[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 183 (Friday, September 22, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65380-65381]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-20570]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP22-489-001]


Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Request for Extension of 
Time

    Take notice that on September 11, 2023, Northern Natural Gas 
Company (Northern) requested that the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission (Commission) grant an extension of time (2023 Extension of 
Time Request), until October 13, 2023, to install and operate an 
approximately 1.57-mile expansion of its 36-inch-diameter MNM80105 
Ventura Interconnect to Farmington E-Line in Freeborn and Steele 
counties, Minnesota, in the Prior Notice Request for Authorization 
Under Blanket Certificate (Prior Notice) under Docket No. CP22-489-000. 
On July 25, 2022, the Commission issued a Notice of Request Under 
Blanket Authorization, which established a 60-day comment period, 
ending on September 23, 2022, to file protests. No protests were filed 
during the comment period, and accordingly the project was authorized 
on September 24, 2022 and by Rule should have been completed within one 
year.
    In its 2023 Extension of Time Request, Northern states that it 
delayed construction until May 22, 2023, to avoid construction during 
the winter and spring load restrictions on State and local roads. 
Northern expected to complete the Project within the one-year time 
frame. However, during construction, Northern's contractor experienced 
multiple delays with the horizontal directional drilling (HDD) 
activities due to drill rig availability and an increased duration for 
the pilot and reaming activities. Additionally, construction for the 
associated tie-in facilities was longer than expected due to a change 
in tie-in plans at the Albert Lea compressor station as described in 
weekly report 16. The proposed tie-in location on the D-line was not 
suitable for in-service welding, resulting in additional excavation, 
backfill, fabrication and pressure testing. Northern currently 
estimates completing commissioning and testing of the new line the week 
of October 2, 2023.
    This notice establishes a 15-calendar day intervention and comment 
period deadline. Any person wishing to comment on Northern'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).
    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. For those extension requests that are contested,\1\ the 
Commission will aim to issue an order acting on the request within 45 
days.\2\ The Commission will

[[Page 65381]]

address all arguments relating to whether the applicant has 
demonstrated there is good cause to grant the extension.\3\ 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.\4\ 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.\5\ The OEP Director, or his or her designee, 
will act on all of those extension requests that are uncontested.
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    \1\ Contested proceedings are those where an intervenor disputes 
any material issue of the filing. 18 CFR 385.2201(c)(1) (2019).
    \2\ Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC ] 61,144, at P 40 
(2020).
    \3\ Id. at P 40.
    \4\ 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.
    \5\ 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. For assistance, contact FERC at [email protected] or 
call toll-free, (886) 208-3676 or TTY (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, October 5, 2023.

    Dated: September 18, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-20570 Filed 9-21-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P