SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

I. Overview

1. In this final rule, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) amends its regulations at 18 CFR 284.12 to incorporate by reference, as mandatory enforceable requirements, revisions to three of the WGQ Version 4.0 business practice standards applicable to natural gas pipelines: Additional Standards, Electronic Delivery Mechanism Standards, and Capacity Release Related Standards and an updated version of the WGQ Invoicing Related Standards that includes the Minor Correction incorporated by reference in Order No. 587-AA.^[1] This final rule requires interstate natural gas pipelines to file compliance filings with the Commission by September 1, 2026, with an effective date of the tariff records of January 1, 2027.^[2]

2. On December 4, 2024, NAESB reported to the Commission that it had approved the revisions to three sets of standards. The revised standards will streamline the process for accessing publicly available gas-electric coordination data during extreme cold weather or emergency events and improve communication among natural gas and electricity market participants to enhance situational awareness during extreme cold weather events.^[3] Coordination between the gas and electric sectors is essential to maintaining reliability for both the natural gas pipeline network system and the bulk electric system, especially during periods when both systems have coincident peak requirements.

II. Background

3. Since 1996, the Commission has incorporated by reference in its regulations NAESB's business practice standards and communication methodologies of interstate natural gas pipelines to create a more integrated and efficient pipeline network system. These regulations have been promulgated in the Order No. 587 series of orders,^[4] wherein the Commission has incorporated by reference the standards for interstate natural gas pipeline business practices and electronic communications developed by NAESB's WGQ. Upon incorporation by reference, these revisions to three sets of standards will add two new standards and revise one standard in the currently incorporated version of NAESB's business practice standards.

4. On July 25, 2022, the Commission and NERC sent a letter to NAESB requesting that NAESB convene a forum “to identify actions that will improve the reliability of the natural gas infrastructure system as necessary to support the bulk electric system and to address recurring challenges stemming from natural gas-electric infrastructure interdependency.” ^[5]

5. In response to that letter, NAESB convened a Gas-Electric Harmonization Forum to consider issues related to the challenges stemming from natural gas-electric interdependence. Over 700 individuals representing more than 370 organizations from all segments of the natural gas and electric markets participated in the Gas-Electric Harmonization Forum. NAESB released its Gas-Electric Harmonization Forum Report on July 28, 2023, which identified 20 recommendations for consideration to improve the reliability of natural gas infrastructure as necessary to support the bulk electric system and to address the recurring challenges stemming from natural gas-electric interdependency.^[6]

6. On November 7, 2023, as updated on February 28, 2024, the Commission, NERC, and various regional entities published a report on the performance of the bulk power system during the cold weather event that occurred between December 21 and December 26, 2022 (Winter Storm Elliott).^[7] To help improve natural gas-electric coordination and grid reliability, the Winter Storm Elliott Report recommended that NAESB “convene natural gas infrastructure entities, electric grid operators, and local distribution companies to identify ( printed page 31653) improvements in communication during extreme cold weather events to enhance situational awareness.” ^[8]

7. In response to the Winter Storm Elliott Report, the NAESB Board of Directors directed, as part of its 2024 Annual Plan, the joint WGQ, Wholesale Electric Quadrant (WEQ), and Retail Market Quadrant (RMQ) Business Practices Subcommittees to review and modify the NAESB Gas/Electric Coordination Business Practice Standards, and any corresponding standards, to improve communications among gas and electric market participants and enhance situational awareness during extreme weather events without endangering sensitive commercial information. The Joint WGQ, WEQ, and RMQ Business Practices Subcommittees recommended proposing new and revised WGQ Business Practice Standards, which the NAESB WGQ Executive Committee approved on October 24, 2024 and the NAESB WGQ membership ratified on November 25, 2024.^[9]

8. On December 4, 2024, NAESB filed its Informational Report informing the Commission that it had revised three sets of standards applicable to interstate natural gas pipelines. Notably, the Informational Report identifies revisions to three sets of standards which include two new standards and one revised standard. One new standard facilitates the posting of applicable scheduled quantity information for power plants that are directly connected to the pipeline as part of the new “Gas Electric Coordination” posting category. The one revised standard includes a new “Gas Electric Coordination” posting category. The second new standard supports the inclusion of the geographic information of impacted area(s), location(s), and/or pipeline facility(ies) by a transportation service provider when issuing a critical notice. Pipelines are currently required to make this information available through computer-to-computer electronic data interchange in addition to other batch file downloadable formats they may provide.^[10]

III. NOPR

9. On October 16, 2025, the Commission issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) requesting comment on the proposed adoption of the revisions to three sets of standards.^[11]

IV. Comments on the NOPR

10. On January 20, 2026, the Commission received eight comments on the NOPR representing a variety of industry stakeholders, including one comment from a public citizen. Seven commenters, including American Gas Association (AGA), American Public Gas Association (APGA), Utility Coalition,^[12] ISO/RTO Council,^[13] NERC, INGAA, and Conservative Political Action Coalition Foundation Center for Regulatory Freedom (CRF) support the proposed revisions to the three sets of standards included in the NOPR. One commenter, James Hunter Poole, objects to “the proposed FERC rule as written” because it includes documentation requirements that Mr. Poole characterizes as excessive. Several supporting commenters also provide comments on additional gas-electric coordination improvements and recommendations for various Commission actions beyond revisions to the three sets of standards.^[14] We summarize the comments below.

11. AGA states that the modifications will promote greater gas-electric coordination and situational awareness during severe weather events and are steps toward the goal of a more transparent process through enhanced real-time information sharing to ensure all stakeholders have a more accurate view of current system conditions.^[15] APGA states that the modifications “will ensure all market participants have equal access to this critical information,” particularly for the communities served by municipal gas systems.^[16] The Utility Coalition emphasizes that the revised standards represent a meaningful advancement toward enhancing real-time operational transparency across the interdependent natural gas and electric system.^[17] ISO/RTO Council supports the incorporation by reference of each of these changes into the Commission's regulations as providing more timely and actionable information about the gas system to enable more effective gas-electric coordination and reduce the risk of potential impacts on system reliability.^[18] NERC emphasizes that the modifications align with the Winter Storm Elliott Report and its own work plan priorities.^[19] INGAA also supports the proposal and urges the Commission to, if possible, consider an effective date for the revisions to the three sets of standards that falls earlier in the winter heating period.^[20] CRF commends the Commission for relying on revisions to the three sets of consensus-based standards and agrees that the revisions “impose modest, one-time compliance costs that are justified by [the] reliability benefits.” ^[21]

12. Multiple commenters emphasize that establishing a new information posting category, Gas Electric Coordination, on the pipelines' Informational Postings website will significantly improve situational awareness, particularly during extreme weather events.^[22] AGA notes that creation of this posting category would help streamline the process for stakeholders to access data during extreme weather conditions so that available data is centralized and easily accessible.^[23]

13. NERC states that the revisions to the three sets of standards would address Winter Storm Elliott Report recommendations to enhance situational awareness by increasing accessibility and visibility of information about fuel availability and impacted areas and pipeline facilities that could affect power plants and impact electric systems.^[24] NERC states that both the new Gas-Electric Coordination posting category on pipelines' Informational Postings websites and the geographic information of impacted areas, locations, and pipeline facilities in critical notices are enhancements that ( printed page 31654) provide a common platform for operational exchanges and unified situational awareness.^[25]

14. James Hunter Poole generally protests the paperwork and compliance burden estimates set forth in the NOPR while not providing substantive comments on the revisions to the three sets of standards.

V. Discussion

15. In the NOPR, the Commission proposed to incorporate by reference in its regulations revisions to the three sets of standards in the currently incorporated version of the standards. No commenters substantively opposed the proposed revisions to the three sets of standards.^[26]

16. In this final rule, we adopt the proposal to incorporate by reference in the Commission's regulations the revisions to three sets of standards in the currently incorporated version of the standards. Each set of business practice standards is hereafter referred to as a “manual.”

17. We require compliance filings to be made by September 1, 2026, with an effective date of January 1, 2027. We discuss below some specific aspects of NAESB's Informational Report.

A. Modifications to the NAESB WGQ Version 4.0 Business Practice Standards

18. NAESB used its consensus procedures to develop and approve revisions to three sets of standards. As the Commission found in Order No. 587, the adoption of consensus standards is appropriate because the consensus process helps ensure the reasonableness of the standards by requiring that the standards draw support from a broad spectrum of industry participants representing all segments of the industry.^[28] Moreover, since the industry itself must conduct business under these standards, the Commission's regulations should reflect those standards that have the widest possible support. In section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995,^[29] Congress affirmatively requires federal agencies to use technical standards developed by voluntary consensus standards organizations, like NAESB, as a means to carry out policy objectives or activities.

19. We incorporate by reference into the Commission's regulations revisions to three sets of standards in the currently incorporated version of the standards, as discussed below.

1. WGQ Additional Standards

20. One new standard, WGQ Standard No. 0.3.30, in the Additional Standards manual, provides that a natural gas transportation service provider must post scheduled quantity information for power plants directly connected to the pipeline, as part of the newly established Gas Electric Coordination posting category. WGQ Standard No. 0.3.30 identifies examples of the data that could be posted in a new information posting category, “Gas Electric Coordination” (discussed below), including Cycle Indicator (Cycle),^[30] Effective Gas Day,^[31] Effective Time,^[32] generator's location information,^[33] measurement basis,^[34] posting date and time,^[35] and scheduled quantity associated with power plants that are directly connected to an interstate pipeline.^[36]

2. WGQ Quadrant Electronic Delivery Mechanism Standards

21. Revised existing standard WGQ Standard No. 4.3.23 under the Quadrant Electronic Delivery Mechanism Standards manual establishes the new information posting category, “Gas Electric Coordination,” on a transportation service provider's Informational Postings website where a transportation service provider must post publicly available data, including scheduled quantity information for RTOs/ISOs and other parties to access such data.

3. WGQ Capacity Release Related Standards

22. New standard, WGQ Standard No. 5.3.74 under the Capacity Release Related Standards manual provides that geographic information must be included when a natural gas transportation service provider issues a critical notice, such as geographic information of impacted areas, locations, and pipeline facilities.^[37]

B. Compliance and Implementation Dates

23. Pipelines are required to make compliance filings incorporating the ( printed page 31655) NAESB standards into their tariffs by September 1, 2026. We are adopting this compliance filing schedule to give interstate natural gas pipelines subject to these standards time to prepare compliance filings implementing these changes.

24. INGAA highlights the importance of implementing these modifications earlier in the winter heating period to enhance situational awareness when both the gas and electric systems have coincident peak requirements.^[38] In addition, INGAA suggests that the Commission provide pipelines with flexibility to implement the proposed rule earlier, if practical, at a time that minimizes disruptions. Lastly, INGAA suggests that the Commission require implementation of this rule on the first gas day of the month.

25. We are requiring implementation by January 1, 2027. Consistent with INGAA's suggestion that the Commission provide pipelines with flexibility to implement the proposed rule earlier in the winter heating period, we confirm that interstate natural gas pipelines can voluntarily implement these NAESB standards at an earlier date.^[39] While the implementation date is relatively early in the winter heating season, we expect that implementation should not be particularly time consuming or disruptive to the industry as the standards involve only the posting of information relating to the natural gas and electric industries during extreme cold weather or emergency events.

C. Implementation Procedures

26. We will continue the compliance filing requirements as revised and prescribed in Order No. 587-V to increase the transparency of the interstate natural gas pipelines' incorporation by reference of the NAESB WGQ Standards so that shippers and the Commission will know which tariff provision(s) implements each standard as well as the status of each standard.^[40]

27. Consistent with the Commission's practice since Order No. 587-V, each interstate natural gas pipeline must designate a single tariff section under which every NAESB WGQ Standard incorporated by reference by the Commission is listed.^[41] In that tariff section, the pipeline must list for each standard:

(a) whether the standard is incorporated by reference;

(b) for those standards not incorporated by reference, the tariff provision that complies with the standard; or

(c) for those standards with which the pipeline does not comply, an explanatory statement, including an indication of whether the pipeline has been granted a waiver, extension of time, or other variance with respect to compliance with the standard.^[42]

28. Likewise, consistent with past practice, we will post on our eLibrary website (under Docket No. RM96-1-044) a sample tariff format, to provide filers with an illustrative example to aid them in preparing their compliance filings. Also, consistent with our policy since Order No. 587-V,^[43] entities may request waivers under the requirements set forth in Order No. 587-V and the Commission will evaluate those requests at that time.^[44]

29. If the pipeline is requesting a continuation of an existing waiver or extension of time, it must include a table in its transmittal letter that identifies the standard for which the Commission granted a waiver or extension of time, and the docket number or order citation to the proceeding in which the Commission granted the waiver or extension of time. The pipeline also must present an explanation for why such waiver or extension of time should remain in force regarding a revision to the three sets of standards in the currently incorporated version of the standards.

30. This approach to implementation continues the Commission's practice of having pipelines include in their tariffs a common location that identifies the way in which the pipeline is incorporating all the NAESB WGQ Standards and the standards with which it is required to comply.

VI. Additional Areas for Gas-Electric Coordination

31. Commenters also provided suggestions for further action to promote gas-electric coordination beyond revisions to the three sets of standards.^[45] ISO/RTO Council encourages the Commission to support proposed rules or practices that can enhance reliability of electric and gas transmission and distribution systems.^[46] Further, ISO/RTO Council suggests that the Commission could expand dialogues with ISOs/RTOs and national gas industry associations to include other entities involved in the natural gas supply chain to better assess how to improve situational awareness and understand constraints that may affect reliability of the electricity and gas transmission systems.^[47]

32. CRF suggests early engagement on gas-electric coordination to allow the Commission, NAESB, and industry participants to consider whether existing coordination frameworks sufficiently capture real-world system behavior during emergencies.^[48] Both AGA and the Utility Coalition request that the Commission establish a proceeding dedicated to pipeline reliability issues.^[49] The Utility Coalition requests that the Commission issue a notice of inquiry (NOI) to seek input from industry stakeholders and examine additional measures the Commission could take to preserve and further incentivize reliable deliveries of natural gas via the interstate pipeline network. The Utility Coalition further states that an NOI could aid in the collection of necessary information to provide clear guidance to NAESB in the development or modification of business practice standards.^[50] Specifically, the Utility Coalition notes that NAESB in its 2026 WGQ Annual Plan offered to consider developing and/or modifying business practice standards that reflect best practices that will provide stronger operating reliability from production/supply/transport, for example, during extreme weather conditions, and more clear communication and business ( printed page 31656) processes around force majeure declarations during critical operating periods.^[51] The Utility Coalition also encourages the Commission to consider greater standardization of pipeline scheduling and confirmation practices.^[52] The Utility Coalition also avers that the Commission could require pipelines to consider whether facilities targeted for replacement or abandonment may still offer reliability benefits to customers as redundant facilities.^[53]

33. Additional areas identified by commenters for gas-electric coordination beyond the NAESB WGQ standards include: revisiting the policy for force majeure (particularly during critical operating periods) including updating the NAESB Base Contract for Sale and Purchase of Natural Gas to enhance transparency regarding the conditions under which parties may invoke force majeure and providing guidance to improve force majeure definitions/provisions and reservation charge crediting.^[54] Commenters also suggest standardization of pipeline reliability metrics and reporting requirements; ^[55] support for natural gas storage infrastructure; ^[56] encouraging state commissions to issue incentives to develop demand response programs and Advanced Metering Infrastructure; ^[57] and weatherization requirements.^[58]

34. We find that these comments are outside the scope of this proceeding because they do not address the merits of the revised NAESB WGQ standards that are the subject of the NOPR. Nonetheless, the Commission will continue to consider standards for gas-electric coordination approved by NAESB through its consensus-based process as NAESB and other stakeholders continue their dialogue on gas-electric coordination.

VII. Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards

35. Office of Management and Budget Circular A-119 (section 11) (Feb. 10, 1998) provides that, when a federal agency issues or revises a regulation containing a standard, the agency should publish a statement in the final rule stating whether the adopted standard is a voluntary consensus standard or a government-unique standard. In this rulemaking, the Commission is incorporating by reference a new WGQ Additional Business Practice Standard No. 0.3.30, a revised WGQ Quadrant Electronic Delivery Mechanism Related Business Practice Standard No. 4.3.23, and a new WGQ Capacity Release Related Business Practice Standard No. 5.3.74, which are voluntary consensus standards developed by the NAESB WGQ.

VIII. Incorporation by Reference

36. The Office of the Federal Register requires agencies incorporating material by reference in final rules to discuss, in the preamble of the final rule, the ways that the materials it incorporates by reference are reasonably available to interested parties and how interested parties can obtain the materials.^[59] The regulations also require agencies to summarize, in the preamble of the final rule, the material it incorporates by reference. The revisions to the three sets of standards we are incorporating by reference are designed to streamline the process for accessing publicly available gas-electric coordination data during extreme cold weather or emergency events and improve communication among natural gas and electricity market participants to enhance situational awareness during extreme cold weather events. The applicable standards are included in WGQ Additional Business Practice Standards, WGQ Quadrant Electronic Delivery Mechanism Related Business Practice Standards, and WGQ Capacity Release Related Business Practice Standards. We are also incorporating an updated version of WGQ Invoicing Related Standards that includes the Minor Correction incorporated by reference in Order No. 587-AA. We summarize these sets of standards below.

37. WGQ Additional Standards, Version 4.0, September 29, 2023, (including Addition of WGQ Standard No. 0.3.30, November 25, 2024) addresses standards that are in addition to the five distinct areas of business activities—Nominations, Flowing Gas, Invoicing, Electronic Delivery Mechanism, and Capacity Release. The six categories within the WGQ Additional Standards are: (1) General; (2) Creditworthiness; (3) Gas/Electric Operational Communications; (4) Operating Capacity and Unsubscribed Capacity; (5) Location Data Download; and (6) Storage Information. WGQ Standard No. 0.3.30 provides that a natural gas transportation service provider must post scheduled quantity information for power plants directly connected to the pipeline, as part of the newly established Gas Electric Coordination posting category.

38. WGQ Quadrant Electronic Delivery Mechanism Related Standards, Version 4.0, September 29, 2023, (including Revision to Standard No. 4.3.23, November 25, 2024) defines the framework for the electronic dissemination and communication of information between parties in the North American wholesale gas marketplace for Electronic Data Interchange/EDM transfers, batch flat file/EDM transfers, informational postings websites, Electronic Bulletin Boards/EDM, and interactive flat file/EDM. WGQ Standard No. 4.3.23 establishes the new information posting category, “Gas Electric Coordination,” on a transportation service provider's Informational Postings website where a transportation service provider must post publicly available data, including scheduled quantity information for RTOs/ISOs and other parties to access such data.

39. WGQ Capacity Release Related Standards, Version 4.0, September 29, 2023, (including Addition of WGQ Standard No. 5.3.74, November 25, 2024) defines the business processes for communication of information related to the selling of all or any portion of a transportation service requester's contract rights. WGQ Standard No. 5.3.74 provides that geographic information must be included when a natural gas transportation service provider issues a critical notice, such as geographic information of impacted areas, locations, and pipeline facilities.

40. WGQ Invoicing Related Standards, Version 4.0, September 29, 2023, (including Minor Correction MC24002 applied May 17, 2024) defines the process for the communication of charges for services rendered (Invoice), communication of details about funds rendered in payment for services rendered (Payment Remittance), and communication of the financial status of a customer's account (Statement of Account). Commission regulations provide that copies of the standards incorporated by reference may be obtained through purchase or otherwise from the North American Energy Standards Board, 1415 Louisiana, Suite 3460, Houston, Texas 77002, phone: (713) 356-0060, website: https://www.naesb.org/​. The standards can also be reviewed without purchasing them.

41. The procedures used by NAESB make its standards reasonably available to those affected by Commission ( printed page 31657) regulations, which generally is comprised of entities that have the means to acquire the information they need to effectively participate in Commission proceedings. Participants can join NAESB, for an annual membership cost of $8,000, which entitles them to full participation in NAESB and enables them to obtain these standards at no additional cost. Non-members may obtain any of the ten individual standards manuals for $250 per manual, which in the case of these revisions to three sets of standards would total $750 for all three standards manuals. Non-members also may obtain the complete set of standards manuals for $2,000.

42. NAESB provides ample opportunities for non-members, including agents, subsidiaries, and affiliates of NAESB members, to obtain access to the copyrighted standards through a no-cost limited copyright waiver. The limited copyright waivers are issued by the NAESB office and are granted to non-members on a case-by-case basis for the purpose of evaluating standards prior to purchase and/or reviewing the standards to prepare comments to a regulatory agency. Following the granting of a limited copyright waiver, the non-member is provided with read-only access to the standards through the end of the comment period or some other set period of time via Locklizard Safeguard Secure Viewer.^[60] NAESB will grant one limited copyright waiver per company for each set of standards or final actions. Any entity seeking a limited copyright waiver should contact the NAESB office.

43. The following standards appear in the amendatory text of this document and were previously approved for 18 CFR 284.12: WGQ Nominations Related Standards, WGQ Flowing Gas Related Standards, and. WGQ Cybersecurity Related Standards.

IX. Information Collection Statement

44. The collection of information contained in this final rule is being submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review under section 3507(d) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507(d). Respondents subject to the filing requirements of this final rule will not be penalized for failing to respond to these collections of information unless the collections of information display a valid OMB control number. The information collection requirements in this final rule are revising two currently approved collections that will be submitted to OMB for review.

45. During the NOPR, the Commission solicited comments on our need for this information, whether the information will have practical utility, the accuracy of the provided burden estimates, ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected, and any suggested methods for minimizing respondents' burden, including the use of automated information techniques.

46. Public Reporting Burden: The Commission's burden estimates for the requirements in this final rule are for one-time implementation of the information collection requirements of this final rule (including tariff filing, documentation of the process and procedures, and information technology work).

47. The collections of information related to this final rule fall under FERC-545 (Gas Pipeline Rates: Rate Change (Non-Formal)) ^[61] and FERC-549C (Standards for Business Practices of Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines).^[62] The following estimates of reporting burden are related only to this final rule and anticipate the costs to interstate natural gas pipelines for compliance with this final rule. The burden estimates are related to implementing these standards and regulations and will not result in ongoing costs. Within the NOPR, the Commission solicited comments on the information collection requirements and received one comment from an individual citizen, James Hunter Poole, protesting paperwork and compliance burden estimates. Mr. Poole states that the Commission's current approach relies on excessive, layered, and duplicative documentation requirements that exceed what is necessary to achieve safety, reliability, or market integrity. He also states that the Commission's fixed documentation and reporting costs disproportionately burden municipal utilities, rural cooperatives, and small transmission operators forcing small entities to divert scarce technical staff into compliance; delay grid upgrades and capacity expansion; and suppress job creation. He argues that excessive documentation and compliance lead to economic harm, including, delayed grid expansion and modernization; suppressed private investment; increased outage risk due to delayed upgrades; deferred maintenance and slower integration of new capacity; reduced resilience during extreme weather and emergencies; and higher energy costs passed through to ratepayers.^[63] Conversely, CRF contends that these reforms impose modest one-time compliance costs that are justified by their substantial reliability benefits, including avoiding prolonged outages, generator failures, and cascading system disruptions.^[64] CRF states that these reliability benefits deliver significant value to consumers and the broader economy, far outweighing the limited implementation burdens identified in the NOPR.^[65]

48. Although the revised standards impose modest one-time compliance costs, discussed below, we agree with CRF regarding the substantial benefits achieved with minor and limited implementation burdens. Mr. Poole's comments reflect a general concern with documentation and reporting costs, not a concern with the calculation of the costs for these revised standards and their respective requirements. Therefore, we continue to estimate that the burden will remain consistent with our estimate put forth in the NOPR. A breakdown of the one-time costs is in the table below.

The total one-time burden (for both the FERC-545 and FERC-549C) would take place in Year 1 as follows:

FERC-545: 193 entities × 1 response/entity (10 hours/response × $98/hour) = $189,140.

FERC-549C: 193 entities × 1 response/entity (100 hours × $98/hour) = $1,891,400.

Title: FERC-545, Gas Pipeline Rates: Rates Change (Non-Formal); FERC-549C, Standards for Business Practices of Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines.

Action: Revision to existing information collections.

OMB Control Nos.: 1902-0154 (FERC-545), 1902-0174 (FERC-549C).

Respondents: Business or other for profit ( e.g., Natural Gas Pipelines, applicable to only a few small businesses).

Frequency of Responses: One-time implementation (related to business procedures and data processing).

Necessity of Information: In response to NAESB's standard development activities, the final rule revises three sets of standards to the standards previously incorporated by reference by the Commission. First, a new standard in the WGQ Additional Standards manual, WGQ Standard No. 0.3.30, facilitates the posting of applicable scheduled quantity information for directly connected power plants, as part of the new Gas Electric Coordination posting category. Types of data that could be provided include Cycle Indicator, Effective Gas Day, Location, Location Name, Location County, Location State Abbreviation, Measurement Bases, Posting Date, Posting Time, RTO/ISO, and Total Scheduled Quantity. Second, a revised standard in the WGQ Quadrant Electronic Delivery Mechanism Related Standards manual, WGQ Standard No. 4.3.23, establishes a new information posting category—Gas Electric Coordination, for use by a transportation service provider, to help streamline the process for RTOs/ISOs and other parties accessing critical data during extreme cold weather or emergency events. Third, a new standard in the WGQ Capacity Release Related Standards manual, WGQ Standard No. 5.3.74, supports the inclusion of the geographic information of impacted areas, locations, or pipeline facilities by a transportation service provider when issuing a critical notice. Upon completion of the implementation of the above standards, the Commission staff will use the data for general industry oversight.

Internal Review: We have reviewed the requirements pertaining to business practices of interstate natural gas pipelines and have determined that the revisions are necessary to streamline the process for accessing publicly available gas-electric coordination data during extreme cold weather or emergency events and improve communication among natural gas and electricity market participants to enhance situational awareness during extreme cold weather events. We agree with CRF that the revisions may provide reliability benefits, including avoiding prolonged outages, generator failures, and cascading system disruptions. Further, the revisions may deliver significant value to consumers and the broader economy, far outweighing the limited implementation burdens identified in the NOPR. We have determined through our internal review that there is specific, objective support for the burden estimates associated with the information requirements.

49. Interested persons may obtain information on the reporting requirements by contacting the following: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426 [Attention: Kayla Williams, Office of the Executive Director, email: DataClearance@ferc.gov, phone: (202) 502-8663].

50. Comments concerning the information collections in this rule and the associated burden estimates should be sent to the Commission and to the Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503 [Attention: Desk Officer for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission]. For security reasons, comments to OMB should be sent by email to: oira_submission@omb.eop.gov. Please reference Docket No. RM96-1-044 and related OMB Control No(s) (FERC-545) or (FERC-549C) in any submission. A copy of the comments on information collection should also be sent to the Commission, in Docket No. RM96-1-044 by any of the following methods:

• eFiling at Commission's Website: https://www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​efiling.asp;
• U.S. Postal Service Mail: Persons unable to file electronically may mail similar pleadings to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426; or
• Delivery of filings other than by eFiling or the U.S. Postal Service should be delivered to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, MD 20852.

X. Environmental Analysis

51. The Commission is required to prepare an Environmental Assessment or an Environmental Impact Statement for any action that may have a significant adverse effect on the human environment.^[68] The actions that we take here fall within categorical exclusions in the Commission's regulations for rules that are clarifying, corrective, or ( printed page 31659) procedural, for information gathering, analysis, and dissemination, and for rules regarding sales, exchange, and transportation of natural gas that require no construction of facilities.^[69] Therefore, an environmental review is unnecessary and has not been prepared as part of this final rule.

XI. Regulatory Flexibility Act

52. The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (RFA) ^[70] generally requires a description and analysis of rules that will have significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. The Commission is not required to make such an analysis if proposed regulations would not have such an effect. In the NOPR, the Commission included an initial regulatory flexibility analysis that assessed the rule's potential impact on small businesses. The Commission determined that the proposed requirements would not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. Therefore, within this final rule we continue to determine this to be true.

53. Approximately 193 interstate natural gas pipelines, both large and small, are respondents subject to the requirements in this final rule. Most of the natural gas pipelines regulated by the Commission do not fall within the RFA's definition of a small entity,^[71] which is currently defined for natural gas pipelines as a company that, in combination with its affiliates, has total annual receipts of $41.5 million or less.^[72] For the year 2022, only 14 companies not affiliated with larger companies had annual revenues in combination with their affiliates of $41.5 million or less and therefore could be considered a small entity under the RFA. This represents about seven percent of the total universe of potential respondents that may have a significant burden imposed on them. We estimate that the one-time implementation cost of the requirements in this final rule is $2,080,540 (or $10,780 per entity, regardless of entity size).^[73] We do not consider the estimated $10,780 impact per entity to be significant. Moreover, these requirements are designed to benefit all customers, including small businesses that must comply with them. Further, as noted above, incorporation by reference of consensus standards helps ensure the reasonableness of the standards by requiring that the standards draw support from a broad spectrum of industry participants representing all segments of the industry. Because of that representation and the fact that industry conducts business under these standards, the Commission has found value in incorporating standards that have the widest possible support.

54. Accordingly, pursuant to section 605(b) of the RFA,^[74] the Commission certifies that the regulations proposed herein should not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.

XII. Document Availability

55. In addition to publishing the full text of this document in the Federal Register , the Commission provides all interested persons an opportunity to view and/or print the contents of this document via the internet through the Commission's Home Page ( http://www.ferc.gov).

56. From the Commission's Home Page on the internet, this information is available on eLibrary. The full text of this document is available on eLibrary in PDF and Microsoft Word format for viewing, printing, and/or downloading. To access this document in eLibrary, type the docket number excluding the last three digits of this document in the docket number field.

57. User assistance is available for eLibrary and the Commission's website during normal business hours from FERC Online Support at 202-502-6652 (toll free at 1-866-208-3676) or email at ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, or the Public Reference Room at (202) 502-8371, TTY (202) 502-8659. Email the Public Reference Room at public.referenceroom@ferc.gov.

XIII. Regulatory Planning and Review

58. Executive Orders 12866 and 13563 direct agencies to assess the costs and benefits of available regulatory alternatives and, if regulation is necessary, to select regulatory approaches that maximize net benefits (including potential economic, environmental, public health and safety effects, distributive impacts, and equity). Executive Order 13563 emphasizes the importance of quantifying both costs and benefits, of reducing costs, of harmonizing rules, and of promoting flexibility. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) has determined this regulatory action is not a “significant regulatory action,” under section 3(f) of Executive Order 12866, as amended. Accordingly, OIRA has not reviewed this regulatory action for compliance with the analytical requirements of Executive Order 12866.

XIV. Effective Date and Congressional Notification

59. These regulations are effective July 27, 2026. The Commission has determined, with the concurrence of the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB, that this rule is not a “major rule” as defined in section 351 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.

In consideration of the foregoing, the Commission amends 18 CFR part 284 as follows:

91 FR 31651