[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 226 (Friday, November 23, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58723-58724]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-29239]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP02-24-000]


PG&E Gas Transmission, Northwest Corporation; Notice of 
Application

November 16, 2001.
    Take notice that on November 9, 2001, PG&E Gas Transmission, 
Northwest Corporation (PG&E) filed an application pursuant to Section 
7(c) of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157 of the Commission's 
Regulations for a certificate of public convenience and necessity 
authorizing PG&E to construct a total of 53.6 miles of 42-inch diameter 
loop of its existing mainline system in Boundary County in Idaho, and 
Spokane, Whitman, and Walla Walla Counties in Washington, and Umatilla 
County in Oregon and to increse system compression by adding 19,500 ISO 
hp of compression at one existing compressor station (Station 14) in 
Klamath County, Oregon, all as more fully set forth in the application 
that is on file with the Commission and open to public inspection. 
Copies of this filing are on file with the Commission and are available 
for public inspection. This filing may be viewed on the Web at http://www.ferc.gov using the ``RIMS'' link, select ``Docket#'' and follow the 
instructions (call 202-208-2222 for assistance).
    PG&E proposes this project to increase its system capacity by 
approximately

[[Page 58724]]

143,000 dekatherms per day (Dth/d) of annual pipeline capacity and by 
20,000 Dth/d of winter only capacity. PG&E estimates that the cost of 
the facilities is estimated to be approximately $111.3 million, which 
it states will be financed using internally-generated funds. PG&E 
proposes to install the looping and compression facilities in order to 
provide the additional transportation service by November 2003 or 
sooner. PG&E requests Commission approval by December 31, 2002, at the 
latest, in order to complete the installation of the proposed 
facilities in time for the 2003/2004 winter heating season.
    PG&E states that it held an open season in which it made capacity 
on its system available to interested shippers on a not unduly 
discriminatory basis. PG&E states that as a result it has executed 
binding, long term precedent agreements for a total of 143,000 Dth/d of 
annual service and 20,000 Dth/d of winter-only service for terms 
averaging 25.3 years with five shippers to serve new electric 
generation projects and other uses in the Pacific Northwest and 
California. This represents 100% of the proposed expansion capacity. 
PG&E states that these precedent agreements demonstrate that there is 
sufficient market demand for natural gas transportation service on 
PG&E's system to support this project.
    Any questions regarding the application should be directed to John 
A. Roscher, Director, Rates and Regulatory Affairs, PG&E Gas 
Transmission, Northwest Corporation; 1400 SW Fifth Avenue, Suite 900; 
Portland, Oregon; 97201, (503) 833-4254.
    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 December 7, 2001, file with the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 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. The 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 under the ``e-Filing'' 
link.
    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.

David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-29239 Filed 11-21-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P