Dakota Gas Plant. FERC reverses law judge, ok's settlement on rates for synthetic natural gas produced at the Dakota Gasification plant. Commissioner James Hoecker terms result "unhappy," citing jurisdictional constraints: "I feel we are supporting a resolution in this case that otherwise would not be in the public interest." Dkt. Nos. RP93-100-000 et al., Dec. 18, 1996.
Reactor Designs. NRC certifies two new designs for nuclear reactors: ASEA Brown Boveri-Combustion Engineering System 80+, and General Electric Nuclear Energy Advanced Boiling Water Reactor. Each has a capacity of about 1300 megawatts. The NRC received the designs in 1987, completed technical review in 1994. Dkt. No. 96-170, Dec. 6, 1996.
GRI Funding. Gas Research Institute asks FERC to approve new funding mechanism, with separate surcharges for programs for 1) supply and transmission (discountable volumetric surcharge collected from shippers; essentially the same as current funding method) and 2) distribution (a "delivery charge" billed to LDCs and intrastate pipelines on volumes shipped for redelivery, with allowance for discounting). Dkt. No. 97-149, Dec. 2, 1996.
Gas/Electric Mergers. Pacific Enterprises (parent of Southern California Gas Co.) and Enova Corp. ask FERC to decline jurisdiction over their proposed merger, noting that FERC previously has ruled that it lacks jurisdiction over mergers of public utility holding companies. Dkt. No. EL97-15-000.