[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 14, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 2135]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-780]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. RM02-1-000, RM02-1-001]


Standardization of Generator Interconnection Agreements and 
Procedures; Notice Clarifying Compliance Procedures

January 8, 2004.
    1. On July 24, 2003, the Commission issued Order No. 2003, 
Standardization of Generator Interconnection Agreements and 
Procedures.\1\ On September 26, 2003, the Commission issued a Notice of 
Extension of Time granting Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs) 
and Independent System Operators (ISOs) (collectively, independent 
Transmission Providers) an extension of time until January 20, 2004 to 
comply with Order No. 2003. On October 7, 2003, the Commission granted 
requests to extend the effective date of the Final Rule and the date on 
which compliance filings are due for non-independent Transmission 
Providers,\2\ also to January 20, 2004. 105 FERC ]61,043 at P 17-18 
(2003). This notice clarifies the process for complying with that 
January 20, 2004 effective date.
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    \1\ Standardization of Generator Interconnection Agreements and 
Procedures, Order No. 2003, 68 FR 49,845 (Aug. 19, 2003), FERC 
Stats. & Regs. ]31,146 (2003), reh'g pending (Final Rule or Order 
No. 2003).
    \2\ Non-independent Transmission Providers are utilities that 
(a) are not RTOs or ISOs or (b) are members of RTOs or ISOs but 
maintain ownership and operational control over certain of their 
Commission-jurisdictional facilities.
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    2. For all non-independent Transmission Providers, their open 
access transmission tariffs (OATT) will be deemed to be revised to 
include the pro forma Large Generator Interconnection Procedures (LGIP) 
and Large Generator Interconnection Agreement (LGIA) in Order No. 2003 
on January 20, 2004. These Transmission Providers are directed to make 
ministerial filings reflecting those revisions to their OATT in their 
next filings with the Commission. Any non-independent Transmission 
Provider seeking a variation from the pro forma LGIP and LGIA based on 
existing regional reliability standards must so inform the Commission 
on or before January 20, 2004. These filings should specify the 
proposed changes and why such changes are necessary. The Commission 
will solicit comments on these filings before acting on them. After 
January 20, 2004, a non-independent Transmission Provider may 
separately file under Federal Power Act Section 205 \3\ proposed 
changes to its LGIPs and LGIAs using the ``consistent with or superior 
to'' standard described in the Final Rule. Order No. 2003 at P 825.
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    \3\ 16 U.S.C. Sec.  824d (2000).
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    3. Independent Transmission Providers must make compliance filings 
on or before January 20, 2004. Until the Commission acts on those 
compliance filings, the independent Transmission Provider's existing 
Commission-approved interconnection standards and procedures will 
remain in effect. An independent Transmission Provider may meet the 
January 20, 2004 deadline by filing: (a) A notice that it intends to 
adopt the Order No. 2003 pro forma LGIP and LGIA; or (b) new standard 
interconnection procedures and agreements developed according to Order 
No. 2003's ``independent entity variation'' standard. Order No. 2003 at 
P 827. If the independent Transmission Provider files the (b) option, 
the Commission will solicit comments on that filing before acting on 
it, and the independent Transmission Provider's existing, Commission-
approved standards and procedures will continue to apply pending 
Commission action. After submitting its compliance filing, an 
independent Transmission Provider will continue to have the right to 
propose changes to its LGIP and LGIA using the ``independent entity 
variation'' standard.
    4. We would also like to clarify that for non-independent 
Transmission Providers that belong to an RTO or ISO, the RTO or ISO's 
Commission-approved standards and procedures shall govern 
interconnection to its members' facilities that are under the 
operational control of the RTO or ISO. An interconnection to a 
Commission-jurisdictional facility that is owned by a non-independent 
Transmission Provider but is not under the operational control of the 
RTO or ISO shall be conducted according to the non-independent 
Transmission Provider's LGIP and LGIA.

The Commission Orders

    The Secretary is hereby directed to publish this notice in the 
Federal Register.

    By direction of the Commission.
Linda Mitry,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 04-780 Filed 1-13-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P