KINDER MORGAN INC

Our business operations are subject to extensive federal, state and local laws and regulations. Please read Item 1A. “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Regulation” for discussions of the risks we face related to regulation. For information related to pending regulatory proceedings, see Note 17 “Litigation and Environmental” to our consolidated financial statements.

Interstate Natural Gas Transportation and Storage Regulation

We operate our interstate natural gas pipeline and storage facilities subject to the jurisdiction of the FERC and the provisions of the Natural Gas Act of 1938 (NGA), the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 (NGPA), and the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (the Energy Policy Act). These laws give the FERC authority over the siting, construction and operation of such facilities, including their modification, extension, enlargement and abandonment.

Pursuant to the NGA, the FERC also has authority over the rates charged and terms and conditions of services offered by interstate natural gas pipeline and storage companies. The FERC’s regulatory authority extends to establishing minimum and maximum rates for services and allows operators to discount or negotiate rates on a non-discriminatory basis. The rates, terms and conditions of service are set forth in posted tariffs approved by the FERC for each of our interstate natural gas pipeline and storage companies. Posted tariff rates are deemed just and reasonable and cannot be changed without FERC authorization following an evidentiary hearing or settlement. The FERC can initiate proceedings, on its own initiative or in response to a complaint, that could result in a rate change or confirm existing rates. Negotiated rates provide certainty to the pipeline and the shipper of agreed-upon rates during the term of the transportation agreement, regardless of changes to the posted tariff rates. Negotiated rate agreements must be filed with the FERC or included in summary form in the pipeline’s tariff.

FERC regulations also include a comprehensive framework for market transparency and nondiscrimination, as well as the FERC’s prohibition against market manipulation. Under the Energy Policy Act and related regulations, it is unlawful for any entity, directly or indirectly in connection with the purchase or sale of natural gas subject to the jurisdiction of the FERC, or the purchase or sale of transportation services subject to the jurisdiction of the FERC, to engage in fraudulent conduct. FERC Standards of Conduct regulate, among other things, the manner in which interstate natural gas pipelines may interact with their marketing affiliates. The FERC’s market oversight and transparency regulations require annual reports of purchases or sales of natural gas meeting certain thresholds and criteria and certain public postings of information on scheduled volumes.

The FERC has authority to impose civil penalties of more than $1.5 million per day per violation. If we fail to comply with all applicable statutes, rules, regulations, and orders administered by the FERC, we could be subject to substantial civil penalties and fines.

In addition to having jurisdiction over interstate natural gas pipelines and storage companies, the FERC also has jurisdiction over the interstate transportation and storage services that are provided by intrastate natural gas pipelines and storage companies under Section 311 of the NGPA. We have numerous intrastate pipelines and storage companies that provide interstate services pursuant to Section 311 of the NGPA. Under Section 311, along with the FERC’s implementing regulations, an intrastate pipeline may transport gas “on behalf of” an interstate pipeline company or any local distribution company served by an interstate pipeline, without becoming subject to the FERC’s broader regulatory authority under the NGA. These services must be provided on an open and nondiscriminatory basis, and the rates charged for these services may not exceed a “fair and equitable” level as determined by the FERC in periodic rate proceedings.

Interstate Common Carrier Refined Petroleum Products and Oil Pipeline Rate Regulation

Some of our U.S. refined petroleum products, NGL, and crude oil gathering and transmission pipelines are interstate common carrier pipelines, subject to regulation by the FERC under the Interstate Commerce Act, or ICA. The ICA requires that we maintain our tariffs on file with the FERC. Those tariffs set forth the rates we charge for providing gathering or transportation services on our interstate common carrier liquids pipelines as well as the rules and regulations governing these services. The ICA requires, among other things, that rates on interstate common carrier liquids pipelines be “just and reasonable” and nondiscriminatory. The ICA permits interested persons to challenge newly proposed or changed rates and authorizes the FERC to suspend the effectiveness of such rates for a period of up to seven months and to investigate such rates. If, upon completion of an investigation, the FERC finds that the new or changed rate is unlawful, it is authorized to require the carrier to refund to shippers the difference between the revenues collected during the pendency of the investigation and the revenues that would have been collected based on the rate the FERC finds to be just and reasonable. The FERC also may investigate, upon complaint or on its own motion, rates that are already in effect and may order a carrier to change its rates prospectively. Upon an appropriate showing, a shipper may obtain reparations for damages sustained during the two years prior to the filing of a complaint.

Petroleum products and crude oil pipelines may change their rates within prescribed ceiling levels that are tied to an inflation index. Shippers may protest rate increases made within the ceiling levels, but such protests must show that the portion of the rate increase resulting from application of the index is substantially in excess of the pipeline’s increase in costs from the previous year. Generally, a petroleum products or crude oil pipeline will utilize the FERC’s indexing methodology to adjust its rates, as indexing serves as the default rate-adjustment mechanism. Cost-of-service based rates, market-based rates and settlement rates are alternatives to the default indexing mechanism and may be used in certain specified circumstances to change rates.

CPUC Rate Regulation

The intrastate common carrier operations of our refined products pipelines in California are subject to regulation by the CPUC under a “depreciated book plant” methodology, which is based on an original cost measure of investment. Intrastate tariffs filed by us with the CPUC have been established on the basis of revenues, expenses and investments allocated as applicable to the California intrastate portion of the refined products operations’ business. Tariff rates with respect to intrastate pipeline service in California are subject to challenge by protest by interested parties or by independent action of the CPUC.

Railroad Commission of Texas (RCT) Rate Regulation

The intrastate operations of our crude oil and liquids pipelines and natural gas pipelines and storage facilities in Texas are subject to regulation with respect to such intrastate transportation by the RCT. The RCT has the authority to regulate our rates, though it generally has not investigated the rates or practices of our intrastate pipelines in the absence of shipper complaints.

State and Local Regulation

Certain of our activities are subject to various state and local laws and regulations, as well as orders of regulatory bodies, governing a wide variety of matters, including marketing, production, pricing, pipeline safety, protection of the environment, and human health and safety.

Marine Operations

The operation of tankers and marine equipment is subject to maritime obligations involving property, personnel and cargo under General Maritime Law and involves a variety of risks, including, among other things, the risk of collision, which may result in claims for personal injury, cargo, contract, pollution, third-party claims and property damages to vessels and facilities.

We are subject to the Jones Act and other federal laws that restrict maritime transportation (between U.S. departure and destination points) to vessels built and registered in the U.S. and owned and crewed by U.S. citizens. As a result, we monitor the foreign ownership of our common stock and, under certain circumstances consistent with our certificate of incorporation, we have the right to redeem shares of our common stock owned by non-U.S. citizens. If we do not comply with such requirements, we would be prohibited from operating our vessels in U.S. coastwise trade, and under certain circumstances we would be deemed to have undertaken an unapproved foreign transfer, resulting in severe penalties, including permanent loss of U.S. coastwise trading rights for our vessels, fines or forfeiture of the vessels. From time to time, legislation has been introduced unsuccessfully in the U.S. Congress to amend the Jones Act to ease or remove the requirement that vessels operating between U.S. ports be built and registered in the U.S. and owned and crewed by U.S. citizens. If the Jones Act were amended in such fashion, we could face competition from foreign-flagged vessels.

In addition, the U.S. Coast Guard and the American Bureau of Shipping maintain a very stringent regime of vessel inspection, which tends to result in higher regulatory compliance costs for U.S.-flagged operators than for owners of vessels registered under foreign flags of convenience. The Jones Act and General Maritime Law also provide damage remedies for crew members injured in the service of the vessel arising from employer negligence or vessel unseaworthiness.

The Merchant Marine Act of 1936 is a federal law that provides the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, upon proclamation by the U.S. President of a national emergency or a threat to the national security, the authority to requisition or purchase any vessel or other watercraft owned by U.S. citizens (including us, provided that we are considered a U.S. citizen for this purpose). If one of our vessels were purchased or requisitioned by the U.S. government under this law, we would be entitled to be paid the fair market value of the vessel in the case of a purchase or, in the case of a requisition, the fair market value of charter hire. However, we would not be entitled to compensation for any consequential damages suffered as a result of such purchase or requisition.

Derivatives Regulation

We use energy commodity derivative contracts as part of our strategy to hedge our exposure to energy commodity market risk and other external risks in the ordinary course of business. The derivative contracts that we use include exchange-traded and OTC commodity financial instruments such as futures and options contracts, fixed price swaps and basis swaps. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) requires the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the SEC to promulgate rules and regulations establishing federal oversight and regulation of the OTC derivatives market and entities that participate in that market including broad aggregate position limits for OTC swaps and futures and options traded on regulated exchanges. These rules include exemptions for hedging positions.