[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 84 (Friday, May 1, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24172-24173]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-11580]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket Nos. PL98-5-000 through -007]
Inquiry Concerning the Commission's Policy on Independent System
Operators; Notice of Regional Conferences
April 27, 1998.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) will convene
seven public conferences of one day or less to discuss regional factors
relevant to our policy concerning Independent System Operators (ISOs).
The conferences will be held between May 28 and June 8, 1998.
I. Introduction
In Order Nos. 888 and 889 and their progeny,\1\ the Commission
established fundamental principles of non-discriminatory open access
transmission services and encouraged, but did not require, the
formation of ISOs. On March 13, 199, the Commission initiated an
Inquiry Concerning the Commission's Policy on ISOs in Docket No. PL98-
5-000. A two-day public conference was held at the Commission's
headquarters in Washington, D.C. on April 15-16, 1998. The Commission
received input on a range of ISO issues from 40 speakers participating
on seven topical panels. Approximately 400 individuals attended the
conference on each day, while numerous others observed the proceedings
electronically. By design, this first conference addressed the
Commission's general ISO policies.
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\1\ See Promoting Wholesale Completion Through Open Access
Nondiscriminatory Transmission Services by Public Utilities; and
Recovery of Stranded Costs by Public Utilities and Transmitting
Utilities, Order No. 888, 61 Fed. Reg. 21,540 (1996). FERC Stats, &
Regs. para. 31,036 (1996), order on reh'g, Order No. 888-A, 62 Fed
Reg. 12,274 (1997), FERC Stats. & Regs. para. 31,048 (1997), order
on reh'g, Order No. 888-B, 81 FERC para. 61,248 (1997), order on
reh'g, Order No. 888-C, 82 FERC para. 61,046 (1998). Open-Access
Same-Time Information System and Standards of Conduct, Order No.
889, 61 Fed. Reg. 21,737 (1996), FERC Stats. & Regs. para. 31,035
(1996), order on reh'g, Order No. 889-A, 62 Fed. Reg. 12,484 (1997),
FERC Stats. & Regs. para. 31,049 (1997), order on reh'g, Order No.
889-B, 81 FERC para. 61,253 (1997).
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To comprehensively examine ISO issues, the Commission believes it
is important to provide an adequate forum to explore regional factors
that should be taken into account in the Commission's consideration of
its ISO policy. For this reason, the Commission will hold seven
regional conference between May 28 and June 8, 1998.
The Commission intends each regional conference to examine specific
regional characteristics and institutional factors that bear upon the
formation, governance, design and functions of ISOs or other types of
organizations formed to administer the electric transmission grid on a
regional basis. It wishes to examine whether the incorporation of such
considerations into the Commission's policy on ISOs will foster more
rapid ISO formation. The Commission also wishes to examine whether
regional factors present barriers to the formation of ISOs, including
ISOs of appropriate size, scope and membership as may be necessary to
promote competition and reliability in bulk power markets and to
support state initiatives providing for retain customer choice and
direct access, and, if so, what actions can be undertaken to remove or
reduce such barriers.
II. Regional Conferences
The Commission will hold seven regional conferences as described
below. A single Commissioner will preside at each conference. The
Commissioner will be accompanied by a Commission staff member who will
help direct questions to the panelists. Starting and ending times will
be announced in a subsequent order.
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City and conference
Presiding commissioner Conference date location Docket No.
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Comm. Massey....................... May 28, 1998.......... Phoenix, AR, Hyatt Regency PL98-5-001
Phoenix, 122 North Second
Street, Phoenix, AR 85004,
(602) 252-1234.
[[Page 24173]]
Comm. Massey....................... May 29, 1998.......... Kansas City, MO, Embassy PL98-5-002
Suites, 7640 N.W. Tiffany
Springs Parkway, Kansas
City, MO 64153, (816) 891-
7788.
Comm. Hebert....................... June 1, 1998.......... New Orleans, LA, Doubletree PL98-5-003
Inn, 300 Canal Street, New
Orleans, LA 70130, (504)
581-1300.
Comm. Bailey....................... June 4, 1998.......... Indianapolis, IN, Adams PL98-5-004
Mark, 2544 Executive
Drive, Indianapolis, IN,
(317) 248-2481.
Chr. Hoecker....................... June 5, 1998.......... Portland, OR, Sheraton PL98-5-005
Portland, Airport Hotel,
8235 N.E. Airport Way,
Portland, OR 97220, (503)
281-2500.
Comm. Bailey....................... June 8, 1998.......... Richmond, Va, Richmond PL98-5-006
Airport, Holiday Inn, 5203
Williamsburg Road,
Richmond, VA 23150, (804)
222-6450.
Comm. Breathitt.................... June 8, 1998.......... Orlando, FL, Marriott PL98-5-007
Orlando Airport, 7499
Augusta National Dr.,
Orlando, FL 32822, (407)
851-9000.
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All conferences will be open to the general public. No pre-
registration is required. No food service is provided as part of these
conferences. Requests for hotel accommodations should be directed to
the hotels identified above for each conference or to other hotels in
the area.
III. Participation in Conference
at this time, the Commission does not envision the use of topical
panels at each of the regional conferences. However, we may group
speakers expressing interests in common or similar issues on a single
panel. Potential participants may wish to examine the extensive list of
questions and topics appended to the Commission's initial order in this
proceeding to become familiar with the scope of the Commission's
interests.
Persons wishing to speak at one of the conferences must submit a
request to make a statement in the applicable subdocket in Docket No.
PL98-5-000. The first page of the request should clearly specify the
name, title and organization (if any) of the person desiring to speak,
the party or parties the speaker represents, and the city for which
participation is requested. The request must also include a brief
synopsis (not to exceed three pages) of the regional issue or issues
that each speaker wishes to address. The synopsis for each speaker
should begin on a separate page.\2\ All requests must be filed (with an
original and fourteen copies) with the Office of the Secretary, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.
20426, on or before May 8, 1998. The Commission may also contact
industry experts to participate in each conference. The Commission will
issue a further notice listing the speakers and panels for each
conference.
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\2\ A party may submit requests to speak for more than one
speaker or for more than one city. However, requests should be
organized by city and should clearly identify the region-specific
issues that the speaker will address.
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In addition, all interested persons are invited to submit written
comments (not to exceed 10 pages) addressing topics to be discussed at
the regional conferences on or before June 25, 1998. Comments must be
filed (with an original and fourteen copies) with the Office of the
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street,
N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426. Comments should pertain directly to the
characteristics or institutional factors associated with a particular
region and should be captioned with one of the particular subdocket(s)
identified above. Comments of a general nature concerning regional
issues should be submitted in Docket No. PL98-5-000.\3\ Comments in all
subdockets as well as the lead docket will be considered in the
Commission's examination of its ISO policies. All comments will be
placed in the Commission's public files and will be available for
inspection or copying in the Commission's Public Reference Room during
normal business hours. Comments are also accessible via the
Commission's Records Information Management System (RIMS) on the
Commission's Internet web site at http://www.ferc.fed.us.
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\3\ This order does not extend the May 1, 1998 deadline in
Docket No. PL98-5-000 for written comments that do not concern
region-specific issues.
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The Commission does not intend to broadcast the regional
conferences. However, the Commission will arrange for a court reporter
to transcribe the proceedings in each city. Persons interested in
receiving a copy of one or more of the regional conference transcripts
for a fee should contact Ace-Federal Reporters, Inc., at 202-347-3700.
For further information concerning requests to speak at one of the
regional conferences, contact:
E. Allen Mosher, Office of Electric Power Regulation, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426,
Voice: 202-208-0889, Fax: 202-208-0960, E-mail;
allen.mosher@ferc.fed.us
Brian Gish, Office of General Counsel, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426, Voice: 202-
208-0996, Fax: 202-208-006, E-mail; brian.gish@ferc.fed.us
For further information concerning conference logistics, contact:
Wanda V. Washington, Office of Executive Director and Chief Financial
Officer, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E.,
Washington, D.C. 20426, Voice: 202-208-1460, Fax: 202-208-0819, E-mail;
wanda.washington@ferc.fed.us
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-11580 Filed 4-30-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M
