Pipes

Top energy regulators in the United States and Canada, which already have a long history of cooperation, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) agreement Monday to further improve interagency coordination of cross-border natural gas pipelines.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, in an order on rehearing last Wednesday, fine-tuned its final rule on the standards of conduct governing the relationships between regulated natural gas/electric transmission providers and their affiliates. It also pushed back the deadline for regulated companies to implement the rule to Sept. 1 of this year.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last week notified several regulated natural gas pipelines that it will audit their financial and operational data as part of the agency’s plans to carry out an industrywide review.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, in an order on rehearing Wednesday, fine-tuned its final rule on the standards of conduct governing the relationships between regulated natural gas/electric transmission providers and their affiliates. It also pushed back the deadline for regulated companies to implement the rule to Sept. 1 of this year.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission notified several regulated natural gas pipelines Tuesday that it will audit their financial and operational data as part of the agency’s plans to carry out an industrywide review.

A broad natural gas industry coalition said last Thursday it supports FERC’s final rule imposing new quarterly financial reporting requirements on regulated gas pipelines, as well as electric companies and oil pipelines, but it believes the rule needs to go farther.

A broad natural gas industry coalition said Thursday it supports FERC’s final rule imposing new quarterly financial reporting requirements on regulated gas pipelines, as well as electric companies and oil pipelines, but it believes the rule needs to go further.

Responding to two court opinions that said FERC had over-stepped its jurisdiction, the Commission on Wednesday rolled back a four-year-old decision in which it exerted authority under the lighter-handed Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) to impose uniform reporting requirements on all natural gas pipelines operating on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).

In its annual performance report on Friday, FERC said it exceeded its goal to complete 85% of the natural gas pipeline certificate cases that came before it in fiscal 2003 year within the time frames specified. It certified 17 major pipeline projects, adding 1,211 miles of new lines to the nationwide pipeline grid and 4.3 Bcf/d of capacity.