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Funding for Pipeline RegulationTakes Precedence
Funding for natural gas and oil pipeline regulation was the bigwinner in FERC’s budget for fiscal year 2000, according to theagency’s budget request.
The Commission asked for $70.5 million for gas and oilpipelines, which is 40% of its overall FY 2000 budget request of$179.9 million. The budget request submitted to Congress last weekwas up 7.8% over the $167.5 million that FERC sought for FY 1999.
FERC earmarked $56.6 million for electric power regulation in FY2000, and $42.7 million for hydropower. Funding for electricaccounted for about 32% of the budget request, while funding forhydropower represented 29%.
The proposed increase in the budget was owing to three factors:$6 million for mandatory salary and benefits raises of 5.5%, aone-time cost of $2 million for FERC First, and $5 million forimprovements in information technology (IT), the Commission said.
In its budget proposal, FERC sought a reduced level of full-timeemployees (1,320) for FY 2000 – 515 FTEs for gas and oil pipelines,440 FTEs for electric power and 365 FTEs for hydropower. Overall,this was 57 fewer FTEs than than was requested a year ago, theCommission said, adding that it expected its FERC Firstreingineering efforts and IT initiatives would allow it to meetfuture challenges with less employees.
Susan Parker
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