Notice of Applications for Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity and Section 3 Authorization, 4250-4251 [E7-1362]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 19 (Tuesday, January 30, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4250-4251]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-1362]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP07-62-000AES Sparrows Point LNG, LLC; Docket Nos. CP07-
63-000, CP07-64-000, CP07-65-000, Mid-Atlantic Express, LLC]


Notice of Applications for Certificates of Public Convenience and 
Necessity and Section 3 Authorization

January 23, 2007.
    Take notice that on January 8, 2007, AES Sparrows Point LNG, LLC, 
(AES Sparrows Point) filed an application in Docket No. CP07-62-000 
pursuant to Section 3(a) of the Natural Gas Act (NGA), and Parts 153 
and 380 of the Commission's regulations for authorization to site, 
construct and operate a liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal 
and associated facilities to be located in Baltimore County, Maryland 
as a place of entry for the importation of LNG.
    Also take notice that on January 8, 2007, Mid-Atlantic Express, 
LLC, (Mid-Atlantic Express) filed pursuant to Section 7(c) of the NGA 
and the Commission's regulations; (1) an application in Docket No. 
CP07-53-000 for a certificate of public convenience and necessity; (i) 
authorizing Mid-Atlantic Express to construct, own and operate the Mid-
Atlantic Express's pipeline under Part 157, Subpart A, (ii) approving 
the pro forma Tariff submitted as Exhibit P of the application, and 
(iii) approving the proposed initial rates for pipeline transportation 
services; (2) an application in Docket No. CP07-54-000, for a blanket 
certificate authorizing Mid-Atlantic Express to engage in certain self-
implementing routine activities under Part 157, Subpart F; and (3) an 
application in Docket No. CP07-55-000, for a blanket certificate 
authorizing Mid-Atlantic Express to transport natural gas, on an open 
access and self-implementing basis, under Part 284, Subpart G.
    Any questions regarding these applications should be directed to 
Christopher H. Diez, AES Sparrows Point LNG, LLC & Mid-Atlantic 
Express, LLC, 140 Professional Parkway, Suite A, Lockport, New York 
14094.
    These filings are available for review at the Commission's 
Washington, DC offices or may be viewed on the Commission's Web site at 
https://www.ferc.gov/ using the ``e-Library'' link. Enter the docket 
number, excluding the last three digits, in the docket number field to 
access the document. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support 
at ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov or Telephone: 202-502-6652; Toll-free: 1-
866-208-3676; or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659.
    AES Sparrows Point seeks authorization to site, construct and 
operate a new LNG import terminal LNG Terminal, with an initial 
delivery capacity of 1.5 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas, to 
be located at the Sparrows Point industrial complex in Baltimore 
County, Maryland. AES Sparrows Point's proposed LNG Terminal would be 
located on an about 80 acre parcel located at the Sparrows Point 
industrial complex, which is situated on the Sparrows Point peninsula 
extending into the Chesapeake Bay east of the Port of Baltimore. The 
LNG Terminal would include facilities to receive LNG from ocean-going 
LNG ships, store the LNG onshore in full-containment tanks, re-vaporize 
the LNG, and then deliver pipeline quality natural gas to the Mid-
Atlantic Express pipeline.
    Mid-Atlantic Express seeks authorization to construct and operate 
an 88-mile natural gas pipeline that will transport regasified LNG from 
the Terminal to interconnections with three existing interstate 
pipelines in the vicinity of Eagle, Pennsylvania. Mid-Atlantic Express 
conducted an open season for firm transportation capacity on its 
proposed pipeline and AES Mid-Atlantic LNG Marketing, LLC, an affiliate 
of Mid-Atlantic Express, submitted a bid for the entire capacity of the 
Pipeline and was accepted as the sole customer of the project at this 
point. Mid-Atlantic Express estimates that the cost of its pipeline 
facilities will be about $415 million. The details of Mid-Atlantic 
Express's proposed transportation services and the derivation of the 
initial recourse rates for those services are shown in Exhibit P of 
Mid-Atlantic Express's filing.
    AES Sparrows Point and Mid-Atlantic Express propose to commence 
service in late 2010. AES Sparrows Point and Mid-Atlantic Express 
request that the Commission issue a final order in these proceedings by 
November 1, 2007 to enable them to begin construction in a timely 
manner to achieve their proposed in-service date.
    On April 3, 2006, the Commission staff granted AES Sparrows Point's 
and Mid-Atlantic Express's request to utilize the Pre-Filing Process 
and assigned Docket No. PF06-22-000 to staff activities involving 
Sparrows Point LNG's and Mid-Atlantic Express's combined project. Now, 
as of the filing of Sparrows Point LNG's and Mid-Atlantic Express's 
applications on

[[Page 4251]]

January 8, 2007, the Pre-Filing Process for this project has officially 
concluded. And while the PF docket number is now closed, all of the 
information contained in the Pre-Filing Process will become part of the 
LNG terminal authorization and pipeline certificate proceeding(s). From 
this time forward, Sparrows Point LNG's and Mid-Atlantic Express's 
proceedings will be conducted in Docket Nos. CP07-62-000, CP07-63-000, 
CP07-64-000, and CP07-65-000 as noted in the caption of this Notice. 
All future correspondence should refer to these CP docket numbers only.
    Pursuant to Section 157.9 of the Commission's rules, 18 CFR 157.9, 
within 90 days of this Notice the Commission staff will either: 
complete its environmental assessment (EA) and place it into the 
Commission's public record (eLibrary) for this proceeding; or issue a 
Notice of Schedule for Environmental Review. If a Notice of Schedule 
for Environmental Review is issued, it will indicate, among other 
milestones, the anticipated date for the Commission staff's issuance of 
the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) or EA for this 
proposal. The filing of the EA in the Commission's public record for 
this proceeding or the issuance of a Notice of Schedule for 
Environmental Review will serve to notify federal and state agencies of 
the timing for the completion of all necessary reviews, and the 
subsequent need to complete all federal authorizations within 90 days 
of the date of issuance of the Commission staff's FEIS or EA.
    There are two ways to become involved in the Commission's review of 
this Project. First, any person wishing to obtain legal status by 
becoming a party to the proceeding for this project should file with 
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20426, a motion to intervene in accordance with the 
requirements of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 
CFR 385.214 or 385.211) and the Regulations under the NGA (18 CFR 
157.10) by the comment date, below. A person obtaining party status 
will be placed on the service list maintained by the Secretary of the 
Commission and will receive copies of all documents filed by the 
applicant and by all other parties. A party must submit 14 copies of 
filings made with the Commission and must mail a copy to the applicant 
and to every other party in the proceeding. Only parties to the 
proceeding can ask for court review of Commission orders in the 
proceeding.
    However, a person does not have to intervene to have comments 
considered. The second way to participate is by filing with the 
Secretary of the Commission, as soon as possible, an original and two 
copies of comments in support of or in opposition to this project and/
or associated pipeline. The Commission will consider these comments in 
determining the appropriate action to be taken, but the filing of a 
comment alone will not serve to make the filer a party to the 
proceeding. The Commission's rules require that persons filing comments 
in opposition to the project provide copies of their protests only to 
the party or parties directly involved in the protest.
    Protests and interventions may be filed electronically via the 
Internet in lieu of paper; see 18 CFR 285.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the 
instructions on the Commission's Web site under the ``e-filing'' link. 
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings.
    The Commission may issue a preliminary determination on non-
environmental issues prior to the completion of its review of the 
environmental aspects of the project and associated pipeline. This 
preliminary determination typically considers such issues as the need 
for the project and its economic effect on existing customers of the 
applicant, on other pipelines in the area, and on landowners and 
communities. For example, the Commission considers the extent to which 
the applicant may need to exercise eminent domain to obtain rights-of-
way for the proposed pipeline and balances that against the non-
environmental benefits to be provided by the project.
    If the Commission decides to set the application for a formal 
hearing before an Administrative Law Judge, the Commission will issue 
another notice describing that process. At the end of the Commission's 
review process, a final Commission order approving or denying a 
certificate will be issued.
    Comment Date: February 14, 2007.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E7-1362 Filed 1-29-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P