Commissioner James Danly Concurrence in Part and Dissent in Part Regarding Gulf States Transmission LLC

Commissioner James Danly Statement
January 6, 2022
Docket No. CP21-116-001

I concur with the finding that the facilities abandoned by Gulf States Transmission LLC will perform gathering functions upon their acquisition by ETC Haynesville LLC (ETCH) and will therefore be exempt under section 1(b) of the Natural Gas Act.[1]  I dissent from the Commission’s announcement that, from now on, an entity acquiring facilities must first file a petition for declaratory order to obtain the Commission’s determination as to whether the acquired facilities will be exempt from the Commission’s jurisdiction post-abandonment.[2]

The majority states that it is necessary for the acquiring entity to file a petition because “as the owner and operator of the facilities once they are abandoned, it can best explain how it will operate the facilities”[3] and that this information is “essential for the Commission’s analysis to determine whether facilities will serve a gathering function.”[4]  It is evident that such a petition for a declaratory order is not “essential.”  Indeed, today’s order manages to determine the jurisdictional status of the facilities without ETCH having filed a petition for declaratory order.  And the Commission has made such determinations absent petitions for a declaratory order in more than 60 other proceedings.[5]  Surely the majority cannot believe the jurisdictional findings in today’s order or in its past orders were faulty because they were not based on substantial evidence. 

Moreover, the majority’s statement that a petition for declaratory order is “essential” to the Commission’s analysis is directly contrary to unambiguous precedent.  The Commission has previously stated that where the abandoning entity “has filed sufficient information in the subject proceeding to make a jurisdictional determination, no purpose would be served by requiring [the acquiring entity] to file a request for declaratory order.”[6] 

I agree.  The Commission was right to see such petitions as unnecessary.  It is within the Commission’s authority to determine the jurisdictional status of facilities in an abandonment proceeding.[7]  If the Commission needs more information, it can ask.  And if the Commission still does not have the information necessary to complete its analysis, it can deny the request.  Requiring the submission of a petition for declaratory order in addition to an abandonment application is unnecessary, expensive, and burdensome. 

For these reasons, I respectfully concur in part and dissent in part.

Appendix

1. El Paso Nat. Gas Co., 150 FERC ¶ 62,094 (2015).
2. Enable Gas Transmission, LLC, 148 FERC ¶ 62,042 (2014).
3. Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Co., LLC, 146 FERC ¶ 62,150 (2014).
4. Nat. Gas Pipeline Co. of Am. LLC, 145 FERC ¶ 62,226 (2013).
5. Dominion Transmission, Inc., 144 FERC ¶ 62,062 (2013).
6. Tex. Gas Transmission, LLC, 144 FERC ¶ 62,016 (2013).
7. Stingray Pipeline Co., L.L.C., 142 FERC ¶ 62,069 (2013).
8. ANR Pipeline Co., 133 FERC ¶ 62,246 (2010).
9. ANR Pipeline Co., 133 FERC ¶ 62,160 (2010).
10. Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC, 132 FERC ¶ 62,071 (2010).
11. ANR Pipeline Co., 129 FERC ¶ 62,003 (2009).
12. Columbia Gas Transmission Corp., 127 FERC ¶ 61,262 (2009).
13. CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission Co., 126 FERC ¶ 62,040 (2009).
14. CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission Co., 124 FERC ¶ 62,034 (2008).
15. Gulf S. Pipeline Co., LP, 123 FERC ¶ 62,226 (2008).
16. Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corp., 121 FERC ¶ 62,022 (2007).
17. S. Nat. Gas Co., 120 FERC ¶ 62,165 (2007).
18. S. Star Cent. Gas Pipeline, Inc., 120 FERC ¶ 62,063 (2007).
19. CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission Co., 119 FERC ¶ 62,193 (2007).
20. El Paso Nat. Gas Co., 116 FERC ¶ 62,081 (2006).
21. Tex. Gas Transmission, LLC, 115 FERC ¶ 62,245 (2006).
22. S. Star Cent. Gas Pipeline, Inc., 115 FERC ¶ 61,057 (2006), reh’g denied, 116 FERC ¶ 61,288 (2006).
23. Trunkline Gas Co., LLC, 113 FERC ¶ 62,136 (2005).
24. Trunkline Gas Co., LLC, 113 FERC ¶ 62,006 (2005).
25. CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission Co., 113 FERC ¶ 62,007 (2005).
26. Ozark Gas Transmission, L.L.C., 111 FERC ¶ 62,121 (2005).
27. S. Nat. Gas Co., 108 FERC ¶ 62,129 (2004).
28. CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission Co., 108 FERC ¶ 62,111 (2004).
29. Columbia Gas Transmission Corp., 105 FERC ¶ 61,050 (2003).
30. Columbia Gas Transmission Corp., 104 FERC ¶ 61,314 (2003).
31. Ozark Gas Transmission, LLC, 101 FERC ¶ 61,205 (2002).
32. Nat. Gas Pipeline Co. of Am., 100 FERC ¶ 61,286 (2002).
33. Columbia Gas Transmission Corp., 100 FERC ¶ 62,005 (2002).
34. Columbia Gas Transmission Corp., 99 FERC ¶ 62,086 (2002).
35. Tex. Gas Transmission Corp., 98 FERC ¶ 62,018 (2002).
36. Williston Basin Interstate Pipeline Co., 96 FERC ¶ 62,284 (2001).
37. Nat. Gas Pipeline Co. of Am., 95 FERC ¶ 61,317 (2001).
38. Nat. Gas Pipeline Co. of Am., 94 FERC ¶ 61,186 (2001), reh’g denied, 95 FERC ¶ 61,095 (2001).
39. Columbia Gas Transmission Corp., 94 FERC ¶ 62,164 (2001).
40. Equitrans, L.P., 93 FERC ¶ 62,186 (2000).
41. Tenn. Gas Pipeline Co., 89 FERC ¶ 62,040 (1999).
42. Nat. Gas Pipeline Co. of Am., 88 FERC ¶ 61,193 (1999), reh’g denied, 90 FERC ¶ 61,033 (2000).
43. Reliant Energy Gas Transmission Co., 88 FERC ¶ 62,069 (1999).
44. Nat. Gas Pipeline Co. of Am., 87 FERC ¶ 62,247 (1999).
45. Panhandle E. Pipe Line Co., 87 FERC ¶ 62,130 (1999).
46. N. Nat. Gas Co., 85 FERC ¶ 61,418 (1998), vacated upon motion, 94 FERC ¶ 61,284 (2001).
47. Fla. Gas Transmission Co., 85 FERC ¶ 61,218 (1998).
48. Nat. Gas Pipeline Co. of Am., 85 FERC ¶ 61,004 (1998).
49. Fla. Gas Transmission Co., 85 FERC ¶ 62,060 (1998).
50. Questar Pipeline Co., 84 FERC ¶ 61,076 (1998).
51. Nat. Gas Pipeline Co. of Am., 83 FERC ¶ 62,251 (1998).
52. NorAm Gas Transmission Co., 82 FERC ¶ 61,330 (1998).
53. Nat. Gas Pipeline Co. of Am., 82 FERC ¶ 61,278 (1998).
54. Williams Nat. Gas Co., 82 FERC ¶ 61,155 (1998).
55. Nat. Gas Pipeline Co. of Am., 81 FERC ¶ 61,390 (1997).
56. Tenn. Gas Pipeline Co., 81 FERC ¶ 61,352 (1997), reh’g denied, 93 FERC ¶ 61,080 (2000).
57. Nat. Fuel Gas Supply Corp., 81 FERC ¶ 62,114 (1997).
58. Nat. Fuel Gas Supply Corp., 81 FERC ¶ 62,065 (1997).
59. Nat. Fuel Gas Supply Corp., 80 FERC ¶ 62,164 (1997).
60. Nat. Gas Pipeline Co. of Am., 77 FERC ¶ 61,300 (1996).
61. NorAm Gas Transmission Co., 75 FERC ¶ 61,127 (1996).