Natural Gas Pipelines; Project Cost and Annual Limits

<RULE> DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY <SUBAGY>Federal Energy Regulatory Commission</SUBAGY> <CFR>18 CFR Part 157</CFR> <DEPDOC>[Docket No. RM81-19-000]</DEPDOC> <SUBJECT>Natural Gas Pipelines; Project Cost and Annual Limits</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Energy. <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Final rule. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> Pursuant to the authority delegated by the Commission's regulations, the Director of the Office of Energy Projects (OEP) computes and publishes the project cost and annual limits for natural gas pipelines blanket construction certificates for each calendar year. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> This final rule is effective March 8, 2024, and establishes cost limits applicable from January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024. </EFFDATE> <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Daniel Green; Chief, Certificates Branch 2; Division of Pipeline Certificates; (202) 502-8755. </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> Section 157.208(d) of the Commission's Regulations provides for project cost limits applicable to construction, acquisition, operation, and miscellaneous rearrangement of facilities (table 1 to paragraph (d)) authorized under the blanket certificate procedure (Order No. 234, 19 FERC ¶ 61,216, 47 FR 24266). Section 157.215(a) specifies the calendar year dollar limit which may be expended on underground storage testing and development (table 1 to paragraph (a)(5)) authorized under the blanket certificate. Section 157.208(d) requires that the “limits specified in table 1 to this paragraph (d) and table 1 to § 157.215(a)(5) shall be adjusted each calendar year to reflect the 'GDP implicit price deflator' published by the Department of Commerce for the previous calendar year.” Pursuant to § 375.308(x)(1) of the Commission's Regulations, the authority for the publication of such cost limits, as adjusted for inflation, is delegated to the Director of the Office of Energy Projects. The cost limits for calendar year 2024, as published in table 1 to paragraph (d) of § 157.208 and table 1 to paragraph (a)(5) of § 157.215, are hereby issued. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Effective Date</HD> This final rule is effective March 8, 2024. The provisions of 5 U.S.C. 804 regarding congressional review of Final Rules does not apply to the final rule because the rule concerns agency procedure and practice and will not substantially affect the rights or obligations of non-agency parties. The final rule merely updates amounts published in the Code of Federal Regulations to reflect the Department of Commerce's latest annual determination of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) implicit price deflator, a mathematical updating required by the Commission's existing regulations. <LSTSUB> <HD SOURCE="HED">List of Subjects in 18 CFR Part 157</HD> Administrative practice and procedure, Natural Gas, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements. </LSTSUB> <SIG> <DATED>Issued: February 28, 2024.</DATED> <NAME>Terry L. Turpin,</NAME> Director, Office of Energy Projects. </SIG> Accordingly, 18 CFR part 157 is amended as follows: <HD SOURCE="HED">PART 157—APPLICATIONS FOR CERTIFICATES OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY AND FOR ORDERS PERMITTING AND APPROVING ABANDONMENT UNDER SECTION 7 OF THE NATURAL GAS ACT</HD> <REGTEXT TITLE="18" PART="157"> 1. The authority citation for part 157 continues to read as follows: <HD SOURCE="HED">Authority: </HD> 15 U.S.C. 717-717w, 3301-3432; 42 U.S.C. 7101-7352. </REGTEXT> <REGTEXT TITLE="18" PART="157"> 2. In § 157.208: a. Amend paragraph (a) by removing “Table I, under” and “Table I” and add in their places “table 1 to” and “table 1 to paragraph (d)”, respectively. b. Amend paragraph (b) by removing “Table I, but” and “Table I” adding “table 1 to paragraph (d) of this section, but” and “table 1 to paragraph (d)” in their places, respectively. c. Amend paragraph (d) by: i. In the introductory text, removing “Tables I and II” and adding “table 1 to this paragraph (d) and table 1 to § 157.215(a)(5)” in its place. ii. Revising the table. d. Amend paragraphs (f)(1) and (g) by removing “Table I” and adding “table 1 to paragraph (d)” in its place. The revision reads as follows: <SECTION> <SECTNO>§ 157.208 </SECTNO> <SUBJECT>Construction, acquisition, operation, replacement, and miscellaneous rearrangement of facilities.</SUBJECT> <STARS/> (d) * * * <GPOTABLE COLS="3" OPTS="L2,i1" CDEF="s100,15,15"> <TTITLE> Table 1 to Paragraph ( <E T="01">d</E> ) </TTITLE> <CHED H="1">Year</CHED> <CHED H="1">Limit</CHED> <CHED H="2"> Auto. proj. cost limit (col. 1) </CHED> <CHED H="2"> Prior notice proj. cost limit (col. 2) </CHED> <ROW> <ENT I="01">1982 </ENT> <ENT>$4,200,000</ENT> <ENT>$12,000,000</ENT> </ROW> <ROW> <ENT I="01">1983 </ENT> <ENT>4,500,000</ENT> <ENT>12,800,000</ENT> <SECTNO>§ 157.209 </SECTNO> <SUBJECT>[Amended]</SUBJECT> </SECTION> <REGTEXT TITLE="18" PART="157"> 3. In § 157.209, amend paragraph (a) by removing “Table I, under § 157.208(d) of this chapter” and adding “table 1 to § 157.208(d)” in its place. </REGTEXT> <SECTION> <SECTNO>§ 157.210 </SECTNO> <SUBJECT>[Amended] </SUBJECT> </SECTION> <REGTEXT TITLE="18" PART="157"> 4. In § 157.210, remove “Table I of” and add “table 1 to” in its place. </REGTEXT> <SECTION> <SECTNO>§ 157.212 </SECTNO> <SUBJECT>[Amended] </SUBJECT> </SECTION> <REGTEXT TITLE="18" PART="157"> 5. In § 157.212, remove “Table I in” and add “table 1 to” in its place. </REGTEXT> <SECTION> <SECTNO>§ 157.213 </SECTNO> <SUBJECT>[Amended]</SUBJECT> </SECTION> <REGTEXT TITLE="18" PART="157"> 6. In § 157.213, amend paragraphs (a) and (b) by removing “Table I in” and add “table 1 to” in its place. </REGTEXT> <REGTEXT TITLE="18" PART="157"> 7. In § 157.215, amend paragraph (a)(5) by: a. Removing “Table II” from the introductory text and adding “table 1 to this paragraph (a)(5)” in its place. b. Revising table 1. The revision reads as follows: <SECTION> <SECTNO>§ 157.215 </SECTNO> <SUBJECT>Underground storage testing and development.</SUBJECT> (a) * * * (5) * * * <GPOTABLE COLS="2" OPTS="L2,i1" CDEF="s25,12"> <TTITLE> Table 1 to Paragraph ( <E T="01">a</E> )(5) </TTITLE> <CHED H="1">Year</CHED> <CHED H="1">Limit</CHED> <ROW> <ENT I="01">1982 </ENT> <ENT>$2,700,000</ENT> <FRDOC>[FR Doc. 2024-04726 Filed 3-7-24; 8:45 am]</FRDOC> </RULE>