SG Resources Answers Producers', LDCs' and End Users' Criticism of its Notion That Suspension of Internet Posting of Negotiated Prices for Storage Services Would Level the Playing Field

摘要

Answering protests, SG Resources Mississippi, LLC (SGRM) (RP08-606) on 9/25/08 renewed its request that FERC grant the waivers of Internet posting regulations so interstate natural gas storage service providers authorized to charge market-based rates can preserve the confidentiality of certain commercially sensitive storage service pricing information. SGRM believes action at the earliest possible time is necessary to avoid significant harm to the competitive market for storage services and to eliminate disincentives to new market entry and storage expansion that mandatory pricing disclosure requirements produce. At the same time, SGRM insisted a joint protest by the Natural Gas Supply Association, the Independent Petroleum Association of America and the Process Gas Consumers Group (the Associations); a protest of the American Gas Association (AGA); and comments of the American Public Gas Association (APGA) all lack merit. In reply to the comments of Southern Company Services, Inc., (SCS) urging that the Commission proceed by rulemaking rather than acting on the request for waivers, SGRM said the requested waivers would provide needed relief to market-based rate storage providers sooner than would be possible were the Commission to convene a rulemaking proceeding. Moreover, a rulemaking is not necessary to solicit comments on the issue, the company commented.