Determine

Koch Gateway Pipeline’s proposal to create an interactiveauction for shippers to bid on capacity in expiring firm storagecontracts has come up against some protest at the Federal EnergyRegulatory Commission.

A battle is brewing in Tennessee to determine exactly whatconstitutes “retail distribution.” On one side is a nascentpipeline company and Tennessee producer that wants to make directsales to industrial end-users. On the other is a group of about 19utility districts seeking to defend what they view as theirstate-granted turf. The Tennessee Regulatory Authority (TRA) isexpected to decide soon what retail distribution means.

Due to hundreds of customer complaints that Atlanta Gas Light(AGL) is over-billing, Georgia’s Public Service Commission (PSC)will vote on Jan. 5 to determine whether a hearing should be heldto examine re-regulating the state’s gas industry, the PSC toldNGI. If the commission decides a hearing is necessary, it will beheld Jan. 26 with a decision to come shortly thereafter.

Although the use of the pre-filing collaborative process inhydroelectric relicensing cases is still “too new” to determinewhether it would also work for gas pipeline projects, theDepartment of Interior says its supports FERC efforts to promote”pre-filing communications and consultations” with the agency andother stakeholders in the gas arena. However, it agreed withinterstate gas pipelines that participation in the collaborativeprocess should not be mandated.

Although the use of the pre-filing collaborative process inhydroelectric relicensing cases is still “too new” to determinewhether it would also work for gas pipeline projects, theDepartment of Interior says its supports FERC efforts to promote”pre-filing communications and consultations” with the agency andother stakeholders in the gas arena. However, it agreed withinterstate gas pipelines that participation in the collaborativeprocess should not be mandated.