The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has outlined procedures regarding off-the-record communications related to legal proceedings. According to the rules, prohibited communications, which are not allowed in the official decision-making process, must be shared with the Secretary of the Commission either in written form or as a summary if they are oral. These prohibited communications might be shared publicly but are typically not used in decision-making unless deemed necessary for fairness. Exempt communications are generally included in the decision record unless they involve a cooperating agency. A recent list of such communications can be reviewed online through the Commission's resources.
Simple Explanation
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has rules about secret talks that happen outside of official meetings. If someone talks about important things without permission, they have to tell the person in charge, and these talks may or may not be used to make decisions.