Opinion ID: 530275
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: FERC's Order

Text: 8 FERC approved Midwestern's abandonment of gas sales to ANR and issued a certificate of public convenience and necessity for the Midwestern-Minnegasco transportation arrangement. Midwestern Gas Transmission Co., 43 F.E.R.C. p 61,065 (April 13, 1988). As a result of concerns raised about potential discrimination by Midwestern, it attached several conditions to the certificate. FERC required Midwestern (1) to provide firm and interruptible transportation services on its northern system on a nondiscriminatory basis in the future; and, (2) to maintain a log of transportation requests and their disposition. 6 The Commission further conditioned the certificate so as to ensure that ANR's take-or-pay liability would be reduced commensurate with ANR's 50,000 Mcf per day reduction of purchases from Midwestern. 43 F.E.R.C. p 61,065, at 61,177. FERC limited the term of service for the interruptible transportation to the earlier of one year or until Midwestern accepts a blanket transportation certificate, and authorized the firm transportation service for an unlimited term. 9 On rehearing, Tarpon reasserted its undue discrimination claims and sought to have the Sec. 7(c) certificate vacated, leaving the abandonment authority in place. In the alternative, Tarpon urged FERC to add additional conditions to the certificate to give other shippers a meaningful opportunity to obtain nondiscriminatory access to Midwestern's system. 10 After consideration on rehearing, FERC essentially reaffirmed its April 13 order, with certain minor clarifications. 7 We conclude that FERC acted reasonably in approving Midwestern's application and in conditioning it to ensure against nondiscrimination in the future.