FERC Extends Gas Pipeline Paperwork Status Quo
Published Date: 3/18/2026
Notice
Summary
FERC is extending the current paperwork rules for natural gas pipeline transactions for three more years with no changes. This affects interstate pipelines and local gas companies who report these transactions. If you’re involved, you can send your comments by May 18, 2026, but no new fees or forms are coming your way.
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 5 costs, 0 mixed.
Market-Based Storage Rate Filing Burden
Applicants seeking initial approval to charge market-based rates for natural gas storage must submit detailed filings (Statements A through I) demonstrating lack of market power and other requirements under 18 CFR 284.501–.505. FERC estimates 4 respondents for initial market-based rate (MBR) filings with an average burden of 350 hours and average cost per filing of $35,700.
Three-Year Extension of FERC-549
If you are a jurisdictional interstate or intrastate natural gas pipeline or a local distribution company, FERC is extending the existing FERC-549 paperwork requirements for three years with no proposed changes. The rule continues the reporting, recordkeeping, and cost burdens shown in the notice (total estimated annual burden: 7,976 hours and $800,767).
10-Day Notice for Market-Change Events
Storage providers authorized to charge market-based rates must notify FERC within 10 days of learning of significant changes in market-power status (for example, expanding storage capacity or an affiliate providing services in the same market). FERC estimates change-in-circumstances filings average 75 hours and $7,650 per filing, with 4 respondents shown in the estimate.
Certification and 30-Day Filing Rules
Before an interstate pipeline can provide transportation under 18 CFR 284.102(d)(3), it must receive a certification letter and sufficient information from the intrastate pipeline or LDC. Intrastate pipelines must file statements within 30 days of commencing new interstate transportation service and must amend filings within 30 days of operations or rate changes. FERC estimates the transportation/rates category covers 61 respondents, 2 responses each, with 50 hours per response and $5,100 average cost per response.
Five-Year Record Retention Rule
Entities subject to the Code of Conduct (interstate pipelines providing unbundled sales and persons with blanket marketing certificates) must retain all data and information used to bill prices or report price indices for five years. FERC estimates this retention burden covers 176 respondents at 1 hour each, with an average cost of $29.36 per respondent and a total annual cost of $5,167.
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