NORTHEAST DISTRIBUTORS ARE UNHAPPY WITH TENNESSEE’S NEW MAINTENANCE SCHEDULING PROCEDURES THAT FERC APPROVED LAST MONTH

摘要

Many utilities in the Northeast, including The National Grid Gas Delivery Companies, asked FERC for clarification or, in the alternative, rehearing of an order issued 12/1/10 that granted Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. (RP11-1484) permission to replace in its tariff the existing prohibition on scheduling “routine, non-emergency maintenance except during the period between May 1 and November 1” with a more general prohibition against scheduling such maintenance “during periods of peak demand.” Tennessee further had proposed to amend the same section of its tariff to reduce the outage notification for maintenance activities from “no later than 15 days prior to the scheduled activity” to “as much notice as reasonably practicable, but no later than 5 days prior to the scheduled activity.” The Joint LDCs,1 including National Grid, formerly protested the filing and asked for maximum suspension, technical conference and consolidation with Tennessee’s pending rate case. The members of the Joint LDCs now seek rehearing of the order. Tennessee answered the ongoing opposition on January 14.