[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 27 (Wednesday, February 10, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6642-6643]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-3217]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Notice of Intent To Eliminate the Bulletin Board System
February 3, 1999.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (the Commission), hereby
gives notice that it intends to eliminate the Commission's Bulletin
Board System (BBS) effective on or about April 9, 1999. The BBS
currently consists of four parts, the Commission Issuance Posting
System (CIPS), the Electric Power Data (EPD), the FERC Form No. 1
Forum, and the Gas Pipeline Data (GPD). As explained further below, the
majority of the data from the BBS has been relocated to the
Commission's internet site at http://www.ferc.fed.us. The Commission
does not plan to move the remainder of the data.
With the advent of the Commission's internet site, use of the BBS
has dropped dramatically. Registered users have declined from over 3000
to 395 in a continuing downward trend. Calls per day to the BBS have
dropped from a high of 867 per day to less than 100 a day. This
contrasts with the average number of user visits per day to the
Commission's website of approximately 1590. The software used to
operate the BBS is not year 2000 compliant. In view of the increasing
popularity of the Commission's website and decline in use of the BBS,
the Commission has decided to reduce duplication and costs by
discontinuing the BBS.
The Commission will move files of continuing interest to the public
from the BBS to the Commission's internet site. Specifically, the data
being moved to the Commission's Internet site is listed in Appendix A
of this notice and described below.
The internet version of CIPS, CIPS on the Web, became available on
November 10, 1997. Based on input from users of CIPS on the Web, an
upgrade was completed on January 6, 1999. The upgrade added new
features such as the ability to do a combined search; to download
multiple files; to find files loaded since the last time the user
accessed the system; and improved Help screens. These new features
provide much of the functionality available on CIPS.
All data available on the Electric Power Data portion of the BBS
has been to the Commission's internet site. This data may be found on
the portion of the internet site dedicated to the electric industry.
The Form No. 1 data and submission software found in the FERC No. 1 may
also be found at this location.
For this 1998 report to be filed in April 1999, the Commission is
upgrading the submission software it provides electric utilities to
complete Form No. 1. Details of this upgrade were provided in the
notice issued in Docket No. RM93-20-000 on January 13, 1999 (64 Fed.
Reg. 3074). The new submission software requires the data to be
submitted in a new data format, a format consistent with the
Commission's Form No. 1 database. To provide consistency and ease of
use, the Commission plans to make available for viewing and printing
the Form No. 1 data in its database via the Internet. Upon availability
of the database, Form No. 1 data will no longer be made available by
the Commission in the old format. The Commission does not have plans to
maintain the old submission software used to view and print the
historical data in the old format. Until the Form No. 1 database is
available through the Internet, the data and submission software
historically available for download from the BBS will be available on
the Internet.
The majority of the data available on the GPD has been relocated to
the Commission's internet site. Form No. 8, the Underground Gas Storage
Report, will not be moved from the BBS to the internet site. By Order
No. 581,\1\ the Commission discontinued Form No. 8. No Form No. 8 data
was filed after October 1995. While the electronic data collected in
the form will not be available through the website, a paper version of
the forms may be ordered from the Records Information Management System
(RIMS). RIMS can be accessed from the Commission's website.
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\1\ Revisions to Uniform System of Accounts, Forms, Statements,
and Reporting Requirements for Natural Gas Companies, Order No. 581,
60 Fed. Reg. 53,019 (October 11, 1995), 72 FERC para. 61,301 (1995),
order on reh'g, Order No. 581-A, 74 FERC para. 61,223 (1996).
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An area was established within the GPD for communications relating
to the work being done by the working groups established pursuant to
the orders issued in Docket Nos. RM95-3-000 \2\ and RM95-4-000.\3\ The
tasks set for these working groups have been completed. The files found
in this area will not be transferred to the Internet.
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\2\ Filing and Reporting Requirements for Interstate Natural Gas
Company Rate Schedules and Tariffs, Order No. 582, 60 Fed. Reg.
52,960 (October 11, 1995), 72 FERC para. 61,300 (1995), order on
reh'g, Order No. 582-1, 61 Fed. Reg. 9613 (March 11, 1996), 74 FERC
para. 61,224 (1996).
\3\ See, n.1.
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Some of the files which relate to reporting periods pre-dating
January 1, 1996 relating to Form 2 and Form 11 will not be transferred
to the Internet. These files are now obsolete, no longer supported, or
in insufficient demand. These include the print software, user manual,
edit check software, company contacts, and data in the SAS format.\4\
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\4\ SAS format is a proprietary format used by SAS, an
integrated computer applications system, formerly used by the
Commission to process selected electronic filings.
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Comment Procedures
The Commission invites interested persons to submit written
comments on the matters and issues in this notice. The original and 14
copies of such comments must be received by the Commission before 5:00
p.m. [insert date 30 days after publication in the Federal Register].
Comments should be submitted to the Office of the Secretary, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.
20426 and should refer to Public Access to the Commission's Bulletin
Board System.
In addition to filing paper copies, the Commission encourages the
filing of comments either on computer diskette or via Internet E-Mail.
Comments may be filed in the following formats: WordPerfect 6.1 or
lower version, MS Word Office 97 or lower version, or ASCII format.
For diskette filing, include the following information on the
diskette label: Public Access to Commission's Bulletin Board System;
the name of the filing entity; the software and version used to create
the file; and the name and telephone number of a contact person.
For Internet E-Mail submittal, comments should be sent to
``[email protected]'' in the following format. On the subject
line, specify ``Public Access to Commission's Bulletin Board System''
In the body of the E-Mail message, include the name of the filing
entity; the software and version used to create the file, and the name
and telephone number of the contact person. Attach the comment to the
E-Mail in one of the formats specified above. The Commission will send
an automatic acknowledgment to the sender's E-Mail address upon
receipt. Questions on electronic filing should be directed to Brooks
Carter at
[[Page 6643]]
(202) 501-8145 or by e-mail at [email protected].
Comments should take note that, until the Commission amends its
rules and regulations, the paper copy of the filing remains the
official copy of the document submitted. Therefore, any discrepancies
between the paper filing and the electronic filing or the diskette will
be resolved by reference to the paper filing.
All written comments will be placed in the Commission's public
files and will be available for inspection in the Commission's Public
Reference room at 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426,
during regular business hours. Additionally, comments may be viewed and
printed remotely via the Internet through FERC's Homepage using the
RIMS link or the Energy Information Online icon. RIMS user assistance
is available at 202-208-2222, or by E-Mail to [email protected].
David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-3217 Filed 2-9-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M