[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 131 (Tuesday, July 13, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36739-36740]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-14848]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP18-103-000]


Rockies Express Pipeline LLC; Notice of Extension of Time Request

    Take notice that on June 23, 2021, Rockies Express Pipeline LLC 
(Rockies Express) requested that the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission (Commission) grant an extension of time, until September 20, 
2023, to complete the construction of six new 5,350 horsepower (hp) 
natural gas reciprocating compressor units (32,100 hp total) at its 
existing Cheyenne Compressor Station (Cheyenne Hub Enhancement Project) 
in Weld County, Colorado, as authorized as part of the Cheyenne Hub 
Enhancement Project in the September 20, 2019 Order Issuing 
Certificates \1\ (September 20 Order). The September 20 Order required 
Rockies Express to complete construction and make the facilities 
available for service within two years of the Order date. Rockies 
Express has since completed construction of four of the six authorized 
compressor units, placing units 1-3 into service on July 26, 2020,\2\ 
and unit 4 into service on December 17, 2020.\3\ Compressor units 5 and 
6 remain unconstructed.
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    \1\ Cheyenne Connector, LLC, 168 FERC ] 61,180 (2019), order 
amending certificate, 171 FERC ] 61,055 (2020). In the Order the 
Commission also approved the Cheyenne Connector Pipeline Project in 
Docket No. CP18-102-000.
    \2\ Notice of Commencement of Service of Rockies Express 
Pipeline LLC, Docket No. CP18-103-000 (July 13, 2020).
    \3\ Notice of Commencement of Service of Rockies Express 
Pipeline LLC, Docket No. CP18-103-000 (December 17, 2020).
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    Rockies Express states it has been delayed in reaching full 
commercialization for compressor units 5 and 6, with the economic 
slowdown and fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. The final two 
compressor units that have not yet been constructed will be installed 
at the existing Cheyenne Compressor Station on land already owned by 
Rockies Express under the terms and conditions of the existing 
certificate. Rockies Express states that the extension of time will not 
result in any environmental impacts not already examined on the record 
in the certificate proceeding and will provide Rockies Express with the 
time necessary to install these remaining two units.
    This notice establishes a 15-calendar day intervention and comment 
period deadline. Any person wishing to comment on Rockies Express' 
request for an extension of time may do so. No

[[Page 36740]]

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 
requests for extensions of time to complete construction for Natural 
Gas Act facilities when such requests are contested before order 
issuance.\5\ For those extension requests that are contested, 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 all of 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) (2019).
    \6\ Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC ] 61,144, at P 40 
(2020).
    \7\ Id. at 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://www.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 Commission's Public Reference 
Room, due to the proclamation declaring a National Emergency concerning 
the Novel Coronavirus Disease (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 ``eFiling'' link 
at http://www.ferc.gov. Persons unable to file electronically should 
submit an original and three copies of the protest or intervention to 
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, 
Washington, DC 20426.
    Comment Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 22, 2021.

    Dated: July 7, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-14848 Filed 7-12-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P