Indicated Shippers Request Some Assurance from Texas Eastern With Regard to Rates Allocated for the Gulf Markets Expansion Project

摘要

The Indicated Shippers, in comments, with respect to Texas Eastern Transmission, LP’s (CP15-90) abbreviated application for a FERC certificate authorizing its new Gulf Markets Expansion Project, requested that the Commission condition any rolled-in rate determination on the absence of a significant change in circumstances when Texas Eastern seeks rolled-in rate treatment in any future rate proceeding. Such a condition would be consistent with “precedent that a pre- determination approving rolled-in rate treatment is appropriate only if there is no significant change in circumstances between the time that the requesting pipeline seeks a pre-determination and the time that the pipeline seeks to roll-in rates through a NGA section 4 general rate proceeding.” When a pipeline requests rolled-in treatment for proposed facilities, the Commission compares the cost of the proposed project with the revenues that will be generated utilizing actual contract volumes. If the projected revenues exceed the estimated cost of service for the proposed project, the Commission may determine that rolled-in rate treatment is appropriate, absent any significant change in circumstances.