NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECT LIFECYCLE

1
GITA Seminar onNew Construction Project
Lifecycle
The FERC Staff Approach to GIS
Lonnie Lister, Chief Gas Branch 3 Office of
Energy Projects Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission Washington, DC
JW Marriott Houston, TX September 20, 2004
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What is FERC?What Does FERC Do?

• Regulates the interstate transmission of
  natural gas, oil, and electricity, and the
  siting, construction, and operation of natural
  gas and hydropower projects.

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...and What Does FERC NOT Do?

• LDC regulation, electricity generation,
  transmission or distribution facilities oil
  pipeline facilities
• Water Quality Certifications
• Pipeline safety or pipeline safety and
  transportation on OCS
• Easement compensation

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Pipelines Certificated 01/2002 thru 07/2004
Georgia Straits (96)
1. Algonquin (285) 2. Islander East (285) 3.
Iroquois (85) 4. Columbia (135,270)
5. CIG (282,92) 6. CIG (118) 7. TransColorado
(125) 8. WIC (116)
Northwest (224)
Northwest (162,113)
Iroquois(70)
WBI (80)
NFS/DTI (150)
1
Northwest (191)
2
ANR (220,107)
3
6
Cheyenne Plains (560)
8
TETCO(223)
4
Tuscarora (96)
TETCO(250)
5
7
Cove Point (445)
Kern River (886)
Greenbrier (600)
El Paso (140)
East Tennessee (510)
Kern River (282)
TETCO (197)
North Baja (500)
SCG Pipeline (190)
Transco (323)
El Paso (320)
Southern (330)
Discovery (150)
Calypso (832)
11.2 BCF/D Total 2,770 Miles
Tennessee (320)
Ocean Express (842)
5
44
43
36
34
33
35
39
A
42
17
27
7
Existing and Proposed North American LNG Terminals
28
13
B
40
19
8
21
C
32
30
15
26
18
1
31
D
38
10
3
5
41
6
12
14
23
9
24
16
22
As of July 2004
4
11
25
2
20
US Jurisdiction FERC US Coast Guard
29
37
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Major FERC Initiatives
(Involving GIS)

• E-Government (electronic filing)
• Pre-Filing Process
• Outreach

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The Pre-Filing Process

• To encourage the pipeline industry to engage in
  early project-development involvement with the
  public and agencies, as contemplated by the
  National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the
  Council on Environmental Quality regulations

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Pre-Filing Requests

• Why Needed?
• Other Agencies On-Board?
• Stakeholders Identified?
• 3rd-Party Contractor Support
• Complete Application to be Filed
• Public Participation Plan

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FERC Staffs Role

• Written Acceptance PF Docket Established
• Flexible Process for Staff Involvement
• Scoping Notice/Meetings/Site Visits
• Review Draft Resource Reports
• Begin Preparation of NEPA Document

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Processing TimelinesTraditional vs. Pre-Filing
Develop Study Corridor
File At FERC
Prepare Resource Reports
Conduct Scoping
Draft EIS
Issue Order
Final EIS
Traditional
Develop Study Corridor
File At FERC
Prepare Resource Reports
Pre-Filing Accepted Begin Scoping
FERC Staff Reviews Draft Resource Reports
Prepare DEIS
Issue Order
Final EIS
NEPA Pre-Filing
Draft EIS
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24
(months)
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The E-Filing Initiative

• Supports FERC compliance with the Government
  Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) requiring
  Federal agencies to provide for the option of
• . . . electronic maintenance, submission or
  disclosure of information, when practicable as a
  substitute for paper. . .

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Filing Categories

• Public
• Non-Public/Privileged Information
• NIP (Non-Internet Public)
• CEII (Critical Energy Infrastructure Information)

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All GIS Data is CEII(Critical Energy
Infrastructure Information)

• Requires a Special Request to Obtain
• Not Subject to FOIA
• Requires a Need and Use Statement
• Requires a Non-Disclosure Agreement
• Subject to Approval by FERCs CEII Officer

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Guidelines for CD-ROM Filings

• General Requirements
• Acceptable/Preferred Formats
• Attribute data
• Accuracy Requirements
• Metadata

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GIS Filings at FERC

• Hi-Res Aerial Alignment Sheets/Photos
• Facility Locations Areas of Disturbance
• Required Environmental Resource Data
• Data Supporting Alternative Siting/Routing
  Analyses

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OEPs Approach to GIS

• Webviewer (ArcIMS application)
• Working w/INGAA on Filing Specs
• Intent to Coordinate Specs w/DOT Requirements
• New Filing Regulations Likely

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What are the Benefits?

• For Industry
• Faster Processing of Pipeline Certificates
• Fewer Data Requests
• Cost Savings on Filings Updates

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What are the Benefits?

• For FERC
• Electronic Filing
• Multi-User Capability
• Faster Assessments of Complaints

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...and Down the Road?

• Paperless Filings (?)
• Mapped Resource Data
• Compliance Tracking
• Post-Certificate Filings
• Field Inspections
• Wireless Access (?)

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The views and opinions expressed in this
presentation are solely those of the author, and
do not necessarily represent the views of the
Commission or its individual members.