The Commission authorizes the General Counsel or the General Counsel's designee to:

(a) Designate officers empowered to administer oaths and affirmations, subpoena witnesses, compel their attendance and testimony, take evidence, compel the filing of special reports and interrogatories, gather information, and require the production of any books, papers, correspondence, memoranda, contracts, agreements, or other records, in the course of formal investigations conducted by the Office of the General Counsel to the extent the Commission's order of investigation expressly provides for the exercise of such investigative powers.

(b) Grant or deny requests of persons pursuant to §1b.12 of this chapter to procure copies of the transcripts of their testimony taken during non-public investigations conducted by the Office of the General Counsel.

(c) Terminate any informal non-public investigation conducted by the Office of the General Counsel.

(d) Terminate the authority of officers to administer oaths and affirmations, subpoena witnesses, compel their attendance and testimony, take evidence, compel the filing of special reports and interrogatories, gather information, and require the production of any books, papers, correspondence, memoranda, contracts, agreements or other records in the course of formal investigations conducted by the Office of the General Counsel.

(e) Designate presiding officers for proceedings under §385.1110, who will have all the authorities and duties vested in presiding officers by that section and other applicable rules in conducting proceedings pursuant to section 502(c) of the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978, 15 U.S.C. 3301-3432 (1982).

(f) Deny or grant, in whole or in part, petitions for waivers of fees prescribed in §381.305 of this chapter in accordance with §381.106 of this chapter.

(g) Grant uncontested applications for exempt wholesale generator status that do not involve unusual or interpretation issues; to act on uncontested motions to withdraw such applications; and to act on uncontested amendments to applications for EWG status that do not present unusual or interpretation issues.

(h) Deny or grant, in whole or in part, an appeal of a determination by the CEII Coordinator.

(i) Deny or grant, in whole or in part, an appeal of a Freedom of Information Act determination by the Director of the Office of External Affairs.

[Order 38, 44 FR 46453, Aug. 8, 1979]