(a) Blanket certificate. Any interstate pipeline may apply under this section for a single blanket certificate authorizing the transportation of natural gas on behalf of others in accordance with this subpart. A certificate of public convenience and necessity under this section is granted pursuant to section 7 of the Natural Gas Act.

(b) Application procedure.

(1) An application for a blanket certificate under this section must be filed electronically. The format for the electronic application filing can be obtained at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Division of Information Services, Public Reference and Files Maintenance Branch, Washington, DC 20426, and must include:

(i) The name of the interstate pipeline; and

(ii) A statement by the interstate pipeline that it will comply with the conditions in paragraph (c) of this section.

(2) Upon receipt of an application under this section, the Commission will conduct a hearing pursuant to section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act and §157.11 of this chapter and, if required by the public convenience and necessity, will issue to the interstate pipeline a blanket certificate authorizing such pipeline company to transport natural gas, as provided under this subpart.

(c) General conditions. Any blanket certificate under this subpart is subject to the conditions of subpart A of this part.

(d) Pre-grant of abandonment.

(1) Except as provided in paragraph (d)(2) of this section, abandonment of transportation services is authorized pursuant to section 7(b) of the Natural Gas Act upon the expiration of the contractual term or upon termination of each individual transportation arrangement authorized under a certificate granted under this section.

(2) Paragraph (d)(1) of this section does not apply if the individual transportation arrangement is for firm transportation under a contract with a term of one year or more, and the firm shipper:

(i) Exercises any contractual right to continue such service; or

(ii) Gives notice that it wants to continue its transportation arrangement and will match the longest term and highest rate for its firm service, up to the applicable maximum rate under §284.10, offered to the pipeline during the period established in the pipeline's tariff for receiving such offers by any other person desiring firm capacity, and executes a contract matching the terms of any such offer. To be eligible to exercise this right of first refusal, the firm shipper's contract must be for service for twelve consecutive months or more at the applicable maximum rate for that service, except that a contract for more than one year, for a service which is not available for 12 consecutive months, would be subject to the right of first refusal.

(e) Availability of regular certificates. This subpart does not preclude an interstate pipeline from applying for an individual certificate of public convenience and necessity for any particular transportation service.

(f) Cross references.

(1) Any local distribution company served by an interstate pipeline may apply for a blanket certificate to perform certain services under §284.224 of this chapter.

(2) Any interstate pipeline may apply under subpart F of part 157 of this chapter for a blanket certificate to construct or acquire and operate certain natural gas facilities that are necessary to provide transportation under §284.223.

(3) Section 157.208 of this chapter provides automatic authorization for the construction, acquisition, operation, replacement, and miscellaneous rearrangement of certain eligible facilities, as defined in §157.202 of this chapter, subject to limits specified in §157.208(d) of this chapter and §284.11.

(4) Authorization for delivery points is subject to the automatic authorization under §157.211(a)(1) and the prior notice procedures under §157.211(a)(2) and §157.205.

(g) Flexible receipt point authority.

(1) An interstate pipeline authorized to transport gas under a certificate granted under this section may, at the request of the shipper and without prior notice:

(i) Reduce or discontinue receipts of natural gas at a particular receipt point from a supplier; and

(ii) Commence or increase receipts at a particular receipt point from that supplier or any other supplier.

(2) The total natural gas volumes received by the interstate pipeline following any such reassignment under this paragraph must not exceed the total volume of natural gas that the interstate pipeline may transport on behalf of the shipper under a certificate granted under this section.

(3) The receipt points to which natural gas volumes may be reassigned under this paragraph include eligible facilities under §157.208 which are authorized to be constructed and operated pursuant to a certificate issued under subpart F of part 157 of this chapter.

(h) Flexible delivery point authority.

(1) An interstate pipeline authorized to transport gas under a certificate issued pursuant to this section may at the request of the shipper and without prior notice:

(i) Reduce or discontinue deliveries of natural gas to a particular delivery point; and

(ii) Commence or increase deliveries at a particular delivery point.

(2) The total natural gas volumes delivered by the interstate pipeline following any such reassignment must not exceed the total amount of natural gas that the interstate pipeline is authorized under a certificate issued pursuant to this section to transport on behalf of the shipper.

(3) The delivery points to which natural gas volumes may be reassigned under this paragraph include facilities authorized to be constructed and operated only under §157.211 and the prior notice conditions of §157.205 of this chapter.

[Order 436, 50 FR 42496, Oct. 18, 1985, as amended by Order 433-A, 51 FR 43607, Dec. 3, 1986; Order 636, 57 FR 13317, Apr. 16, 1992; Order 636-A, 57 FR 36217, Aug. 12, 1992; Order 581, 60 FR 53073, Oct. 11, 1995; Order 603, 64 FR 26610, May 14, 1999; Order 637, 65 FR 10222, Feb. 25, 2000; Order 637-A, 65 FR 35765, June 5, 2000]