(a) The Federal Power and Natural Gas Acts, sections 209 and 17, respectively, authorize cooperation between the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the State commissions of the several States in the administration of said Acts, which include authorization for:

(1) Reference of any matter arising in the administration of these Acts to a board to be composed of a member or members from a State or States affected, or to be affected, by the particular matters pending before the Commission;

(2) Conferences with State commissions regarding the relationship between rate structures, costs, accounts, charges, practices, classifications, and regulations of public utilities or natural gas companies subject to the jurisdiction of such State commissions and of the Commission; and

(3) Joint hearings with State commissions in connection with any matter with respect to which the Commission is authorized to act.

(b) The matters that should be the subject of a conference referred to a board, or heard at a joint hearing of State commissions and the Commission, obviously, cannot be determined in advance. It is understood, therefore, that the Commission or any State commission will freely suggest cooperation with respect to any proceeding or matter affecting any public utility or natural gas company subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission and of a State commission, and concerning which it is believed that cooperation will be in the public interest.

(a) By Commission. (1) Whenever there is instituted before the Commission any proceeding under either the Federal Power Act or the Natural Gas Act, the State commission or commissions of the State or States affected thereby will be given notice thereof immediately by the Commission. As deemed necessary for an understanding of the subject matter, each such notice will be supplemented by copies of applications, complaints, petitions, or orders instituting proceedings. Each such notice given to a State commission will request that the Commission be notified within a reasonable time whether the proceeding is deemed one that should be considered under the cooperative provisions of this subpart, and, if so, to advise the Commission as to the nature of its interest in the matter, and further, to specify whether it desires a conference, the creation of a board, or a joint or concurrent hearing, as defined in this subpart and the reasons for such request.

(2) Any commission suggesting some form of such cooperative procedure should also state whether there is pending, or will be pending before it, a proceeding in which a concurrent hearing might appropriately be held and whether its proposal is for such hearing covering such proceeding and the proceeding pending before the Commission.

(3) A State commission recommending to the Commission reference of a proceeding to a board, under either the Federal Power Act or the Natural Gas Act, should state with fullness the reasons which led it to believe that such reference is desirable and in the public interest.

(4) Upon the receipt from a State commission of a communication suggesting cooperation, the Commission will consider the same, and may confer with the commission making the request and with other interested commissions, if any, in such manner as may be most suitable, and, if cooperation in the manner proposed, or in any other manner, appears to be practicable and desirable, will so advise each interested State commission, and will invite it to participate therein.

(b) By State commission. (1) Each State commission should, in like manner, notify the Commission of any proceeding instituted before it the subject matter of which is also subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission, or in which it believes the Commission is interested. Such notice should be supplemented by copies of applications, petitions, complaints, or orders instituting proceedings which may be necessary to an understanding of the subject matter. Such notice should include the suggestions which the State commission may wish to make concerning cooperative procedure.

(2) Upon receipt of such notice, the Commission will consider the same and will promptly notify the State commission whether or not in its opinion cooperation in the manner proposed, or in any other manner, appears to be practicable and desirable. The Commission is free to propose cooperative procedures whether or not such proposal of cooperation has been made by the State commission first giving notice of the proceeding.

(c) Commission or State commissions to invite participation in cooperative procedure. In the event that cooperation in a particular proceeding has been determined upon, the Commission or a State commission before which the proceeding is pending will so advise each interested State commission and will invite it to take part therein.

Inasmuch as experience has proved that informal conferences are the means most often used to enable commissions to work together to promote good regulation, affording means whereby common understandings may be reached, and the imposition of inconsistent or conflicting regulations upon companies subject to both Federal and State control may be avoided and means whereby State commissions may secure the assistance in State regulatory work which sections 209 and 17, respectively, of the Federal Power and Natural Gas Acts authorize the Commission to extend, any commission, Federal or State, should always feel free to suggest a conference to another commission, concerning any matter of regulation subject to the jurisdiction of either, with respect to which it is believed that a cooperative conference may be in the public interest. The commission desiring a conference upon any such matter should notify other interested commissions without delay, and thereupon the Commission or a State commission, as may be agreed, will promptly arrange for a conference in which all interested commissions will be invited to be represented.

(a) It is believed that the statutory provisions of sections 209 and 17, respectively, of the Federal Power and Natural Gas Acts, for the reference of a proceeding to a board constituted as therein provided, were designed for use in unusual cases, and as a means of relief to the Commission when it might find itself unable to hear and determine cases before it, in the usual course, without undue delay.

(b) Whenever the Commission, either upon its own motion or upon the suggestion of a State commission or at the request of any interested party, determines that it is desirable to refer a matter arising in the administration either of the Natural Gas Act or Part II of the Federal Power Act, to a board to be composed of a member or members from the State or States affected or to be affected by such matter, the procedure will be as follows: The Commission will send a request to each interested State commission to nominate a specified number of members to serve on such board. Whenever more than one State is involved, the representation of each State concerned shall be equal, unless one or more of the States affected chooses to waive such right of equal representation. The Commission will specify the functions to be performed by such board in each instance. When the member or members of any board have been nominated and appointed in accordance with the provisions of either section 209 of the Federal Power Act or section 17 of the Natural Gas Act, the Commission will issue an order referring the particular matter to such board, and such order will fix the time and place of hearing, define the “force and effect” which an action of the board will have, the manner in which the proceedings will be conducted, and specify the allowances to be made for the expense of the members of the board. As far as applicable, the rules of practice and procedure as from time to time adopted or prescribed by the Commission will govern such board. The board will have authority to adjourn the hearing from day to day, subpoena witnesses, rule on the relevancy, competency, and materiality of evidence, and will, after hearing all interested parties, submit its report to the Commission.

(a) The term “joint hearing” used in sections 209 and 17, respectively, of the Federal Power and Natural Gas Acts is understood to cover any hearing in which members of the Commission and members of one or more State commissions may sit together in a proceeding pending before one such commission, whether or not a proceeding or proceedings involving similar or corresponding issues be pending before any other commission.

(b) Two different types of proceedings have been called “joint hearings”. One is that type of proceeding where members of one or more State commissions sit with members of the Commission for information or in an advisory capacity. The State commissioners in such case do not develop a record for their respective commissions and may not, at their own discretion, make a recommendation to the Commission. The other type of joint hearing is often referred to as a “concurrent hearing”. Under this procedure the Commission and one or more State commissions sit together to hear and jointly make a record upon a matter over which all of the participating commissions have jurisdiction and responsibility for action.

(c) The Commission or any State commission or commissions should feel free to suggest or request a joint or concurrent hearing at any time. It is believed that the concurrent hearing is the type of cooperative hearing which is likely to be most useful and effective.

(d) Whenever a concurrent hearing has been agreed upon by the Commission and one or more State commissions, the procedure will be:

(1) Each commission will designate the representative or representatives of such commission to sit at such concurrent hearing, and will designate the representative who will be the presiding officer for such commission.

(2) It will be understood that participation in such concurrent hearing will in no way affect the complete control by each commission of the proceeding before it. It will be understood, also, that participation in either a joint or concurrent hearing will in no way preclude any commission from causing to be presented in any such case pertinent evidence with respect to matters in issue.

(3) The representative designated by the Commission will be the presiding officer to announce rulings with respect to which there is no disagreement; and such rulings will be considered concurrent rulings. However, the presiding officer for any commission which does not concur in any ruling may announce a divergent ruling and such divergent ruling, whether with respect to the admissibility of evidence or any other matter, will be considered the ruling for his or her commission.

(4) The record of the concurrent hearing will be the record of each commission participating, except that, if divergent rulings are made, the rulings will be reported so as to separate and distinguish clearly the record of the respective participating commissions and the evidence admitted in each record, in accordance with the rulings of the respective commissions. If, in any proceeding, the ruling of one presiding officer has the effect of admitting any voluminous exhibit or testimony which is excluded by the ruling of another presiding officer, the taking of such evidence, whenever possible, will be deferred until after the completion of the proceedings which can be conducted under concurrent rulings. When such testimony is taken, the transcript of such evidence will be made available to the participating commissions, if desired.

(5) In all respects concerning which there is no divergence of ruling, the hearing will be conducted in accordance with the rules of practice and procedure prescribed by the Commission, subject to the express understanding that each participating State commission will control its own record and make its own rulings as to the admissibility of evidence and as to other matters affecting its proceedings, and will make its own separate final decision or order therein.

(e) Before either the Commission or a participating State commission will enter any order or orders in a concurrent proceeding, opportunity will be afforded for conference between the Commission and the State commissions participating.

(f) Whenever a joint hearing other than a concurrent hearing is agreed upon, the commissioners which take part therein will agree upon the procedure to be followed in such hearing in advance of the opening of the same. With respect to any concurrent hearing, a special agreement may be made by the commissions taking part therein for a procedure or action differing from that outlined in this plan.

(g) Cooperation between two or more commissions in a concurrent hearing will preclude either from taking the position of an advocate or a litigant. If a commission wishes to take such a position, it will not be a cooperating participant in that proceeding. In such situation the appropriate method of procedure will be intervention under Rule 214.

Any interested State commission may intervene in any proceeding before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, as provided in Rule 214.