§ 3392. — Natural gas for essential industrial process and feedstock uses.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 15USC3392]
TITLE 15--COMMERCE AND TRADE
CHAPTER 60--NATURAL GAS POLICY
SUBCHAPTER IV--NATURAL GAS CURTAILMENT POLICIES
Sec. 3392. Natural gas for essential industrial process and
feedstock uses
(a) General rule
The Secretary of Energy shall prescribe and make effective a rule
which provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of law (other
than subsection (b) of this section) and to the maximum extent
practicable, no interstate pipeline may curtail deliveries of natural
gas for any essential industrial process or feedstock use, unless such
curtailment--
(1) does not reduce the quantity of natural gas delivered for
such use below the use requirement specified in subsection (c) of
this section;
(2) is necessary in order to meet the requirements of high-
priority users; or
(3) is necessary in order to meet the requirements for essential
agricultural uses of natural gas for which curtailment priority is
established under section 3391 of this title.
(b) Curtailment priority applicable only if alternative fuel not
available
The provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall apply with
respect to any curtailment of deliveries for any essential industrial
process or feedstock use only if the Commission determines that use of a
fuel (other than natural gas) is not economically practicable and that
no fuel is reasonably available as an alternative for such use.
(c) Determination of essential industrial use requirements
The Secretary of Energy shall determine and certify to the
Commission the natural gas requirements (expressed either as volumes or
percentages of use) of persons (or classes thereof) for essential
industrial process and feedstock uses (other than those referred to in
section 3391(f)(1)(B) of this title).
(d) Definitions
For purposes of this section--
(1) Essential industrial process or feedstock use
The term ``essential industrial process or feedstock use'' means
any use of natural gas in an industrial process or as a feedstock
which the Secretary determines is essential.
(2) High-priority user
The term ``high-priority user'' has the same meaning as given
such term in section 3391(f)(2) of this title.
(Pub. L. 95-621, title IV, Sec. 402, Nov. 9, 1978, 92 Stat. 3395.)
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in section 3393 of this title.
