18 C.F.R. § 375.307

Current through September 30, 2024

Section 375.307 - Delegations to the Director of the Office of Energy Market Regulation

The Commission authorizes the Director or the Director's designee to:

(a)Program-Specific Delegated Authority: Take the following actions with respect to the following programs:

(1)Sections 205 and 206 of the Federal Power Act.

(i) Accept for filing all uncontested tariffs or rate schedules and uncontested tariff or rate schedule changes submitted by public utilities, including changes that would result in rate increases, if they comply with all applicable statutory requirements, and with all applicable Commission rules, regulations and orders for which waivers have not been granted, or if waivers have been granted by the Commission, if the filings comply with the terms of the waivers;

(ii) Reject a tariff or rate schedule filing, unless accompanied by a request for waiver in conformity with § 385.2001 of this chapter, if it fails patently to comply with applicable statutory requirements and with all applicable Commission rules, regulations and orders;

(iii) Take appropriate action on requests or petitions for waivers of notice as provided in section 205(d) of the Federal Power Act, provided the requests conform to the requirements of § 385.2001 of this chapter;

(iv) Refer to the Chief Administrative Law Judge (Chief ALJ) for action by the Chief ALJ, with the Chief ALJ's concurrence, uncontested motions that would result in lower interim settlement rates, pending Commission action on settlement agreements;

(v) Sign and issue deficiency letters; and

(vi) Act on requests for authorization for a designated representative to post and file rate schedules of public utilities which are parties to the same rate schedules.

(2)Other sections of the Federal Power Act.

(i) Pass upon any uncontested application for authorization to issue securities or to assume obligations and liabilities filed by public utilities and licensees pursuant to Part 34 of this chapter;

(ii) Take appropriate action on uncontested applications for the sale or lease or other disposition of facilities, merger or consolidation of facilities, purchase or acquisition or taking of securities of a public utility, or purchase or lease or acquisition of an existing generation facility under section 203 of the Federal Power Act;

(iii) Take appropriate action on uncontested applications for interlocking positions under section 305(b) of the Federal Power Act; and

(iv) Sign and issue deficiency letters for filings under Federal Power Act sections 203, 204, 215, and 305(b).

(v) Take appropriate action on uncontested Electric Reliability Organization budget, business plan, and special assessment filings made pursuant to § 39.4 of this chapter.

(vi) Take appropriate action on uncontested filings proposing Electric Reliability Organization or Regional Entity organization rules or rule changes made pursuant to § 39.10 of this chapter.

(vii) Take appropriate action on uncontested delegation agreement filings by the Electric Reliability Organization or Regional Entity made pursuant to section 39.8 of this chapter.

(3)Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005. Take appropriate action on:

(i) Uncontested FERC-65A (exemption notification) filings;

(ii) Uncontested FERC-65B (waiver notification) filings; and

(iii) Uncontested applications under section 1275(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and/or the Federal Power Act to allocate service company costs to members of a holding company system.

(4)Federal Power Marketing Administration Filings. Approve uncontested rates and rate schedules filed by the Secretary of Energy or his designee, for power developed at projects owned and operated by the federal government and for services provided by federal power marketing agencies.

(5)Section 210(m) of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978.

(i) Approve uncontested applications;

(ii) Reject an application, unless accompanied by a request for waiver in conformity with § 385.2001 of this chapter, if it fails patently to comply with applicable statutory requirements or with all applicable Commission rules, regulations and orders;

(iii) Act on any request or petition for waiver, consistent with Commission policy; and

(iv) Sign and issue deficiency letters.

(6)Other sections of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978. Take appropriate action on:

(i) Filings related to uncontested nonexempt qualifying small power production facilities;

(ii) Uncontested applications for certification of qualifying status for small power production and cogeneration facilities under § 292.207 of this chapter;

(iii) Requests or petitions for waivers of the requirements of subpart C of Part 292 of this chapter governing cogeneration and small power production facilities made by any state regulatory authority or nonregulated electric utility pursuant to § 292.402 of this chapter;

(iv) Requests or petitions for waivers of the Commission's regulations under the Federal Power Act related to nonexempt qualifying small power production facilities and related authorizations consistent with Massachusetts Refusetech, Inc., 31 FERC ¶ 61,048 (1985), and the orders cited therein without limitation as to whether qualifying status is by Commission certification or notice of qualifying status, provided that, in the case of a notice of qualifying status, any waiver is granted on condition that the filing party has correctly noticed the facility as a qualifying facility; and

(v) Requests or petitions for waivers of the technical requirements applicable to qualifying small power production facilities and qualifying cogeneration facilities.

(7)Sections 4 and 5 of the Natural Gas Act.

(i) Accept for filing all uncontested tariffs or rate schedules and uncontested tariff or rate schedule changes, except major pipeline rate increases under section 4(e) of the Natural Gas Act and under subpart D of Part 154 of this chapter, if they comply with all applicable statutory requirements, and with all applicable Commission rules, regulations and orders for which waivers have not been granted, or if waivers have been granted by the Commission, if the filings comply with the terms of the waivers;

(ii) Accept for filing all uncontested tariff or rate schedules changes made in compliance with Commission orders;

(iii) Reject a tariff or rate schedule filing, unless accompanied by a request for waiver in conformity with § 385.2001 of this chapter, if it patently fails to comply with applicable statutory requirements and with all applicable Commission rules, regulations and orders;

(iv) Take appropriate action on requests or petitions for waiver of notice as provided in section 4(d) of the Natural Gas Act, provided the request conforms to the requirements of § 385.2001 of this chapter; and

(v) Refer to the Chief Administrative Law Judge (Chief ALJ) for action by the Chief ALJ, with the Chief ALJ's concurrence, uncontested motions that would result in lower interim settlement rates, pending Commission action on settlement agreements.

(8)Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act. Take appropriate action on the following types of uncontested applications for authorizations and uncontested amendments to applications and authorizations filed pursuant to section 7 of the Natural Gas Act and impose appropriate conditions:

(i) Applications by a pipeline for the deletion of delivery points but not facilities;

(ii) Applications to abandon pipeline services, but not facilities, involving a specific customer or customers, if such customer or customers have agreed to the abandonment;

(iii) Applications for temporary or permanent certificates (and for amendments thereto) for services, but not facilities, in connection with the transportation;

(iv) Blanket certificate applications by interstate pipelines and local distribution companies served by interstate pipelines filed pursuant to §§ 284.221 and 284.224 of this chapter;

(v) Applications for temporary certificates involving transportation service or sales, but not facilities, pursuant to § 157.17 of this chapter;

(vi) Dismiss any protest to prior notice filings involving existing service, made pursuant to § 157.205 of this chapter, that does not raise a substantive issue and fails to provide any specific detailed reason or rationale for the objection;

(vii) Applications pertaining to approval of changes in customer names where there is no change in rate schedule, rate, or other incident of service;

(viii) Applications for approval of customer rate schedule shifts;

(ix) Applications filed under section 1(c) of the Natural Gas Act and Part 152 of this chapter, for declaration of exemption from the provisions of the Natural Gas Act and certificates held by the applicant;

(x) Applications and amendments requesting authorizations filed pursuant to section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act for new or additional service through existing facilities to right-of-way grantors either directly or through distributors, where partial consideration for the granting of the rights-of-way was the receipt of gas service pursuant to section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act;

(xi) An uncontested request from the holder of an authorization, granted pursuant to the Director's delegated authority, to vacate all or part of such authorization; and

(xii) Sign and issue deficiency letters.

(9)Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978.

(i) Notify jurisdictional agencies within 45 days after the date on which the Commission receives notice of a determination pursuant to § 270.502(b) of this chapter that the notice is incomplete under § 270.204 of this chapter;

(ii) Issue preliminary findings under § 270.502(a)(1) of this chapter;

(iii) Accept any uncontested item that has been filed under § 284.123 of this chapter consistent with Commission regulations and policy;

(iv) Reject an application filed pursuant to § 284.123 of this chapter, unless accompanied by a request for waiver in conformity with § 385.2001 of this chapter, if it fails patently to comply with applicable statutory requirements or Commission rules, regulations and orders; and

(v) Take appropriate action on petitions to permit after an initial 60-day period one additional 60-day period of exemption pursuant to § 284.264(b) of this chapter where the application for extension arrives at the Commission no later than 45 days after the commencement of the initial period of exemption and where only services are involved.

(10)Regulation of Oil Pipelines Under the Interstate Commerce Act.

(i) Accept any uncontested item that has been filed consistent with Commission regulations and policy;

(ii) Reject any filing, unless accompanied by a request for waiver in conformity with § 385.2001 of this chapter, that patently fails to comply with applicable statutory requirements and with all applicable Commission rules, regulations and orders; and

(iii) Prescribe for carriers the classes of property for which depreciation charges may be properly included under operating expenses, review the fully documented depreciation studies filed by the carriers, and authorize or revise the depreciation rates reflected in the depreciation study with respect to each of the designated classes of property.

(b)General, Non-Program-Specific Delegated Authority.

(1) Take appropriate action on:

(i) Any notice of intervention or motion to intervene, filed in an uncontested proceeding processed by the Office of Energy Market Regulation;

(ii) Applications for extensions of time to file required filings, reports, data and information and to perform other acts required at or within a specific time by any rule, regulation, license, permit, certificate, or order by the Commission; and

(iii) Filings for administrative revisions to electronic filed tariffs.

(2) Take appropriate action on requests or petitions for waivers of:

(i) Filing requirements for the appropriate statements and reports processed by the Office of Energy Market Regulation under Parts 46, 141, 260 and 357 of this chapter, §§ 284.13 and 284.126 of this chapter, and other relevant Commission orders; and

(ii) Fees prescribed in §§ 381.403 and 381.505 of this chapter in accordance with § 381.106(b) of this chapter.

(3) Undertake the following actions:

(i) Issue reports for public information purposes. Any report issued without Commission approval must:

(A) Be of a noncontroversial nature, and

(B) Contain the statement, "This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the Commission," in bold face type on the cover;

(ii) Issue and sign requests for additional information regarding applications, filings, reports and data processed by the Office of Energy Market Regulation; and

(iii) Accept for filing, data and reports required by Commission regulations, rules or orders, or presiding officers' initial decisions upon which the Commission has taken no further action, if such filings are in compliance with such regulations, rules, orders or decisions and, when appropriate, notify the filing party of such acceptance.

18 C.F.R. §375.307

Order 699, 72 FR 45326, Aug. 14, 2007, as amended by Order 701, 72 FR 61054, Oct. 29, 2007; Order 714, 73 FR 57537, Oct. 3, 2008; Order 766, 77 FR 59747, Oct. 1, 2012