Backs

A FERC administrative law judge (ALJ) has agreedTranscontinental Gas Pipe Line was well within its rights when itdenied ANR Pipeline an additional interconnection to its mainlinesystem in Louisiana, saying Transco’s action neither wasdiscriminatory, caused ANR to lose business nor violated antitrustprinciples.

A group of producers and marketers said it backs the “general[policy] objectives” on offshore regulation that were espoused lastmonth by Energy Secretary Bill Richardson in a letter to FERC, butstresses that debate over the “key issue” of the jurisdictionalstatus of offshore natural gas pipelines involves “a legal, not apolicy” matter.

While the FERC last week handed the Gas Industry Standards Board(GISB) a much-desired extension of the pipeline industry’s move tothe Internet, a heated debate erupted at the standards-settinggroup’s annual board meeting about whether the Commission wasasking it to tackle standardizing subjects that were “out of thescope” of its role.

Sen. Fred Thompson (R-TN) last week lent his support to apipeline-sponsored proposal that would require pipelines seeking toseize private property for projects to notify affected landownersby certified mail at the outset of FERC proceedings, giving them anopportunity to participate more fully in the process.