Charter
1. Official Designation: This advisory
committee will be known as the Pacific Northwest Electric Power and
Conservation Planning Council's Natural Gas Advisory Committee.
2. Background: The Pacific Northwest
Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act, P.L. 96-501, 16 U.S.C. 839 et
seq. (?Act?), in section 4.(e)(3)(D), requires the Pacific
Northwest Electric Power and Conservation Planning Council
("Council'') to develop ?a regional conservation and electric power
plan.? The plan is to include a twenty year forecast of
electricity demands and a resource plan for the development of
conservation and generation to meet the demand at the lowest cost
consistent with adequate and reliable electricity service. Natural
gas plays an important role in both the forecast of electricity demands
and the cost of electricity generation using natural gas fueled
alternatives. The Natural Gas Advisory Committee is being formed to assist
the Council in its development of the Pacific Northwest Conservation and
Electric Power Plan by advising on important assumptions and analyses
regarding the natural gas markets in the region. This advisory
committee is established as part of a network of advisory committees
satisfying the Council's obligation under the Act to establish a
Scientific and Statistical Advisory Committee. 16 U.S.C.
839b(c)(11). Under section 4(a)(4) of the Act, the terms of the
Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. Appendix I, sections 1-14,
apply "to the extent appropriate'' to the Council's advisory
committees. 16 U.S.C. 839b(a)(4).
3. Objectives and Scope of Activity: The
Natural Gas Advisory Committee will advise the Council during the
development of its power plan of changing conditions in the natural gas
markets and their implications for the Council's plan by:
(A) assisting
the Council to identify significant changes in natural gas markets and
their implications for future gas supplies and prices;
(B)
assisting the Council to evaluate new analytical tools, and advising on
the most appropriate study designs;
(C) helping to
identify sources of information and data, and suggesting ways that
electric and gas utilities can cooperate in analysis and planning; and
(D) assisting in
the review and interpretation of study results.
4. Official to Whom the Advisory Committee Reports:
The Natural Gas Advisory Committee will report to the Executive Director
of the Council.
5. Authority of the Advisory Committee:
The Natural Gas Advisory Committee will serve in an advisory capacity
only. Neither the Committee nor its members are authorized to make
statements or commitments on behalf of the Council. Committee
members will not be considered to be members of the Council staff.
6. Estimated Annual Operating Costs in Dollars and
Staff Time: $7,500 plus one month of staff time.
7. Advisory Committee Management Officer:
The Advisory Committee Management Officer ("Management Officer'') for
the Natural Gas Advisory Committee will be the Director of the Council's
Division of Power Planning. The Management Officer will designate
members of the Council's staff to coordinate and attend meetings of the
Committee.
8. Chairperson:
(A) The
Chairperson of the Natural Gas Advisory Committee will be appointed by the
Chairman of the Council, with the concurrence of the Council members, and
will serve at the pleasure of the Council.
(B) The
Chairperson may be called upon to report to the Executive Director of the
Council on appropriate matters, including the Advisory Committee's
progress on the tasks described in Part 3 of this Charter.
(C) The duties
of the Chairperson will include presiding over Natural Gas Advisory
Committee meetings, ensuring that detailed minutes of such meetings are
prepared and submitted to the Executive Director of the Council in a
timely manner, and maintaining communication between the Committee and the
Council's staff.
(D) The
Chairperson will certify detailed minutes of meetings of the Natural Gas
Advisory Committee. The minutes should include a complete and
accurate description on matters discussed, conclusions reached, actions
taken, persons invited to meet with the Committee, and persons in
attendance. The minutes also will include copies of reports
received, issued or approved by the Committee. Minutes of meetings
will be prepared and released within ten days of the meeting, unless an
extension is granted by the Management Officer. The Management
Officer will distribute copies of the minutes to members of the Committee
and the other interested persons.
(E) Small
sub-groups of the Natural Gas Advisory Committee may be established by the
Chairperson of the Committee to undertake particular aspects of the
Committee's work. Methods for organizing the work and procedures of
the Committee must follow the scope of responsibilities assigned to the
Committee by the Council. The work of the staff for the Committee
will include making arrangements for Committee meetings, solving
logistical problems, and providing clerical services.
9. Vice-Chairperson: A Vice-Chairperson
of the Natural Gas Advisory Committee may be appointed by the Chairman of
the Council, with the concurrence of the Council members, and will serve
at the pleasure of the Council. The Vice-Chairperson will perform
the duties of the Chairperson of the Committee, in the absence of that
Chairperson, and such other duties as the Chairperson of the Committee may
assign.
10. Rules: The advisory committee rules approved and
adopted by the Council on March 17, 1982, as amended from time to time,
will apply to the Natural Gas Advisory Committee.
11. Estimated Frequency of Committee Meetings: The
Chairperson of the Natural Gas Advisory Committee, after consultation with
the Management Officer, or his designee, will call meetings as
necessary. All meetings will be open to the public, unless closed
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552b(c). Timely notice of meetings,
including agendas, will be made. Interested persons may attend
Committee meetings and appear before or file statements with the
Committee, subject to such reasonable rules as the Council may prescribe.
12. Reimbursement of Expenses: The Council will
reimburse public members of the Natural Gas Advisory Committee for travel,
including per diem in lieu of subsistence in accordance with the Council's
travel regulations for contractors and advisory committee members, for the
purpose of attending Committee meetings as authorized by 5 U.S.C.
Section 5703. The Executive Director shall determine who are public
members.
13. Duration: The Natural Gas Advisory Committee
will terminate two years from the filing date of this Charter, unless
renewed in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. All
Members of the Committee serve at the pleasure of the Council.
This Charter for the Natural Gas Advisory Committee was approved and
adopted at a duly called meeting of the Pacific Northwest Power and
Conservation Planning Council, December 11-12, 2001 at Portland, Oregon.
PACIFIC NORTHWEST ELECTRIC POWER
AND CONSERVATION PLANNING COUNCIL
By: Frank L. (?Larry?) Cassidy, Jr., Chairman
Date Filed: December 12, 2001 |
home