15 U.S.C. § 717
As disclosed in reports of the Federal Trade Commission made pursuant to S. Res. 83 (Seventieth Congress, first session) and other reports made pursuant to the authority of Congress, it is declared that the business of transporting and selling natural gas for ultimate distribution to the public is affected with a public interest, and that Federal regulation in matters relating to the transportation of natural gas and the sale thereof in interstate and foreign commerce is necessary in the public interest.
The provisions of this chapter shall apply to the transportation of natural gas in interstate commerce, to the sale in interstate commerce of natural gas for resale for ultimate public consumption for domestic, commercial, industrial, or any other use, and to natural-gas companies engaged in such transportation or sale, and to the importation or exportation of natural gas in foreign commerce and to persons engaged in such importation or exportation, but shall not apply to any other transportation or sale of natural gas or to the local distribution of natural gas or to the facilities used for such distribution or to the production or gathering of natural gas.
The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to any person engaged in or legally authorized to engage in the transportation in interstate commerce or the sale in interstate commerce for resale, of natural gas received by such person from another person within or at the boundary of a State if all the natural gas so received is ultimately consumed within such State, or to any facilities used by such person for such transportation or sale, provided that the rates and service of such person and facilities be subject to regulation by a State commission. The matters exempted from the provisions of this chapter by this subsection are declared to be matters primarily of local concern and subject to regulation by the several States. A certification from such State commission to the Federal Power Commission that such State commission has regulatory jurisdiction over rates and service of such person and facilities and is exercising such jurisdiction shall constitute conclusive evidence of such regulatory power or jurisdiction.
The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to any person solely by reason of, or with respect to, any sale or transportation of vehicular natural gas if such person is-
15 U.S.C. § 717
EDITORIAL NOTES
AMENDMENTS2005-Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 109-58 inserted "and to the importation or exportation of natural gas in foreign commerce and to persons engaged in such importation or exportation," after "such transportation or sale,". 1992-Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 102-486 added subsec. (d). 1954-Subsec. (c). Act Mar. 27, 1954, added subsec. (c).
STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES
TERMINATION OF FEDERAL POWER COMMISSION; TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONSThe Federal Power Commission was terminated, and its functions, personnel, property, funds, etc., were transferred to Secretary of Energy (except for certain functions which were transferred to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) by sections 7151(b), 7171(a), 7172(a), 7291, and 7293 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.
STATE LAWS AND REGULATIONS Pub. L. 102-486, title IV, §404(b), Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 2879, provided that: "The transportation or sale of natural gas by any person who is not otherwise a public utility, within the meaning of State law- "(1) in closed containers; or"(2) otherwise to any person for use by such person as a fuel in a self-propelled vehicle, shall not be considered to be a transportation or sale of natural gas within the meaning of any State law, regulation, or order in effect before January 1, 1989. This subsection shall not apply to any provision of any State law, regulation, or order to the extent that such provision has as its primary purpose the protection of public safety."
EMERGENCY NATURAL GAS ACT OF 1977 Pub. L. 95-2, Feb. 2, 1977, 91 Stat. 4, authorized President to declare a natural gas emergency and to require emergency deliveries and transportation of natural gas until the earlier of Apr. 30, 1977, or termination of emergency by President and provided for antitrust protection, emergency purchases, adjustment in charges for local distribution companies, relationship to Natural Gas Act, effect of certain contractual obligations, administrative procedure and judicial review, enforcement, reporting to Congress, delegation of authorities, and preemption of inconsistent State or local action.
EXECUTIVE DOCUMENTS
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 11969Ex. Ord. No. 11969, Feb. 2, 1977, 42 F.R. 6791, as amended by Ex. Ord. No. 12038, Feb. 3, 1978, 43 F.R. 4957, which delegated to the Secretary of Energy the authority vested in the President by the Emergency Natural Gas Act of 1977 except the authority to declare and terminate a natural gas emergency, was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 12553, Feb. 25, 1986, 51 F.R. 7237.
PROCLAMATION NO. 4485Proc. No. 4485, Feb. 2, 1977, 42 F.R. 6789, declared that a natural gas emergency existed within the meaning of section 3 of the Emergency Natural Gas Act of 1977, set out as a note above, which emergency was terminated by Proc. No. 4495, Apr. 1, 1977, 42 F.R. 18053, formerly set out below.
PROCLAMATION NO. 4495Proc. No. 4495, Apr. 1, 1977, 42 F.R. 18053, terminated the natural gas emergency declared to exist by Proc. No. 4485, Feb. 2, 1977, 42 F.R. 6789, formerly set out above.
- Commission
- "Commission" and "Commissioner" means the Federal Power Commission, and a member thereof, respectively.
- Interstate commerce
- "Interstate commerce" means commerce between any point in a State and any point outside thereof, or between points within the same State but through any place outside thereof, but only insofar as such commerce takes place within the United States.
- Natural gas
- "Natural gas" means either natural gas unmixed, or any mixture of natural and artificial gas.
- Natural-gas company
- "Natural-gas company" means a person engaged in the transportation of natural gas in interstate commerce, or the sale in interstate commerce of such gas for resale.
- Person
- "Person" includes an individual or a corporation.
- State commission
- "State commission" means the regulatory body of the State or municipality having jurisdiction to regulate rates and charges for the sale of natural gas to consumers within the State or municipality.
- State
- "State" means a State admitted to the Union, the District of Columbia, and any organized Territory of the United States.
- Vehicular natural gas
- "Vehicular natural gas" means natural gas that is ultimately used as a fuel in a self-propelled vehicle.