[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 203 (Thursday, October 21, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61836-61837]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-2743]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. PL04-17-000 and AD04-11-000]


State of the Natural Gas Industry Conference; Staff Report on 
Natural Gas Storage; Notice of Public Conference and Agenda

October 13, 2004.
    As announced in the Notice of Conference issued September 30, 2004, 
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will convene a public 
conference on October 21, 2004, at 9 a.m., at the Commission's Offices 
in Washington, DC to engage industry members and the public in a 
dialogue about policy issues facing the natural gas industry today and 
the Commission's regulation of the industry for the future, as stated 
in the previous notice. All interested persons are invited to attend.

Location

    The conference will be held in the Commission Meeting Room (Room 2-
C). Observers will be accommodated on a space available basis, but 
seating will also be available in an overflow room, which will have a 
broadcast of the discussion. All visitors must check-in at the First 
Street entrance. All visitors should have picture identification 
readily available to ensure a quick check-in.

Participation

    The conference will consist of keynote opening remarks, three panel 
sessions and an open forum. Each panelist will give a short oral 
presentation lasting no more than ten minutes on their views of the 
panel topic and then the Commission Staff and the panelist will 
exchange views and questions, followed by comments or questions from 
the audience. If panelists are going to refer to any detailed charts or 
figures, they should bring 25 copies for Commission Staff and 100 
copies for the audience.
    The first panel session will be for comments on findings and ideas 
presented in the FERC Staff Report, ``Current State of and Issues 
Concerning Underground Natural Gas Storage'' and also focus on how the 
decisions to develop natural gas pipeline or storage projects have been 
impacted by existing Commission policies. The second session will 
consider whether a program for creating more uncommitted reserve 
storage and pipeline capacity could be feasible and useful for the gas 
industry and customers. The third session will explore the changing 
roles of industry segments and how that affects commodity price 
volatility.
    Following the panel session presentations, the Commission will 
provide an open forum for interested persons to raise issues and make 
policy recommendations for Commission consideration not discussed by 
the panels. All open forum statements should be limited to five 
minutes. A sign-up sheet for the open forum will be available the 
morning of the conference.

Procedures To File Written Comments

Pre-Conference Background Information

    If the panel participants shown in the Conference Agenda below want 
to submit background information, position statements or power point 
presentations concerning their topics, they are encouraged to file such 
items with the Commission by October 18, 2004 using the procedures 
below. However, live power point presentations are not going to be

[[Page 61837]]

included during the panel discussions. Any such items filed in advance 
of the Conference will then be available on the Commission's e-Library.

Post-Conference Comments

    After the conference, panel participants and all other interested 
persons may file additional comments on the issues discussed at the 
conference, or other matters relevant to this proceeding, by November 
15, 2004. Comments should include a one-page, single spaced, position 
summary.

Paper or Electronic Comments

    Comments may be filed 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 Nos. PL04-17-000 and AD04-11-000.
    Documents filed electronically via the Internet can be prepared in 
a variety of formats, including MS Word, Portable Document Format, Real 
Text Format, or ASCII format, as listed on the Commission's at http://www.ferc.gov, under the e-Filing link. The e-Filing link provides 
instructions for how to Login and complete an electronic filing. First 
time users will have to establish a user name and password. The 
Commission will send an automatic acknowledgement to the sender's e-
mail address upon receipt of comments.
    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. In addition, all comments may be viewed, printed, or 
downloaded remotely via the Internet through FERC's home page using the 
eLibrary link.

Off-the-Record Communications

    The purpose of this conference is to discuss generic issues and not 
contested cases pending before the Commission. If any comments raise 
specific issues concerning pending contested cases, those comments will 
be subject to the Commission's Off-the-Record Communications rules 
located in subpart V of part 385 of the Commission's regulations, 
including the public notice requirements and sanctions listed in 
sections 385.2201(h) and (i).

Transcripts

    Transcripts of the conference will be available from Ace Reporting 
Company (202-347-3700) for a fee. The transcript also will be available 
on the Commission's FERRIS system two weeks after the conference. 
Additionally, Capitol Connection offers the opportunity for remote 
listening and viewing of the conference. It is available for a fee, 
live or over the Internet, via C-Band Satellite. Persons interested in 
receiving the broadcast, or who need information on making arrangements 
should contact David Reininger or Julia Morelli at Capitol Connection 
(703-993-3100) as soon as possible or visit the Capitol Connection Web 
site at http://www.capitolconnection.gmu.edu and click on ``FERC.''

Additional Information

    For additional information, please contact Richard Foley at 202 
502-8955 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.

State of the Natural Gas Industry Conference; Agenda (as of October 13, 
2004)

9 a.m. Opening Remarks--Berne Mosley, Director, Division of Pipeline 
Certificates, Office of Energy Projects.
9:10 a.m. Keynote Remarks--Commissioner Donald L. Mason, Public 
Utilities Commission of Ohio; Chairman of the Gas Committee, 
National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners; 
Committee(s) Chairman of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact 
Commission.
9:25 a.m. Session I--Comments on Staff Report and Storage 
Development Policy. Moderator--Berne Mosley.
    Richard Daniel, President, EnCana Gas Storage.
    Matt Morrow, President, ENSTOR.
    Ryan O'Neal, Vice President--Development, Sempra Energy 
International.
    James F. Bowe, Jr., Dewey Ballantine LLP & Red Lake Gas Storage, 
L.P.
    Mark D. Cook, Principal, SGR Holdings, LLC.
    Donald J. Zinko, Vice President, Business Development Western 
Pipelines and EPNG Marketing, El Paso Corp.
    Carl Levander, Vice President, Marketing and Regulatory Strategy 
Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation.
11:25 a.m. Break.
11:45 a.m. Session II--Concept of a Program for Creating More 
Uncommitted Reserve Storage and Pipeline Capacity. Moderator--Berne 
Mosley.
    James F. Wilson, Principal, LECG, LLC.
    John M. Hopper, President and CEO, Falcon Gas Storage Company.
    Jay Dickerson, Vice President, Tennessee Gas Pipeline.
    Timothy J. Oaks, Manager Federal Regulatory Affairs, UGI 
Utilities, Inc.
    Craig Chancellor, Director, National Fuels Regulatory, Calpine 
Corp.
12:45 p.m. Session III--Changing Roles of Industry Segments and How 
That Affects Commodity Price Volatility. Moderator--Berne Mosley.
    Scott R. Smith, Sr. Vice President & Partner, Lukens Energy 
Group.
    Mr. Greg Rizzo, Group Vice President, Duke Energy Gas 
Transmission.
    Thomas L. Price, Vice President Marketing, Colorado Interstate 
Gas.
    Representative of NiSource Distribution Companies.
1:45 p.m. Open Forum--Moderator--Berne Mosley.
2:30 p.m. Closing Remarks--Berne Mosley.
 [FR Doc. E4-2743 Filed 10-20-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P