[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 222 (Monday, November 22, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 66293]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-25403]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PL21-3-000]


Technical Conference on Greenhouse Gas Mitigation: Natural Gas 
Act Sections 3 and 7 Authorizations; Notice Inviting Technical 
Conference Comments

    On November 19, 2021, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
(Commission) will convene a Commission staff-led technical conference 
to discuss methods natural gas companies may use to mitigate the 
effects of direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions resulting from 
Natural Gas Act sections 3 and 7 authorizations.
    All interested persons are invited to file post-technical 
conference comments to address issues raised during the technical 
conference and identified in the Supplemental Notices of Technical 
Conference issued on October 1, 2021, and November 9, 2021. For 
reference, the questions included in the Supplemental Notices are 
included below. Commenters need not answer all of the questions but are 
encouraged to organize responses using the numbering and order in the 
questions below. Commenters are also invited to reference material 
previously filed in this docket but are encouraged to avoid repetition 
or replication of previous material. Comments are due on Tuesday, 
December 14, 2021.
    Comments may be filed electronically via the internet.\1\ 
Instructions are available on the Commission's website http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp. For assistance, please contact 
FERC Online Support at [email protected] or toll free at 1-
866-208-3676, or for TTY, (202) 502-8659.
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    \1\ See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) (2020).
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    For more information about this notice, please contact 
[email protected].

    Dated: November 16, 2021.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Deputy Secretary.

Post-Technical Conference Questions for Comment

1. The Level of Mitigation for a Proposed Project's Reasonably 
Foreseeable Greenhouse Gas Emissions

    a. When determining the amount of reasonably foreseeable GHG 
emissions associated with a proposed project, how could the Commission 
consider: Project utilization projections; State or regional natural 
gas usage projections from Public Utility Commissions or other 
entities; individual emissions data for industrial or electric 
generation customers; known netting effects from displacement of higher 
or lower emitting sources, including displacement that may occur over 
the life of the project; or other factors?
    b. What is the appropriate level of mitigation associated with GHG 
emissions for a proposed project? Should the Commission determine the 
amount of mitigation required on a case-by-case basis or should the 
mitigation levels be set at zero, less than significant, or some other 
level?

2. Types of Mitigation

    a. What types of physical mitigation associated with GHG emissions 
are project sponsors currently using at their facilities? What types of 
physical mitigation associated with GHG emissions project sponsors are 
currently available to project sponsors? Are there limitations to 
physical mitigation measures?
    b. What types of market-based mitigation associated with GHG 
emissions are project sponsors currently using? What types of 
alternative or market-based mitigation associated with GHG emissions 
project sponsors are currently available to project sponsors?
    c. Are market-based mitigation measures effective and verifiable 
methods of mitigation over the life of a project? What effects would 
this type of mitigation from Commission-jurisdictional projects have on 
offset, REC, and GHG compliance markets?
    d. Should project applicants submit mitigation proposals with their 
project application? How soon might current project applicants be able 
to supplement the record or respond to a Commission data request with 
their mitigation proposal?
    e. What factors should the Commission consider in evaluating the 
sufficiency of a mitigation proposal?

3. Compliance and Cost Recovery of Mitigation

    a. How could the Commission ensure continued verification and 
accounting of GHG mitigation measures since the Commission would need 
to monitor and assess mitigation during the life of the project?
    b. Are there federal or state agencies which currently monitor 
compliance of GHG mitigation measures? Should the Commission explore 
potential interagency agreements or memorandums of understanding with 
other federal agencies to monitor compliance of GHG mitigation 
measures?
    c. How could the Commission allow project sponsors to recover the 
costs of market-based mitigation measures, such as the purchase of 
offsets? Would allowing recovery of such costs through an annual 
tracker or surcharge be appropriate?

[FR Doc. 2021-25403 Filed 11-19-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P