The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission may exempt from any provisions in sections 4, 5, and 7 of the Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717c, 717d, and 717f) and titles II and IV of the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 (15 U.S.C. 3341 through 3348 and 3391 through 3394) the sale or transportation, by any public utility, local distribution company, interstate or intrastate pipeline, or any other person, of any natural gas which is determined (in the case of a regulated utility, company, pipeline, or person) by the State regulatory authority having rate-making authority over such utility, company, pipeline, or person, or (in the case of a nonregulated utility, company, pipeline, or person) by such utility, company, pipeline, or person, to have been conserved because of a prototype residential energy efficiency program which is established under a plan approved under section 8235a(a) of this title, if the Commission determines that such exemption is necessary to make feasible the demonstration of such prototype residential energy efficiency program.