[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 162 (Wednesday, August 23, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57444-57446]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-18128]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP23-527-000]


Northern Utilities, Inc. D/B/A Unitil; Notice of Application and 
Establishing Intervention Deadline

    Take notice that on August 7, 2023, Northern Utilities Inc. D/B/A 
Unitil (Northern), Six Liberty Lane West, Hampton, NH 03842-1720, filed 
an application under section 7(f) of the Natural Gas Act (NGA), and 
part 157 of the Commission's regulations requesting authorization for 
its Service Territory Determination (Project). Northern respectfully 
requests that the Commission grant it a determination of a service area 
within which Northern may: (i) operate a minimal amount of piping 
across the New Hampshire-Massachusetts border in order to distribute 
and deliver natural gas to New Hampshire retail customers, and (ii) 
without further Commission authorization, enlarge or expand its 
facilities in its Salem, New Hampshire service territory. This 
determination will allow Northern to transport natural gas through a 
distribution line that receives gas in New Hampshire, crosses the 
Massachusetts State line into the town of Methuen, Massachusetts and 
then crosses back to New Hampshire for distribution to ultimate 
consumers in New Hampshire. Northern serves no consumers in 
Massachusetts through the distribution facilities at issue, all as more 
fully set forth in the application which is on file with the Commission 
and open for public inspection.
    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 (www.ferc.gov) using the 
``eLibrary''

[[Page 57445]]

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. For assistance, contact the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
at [email protected] or call toll-free, (886) 208-3676 or TTY 
(202) 502-8659.
    Any questions regarding the proposed project should be directed to 
Randall S. Rich, Pierce Atwood LLP, 1875 K Street NW, Suite 700, 
Washington, DC 20006 by phone at 202-530-6424, or by email at 
[email protected].
    Pursuant to section 157.9 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and 
Procedure,\1\ within 90 days of this Notice the Commission staff will 
either: complete its environmental review and place it into the 
Commission's public record (eLibrary) for this proceeding; or issue a 
Notice of Schedule for Environmental Review. If a Notice of Schedule 
for Environmental Review is issued, it will indicate, among other 
milestones, the anticipated date for the Commission staff's issuance of 
the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) or environmental 
assessment (EA) for this proposal. The filing of an EA in the 
Commission's public record for this proceeding or the issuance of a 
Notice of Schedule for Environmental Review will serve to notify 
Federal and State agencies of the timing for the completion of all 
necessary reviews, and the subsequent need to complete all Federal 
authorizations within 90 days of the date of issuance of the Commission 
staff's FEIS or EA.
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    \1\ 18 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) 157.9.
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Public Participation

    There are three ways to become involved in the Commission's review 
of this project: you can file comments on the project, you can protest 
the filing, and you can file a motion to intervene in the proceeding. 
There is no fee or cost for filing comments or intervening. The 
deadline for filing a motion to intervene is 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on 
September 7, 2023. How to file protests, motions to intervene, and 
comments is explained below.
    The Commission's Office of Public Participation (OPP) supports 
meaningful public engagement and participation in Commission 
proceedings. OPP can help members of the public, including landowners, 
environmental justice communities, Tribal members and others, access 
publicly available information and navigate Commission processes. For 
public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as 
interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, the public is 
encouraged to contact OPP at (202) 502-6595 or [email protected].

Comments

    Any person wishing to comment on the project may do so. Comments 
may include statements of support or objections, to the project as a 
whole or specific aspects of the project. The more specific your 
comments, the more useful they will be.

Protests

    Pursuant to sections 157.10(a)(4) \2\ and 385.211 \3\ of the 
Commission's regulations under the NGA, any person \4\ may file a 
protest to the application. Protests must comply with the requirements 
specified in section 385.2001 \5\ of the Commission's regulations. A 
protest may also serve as a motion to intervene so long as the 
protestor states it also seeks to be an intervenor.
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    \2\ 18 CFR 157.10(a)(4).
    \3\ 18 CFR 385.211.
    \4\ Persons include individuals, organizations, businesses, 
municipalities, and other entities. 18 CFR 385.102(d).
    \5\ 18 CFR 385.2001.
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    To ensure that your comments or protests are timely and properly 
recorded, please submit your comments on or before September 7, 2023.
    There are three methods you can use to submit your comments or 
protests to the Commission. In all instances, please reference the 
Project docket number CP23-527-000 in your submission.
    (1) You may file your comments electronically by using the eComment 
feature, which is located on the Commission's website at www.ferc.gov 
under the link to Documents and Filings. Using eComment is an easy 
method for interested persons to submit brief, text-only comments on a 
project;
    (2) You may file your comments or protests electronically by using 
the eFiling feature, which is located on the Commission's website 
(www.ferc.gov) under the link to Documents and Filings. With eFiling, 
you can provide comments in a variety of formats by attaching them as a 
file with your submission. New eFiling users must first create an 
account by clicking on ``eRegister.'' You will be asked to select the 
type of filing you are making; first select ``General'' and then select 
``Comment on a Filing''; or
    (3) You can file a paper copy of your comments or protests by 
mailing them to the following address below. Your written comments must 
reference the Project docket number (CP23-527-000).
    To file via USPS: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426.
    To file via any other courier: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 
20852.
    The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments (options 1 
and 2 above) and has eFiling staff available to assist you at (202) 
502-8258 or [email protected].
    Persons who comment on the environmental review of this project 
will be placed on the Commission's environmental mailing list, and will 
receive notification when the environmental documents (EA or EIS) are 
issued for this project and will be notified of meetings associated 
with the Commission's environmental review process.
    The Commission considers all comments received about the project in 
determining the appropriate action to be taken. However, the filing of 
a comment alone will not serve to make the filer a party to the 
proceeding. To become a party, you must intervene in the proceeding. 
For instructions on how to intervene, see below.

Interventions

    Any person, which includes individuals, organizations, businesses, 
municipalities, and other entities,\6\ has the option to file a motion 
to intervene in this proceeding. Only intervenors have the right to 
request rehearing of Commission orders issued in this proceeding and to 
subsequently challenge the Commission's orders in the U.S. Circuit 
Courts of Appeal.
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    \6\ 18 CFR 385.102(d).
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    To intervene, you must submit a motion to intervene to the 
Commission in accordance with Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of 
Practice and Procedure \7\ and the regulations under the NGA \8\ by the 
intervention deadline for the project, which is September 7, 2023. As 
described further in Rule 214, your motion to intervene must state, to 
the extent known, your position regarding the proceeding, as well as 
your interest in the proceeding. For an individual, this could include 
your status as a landowner, ratepayer, resident of an impacted 
community, or recreationist. You do not need to have property directly 
impacted by the project in order to intervene. For more information 
about motions to intervene, refer to the FERC website at https://

[[Page 57446]]

www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp.
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    \7\ 18 CFR 385.214.
    \8\ 18 CFR 157.10.
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    There are two ways to submit your motion to intervene. In both 
instances, please reference the Project docket number CP23-527-000 in 
your submission.
    (1) You may file your motion to intervene by using the Commission's 
eFiling feature, which is located on the Commission's website 
(www.ferc.gov) under the link to Documents and Filings. New eFiling 
users must first create an account by clicking on ``eRegister.'' You 
will be asked to select the type of filing you are making; first select 
``General'' and then select ``Intervention.'' The eFiling feature 
includes a document-less intervention option; for more information, 
visit https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling/document-less-intervention.pdf; or
    (2) You can file a paper copy of your motion to intervene, along 
with three copies, by mailing the documents to the address below. Your 
motion to intervene must reference the Project docket number CP23-527-
000.
    To file via USPS: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426.
    To file via any other courier: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 
20852.
    The Commission encourages electronic filing of motions to intervene 
(option 1 above) and has eFiling staff available to assist you at (202) 
502-8258 or [email protected].
    Protests and motions to intervene must be served on the applicant 
either by mail or email at: Randall S. Rich, Pierce Atwood LLP, 1875 K 
Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20006 or at [email protected]. 
Any subsequent submissions by an intervenor must be served on the 
applicant and all other parties to the proceeding. Contact information 
for parties can be downloaded from the service list at the eService 
link on FERC Online. Service can be via email with a link to the 
document.
    All timely, unopposed \9\ motions to intervene are automatically 
granted by operation of Rule 214(c)(1).\10\ Motions to intervene that 
are filed after the intervention deadline are untimely, and may be 
denied. Any late-filed motion to intervene must show good cause for 
being late and must explain why the time limitation should be waived 
and provide justification by reference to factors set forth in Rule 
214(d) of the Commission's Rules and Regulations.\11\ A person 
obtaining party status will be placed on the service list maintained by 
the Secretary of the Commission and will receive copies (paper or 
electronic) of all documents filed by the applicant and by all other 
parties.
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    \9\ The applicant has 15 days from the submittal of a motion to 
intervene to file a written objection to the intervention.
    \10\ 18 CFR 385.214(c)(1).
    \11\ 18 CFR 385.214(b)(3) and (d).
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Tracking the Proceeding

    Throughout the proceeding, additional information about the project 
will be available from the Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 
(866) 208-FERC, or on the FERC website at www.ferc.gov using the 
``eLibrary'' link as described above. The eLibrary link also provides 
access to the texts of all formal documents issued by the Commission, 
such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.
    In addition, the Commission offers a free service called 
eSubscription which allows you to keep track of all formal issuances 
and submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time 
you spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with 
notification of these filings, document summaries, and direct links to 
the documents. For more information and to register, go to 
www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.
    Intervention Deadline: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on September 7, 2023.

    Dated: August 17, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-18128 Filed 8-22-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P