While the final rule does not affect the current process for submitting filings, correspondence and other documents through FERC’s eFiling portal, it may burden entities in cases where hard copy filings or hand deliveries are necessary. For example, certain types of maps, drawings, engineering data and economic models can exceed the eFiling portal’s size or formatting limitations and must be provided in hard copy. FERC practitioners and other entities seeking to send submissions using carriers other than USPS or to hand deliver submissions via a messenger service or in person, should therefore plan accordingly to avoid missing the 3:30 PM cutoff at the screening facility, which is approximately 12 miles from FERC’s downtown D.C. headquarters.
The final rule will become effective 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.