On September 19, 2013, the staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued its Gas-Electric Coordination Quarterly Report to the Commission in Docket No. AD12-12 covering the period June 2013 through August 2013. The staff also presented the FERC Commissioners with a quarterly update on the same period.
The report and the update identify and summarize regional coordination initiatives and FERC actions, including the proposed rulemaking issued on July 18 regarding inter-industry communications. In the notice of proposed rulemaking, FERC sought public comment on express FERC authorization to share non-public information between interstate natural gas pipelines and electric transmission operators. In the proposed rule, FERC sought comment on a No-Conduit Rule prohibiting disclosure of the non-public information after receiving it. The comment period closed on August 26, and FERC received 33 public comments. Now, FERC is reviewing the comments and will issue a Final Rule upon completion of the review.