Washington, DC – The American Gas Association (AGA) and Van Ness Feldman LLP today announced the release of the 2014 Edition of The AGA FERC Manual—A Guide for Local Distribution Companies. 

Since the enactment of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, in which Congress gave the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) powerful enforcement authority, local distribution companies (LDCs) have made compliance with FERC regulations a particular focus of attention.  To assist its members in understanding and addressing these compliance obligations, AGA commissioned this important manual.

The 2014 Edition of the AGA FERC Manual is an authoritative source of information about FERC’s governing statutes, as well as the rules that affect LDCs and other shippers.  The AGA FERC Manual is organized to be an easy-to-use reference guide.  It includes sections explaining FERC’s regulatory authority, offers insights about dealing with FERC’s various offices, including the Office of Enforcement, and provides guidance about developing and reviewing compliance plans.  Also included in the AGA FERC Manual are summaries of some of the more complex FERC requirements, restrictions, and pronouncements, such as Capacity Release Rules and Penalty Guidelines.  The 2014 Edition includes new and revised tables, charts, checklists, and hypotheticals.

Lawrence Acker is the principal author and editor of the 2014 AGA FERC Manual.  Many other Van Ness Feldman lawyers are contributing authors.  Their work on the AGA FERC Manual covers a number of new subjects not included in previous editions, such as:

• Participating in reverse open seasons;
• Proposed pipeline abandonments and conditions under which existing capacity commitments can be retained;
• Construction under the Natural Gas Policy Act (“NGPA”) section 311;
• The role of Most Favored Nations provisions in contracts of Anchor Shippers and Foundation Shippers and their relationship to pipeline tariffs;
• New developments respecting gas-electric coordination;
• The continuing development of FERC’s market manipulation rules and FERC’s relationship with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); 
• Substantial new explanatory materials about  CFTC’s authority;
• Developments affecting the extent of federal jurisdiction over retail sales; and
• Limitations and restrictions on permanent capacity releases.

This Edition of the AGA FERC Manual is accompanied by an 11-DVD set of recorded seminars presented by Larry Acker, other Van Ness Feldman lawyers, including Brian O’Neill, Paul Korman, Greg Junge, Richard Bonnifield, Lisa Epifani, Shippen Howe, Emily Pitlick, and a special appearance by a long-standing friend of the AGA, and former Van Ness Feldman lawyer, Curt Moffatt.

The DVDs reflect the latest regulatory and judicial developments, including:  History of FERC Natural Gas Regulation; Dodd-Frank Compliance; Pipeline Services (including discussion of gas-electric coordination); Obtaining Capacity Directly from the Pipeline and Conditions of Abandonment; Capacity Release; LDCs as Sellers of Natural Gas and as Transporters; Standards of Conduct; FERC’s Market Manipulation Rules; Enforcement Part I (including Obtaining Guidance from FERC Officials, Internal Investigations and Self-Reports), Enforcement Part II (including FERC Investigations and Audits, Penalty Procedures); and Compliance Planning.

The 2014 Edition of the AGA FERC Manual can be purchased by AGA members and the general public by clicking here.

The American Gas Association, founded in 1918, represents more than 200 local energy companies that deliver clean natural gas throughout the United States.  There are more than 71 million residential, commercial and industrial natural gas customers in the U.S., of which 94 percent—over 68 million customers—receive their gas from AGA members.  Today, natural gas meets more than one-fourth of the United States’ energy needs.

Van Ness Feldman provides strategic business advice, legal and regulatory compliance counsel, representation in administrative proceedings and litigation, legislative and policy advocacy, and support for development, permitting, and transactions in energy and infrastructure projects.  Van Ness Feldman serves a diverse range of clients including leading LDCs, electric utilities, natural gas and oil production and pipeline interests, renewable energy project developers, manufacturing and industrial concerns, financial institutions , and clean technology companies.  Additional information is available at www.vnf.com.