[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 114 (Wednesday, June 13, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 31900]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-14847]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. RP01-434-000]


Gas Research Institute; Notice of Annual Application

June 7, 2001.

    Take notice that on June 1, 2001, Gas Research Institute (GRI) 
filed an application requesting advance approval of its 2002-2006 Five-
Year Research, Development and Demonstration (RD&D) Plan, and the 2002 
RD&D Program and the funding of its RD&D activities for 2002, pursuant 
to section 154.401 of the Commission's Regulations under the Natural 
Gas Act, the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, and the 
Commission's April 29, 1998 Order Approving Settlement [83 FERC para. 
61,093(1998)].
    In its application, GRI states that all aspects of its proposed 
2002 Program are consistent with the current Settlement. GRI states 
that proposed budgets are identical to those approved as part of the 
Settlement. GRI proposes to incur contract obligations of $60.0 million 
in 2002. Consistent with the Commission's April 29, 1998 Order 
Approving Settlement, GRI states that all $60.0 million of the 2002 
contract obligations will be for Core Projects. GRI's application seeks 
to collect funds to support its RD&D program through jurisdictional 
rates and charges during the twelve months ending December 31, 2002. In 
addition GRI adds that since actual collections for 2000 of $134.0 
million are $9.9 million less than projected, proposed 2002 surcharges 
are those set forth in the Settlement Agreement adjusted upward by 10 
percent consistent with the stated intention of Settlement Agreement 
Article II, section 1.0 and have the potential to narrow the gap 
between actual collections and projected revenues by approximately $6 
million.
    Consistent with the Commission's April 29, 1998 Order Approving 
Settlement, GRI proposes to fund the 2002 RD&D program by the use of 
the following surcharges: (1) A demand/reservation surcharge of 6.6 
cents per Dth per Month for ``high load factor customers;'' (2) a 
demand still reservation surcharge of 4.07 cents per Dth per month for 
``low load factor customers''; (3) a volumetric commodity/usage 
surcharge of 0.55 cents; and (4) a special ``small customer'' surcharge 
of .88 cents per Dth. All of the proposed 2020 surcharges represent 
decreases from corresponding current levels.
    The Commission Staff will analyze GRI's application and prepare a 
Commission Staff Report. This Staff Report will be served on all 
parties and filed with the Commission as a public document on August 
10, 2001. Comments on the Staff Report and GRI's application by all 
parties, except GRI, must be filed with the Commission on or before 
August 24, 2001. GRI's reply comments must be filled on or after August 
31, 2001.
    Any person desiring to be heard or to protest GRI's application, 
except for GRI members and state regulatory commissions, who are 
automatically permitted to participate in the instant proceedings as 
intervenors, should file a motion to intervene or protest with the 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., 
Washington, D.C. 20426, in accordance with the Commission's Rules and 
Regulations. All such motions or protests should be filed on or before 
June 21, 2001. All comments and protests will be considered by the 
Commission in determining the appropriate action to be taken, but will 
not serve to make protestants parties to this proceeding. Any person 
wishing to become a party, other than a GRI member or a state 
regulatory commission, must file a motion to intervene. Copies of this 
filing are on file with the Commission and are available for public 
inspection in the public reference room. This filing may be viewed on 
the web at http://www.ferc.fed.us/online/rims.htm (call 202-208-2222 
for assistance). Comments, protests, and interventions may be filed 
electronically via the internet in lieu of paper. See, 18 CFR 
385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's web site 
at http://www.ferc.fed.us/efi/doorbell.htm.

David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-14847 Filed 6-12-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M