97-140. Open Access Same-Time Information System (OASIS) and Standards of Conduct  

  • [Federal Register Volume 62, Number 3 (Monday, January 6, 1997)]
    [Rules and Regulations]
    [Pages 610-611]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 97-140]
    
    
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    DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
    
    Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
    
    18 CFR Part 37
    
    [Docket No. RM95-9-000]
    
    
    Open Access Same-Time Information System (OASIS) and Standards of 
    Conduct
    
        Issued December 27, 1996.
    
    AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.
    
    ACTION: Final rule; order granting request for clarification.
    
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    SUMMARY: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, at the request of 
    the How Working Group, is clarifying its Phase 1 OASIS regulations 
    concerning ``next hour'' reservations of transmission service. The 
    Commission finds that, during Phase 1, a request for transmission 
    service made after 2:00 p.m. of the day preceding the commencement of 
    such service, will be ``made on the OASIS'' if it is made directly on 
    the OASIS, or, if it is made by facsimile or telephone and promptly 
    (within one hour) posted on the OASIS by the Transmission Provider. In 
    all other circumstances, requests for transmission service must be made 
    exclusively on the OASIS.
    
    EFFECTIVE DATE: December 27, 1996.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marvin Rosenberg (Technical 
    Information), Office of Economic Policy, Federal Energy Regulatory 
    Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20426 (202) 208-1283
    William C. Booth (Technical Information), Office of Electric Power 
    Regulation, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, 
    N.E., Washington, DC 20426, (202) 208-0849
    Gary D. Cohen (Legal Information), Office of the General Counsel, 
    Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., 
    Washington, DC 20426, (202) 208-0321
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In addition to publishing the full text of 
    this document in the Federal Register, the Commission also provides all 
    interested persons an opportunity to inspect or copy the contents of 
    this document during normal business hours in the Public Reference Room 
    at 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20426.
        The Commission Issuance Posting System (CIPS), an electronic 
    bulletin board service, provides access to the texts of formal 
    documents issued by the Commission. CIPS is available at no charge to 
    the user and may be accessed using a personal computer with a modem by 
    dialing 202-208-1397 if dialing locally or 1-800-856-3920 if dialing 
    long distance. CIPS is also available on the Internet through the Fed 
    World system. To access CIPS, set your communications software to 
    19200, 14400, 12000, 9600, 7200, 4800, 2400, or 1200 bps, full duplex, 
    no parity, 8 data bits and 1 stop bit. The full text of this order will 
    be available on CIPS in ASCII and Wordperfect 5.1 format. The complete 
    text on diskette in WordPerfect format may also be purchased from the 
    Commission's copy contractor, La Dorn Systems Corporation, also located 
    in the Public Reference Room at 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, DC 
    20426.
    
    Order Granting Request for Clarification
    
    Background
    
        On December 23, 1996, the How Working Group 1 filed a letter 
    seeking clarification of whether the Commission intended, in the OASIS 
    Final Rule,2 to require that the OASIS serve as a ``next hour'' 
    reservation tool during Phase 1 of OASIS implementation. Specifically, 
    the letter states:
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        \1\ The How Working Group is an industry-led group, with diverse 
    industry and customer representatives, working to reach consensus on 
    OASIS-related issues.
        \2\ Open Access Same-Time Information System and Standards of 
    Conduct, Final Rule, Order No. 889, FERC Stats. & Regs. para. 
    31,037, 61 FR 21737 (May 10, 1996), reh'g pending.
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        It was the interpretation of the How Working Group that a Provider 
    would accept reservation requests after 2 p.m. of the preceding day, 
    only if practical. Otherwise, these requests would be accepted off-line 
    and posted after-the-fact. It was our view that ``next hour'' 
    functionality was not feasible in Phase 1. The How Working Group asks 
    us to confirm its interpretation.
    
    Discussion
    
        The OASIS Final Rule makes a clear distinction between reserving 
    transmission service and scheduling transmission service.3 The 
    Phase 1 OASIS regulations create a mechanism for making reservations of 
    transmission service, while the inclusion of energy scheduling as part 
    of the OASIS requirements was left as a Phase 2 OASIS issue. The 
    problem, however, is that for near-term transactions, the distinction 
    between scheduling and reservations tends to blur.
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        \3\ See 61 FR at 21743.
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        The OASIS regulations provide, at 18 CFR Sec. 37.6(e)(1), that 
    ``[a]ll requests for transmission services offered by Transmission 
    Providers under the pro forma tariff must be made on the OASIS.'' 
    Notwithstanding the clear language of this regulation, the How Working 
    Group would like to accommodate requests for service, made after 2:00 
    p.m. of the day preceding the commencement of such service, off the 
    OASIS and states that it is not feasible to handle such requests on the 
    OASIS during Phase 1.4
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        \4\ The 2:00 p.m. deadline is consistent with Sec. 14.6 of the 
    pro forma tariff, which provides: ``Schedules for Non-Firm Point-to-
    Point Transmission Service must be submitted to the Transmission 
    Provider no later than 2:00 p.m. . . . of the day prior to 
    commencement of such service. Schedules submitted after 2:00 p.m 
    will be accommodated, if practicable.''
    
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    [[Page 611]]
    
        We find that, during Phase 1, a request for transmission service 
    made after 2:00 p.m. of the day preceding the commencement of such 
    service, will be ``made on the OASIS'' if it is made directly on the 
    OASIS, or, if it is made by facsimile or telephone and promptly (within 
    one hour) posted on the OASIS by the Transmission Provider. In all 
    other circumstances, requests for transmission service must be made 
    exclusively on the OASIS.
        The Commission orders: The request of the How Working Group for a 
    clarification of the OASIS Final Rule is hereby granted, as discussed 
    in the body of this order.
    
        By the Commission.
    Lois D. Cashell,
    Secretary.
    [FR Doc. 97-140 Filed 1-3-97; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
    
    
    

Document Information

Effective Date:
12/27/1996
Published:
01/06/1997
Department:
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Entry Type:
Rule
Action:
Final rule; order granting request for clarification.
Document Number:
97-140
Dates:
December 27, 1996.
Pages:
610-611 (2 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Docket No. RM95-9-000
PDF File:
97-140.pdf
CFR: (1)
18 CFR 37