[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 19 (Monday, February 1, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7720-7721]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-02097]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP20-26-000]


Notice of Request for Extension of Time; Eastern Gas Transmission 
and Storage, Inc.

    Take notice that on January 21, 2021, Eastern Gas Transmission and 
Storage, Inc.\1\ (Eastern GTS) requested that the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission (Commission) grant an extension of time, until 
August 22, 2021, to abandon, reconfigure, and relocate storage wells 
and related pipelines within its jurisdictional Bridgeport Storage 
Field in Harrison County, West Virginia (Project),\2\ as deemed 
authorized, effective February 22, 2020. Under the applicable 
regulations, the Project was to be completed and made available for 
service by February 22, 2021, i.e., within one year of 
authorization.\3\
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    \1\ As of November 1, 2020, Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company 
acquired certain companies of Dominion Energy, including Dominion 
Energy Transmission, Inc. and has changed its name to Eastern Gas 
Transmission and Storage, Inc.
    \2\ Prior Notice of Blanket Certificate Activity, Docket No. 
CP20-26-000 (filed December 16, 2019).
    \3\ Pursuant to Section 157.205 of the Commission's regulations, 
18 CFR 157.205, a prior notice application is deemed to be 
authorized the day after the intervention period lapses if no 
protests are filed.
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    Eastern GTS states that, primarily due to delays related to the 
COVID-19 pandemic, as well as weather related delays, Eastern GTS will 
be unable to complete all construction activities necessary to complete 
the Project within the authorized one-year timeframe. Accordingly, 
Eastern GTS requests a six-month extension of time, until August 22, 
2021, to complete construction of the Project.
    This notice establishes a 15-calendar day intervention and comment 
period deadline. Any person wishing to comment on Columbia's request 
for an extension of time may do so. No reply comments or answers will 
be considered. If you wish to obtain legal status by becoming a party 
to the proceedings for this request, you should, on or before the 
comment date stated below, file 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 
Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.10).\4\
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    \4\ Only motions to intervene from entities that were party to 
the underlying proceeding will be accepted. Algonquin Gas 
Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC 61,144, at P 39 (2020).
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    As a matter of practice, the Commission itself generally acts on

[[Page 7721]]

requests for extensions of time to complete construction for Natural 
Gas Act facilities when such requests are contested before order 
issuance. For those extension requests that are contested,\5\ the 
Commission will aim to issue an order acting on the request within 45 
days.\6\ The Commission will address all arguments relating to whether 
the applicant has demonstrated there is good cause to grant the 
extension.\7\ The Commission will not consider arguments that re-
litigate the issuance of the Certificate Order, including whether the 
Commission properly found the project to be in the public convenience 
and necessity and whether the Commission's environmental analysis for 
the certificate complied with the National Environmental Policy Act.\8\ 
At the time a pipeline requests an extension of time, orders on 
certificates of public convenience and necessity are final and the 
Commission will not re-litigate their issuance.\9\ The OEP Director, or 
his or her designee, will act on those extension requests that are 
uncontested.
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    \5\ Contested proceedings are those where an intervenor disputes 
any material issue of the filing. 18 CFR 385.2201(c)(1) (2020).
    \6\ Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC 61,144, at P 40 
(2020).
    \7\ Id. P 40.
    \8\ Similarly, the Commission will not re-litigate the issuance 
of an NGA section 3 authorization, including whether a proposed 
project is not inconsistent with the public interest and whether the 
Commission's environmental analysis for the permit order complied 
with NEPA.
    \9\ Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC 61,144, at P 40 
(2020).
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    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 the Commission's Home Page (http://ferc.gov) using the 
``eLibrary'' link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three 
digits in the docket number field to access the document. At this time, 
the Commission has suspended access to the Commission's Public 
Reference Room, due to the proclamation declaring a National Emergency 
concerning COVID-19, issued by the President on March 13, 2020. For 
assistance, contact FERC at [email protected] or call toll-
free, (886) 208-3676 or TYY, (202) 502-8659.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings of comments, 
protests and interventions in lieu of paper using the ``eFile'' link at 
http://www.ferc.gov. Persons unable to file electronically may mail 
similar pleadings to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. To mail 
via USPS, use the following address: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, 
DC 20426. To mail via any other courier, use the following address: 
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 
12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
    Comment Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on February 11, 2021.

    Dated: January 26, 2021.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-02097 Filed 1-29-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P