[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 186 (Tuesday, September 24, 1996)] [Notices] [Pages 50116-50190] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 96-24326] [[Page 50115]] _______________________________________________________________________ Part IV Department of Energy _______________________________________________________________________ Federal Energy Regulatory Commission _______________________________________________________________________ Order Issuing Revised OASIS Standards and Protocols Document; Notice Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 186 / Tuesday, September 24, 1996 / Notices [[Page 50116]] DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. RM95-9-000] Open Access Same-time Information System and Standards of Conduct; Order Issuing Revised OASIS Standards and Protocols Document Issued: September 10, 1996. Before Commissioners: Elizabeth Anne Moler, Chair; Vicky A. Bailey, James J. Hoecker, William L. Massey, and Donald F. Santa, Jr. As announced in Order No. 889,\1\ after consideration of suggested changes advanced by the How Working Group and other interested persons, we are issuing revisions to the standards and formats for OASIS sites prescribed in the OASIS Standards and Protocols document.\2\ This action is not intended to prejudge any of the substantive issues raised in the pending requests for rehearing filed in response to Order No. 8890.\3\ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ 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). \2\ This is the short title for Standards and Communication Protocols for Open Access Same-Time Information System (OASIS) and accompanying Data Element Dictionary, 61 FR at 21770-21846, appended to Order No. 889. \3\ We reserve the right to make further modifications to the Standards and Protocols document as necessary to conform to our determinations on rehearing. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Background In Order No. 889, we stated that it is essential to establish standards and protocols that will ensure that the OASIS presents information in a consistent and uniform manner. However, in Order No. 889 we recognized that the initial standards and formats contained in the Standards and Protocols document are not complete and require further development. Accordingly, we invited the How Working Group--an industry led coalition of diverse interests established by the industry to develop consensus on ``how'' to develop an OASIS--to review the document and report to us on its progress in correcting any deficiencies in the document.\4\ We also stated that, after reviewing the additional report we anticipated receiving from the How Working Group (along with comments from any interested person), we would issue a revised Standards and Protocols document as soon as possible thereafter, to allow transmission providers to implement operational Phase I OASIS sites by November 1, 1996. 61 FR at 21738, 21755-56. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \4\ 61 FR at 21740-41, 21762. We also directed the How Working Group to attach any comments it received from any interested persons with opposing views. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- As requested, on June 7, 1996, the How Working Group submitted a report presenting its suggested edits to the initial standards and Protocols document. On June 11, 1996, the Commission provided notice that the How Working Group's June 7, 1996 report was available for public review and comment. The How Working Group continued its efforts to reach consensus and, on July 3, 1996, submitted a report suggesting further changes to the Standards and Protocols document. On July 5, 1996, the Joint Transmission Service Information Network (JTSIN) filed comments suggesting revisions to the version of the Standards and Protocols document put out for comment on June 11, 1996. On July 19, 1996, Power System Engineering Inc. (PSE) filed comments on this same document. On July 31, 1996, in response to the JTSIN comments, the How Working Group submitted corrections to its earlier submittal, suggesting further changes to the Standards and Protocols document. These corrections incorporate suggestions made by JTSIN and are endorsed by JTSIN. The How Working Group requests that he Commission quickly release a revised Standards and Protocols document or grant a delay in the startup date for Phase I OASIA compliance. The How Working Group states that it avoided suggesting more substantive changes to OASIS functionality or design because it was not possible to evaluate changes of this type (and reach consensus) while meeting the Commission's November 1, 1996 startup date for Phase I OASIS implementation. Discussion The successive submittals from the How Working Group added further refinements and improvements with each iteration. Our review, therefore, will concentrate on the group's latest iteration, submitted on July 31, 1996.\5\ We find that these revisions greatly improve the OASIS Standards and Protocols document that accompanied issuance of Order No. 889, by resolving additional issues and by harmonizing the text to determinations made in Order No. 889. Therefore, with the minor exceptions noted below, we will issue a revised Standards and Protocols document consistent with the How Working Group's recommendations.\6\ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \5\ As this iteration fully addresses JTSIN's comments, includes revisions based on JTSIN's comments, and has been endorsed by JTSIN, we need not separately address JTSIN's comments. \6\We also are attaching a version of the revised Standards and Protocols document that shows the changes that we are making to the How Working Group's July 31, 1996 report. This attachment is not being published in the Federal Register but is available through the Commission Issuance Posting System (see, infra, n.9) and from the Commission's Public Reference Room. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Turning to the July 31, 1996 How Working Group report, we find that it has been improved to the extent that it now requires only a few minor revisions. First, in various places in the Standards and Protocols document, we will replace the term ``customer'', used by the How Working Group, with the term ``user'', whenever the group being referenced includes OASIS users who may not be customers.\7\ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \7\ See Standards and Protocols document in the Table of Contents at Sec. 3.6 and in the text at Secs. 3.3(c), 3.4(a), 3.4(b), 3.4(e), 3.4(h), 3.5(b), 3.6, 4.2.4.2(2), 4.3, 4.3.2(a), 4.3.3(a), 5.3, 5.6, 5.9(b), and 5.10(a). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Second, we have revised the suggested language in Sec. 3.4(d) to match more closely the language in Order No. 889 that requires the Transmission Provider to post information about resales on the same display page, using the same tables, as similar capacity being sold by it. Third, in Sec. 3.4(h), we have not included the proposed change from ``90 days'' to ``10 days'' because we reserve the issue of whether to revise the retention period for on-line audit log postings for the order we will issue addressing the pending requests for rehearing. Additionally, we have made several minor edits for clarity or simplicity. Specifically, under Sec. 2.1(c) we have changed ``chose'' to ``choose'' as the present tense better fits this sentence. In Sec. 3.6(b), we deleted ``once again'' as unnecessary. In Sec. 4.1.1(a), we added ``providing'' for clarity. In Sec. 4.2.1(a), we changed ``to'' to ``with''. In the example at the end of Sec. 4.2.1(c), we changed ``time'' to ``endtime'' to agree with the Data Element Dictionary. We made the same change in the example of a query in Secs. 4.4.1 and 4.4.2. In Sec. 5.7, we changed ``Buy/Sell'' to ``Purchase'' to better match Order No. 889. We have also made several nonsubstantive revisions to the Data Element Dictionary for clarity. Specifically, under the definition of ``CUSTOMER-DUNS'' restricted values, we have added ``DUNS''. Under ``DATA-ROWS'' restricted values, we have changed ``Number or numbers'' to ``Positive Number''. Under ``SERVICE--DESCRIPTION'' definition of data element, we have changed ``Inform'' to ``Information''. Under ``STATUS'' [[Page 50117]] restricted values, we have deleted the references to ``reassigned'', ``scheduled'', and ``curtailed'' so that the values match the categories in the definition of data element. Under the Field Format for SELLER-DUNS, we have changed the maximum number of characters to 9 to agree with the maximum number of characters for other DUNS numbers. Turning to the comments from PSE, a participant in the How Working Group process, its comments were submitted as ``informal comments'' to Staff that, with PSE's approval, were added to the public record in this proceeding. In their comments, PSE points out that Section I of the Standards and Protocols document, which discusses the purposes of OASIS, does not include customers requesting service through an OASIS. We have modified the language to include this function. The remaining issues raised by PSE, such as OASIS access and registration issues, do not relate solely to the contents of the Standards and Protocols document. Rather, they concern issues that, in our judgment, involve Phase II implementation, which we will consider later, or relate to issues pending on rehearing of Order No. 889.\8\ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \8\ In Order No. 889, see 61 FR at 21741, the Commission discussed its preference for consensus recommendations on technical implementation issues. We encourage future commenters to consider bringing their ideas to the How Working Group for its consideration in the first instance, so that ideas can be screened and improved through peer review, before being addressed by the Commission. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The revised Standards and Protocols document will be made available at the Commission's Public Reference Room and will be published in the Federal Register. It also will be available through the Commission Issuance Posting System (CIPS), which can be reached by telephone (modem dialup) at 1-800-856-3920.\9\ Dialing this number gives the caller a menu, from which the caller can choose CIPS or other menu choices. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \9\ If you encounter problems in accessing CIPS, you may call 202-208-2474 to seek assistance. CIPS also can be accessed via the FedWorld system through dialup modems or over the Internet. By modem: Dial 703-321-3339 and logon to the FedWorld system. After logging on to the FedWorld system, choose f. Government and Regulatory and then type: /go FERC. By Internet: Option 1 Telnet to: fedworld.gov, Select [1] FedWorld option, Logon to the FedWorld system, Choose f. Government and Regulatory, Type: /go FERC. Option 2 Point your Web Browser to: http://www.fedworld.gov, Scroll down the page to select FedWorld Telnet Site, Select [1] FedWorld option, Logon to the FedWorld system, Choose f. Government and Regulatory, Type: /go FERC. 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By the Commission. Lois D. Cashell, Secretary. [FR Doc. 96-24326 Filed 9-23-96; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-C