Pine Prairie Energy Center, LLC; Notice of Extension of Time Request, 19940 [2020-07496]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 69 (Thursday, April 9, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 19940]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-07496]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP11-1-000]


Pine Prairie Energy Center, LLC; Notice of Extension of Time 
Request

    Take notice that on March 31, 2020, Pine Prairie Energy Center, LLC 
(Pine Prairie) requested that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
(Commission) grant an extension of time, until May 18, 2023, to 
construct and place into service two underground storage caverns 
(Cavern Nos. 6 and 7) which are part of the Phase III Expansion portion 
of its Pine Prairie Energy Center facilities. The Phase III Expansion 
Project was authorized on May 19, 2011 and the Pine Prairie Energy 
Center was originally authorized on November 23, 2004.
    Pine Prairie was initially required to construct the Phase III 
Expansion facilities and place them into service by May 19, 2014. On 
April 22, 2014, the Office of Energy Projects, by delegated order, 
extended the deadline through May 18, 2017. On March 28, 2017 the 
Office of Energy Projects, by delegated order, extended the deadline 
through May 18, 2020. Pine Prairie now requests a three-year extension 
of this deadline through May 18, 2023. To date, Pine Prairie has not 
been able to construct Cavern Nos. 6 and 7 because the required 
approvals from the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources have been 
delayed.
    This notice establishes a 15-calendar day intervention and comment 
period deadline. Any person wishing to comment on the extension motion 
may do so. No reply comments or answers will be considered. If you wish 
to obtain legal status by becoming a party to the proceedings for this 
request, you should, on or before the comment date stated below, file 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 Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.10). 
However, only motions to intervene from entities that were party to the 
underlying proceeding will be accepted.
    As a matter of practice, the Commission itself generally acts on 
requests for extensions of time to complete construction for NGA 
facilities when such requests are contested before order issuance. For 
those extension requests that are contested,\1\ the Commission acting 
as a whole will aim to issue an order acting on the request within 45 
days.\2\ The Commission will address all arguments relating to whether 
the applicant has demonstrated there is good cause to grant the 
extension. The Commission will not consider arguments that re-litigate 
the issuance of the certificate order, including whether the Commission 
properly found the project to be in the public convenience and 
necessity and whether the Commission's environmental analysis for the 
certificate complied with the National Environmental Policy Act.\3\ At 
the time a pipeline requests an extension of time, orders on 
certificates of public convenience and necessity are final and the 
Commission will not re-litigate their issuance. The OEP Director, or 
his or her designee, will act on all of those extension requests that 
are uncontested.
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    \1\ Contested proceedings are those where an intervenor disputes 
any material issue of the filing. 18 CFR 385.2201(c)(1) (2019).
    \2\ Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC 61,144, at P 40 
(2020).
    \3\ Similarly, the Commission will not re-litigate the issuance 
of an NGA section 3 authorization, including whether a proposed 
project is not inconsistent with the public interest and whether the 
Commission's environmental analysis for the permit order complied 
with NEPA.
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    In addition to publishing the full text of this document in the 
Federal Register, the Commission provides all interested persons an 
opportunity to view and/or print the contents of this document via the 
internet through the Commission's Home Page (https://ferc.gov) using the 
eLibrary link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits 
in the docket number field to access the document. At this time, the 
Commission has suspended access to the Commission's Public Reference 
Room, due to the proclamation declaring a National Emergency concerning 
the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), issued by the President on 
March 13, 2020. For assistance, contact FERC at 
[email protected] or call toll-free, (886) 208-3676 or TYY, 
(202) 502-8659.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings of comments, 
protests and interventions in lieu of paper using the eFiling link at 
https://www.ferc.gov. Persons unable to file electronically may mail 
similar pleadings to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426. Hand delivered submissions in 
docketed proceedings should be delivered to Health and Human Services, 
12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
    Comment Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 20, 2020.

    Dated: April 3, 2020.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-07496 Filed 4-8-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P