[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 235 (Wednesday, December 8, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71031-71032]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-26875]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. RM05-1-000]


Regulations Governing the Conduct of Open Seasons for Alaska 
Natural Gas Transportation Projects; Supplemental Notice of Technical 
Conference and Agenda

November 29, 2004.
    Take notice that as previously announced on October 26, 2004, the 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will host a technical conference 
in this proceeding on December 3, 2004 in Anchorage, Alaska. The 
Commission has initiated a rulemaking to establish regulations 
governing the conduct of open seasons for capacity on any Alaska 
natural gas transportation projects. These regulations are required by 
section 103(e) of the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Act of 2004, enacted 
into law on October 13, 2004.
    The Commission's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) was issued in 
the above referenced Docket on November 15, 2004. The NOPR contains a 
preamble explaining the background of the proposed rule, several 
specific questions about issues related to the proposed rule, and 
specific proposed regulatory text. Written comments on the NOPR are 
required to be submitted by December 17, 2004. The Commission must 
issue regulations within 120 days of enactment of the Act, that is, by 
February 10, 2005. The Commission is now providing its agenda for the 
technical conference. All interested parties and the public are invited 
to attend.

Conference Information

    Date: December 3, 2004.
    Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Alaska time (2 p.m. to 8 p.m. eastern 
standard time).
    Location: Municipality of Anchorage, Loussac Library, Assembly 
Chambers, 3600 Denali Street, Anchorage, Alaska 99503.

Summary of Proposed Regulations

    The full text of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is available 
through the Commission's eLibrary under Docket No. RM05-1. The proposed 
regulations first set forth the purpose and applicability of the 
proposed rules and certain definitions. That purpose is to prescribe 
rules for the conduct of any open season on any Alaska natural gas 
transportation project. Any applicant for a proposed Alaska natural gas 
transportation project must include a showing in its application to 
construct a project that it has conducted an open season for capacity 
allocation that fully complies with the requirements of the rules.
    The proposed rule requires that a public notice of an open season 
be issued by the project sponsor at least 30 days prior to the 
commencement of the open season through methods including postings on 
Internet Web sites, press releases, direct mail solicitations, and 
other advertising. Next, the proposed rule lists the information about 
a proposed project that any notice of open season for an Alaska natural 
gas transportation project must contain. The proposed rule states that 
an open season for an Alaska natural gas transportation project must 
remain open for a period of at least 90 days. Finally, the proposed 
rule requires that capacity allocated as a result of any open season 
shall be awarded without undue discrimination or preference of any 
kind.

Technical Conference Agenda

    The Agenda for the technical conference is attached. In order to 
more efficiently use the limited time available, there will only be 
oral presentations at this conference; no power point presentations or 
use of other visual aids are being considered. Speakers should limit 
their prepared remarks to 10 minutes or less and be prepared to discuss 
the issues listed below with the Commission and their fellow panelists.

[[Page 71032]]

    The Commission will first receive comments from a panel of Alaska 
Elected Officials. Then the Commission Staff will present a short 
summary of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Next the Commission will 
hear comments from panels representing Potential Project Sponsors, 
Potential Project Shippers, and Other Agencies or Affected Enterprises. 
Lastly, the Technical Conference will close with an Open Forum 
featuring responses or questions based on previous panels and any 
additional points of view.
    The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking includes five questions which the 
Commission expects will be addressed in detail in each interested 
party's written comments submitted by December 17th. However, as a 
guide to the discussions at the technical conference, panelists should 
be prepared to discuss the following general topics regarding the 
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking:
     Explain how the proposed rule meets or does not meet the 
requirements of the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Act.
     When should FERC oversight of capacity allocation 
activities of potential project sponsors begin? What capacity 
allocation activities happen before an open season under the rule is 
undertaken?
     Are there certain capacity allocation issues/factors that 
are specific to the type of project sponsor, whether producer owned or 
independent pipeline owned; in-state shipper/user or lower-48 market 
shipper; producer/marketers or end-users; down-stream transporter, 
upstream gathering/processing, local utility regulators?
     Should potential project sponsors be required to conduct 
and release results of Alaska market need studies before capacity is 
allocated? Should potential project sponsors be required to conduct and 
release results of Alaska infrastructure studies before capacity is 
allocated?

Further Information

    Transcripts of the conference will be immediately available from 
Ace Reporting Company (202-347-3700 or 1-800-336-6646) for a fee. They 
will be available for the public on the Commission's eLibrary system 
seven calendar days after FERC receives the transcript. For information 
about this proceeding, interested persons may go to the Commission's 
Web site, http://www.ferc.gov, and search under the docket number for 
this proceeding, Docket No. RM05-1. Materials for the conference will 
also be posted on the Commission's monthly calendar page for this 
event. Also, materials already provided to the Commission Staff by 
certain interested parties have already been placed in the record of 
this proceeding and are available electronically through the 
Commission's eLibrary under Docket No. RM05-1.
    Additionally, Capitol Connection offers the opportunity for remote 
listening of the conference via the Internet or a Phone Bridge 
Connection for a fee. Interested persons should make arrangements as 
soon as possible by visiting the Capitol Connection Web site at http://www.capitolconnection.gmu.edu and clicking on ``FERC.'' If you have any 
questions contact David Reininger or Julia Morelli at the Capitol 
Connection (703-993-3100).
    Any questions or comments about this technical conference may be 
directed to: Edwin Holden, 202-502-8089, [email protected] or 
Richard Foley, 202-502-8955, [email protected].

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.

Technical Conference on Regulations Governing the Conduct of Open 
Seasons for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects

Agenda

10 a.m. Opening Remarks--Pat Wood, III, Chairman, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission (FERC);
    Nora Mead Brownell, Commissioner, FERC;
    Joseph T. Kelliher, Commissioner, FERC;
    Suedeen G. Kelly, Commissioner, FERC.
10:15 a.m. Panel I--Alaska Elected Officials. Introductions: Pat 
Wood, III, Chairman, FERC.
     Alaska Governor Frank H. Murkowski.
     Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski.
     Alaska State Senate President Gene Therriault.
     Alaska State Representative Ralph Samuels.
11:30 a.m. Overview of the Proposed Rule for Regulations Governing 
the Conduct of Open Seasons for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation 
Projects Introduction: Robert Cupina, Deputy Director, Office of 
Energy Projects, FERC.
    Edwin Holden, Staff Counsel, FERC.
11:50 a.m. Panel 2--Comments on Proposed Rules by Potential Project 
Sponsors; Moderator, Robert Cupina.

Panelists:
     Tony Palmer, Vice President, TransCanada PipeLines 
Ltd.;
     Richard Guerrant, Vice President, ExxonMobil Gas;
     Ken Konrad, Senior Vice President, BP Exploration 
Alaska Inc.;
     Joe Marushack, Vice President, ANS Gas Development, 
ConocoPhillips Alaska;
     Ron Brintnell, Director of Business Development, 
Enbridge Energy Company, Inc.;
     Tom Irwin, Commissioner, Alaska Dept. of Natural 
Resources.
1:15 p.m. Panel 3--Comments on Proposed Rules by Potential Project 
Shippers; Moderator, Robert Cupina.

Panelists:
     Dave Anderson, Vice President International, Anadarko 
Petroleum Corporation and Mark Hanley, Manager Public Affairs/
Alaska, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation;
     Tony Izzo, President, Enstar Natural Gas Company;
     Rick Mott, Vice President, Exploration and Land, 
ConocoPhillips Alaska;
     Bill Corbus, Commissioner, Alaska Department of 
Revenue.
2:15 p.m. Panel 4--Comments on Proposed Rules by Other Agencies, 
Affected Enterprises or General Public; Moderator, Robert Cupina.

Panelists:
     Harold Heinze, Chief Executive, Alaska Natural Gas 
Development Authority (ANGDA);
     Jeff Walker, Regional Supervisor Field Operations, 
Department of the Interior Minerals Management Service;
     Colleen McCarthy, Deputy State Director, Energy, Bureau 
of Land Management;
     David Houseknecht, Research Geologist, U.S. Geological 
Survey (traditional reserves);
     Timothy Collett, Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey 
(hydrate resources).
3:15 p.m. Open Forum--Moderator: Robert Cupina.
     Responses/questions to previous discussions.
     Additional points of view.
4 p.m. Closing Remarks/Adjourn; Commissioners/Robert Cupina.

[FR Doc. 04-26875 Filed 12-7-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P