Authority (3,000 
dt/d); Genpower Anderson, L.L.C. (60,000 dt/d); Hartwell Development 
Company, L.L.C. (85,000 dt/d); Oglethorpe Power Corporation (An 
Electric Membership Corporation) (81,600 dt/d); and Sylacauga Utilities 
Board (6,000 dt/d). Transco states that 100% of the firm capacity to be 
created by the Momentum project is subscribed to by these nineteen 
shippers.
    Transco states that the firm transportation service under the 
Momentum project will be provided under Rate Schedule FT of Transco's 
FERC Gas Tariff, Volume No. 1, and Transco's blanket certificate under 
Part 284 (G) of the Commission's regulations. Transco states that the 
proposed cost-based resources rates for the Momentum project are based 
on a straight fixed-variable rate design methodology and an incremental 
cost of service.
    Transco states that it requests that the Commission issue a 
preliminary

[[Page 35236]]

determination on the non-environmental aspects of this proposal by 
December 1, 2001 and a final order granting the authorizations 
requested herein by April 15, 2002.
    Any questions regarding this application should be directed to Toi 
Anderson, Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation, P.O. 1396, 
Houston, Texas 77251-1396 or call (713) 215-4540. In addition, Transco 
states that it will establish a toll-free telephone number so that 
interested parties can call with questions about the Momentum project.
    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 July 18, 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, 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 and protests 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 final Commission order approving or denying a 
certificate will be issued.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-16639 Filed 7-2-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M