[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5245 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5245

To study the feasibility and desirability of the formation of regional 
  transmission organizations within the Western Electric Coordinating 
                    Council, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 26, 2002

   Mr. Issa introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To study the feasibility and desirability of the formation of regional 
  transmission organizations within the Western Electric Coordinating 
                    Council, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Western Electricity Markets Reform 
Act of 2002''.

SEC. 2. FEASIBILITY STUDY.

    (a) In General.--The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission shall 
study the feasibility and desirability of the formation of regional 
transmission organizations within the Western Electric Coordinating 
Council. This study shall be completed and submitted to the Congress no 
later than 90 days after the enactment of this Act.
    (b) Options.--The study under this section shall focus on the 
following options:
            (1) The establishment of one Regional Transmission 
        Organization to cover the entire area within the jurisdiction 
        of the Western Electric Coordinating Council.
            (2) The establishment of two Regional Transmission 
        Organizations with the following geographic boundaries:
                    (A) The northern region of California, the States 
                covered by the Pacific Northwest Power Planning Act, 
                the northern portion of Nevada, and such other areas 
                that are contained within the same natural electricity 
                trading market, and with headquarters located in 
                Portland, Oregon; and
                    (B) The southern portion of California, the 
                southern portion of Nevada, the states of Arizona, New 
                Mexico, Colorado and such other areas that are 
                contained within the same natural electricity trading 
                market, and with headquarters located in Phoenix, 
                Arizona.
            (3) The establishment of three Regional Transmission 
        Organizations, reflecting the proposals on file with the 
        Commission as of June 1, 2002.

SEC. 3. RULEMAKING.

    If the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission finds that the 
establishment and implementation of the option set forth in subsection 
2(b)(1) or (2) would meet the geographic scope requirement of FERC 
Order No. 2000, and would otherwise promote the public interest in 
establishment of well functioning competitive markets in wholesale 
electric energy, the Commission shall issue a Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking containing a proposal to such establish a Regional 
Transmission Organization or Regional Transmission Organizations. No 
final rule in such rulemaking proceeding shall be issued prior to 180 
days from the date on which the Commission submits a proposed final 
rule to the Congress.
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