42 U.S.C. § 13234: Federal Energy Regulatory…

Summary

Lets the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission let natural gas companies recover, ahead of time, costs for Gas Research Institute projects. These projects can study using natural gas (and fuels made from it) for transportation and ways to cut pollution and emissions from burning other fuels. The Commission can approve this only if it finds the benefits to current and future customers, including environmental gains, are greater than the direct costs to those customers. The same rule applies to electric utilities and Electric Power Research Institute projects on electric vehicles. The Commission must, as much as possible, require cofunding so some costs come from other sources (cash, staff, services, equipment, or other help) instead of only from customer charges.

Title 42, §13234

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Natural gas motor vehicles

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission may, under section 717c of title 15, allow recovery of expenses in advance by natural-gas companies for research, development, and demonstration activities by the Gas Research Institute for projects on the use of natural gas, including fuels derived from natural gas, for transportation, and projects on the use of natural gas to control pollutants and to control emissions from the combustion of other fuels, if the Commission finds that the benefits, including environmental benefits, to existing and future ratepayers resulting from such activities exceed all direct costs to existing and future ratepayers. To the maximum extent practicable, through the establishment of cofunding requirements applicable to such projects, the Commission shall ensure that the costs of such activities shall be provided in part, through contributions of cash, personnel, services, equipment, and other resources, by sources other than the recovery of expenses pursuant to this section.

(b)Electric motor vehicles

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission may, under section 824d of title 16, allow recovery of expenses in advance by electric utilities for research, development, and demonstration activities by the Electric Power Research Institute for projects on electric motor vehicles, if the Commission finds that the benefits, including environmental benefits, to existing and future ratepayers resulting from such activities exceed all direct costs to existing and future ratepayers. To the maximum extent practicable, through the establishment of cofunding requirements applicable to each project, the costs of such activities shall be provided, in part, through contributions of cash, personnel, services, equipment, and other resources, by sources other than the recovery of expenses pursuant to this section.

Editorial Notes

Codification Section is comprised of section 408 of Pub. L. 102–486. Subsec. (c) of section 408 of Pub. L. 102–486 repealed provisions of title III of Pub. L. 102–104, formerly set out as a note under section 717c of Title 15, Commerce and Trade.

§13234 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Authority to Approve Recovery of Certain Expenses in Advance

Summary

Title 42, §13234

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

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