[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 2 (Tuesday, January 4, 2005)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 319-323]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-17]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

18 CFR Part 284

[Docket Nos. RM96-1-026 and RM96-1-015]


Standards for Business Practices of Interstate Natural Gas 
Pipelines

December 21, 2004.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking and termination order.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is proposing to amend 
in Docket No. RM96-1-026 its regulations governing standards for 
conducting business practices with interstate natural gas pipelines. 
The Commission is proposing to incorporate by reference the most recent 
version of the standards, Version 1.7, promulgated December 31, 2003, 
by the Wholesale Gas Quadrant (WGQ) of the North American Energy 
Standards Board (NAESB); the standards ratified by NAESB on June 25, 
2004, to implement Order No. 2004, and the standards implementing gas 
quality reporting requirements ratified by NAESB on October 20, 2004. 
These standards can be obtained from NAESB at 1301 Fannin, Suite 2350, 
Houston, TX 77002, 713-356-0060, http://www.naesb.org. The Commission 
is also terminating a rulemaking, instituted by a Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking in Docket No. RM96-1-015, issued on June 30, 2000, which 
examined whether the Commission should require pipelines to permit 
shippers to designate and rank the contracts under which gas flows on 
their systems.

DATES: Comments in Docket No. RM96-1-026 are due February 18, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be filed electronically via the eFiling link on 
the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov. Commenters unable to 
file comments electronically must send an original and 14 copies of 
their comments to: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Office of the 
Secretary, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. Refer to 
Comment Procedures Section of the preamble for additional information 
on how to file comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jamie Chabinsky, Office of the General Counsel, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. 
202-502-6040.
Marvin Rosenberg, Office of Markets, Tariffs, and Rates, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. 
202-502-8292.
Kay Morice, Office of Markets, Tariffs, and Rates, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. 
202-502-6507.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) proposes 
in Docket No. RM96-1-026 to amend Sec.  284.12 of its open access 
regulations governing standards for conducting business practices and 
electronic communications with interstate natural gas pipelines. The 
Commission is proposing to adopt the most recent version, Version 1.7, 
of the consensus standards promulgated by the Wholesale Gas Quadrant 
(WGQ) of the North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB). The 
Commission is also proposing to adopt the standards ratified by NAESB 
on June 25, 2004, to implement Order No. 2004 \1\ and the standards to 
implement gas quality reporting requirements ratified by NAESB on 
October 20, 2004, in Recommendation R03035A, which NAESB intends to 
include in its next

[[Page 320]]

version of standards (Version 1.8). The proposed rule is intended to 
benefit the public by adopting the most recent and up-to-date standards 
governing business practices and electronic communication. The 
Commission is also terminating a rulemaking instituted by a Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking issued in Docket No. RM96-1-015 on June 30, 2000 
(65 FR 41885), which examined whether the Commission should require 
pipelines to permit shippers to designate and rank the contracts under 
which gas flows on their systems.
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    \1\ Order No. 2004, 68 FR 69134 (Dec. 11, 2003), III FERC Stats. 
& Regs. Regulations Preambles ] 31,155 (Nov. 25, 2003); Order No. 
2004-A, 69 FR 23562 (Apr. 29, 2004), III FERC Stats. & Regs. 
Regulations Preambles ] 31,161 (Apr. 16, 2004); Order No. 2004-B, 69 
FR 48371 (Aug. 10, 2004) III FERC Stats. & Regs. Regulations and 
Preambles ] 31,166 (Aug. 2, 2004).
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Background

    2. Since 1996, in the Order No. 587 series,\2\ the Commission has 
adopted regulations to standardize the business practices and 
communication methodologies of interstate pipelines in order to create 
a more integrated and efficient pipeline grid. In this series of 
orders, the Commission incorporated by reference consensus standards 
developed by the WGQ (formerly the Gas Industry Standards Board or 
GISB), a private consensus standards developer composed of members from 
all segments of the natural gas industry.
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    \2\ Standards For Business Practices Of Interstate Natural Gas 
Pipelines, Order No. 587, 61 FR 39053 (July 26, 1996), FERC Stats. & 
Regs. Regulations Preambles [July 1996-December 2000] ] 31,038 (July 
17, 1996), Order No. 587-B, 62 FR 5521 (Feb. 6, 1997), FERC Stats. & 
Regs. Regulations Preambles [July 1996-December 2000] ] 31,046 (Jan. 
30, 1997), Order No. 587-C, 62 FR 10684 (Mar. 10, 1997), FERC Stats. 
& Regs. Regulations Preambles [July 1996-December 2000] ] 31,050 
(Mar. 4, 1997), Order No. 587-G, 63 FR 20072 (Apr. 23, 1998), FERC 
Stats. & Regs. Regulations Preambles [July 1996-December 2000] ] 
31,062 (Apr. 16, 1998), Order No. 587-H, 63 FR 39509 (July 23, 
1998), FERC Stats. & Regs. Regulations Preambles [July 1996-December 
2000] ] 31,063 (July 15, 1998); Order No. 587-I, 63 FR 53565 (Oct. 
6, 1998), FERC Stats. & Regs. Regulations Preambles [July 1996-
December 2000] ] 31,067 (Sept. 29, 1998), Order No. 587-K, 64 FR 
17276 (Apr. 9, 1999), FERC Stats. & Regs. Regulations Preambles 
[July 1996-December 2000] ] 31,072 (Apr. 2, 1999); Order No. 587-M, 
65 FR 77285 (Dec. 11, 2000), FERC Stats. & Regs. Regulations 
Preambles [July 1996-December 2000] ] 31,114 (Dec. 11, 2000); Order 
No. 587-N, 67 FR 11906 (Mar. 18, 2002), III FERC Stats. & Regs. 
Regulations Preambles ] 31,125 (Mar. 11, 2002), Order No. 587-O, 67 
FR 30788 (May 8, 2002), III FERC Stats. & Regs. Regulations 
Preambles ] 31,129 (May 1, 2002); Order No. 587-R, 68 FR 13813 (Mar. 
21, 2003), III FERC Stats. & Regs. Regulations Preambles ] 31,141 
(Mar. 12, 2003).
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    3. NAESB is an accredited standards organization under the auspices 
of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
    4. On April 14, 2004 NAESB filed with the Commission a report 
informing the Commission that the WGQ had adopted a new version of its 
standards, Version 1.7. NAESB reports that Version 1.7 includes 
standards for partial day recalls which were requested in Order No. 
587-N. The Commission previously incorporated these standards by 
reference in Order No. 587-R.\3\ Version 1.7 also contains ten 
standards regarding creditworthiness \4\ which the Commission proposed 
to adopt in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) in Docket No. RM04-
4-000.\5\ Version 1.7 contains revisions that more accurately reflect 
the workings of the market including the definition of transaction 
types, charge types, Service Codes, and Reduction Reason Codes. Other 
revisions update standards that contained outmoded references, make the 
naming conventions more uniform, and permit use of proprietary entity 
codes when D-U-N-S[reg] numbers are not available. In addition, the 
Version 1.7 standards update the treatment of allocations as well as 
requests for information on scheduled quantities, allocations, and 
shipper imbalances. Finally, NAESB reports that the WGQ continues work 
on requests for new and revised business practices, information 
requirements, code value assignments, technical implementation and 
mapping or interpretations.
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    \3\ Order No. 587-R, 68 FR 13813 (Mar. 21, 2003), III FERC 
Stats. & Regs. Regulations Preambles ] 31,141 (Mar. 12, 2003).
    \4\ Standards 0.3.3 through 0.3.10, 5.3.59 and 5.3.60.
    \5\ Creditworthiness Standards for Interstate Natural Gas 
Pipeline, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR), 69 FR 8587 (Feb. 25, 
2004), IV FERC Stats. & Regs. Proposed Regulations ] 32,573 (Feb. 
12, 2004).
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    5. On August 6, 2004, NAESB filed with the Commission a report 
informing the Commission that on June 25, 2004 the WGQ membership 
ratified a package of modifications to the Version 1.7 standards to 
implement Order No. 2004 (2004 Annual Plan Item 2 FERC Order 2004).\6\ 
These standards modify the Informational Posting requirements for 
pipeline Web sites to reflect the information required to be posted 
pursuant to Order No. 2004 and will be included as part of Version 1.8.
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    \6\ The standards ratified June 25, 2004 modified Definition 
4.2.1 and Standards 4.3.16, 4.3.18, 4.3.22, 4.3.23, 4.3.25 and 
deleted Standards 4.3.6, 4.3.19, 4.3.21 and 4.3.63. They added 
Principle 0.1.z1 and deleted Principle 4.1.25.
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    6. On October 1, 2004, NAESB filed a report with the Commission 
informing the Commission that errata to Version 1.7 of the NAESB WGQ 
standards were adopted by the Executive Committee on August 26, 2004 
and, following a member comment period, the errata would be applied to 
Version 1.7 on October 15, 2004. The errata contain minor corrections 
which remove the table of code values for Bidder Affiliate from 
Standard 5.4.13 and correct the Transaction Status Code data element in 
the Code Values Dictionary of Standard 1.4.2.
    7. On November 1, 2004, NAESB filed a report with the Commission 
informing the Commission that on October 20, 2004 the WGQ membership 
ratified standards to implement gas quality reporting requirements 
(Recommendation R03035A).\7\ These standards require a pipeline to 
provide a link on its Informational Posting Web Site to its gas quality 
tariff provisions, or a simple reference guide to such information. In 
addition, a pipeline is required to provide on its Informational 
Postings Web site, in a downloadable format, daily average gas quality 
information for prior day(s) to the extent available for locations(s) 
that are representative of mainline gas flow for the most recent three-
month period.
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    \7\ The standards ratified October 20, 2004 modified Standard 
4.3.23 and added Principle 4.1.p1 and Standards 4.3.s1, 4.3.s2, 
4.3.s3, and 4.3.s4.
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Discussion

    8. The Commission is proposing to adopt Version 1.7 of the NAESB 
WGQ's consensus standards;\8\ the standards to implement Order No. 2004 
ratified by NAESB on June 25, 2004 (2004 Annual Plan Item 2 FERC Order 
2004); and the standards governing gas quality reporting ratified by 
NAESB on October 20, 2004 (Recommendation R03035A).\9\ Pipelines would 
be required to implement the standards three months after a final rule 
is issued. Because the Version 1.7 standards include the partial day 
recall standards adopted by the Commission in Order No. 587-R, separate 
reference to these standards is no longer necessary and is proposed to 
be removed.
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    \8\ In Version 1.7 of its standards, the NAESB WGQ added a new 
implementation guide entitled ``Additional Standards,'' which 
contains general or topic specific standards. Previously these 
standards were included in each of five original implementation 
guides: Nominations, Flowing Gas, Invoicing, Electronic Delivery 
Mechanism, and Capacity Release.
    \9\ Pursuant to the regulations regarding incorporation by 
reference, copies of Version 1.7 are available from NAESB. 5 U.S.C. 
552 (a)(1); 1 CFR 51 (2001).
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    9. Adoption of Version 1.7\10\ of the NAESB WGQ standards will help 
continue the process of updating and improving the current standards. 
In

[[Page 321]]

adopting the Version 1.7 standards, the Commission is proposing to 
adopt the new ``Additional Standards'' implementation guide that 
contains standards generally applicable to all the business processes. 
This section includes the creditworthiness standards that have already 
been noticed for comment in Docket No. RM04-4-000. The Commission will 
address the comments filed on these standards prior to issuing a final 
rule, and, therefore, there is no need to file comments on these 
standards in this proceeding. The Additional Standards also include 
standards governing the use of common codes to identify entities in 
transactions.
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    \10\ In Version 1.7 the NAESB WGQ made the following changes to 
its standards, excluding the creditworthiness standards. It revised 
Standards 1.3.32, 2.3.21, 4.3.1, 4.3.2, 5.3.2, 5.3.7, 5.3.41, and 
5.3.42, and Datasets 1.4.1 through 1.4.7, 2.4.1 through 2.4.16, 
3.4.1 through 3.4.4, and 5.4.1 through 5.4.22. It added Principles 
1.1.22, 2.1.6, 5.1.2, 5.1.3, and 5.1.4, Definitions 2.2.4, 2.2.5 and 
5.2.3, and Standards 0.3.2, 2.3.51 through 2.3.64, and 5.3.44 
through 5.3.58. It deleted Principles 1.1.6, 1.1.8, 1.1.19, and 
4.1.14, and Standards 1.3.78, 2.3.24, 2.3.36 through 2.3.39, and 
5.3.6.
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    10. The NAESB standards with respect to the Order No. 2004 
affiliate standards establish uniform posting requirements for the 
Commission requirements. The NAESB standards, however, were developed 
prior to the issuance of Order No. 2004-A, and Revised Standard 4.3.23 
does not specify a location for posting voluntary consent to 
information disclosure by non-affiliated customers as required by Sec.  
358 of the Commission regulations.\11\ Electric utilities and pipelines 
have been posting this information as a separate category from other 
non-discrimination requirements.\12\ Posting this information as a 
separate category represents a better practice, since it will make it 
easier for the Commission as well as other parties to find and access 
this information, and the Commission expects all electric utilities and 
pipelines to follow this practice. Since requiring a separate posting 
is not inconsistent with the NAESB standard, the Commission is 
proposing to incorporate the NAESB standard by reference. We expect 
that in future versions of its standards, NAESB will reflect such a 
requirement.
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    \11\ 18 CFR 358.5(b)(4). It may be that this information is 
intended to be posted under the ``Non-discrimination Rqmts.'' 
category, but there is no specific subcategory dealing with 
voluntary consent information.
    \12\ See Cinergy Oasis, http://oasis.midwestiso.org/OASIS/CIN; 
National Grid Oasis Log, http://www.nationalgridus.com/OASIS/keydocs.asp; Entergy FERC Order No. 2004 Standards of Conduct, 
http://oasis.e-terrasolutions.com/documents/EES/Order_2004_Standards_of_Conduct.htm; Peco FERC Standards of Conduct, http://oasis.peco.com; ANR Pipeline Co., http://tebb.elpaso.com/ebbANR/ebbmain.asp?sPipelineCode=ANR; Blue Lake Gas Storage Company, http://www.gasnom.com/ip/bluelake/; Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corp., 
http://www.1line.williams.com/Files/Transco/TranscoInfoPostingFrameset.html; CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission 
Company, http://pipelines.centerpointenergy.com/ebb-main-ngt.html.
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    11. The Commission recognizes that the NAESB Wholesale Electric 
Quadrant is also working on posting standards, and NAESB should ensure 
that the standards relating to Order No. 2004 postings are as similar 
as possible across the industries. This will ensure that locating 
information is as seamless as possible for the Commission and common 
users of these Web sites.
    12. The Commission is also proposing to adopt the NAESB standards 
related to gas quality in WGQ Recommendation R03035A. These standards 
require a pipeline to provide a link on its Informational Posting Web 
site to its gas quality tariff provisions, or a simple reference guide 
to such information. In addition, a pipeline is required to provide on 
its Informational Postings Web site, in a downloadable format, daily 
average gas quality information for prior day(s) to the extent 
available for locations(s) that are representative of mainline gas flow 
for the most recent three-month period. Adoption of these standards 
will provide greater transparency to shippers with respect to the gas 
quality requirements of interstate pipelines and available information 
on gas quality on such pipelines' systems.
    13. The NAESB WGQ approved the standards under NAESB's consensus 
procedures.\13\ As the Commission found in Order No. 587, adoption of 
consensus standards is appropriate because the consensus process helps 
ensure the reasonableness of the standards by requiring that the 
standards draw support from a broad spectrum of all segments of the 
industry. Moreover, since the industry itself has to conduct business 
under these standards, the Commission's regulations should reflect 
those standards that have the widest possible support. In section 12(d) 
of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 
(NTT&AA), Congress affirmatively requires federal agencies to use 
technical standards developed by voluntary consensus standards 
organizations, like NAESB, as means to carry out policy objectives or 
activities.\14\
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    \13\ This process first requires a super-majority vote of 17 out 
of 25 members of the WGQ's Executive Committee with support from at 
least two members from each of the five industry segments--
interstate pipelines, local distribution companies, gas producers, 
end-users, and services (including marketers and computer service 
providers). For final approval, 67% of the WGQ's general membership 
must ratify the standards.
    \14\ Pub L. 104-113, `` 12(d), 110 Stat. 775 (1996), 15 U.S.C. 
272 note (1997).
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    14. Additionally, the Commission is terminating a separate 
rulemaking (proposed in Docket No. RM96-1-015). On June 30, 2000, the 
Commission issued a NOPR proposing, along with other matters, to adopt 
a regulation requiring pipelines to permit shippers to designate and 
rank the transportation contracts under which gas will flow on the 
pipeline's system.\15\ The WGQ standards currently require pipelines to 
use shipper ``rankings when making reductions during the scheduling 
process'' (Standard 1.3.23), but the WGQ could not reach consensus on a 
standard for cross-contract ranking that would apply to all three 
pipeline scheduling models. The comments and the information provided 
during the technical conference did not reveal a method of 
accomplishing cross-contract ranking that would provide improved and 
more consistent results than the current standards. Accordingly, the 
Commission is terminating the rulemaking in Docket No. RM96-1-015.
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    \15\ Standards For Business Practices Of Interstate Natural Gas 
Pipelines, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 65 FR 41885 (July 7, 
2000), IV FERC Stats. & Regs. Proposed Regulations ] 32,552 (June 
30, 2000). The Commission has issued a final rule regarding the 
other proposed regulatory changes in the NOPR. Standards For 
Business Practices Of Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines, Order No. 
587-M, 65 FR 77285 (Dec. 11, 2000), FERC Stats. & Regs. Regulations 
Preambles [July 1996-December 2000] ] 31,114 (Nov. 30, 2000).
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Notice of Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards

    15. Office of Management and Budget Circular A-119 (Sec.  11) 
(February 10, 1998) provides that Federal Agencies should publish a 
request for comment in a NOPR when the agency is seeking to issue or 
revise a regulation proposing to adopt a voluntary consensus standard 
or a government-unique standard. In this NOPR, the Commission is 
proposing to incorporate by reference voluntary consensus standards 
developed by the WGQ.

Information Collection Statement

    16. The following collections of information contained in this 
proposed rule have been submitted to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review under Section 3507(d) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507(d). The Commission solicits 
comments on the Commission's need for this information, whether the 
information will have practical utility, the accuracy of the provided 
burden estimates, ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected, and any suggested methods for 
minimizing respondents' burden, including the use of automated 
information techniques. The following burden estimate includes the 
costs to implement the NAESB WGQ's Version 1.7 standards as modified by 
the standards ratified by NAESB on June 25, 2004 and October 20, 2004, 
which incorporate the most recent and up-to-

[[Page 322]]

date standards governing electronic communication. The burden estimates 
are primarily related to start-up to implement the latest version of 
the standards and will not result in on-going costs.

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                                                                  Number of
               Data collection                   Number of      responses per      Hours per     Total Number of
                                                respondents       respondent        response          hours
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FERC-545....................................               93                1               38            3,534
FERC-549C...................................               93                1            2,614          243,102
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    Total Annual Hours for Collection (Reporting and Recordkeeping, (if 
appropriate)) = 246,636.
    17. Information Collection Costs: The Commission seeks comments on 
the costs to comply with these requirements. It has projected the 
average annualized cost for all respondents to be the following:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                           FERC-549C         FERC-545
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Annualized Capital/Startup Costs......      $12,691,327         $184,495
Annualized Costs (Operations &                        0                0
 Maintenance).........................
                                       ------------------
    Total Annualized Costs............       12,691,327          184,495
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    Total Cost for all Respondents = $12,875,722.
    18. OMB regulations \16\ require OMB to approve certain information 
collection requirements imposed by agency rule. The Commission is 
submitting notification of this proposed rule to OMB.
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    \16\ 5 CFR 1320.11.
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    Title: FERC-545, Gas Pipeline Rates: Rates Change (Non-Formal); 
FERC-549C, Standards for Business Practices of Interstate Natural Gas 
Pipelines.
    Action: Proposed collections.
    OMB Control Nos.: 1902-0154, 1902-0174.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit, (Interstate natural gas 
pipelines (Not applicable to small business)).
    Frequency of Responses: One-time implementation (business 
procedures, capital/start-up).
    Necessity of Information: This proposed rule, if implemented, would 
upgrade the Commission's current business practice and communication 
standards to the latest edition approved by the NAESB WGQ (Version 
1.7). The implementation of these standards is necessary to increase 
the efficiency of the pipeline grid and is consistent with the mandate 
that agencies provide for electronic disclosure of information.\17\
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    \17\ 44 U.S.C. 3504 note, Pub. L. 105-277, 1701, 112 Stat. 2681-
749 (1998).
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    19. The information collection requirements of this proposed rule 
will be reported directly to the industry users. The implementation of 
these data requirements will help the Commission carry out its 
responsibilities under the Natural Gas Act to monitor activities of the 
natural gas industry to ensure its competitiveness and to assure the 
improved efficiency of the industry's operations. The Commission's 
Office of Markets, Tariffs and Rates will use the data in rate 
proceedings to review rate and tariff changes by natural gas companies 
for the transportation of gas, for general industry oversight, and to 
supplement the documentation used during the Commission's audit 
process.
    20. Internal Review: The Commission has reviewed the requirements 
pertaining to business practices and electronic communication with 
natural gas interstate pipelines and made a determination that the 
proposed revisions are necessary to establish a more efficient and 
integrated pipeline grid. Requiring such information ensures both a 
common means of communication and common business practices which 
provide participants engaged in transactions with interstate pipelines 
with timely information and uniform business procedures across multiple 
pipelines. These requirements conform to the Commission's plan for 
efficient information collection, communication, and management within 
the natural gas industry. The Commission has assured itself, by means 
of its internal review, that there is specific, objective support for 
the burden estimates associated with the information requirements.
    21. Interested persons may obtain information on the reporting 
requirements by contacting the following: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. (Attention: 
Michael Miller, Office of the Chief Information Officer, phone: (202) 
502-8415, fax: (202) 273-0873 e-mail: [email protected].)
    22. Comments concerning the collection of information(s) and the 
associated burden estimate(s), should be sent to the contact listed 
above and to the Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs, Washington, DC 20503 (Attention: Desk Officer 
for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, phone: (202) 395-7856, 
fax: (202) 395-7285).

Environmental Analysis

    23. The Commission is required to prepare an Environmental 
Assessment or an Environmental Impact Statement for any action that may 
have a significant adverse effect on the human environment.\18\ The 
Commission has categorically excluded certain actions from these 
requirements as not having a significant effect on the human 
environment.\19\ The actions proposed here fall within categorical 
exclusions in the Commission's regulations for rules that are 
clarifying, corrective, or procedural, for information gathering, 
analysis, and dissemination, and for sales, exchange, and 
transportation of natural gas that requires no construction of 
facilities.\20\ Therefore, an environmental assessment is unnecessary 
and has not been prepared in this NOPR.
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    \18\ Order No. 486, Regulations Implementing the National 
Environmental Policy Act, 52 FR 47897 (Dec. 17, 1987), FERC Stats. & 
Regs. Regulations Preambles 1986-1990 ] 30,783 (1987).
    \19\ 18 CFR 380.4 (2004).
    \20\ See 18 CFR 380.4(a)(2)(ii), 380.4(a)(5), 380.4(a)(27) 
(2004).
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Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification

    24. The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (RFA)\21\ generally 
requires a description and analysis of final rules that will have 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
The regulations proposed here impose requirements only on interstate 
pipelines, the majority of which are not

[[Page 323]]

small businesses, and would not have a significant economic impact. 
These requirements are, in fact, designed to benefit all customers, 
including small businesses. Accordingly, pursuant to section 605(b) of 
the RFA, the Commission hereby certifies that the regulations proposed 
herein will not have a significant adverse impact on a substantial 
number of small entities.
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    \21\ 5 U.S.C. 601-612 (2000).
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Comment Procedures

    25. The Commission invites interested persons to submit written 
comments on the matters and issues proposed in this notice to be 
adopted, including any related matters or alternative proposals that 
commenters may wish to discuss.\22\ Comments are due February 18, 2005. 
Comments must refer to Docket No. RM96-1-026, and must include the 
commenter's name, the organization they represent, if applicable, and 
their address. Comments may be filed either in electronic or paper 
format.
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    \22\ Commenters may request their comments in Docket No. RM04-4-
000 to be incorporated by reference into this docket.
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    26. Comments may be filed electronically via the eFiling link on 
the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov. The Commission 
accepts most standard word processing formats and commenters may attach 
additional files with supporting information in certain other file 
formats. Commenters filing electronically do not need to make a paper 
filing. Commenters that are not able to file comments electronically 
must send an original and 14 copies of their comments to: Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, Office of the Secretary, 888 First 
Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. 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.
    27. All comments will be placed in the Commission's public files 
and may be viewed, printed, or downloaded remotely as described in the 
Document Availability section below. Commenters on this proposal are 
not required to serve copies of their comments on other commenters.

Document Availability

    28. In addition to publishing the full text of this document in the 
Federal Register, the Commission provides all interested persons an 
opportunity to view and/or print the contents of this document via the 
Internet through FERC's home page (http://www.ferc.gov) and in FERC's 
Public Reference Room during normal business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
eastern time) at 888 First Street, NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426.
    29. From FERC's home page on the Internet, this information is 
available in eLibrary. The full text of this document is available in 
eLibrary both in PDF and Microsoft Word format for viewing, printing, 
and/or downloading. To access this document in eLibrary, type the 
docket number excluding the last three digits of this document in the 
docket number field.
    30. User assistance is available for eLibrary and the FERC's Web 
site during our normal business hours. For assistance contact FERC 
Online Support at [email protected] or toll-free at (866) 208-
3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659.

List of Subjects in 18 CFR Part 284

    Continental shelf, Incorporation by reference, Natural gas, 
Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    By direction of the Commission.
Linda Mitry,
Deputy Secretary.

    In consideration of the foregoing, the Commission proposes to amend 
part 284, Chapter I, Title 18, Code of Federal Regulations, as follows:

PART 284--CERTAIN SALES AND TRANSPORTATION OF NATURAL GAS UNDER THE 
NATURAL GAS POLICY ACT OF 1978 AND RELATED AUTHORITIES

    1. The authority citation for part 284 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 15 U.S.C. 717-717w, 3301-3432; 42 U.S.C. 7101-7352; 
43 U.S.C. 1331-1356.

    2. Section 284.12 is amended by revising paragraphs (a)(1)(i) 
through (v) and adding a new paragraph (a)(1)(vi) to read as follows:


Sec.  284.12  Standards for pipeline business operations and 
communications.

    (a) * * *
    (1) * * *
    (i) Additional Standards (General Standards and Creditworthiness 
Standards) (Version 1.7, December 31, 2003);
    (ii) Nominations Related Standards (Version 1.7, December 31, 2003, 
including errata, October 15, 2004);
    (iii) Flowing Gas Related Standards (Version 1.7, December 31, 
2003);
    (iv) Invoicing Related Standards (Version 1.7, December 31, 2003);
    (v) Electronic Delivery Mechanism Related Standards (Version 1.7, 
December 31, 2003) with the exception of Standard 4.3.4, and including 
the standards contained in 2004 Annual Plan Item 2 (June 25, 2004) 
(Order No. 2004 standards), and the standards contained in 
Recommendation R03035A (October 20, 2004) gas quality reporting; and
    (vi) Capacity Release Related Standards (Version 1.7, December 31, 
2003, including errata, October 15, 2004).
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 05-17 Filed 1-3-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P