Court Opinion

ID: 9460547
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 21:53:50.028363+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:36:40.433398
License: Public Domain

WILKEY, Circuit Judge,
concurring:
I agree with my colleagues this matter should be remanded, but I think more detail as to the nature of the problem will perhaps assist to a solution and make clear why such has not been heretofore achieved.
What the petitioner Atlanta Gas Light Company desires, and believes itself entitled to, is regulation of this proposed pipeline by the State of Georgia, not the Federal Power Commission. As the situation was explained to this court, petitioner company could build the pipeline tomorrow, if it would accept FPC regulation. But FPC instead of Georgia regulation would have some unfortunate side effects on the company (not material here), which the company is understandably loath to accept. The FPC has no objection to regulation by Georgia, but FPC responsibilities under its applicable statute1 require it either to exercise its responsibilities or to relinquish such responsibilities by granting an exemption only if (1) regulation by a state public utility commission is certain, and (2) regulation is by only one State.2
Neither essential prerequisite to an exemption is present in the current situation. Both Georgia and Tennessee assert sovereignty over this one-mile strip. It is not absolutely certain that either State will exercise effective regulation over the pipeline in regard to .safety standards, etc. It is quite possible that both will exercise some regulatory control, thus making the pipeline a peculiar type of “interstate” line requiring FPC jurisdiction.
A workable solution thus requires the agreement of both Georgia and Tennessee with the FPC, to create a situation which will allow the FPC lawfully to relinquish its jurisdiction and grant the sought exemption. Hence the remand, not only to allow the FPC to determine its jurisdiction, but first to create the conditions in which to act.

. Section 1(a) of the Natural Gas Act, 15 U.S.C. § 717(a) ; 15 U.S.C. §§ 717-717w.

. Section 1(c) of the Natural Gas Act, 15 U.S.C. § 717(c).