FERC last Wednesday proposed requiring all tariff filings by public utility, natural gas and oil pipeline companies to be in an electronic format. Paper filings would no longer be required.

The change will provide administrative convenience for regulated entities as well as the Commission, and will facilitate public access to the tariffs, the Commission said in its notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) [RM01-5-000].

“This is good government, pure and simple,” said FERC Chairman Pat Wood, III. “A tariff filing involves reams of information. With this rulemaking, we will make the days of wheeling in boxes of paper weighing hundreds of pounds a relic of the 20th Century, as it should be,” the chairman said.

The Federal Power Act, Natural Gas Act and Interstate Commerce Act require regulated entities to file transmission tariffs outlining the rates, terms and conditions for service on electric transmission systems and natural gas and oil pipelines.

The Commission is proposing that future tariff filings be made over the Internet with software to be developed by the Commission. The software will be available on the Commission’s Web site (www.ferc.gov).

The proposal would require regulated companies to electronically file new tariffs. The proposed new tariffs will change from the tariff-sheet format to a section-based format, which is better suited to electronic filing. Also, the Commission proposes to standardize the process for withdrawals of tariff filings and amendments to tariff filings.

The prototype software is expected to be available later this month. Testing of the proposed software will begin at that time. The Commission encouraged utilities to download the proposed software to learn the new system. Several companies have volunteered to participate in the Commission’s testing program for the software.

Comments on the NOPR and software are due Oct. 4, 2004. In September, Commission staff will convene a technical conference to further invite input and comment on the proposed changes.

The Commission anticipates implementing the new tariffs and filing system on March 1, 2005, with a six-month staggered compliance schedule.

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