Proposed

The first of a series of industry meetings aimed at addressingthe controversial issues in the mega-notice of proposed rulemaking(NOPR) and notice of inquiry (NOI) gets underway in Houston today.Many are hoping the sessions will provide the way for the bickeringsegments of the gas industry to achieve common ground on some ofthe top issues posed by FERC.

The Illinois-Wisconsin Express Project, a proposed pipeline toserve the southern Wisconsin market, has been put on indefinitehold reportedly due to the inability of an unnamed Wisconsinutility to commit to the project. News of this comes one day afterTransCanada Pipelines and Nicor Inc. disclosed they have scrappedplans to proceed with their reconfigured Voyageur Pipeline projectthat would have served the same market. (See Daily GPI, Nov. 4)

The California Public Utilities Commission has set a newschedule for hearings on gas industry restructuring, leading to aproposed policy decision in early 1999 and public hearings aroundthe state. The CPUC expects to adopt a final market structurepolicy no earlier than January 1, 2000 in keeping with alegislative mandate which prohibits the Commission making anychanges until the year 2000.

The gas industry may feel swamped with all the notices ofproposed rulemaking and notices of inquiry that have been comingout of FERC within the last couple of months, but these arenecessary to accomplish restructuring in a comprehensive fashion,said James J. Hoecker.

Six industry trade associations will ask FERC today to extend by74 days the deadline for industry comments on the major notice ofproposed rulemaking (NOPR) and notice of inquiry (NOI) that wereissued in July.

The 330-mile U.S. portion of the Vector Pipeline, proposed tocarry natural gas from the Chicago Hub to eastern connections,moved a step closer to construction with the issuance yesterday ofa draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) by the Federal EnergyRegulatory Commission.

Reed Consulting is scheduled to deliver analysis to FERC todaythat will decide the fate of the proposed NE Hub, a major saltcavern storage facility and market hub that would add 500 MMcf/d ofdaily deliverability to the gas grid in northern Pennsylvania. Butan eleventh-hour motion by CNG Transmission, a competitor of theproject, could influence and delay the outcome.

In an 11th-hour move yesterday, California regulators delayeduntil August a proposed interim action that would expand naturalgas unbundling and set an aggressive schedule for a final gasrestructuring decision by year end. The proposal, which includesunbundling billing and eliminating any restrictions on current gasaggregation among residential and small business customers, will beconsidered when the California PUC meets again Aug. 6.

The New York Public Service Commission (PSC) has asked FERC toinitiate a proposed rulemaking for the purpose of opening up aninquiry into the appropriate rate design for interstate natural gaspipelines.