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Twelve OCS producers last week accused FERC of illegallysubjecting offshore production and production-related facilities tothe reporting requirements in its final rule dealing with theregulation of gas transportation facilities on the OuterContinental Shelf (OCS). Interstate pipelines weren’t especiallyhappy with the final OCS rule either, saying it added another layerof unnecessary regulation.

Calling for a rejection of four negotiated parking and lending (PAL) agreements between Koch Gateway and its affiliate Koch Energy Trading (KET), Dynegy and Amoco filed some suggestions May 5 on how FERC might fix the Order 497 problems that allowed the pipeline to allegedly engage in such affiliate preferences.

The calls for FERC to make changes to Order 497’s pipelineaffiliate abuse regulations got louder late last week, as Dynegyand Amoco filed some suggested remedies in response to the resultsof an April technical conference on four negotiated parking andlending (PAL) agreements between Koch Gateway and its affiliateKoch Energy Trading (KET).

In a rare display of unanimity, major and independent gasproducers last week joined forces to ask FERC to stay the removalof the price caps on short-term capacity release transactions untilOrder 637 undergoes full rehearing at the Commission and in thecourts. The price caps are due to be lifted on March 26.

Major and independent gas producers have joined forces to askFERC to stay the removal of the price caps on short-term capacityrelease transactions until Order 637 undergoes full rehearing atthe Commission and in the courts.

Critics of the controversial multi-state gas pipeline project— Independence Pipeline and the associated SupplyLink andMarketLink expansions — insist FERC treated the projects with kidgloves in its interim order last month, while the project sponsorsargue the Commission held their projects to unprecedented higherstandards that may be impossible to meet.

Ohio and Pennsylvania landowners have called on FERC to impose adeadline by which the multi-state Independence Pipeline and ANRPipeline’s SupplyLink expansion must submit long-term contracts tojustify the need for their respective projects.

Attorney General Janet Reno and Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) Administrator Carol M. Browner have urged Capitol Hilllawmakers not to approve legislative language that would exemptcoal-fired utilities from legal action for their alleged violationsof the Clean Air Act (CAA).

Major gas producers have called for FERC to stay theeffectiveness of its controversial remand decision on Sea RobinPipeline pending rehearing, citing the “enormous impact” that itcould have on offshore production and transportation activities ifit’s implemented prior to being reviewed by the Commission.