[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 236 (Friday, December 9, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73230-73231]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-7094]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. RM05-30-000]


Rules Concerning Certification of the Electric Reliability 
Organization; and Procedures for the Establishment, Approval, and 
Enforcement of Electric Reliability Standards; Notice of Second 
Technical Conference

December 1, 2005.
    As announced in a Notice of Technical Conferences issued on 
November 3, 2005, in the above referenced proceeding, a second 
technical conference will be held in the offices of the Commission, 888 
First Street, NE., Washington, DC. All interested persons may attend, 
and registration is not required. This will be a staff conference, but 
Commissioners may attend.
    The second technical conference will take place on December 9, 2005 
from 9:30 a.m. until approximately 3 p.m. (EST) and will be held in the 
Commission Meeting Room on the second floor of the Commission. Attached 
is the agenda for this conference.
    This second technical conference will address how to establish 
electric reliability standards, state roles in reliability, and issues 
related to compliance and enforcement of standards, and North American 
perspectives of these issues. It follows up on issues discussed in the 
first technical conference of November 18, 2005, which addressed 
current and possible future procedures for establishment and approval 
of electric reliability standards.
    Transcripts of the conference will be immediately available from 
Ace Reporting Company (202-347-3700 or 1-800-336-6646) for a fee. They 
will be available for the public on the Commission's eLibrary system 
seven calendar days after the Commission receives the transcript.
    A free Webcast of this event is available through http://www.ferc.gov. Anyone with Internet access who desires to view this 
event can do so by navigating to www.ferc.gov's Calendar of Events and 
locating this event in the Calendar. The event will contain a link to 
its Webcast. The Capitol Connection provides technical support for the 
Webcasts. It also offers access to this event via television in the DC 
area and via phone bridge for a fee. If you have any questions, visit 
http://www.CapitolConnection.org or contact

[[Page 73231]]

Danelle Perkowski or David Reininger at 703-993-3100.
    Commission conferences are accessible under section 508 of the 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973. For accessibility accommodations please 
send an e-mail to [email protected] or call toll free 866-208-3372 
(voice) or 202-208-1659 (TTY), or send a FAX to 202-208-2106 with the 
required accommodations.
    For more information about the conference, please contact Mary Cain 
at (202) 502-6337 ([email protected]) or Sarah McKinley at (202) 502-
8004 ([email protected]).

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.

Appendix A--Second Technical Conference on Electric Reliability 
Standards; Reliability Standards; States Role in Reliability; 
Compliance and Enforcement of Standards Agenda

December 9, 2005.

9:30 a.m.--Opening Remarks
    Joseph Kelliher, Commission Chairman.
9:45 a.m.--Introductions
    Joseph McClelland, Director, Division of Reliability, Office of 
Markets,Tariffs, and Rates, Commission.
10 a.m.--Panel I: Establishing and Processing Electric Reliability 
Standards.
    The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005) authorizes the 
Commission to approve standards that provide for reliable operation 
of the bulk power system and to remand those that do not.
    The panelists will provide insight into the following questions:
     What criteria should be used to determine reliability 
standards?
     How should ``best practices'' be incorporated into 
developing reliability standards?
     What process should the Commission use in evaluating 
reliability standards?
     What are the implications for the Electricity 
Reliability Organization (ERO) if a reliability standard is 
remanded?
     What process should be used by the ERO for handling 
remanded reliability standards?
     How are entities such as distribution providers, load 
serving entities, generator owners, generator operators, etc. 
covered by the reliability standards approved by the Commission?
    Participants:
    Natural Resources Canada (invited).
    Energy Regulatory Commission Mexico (invited).
    North American Electric Reliability Council (invited).
    ISO/RTO Council (invited).
    North American Energy Standards Board (invited).
    Electric Power Supply Association (invited).
11:15 a.m.--Break.
11:30 a.m.--Panel II: State and Provincial Role in Reliability.
    EPAct 2005 states that it does not preempt the authority of any 
state to take action to ensure the safety, adequacy, and reliability 
of electric service within that state, as long as such action is not 
inconsistent with any reliability standard. It also directs the 
Commission to establish a regional advisory body of at least two-
thirds of the states within a region petition. A regional advisory 
body shall be composed of one member from each participating state 
in the region, appointed by the Governor of each state, and may 
include representatives of agencies, states, and provinces outside 
the United States.
    The panelists will provide insight into the following questions:
     What role should states and provinces play with regard 
to reliability standards?
     How should the Commission receive input for approval of 
reliability standards from the states, provinces, Regional Entities, 
and ERO?
     What test should the Commission use to determine 
whether a state-developed rule conflicts with reliability standards?
     When should Regional Advisory Bodies be convened and 
for what purpose?
     What role should the states, provinces, Regional 
Entities, ERO, and the Commission play in determining resource 
adequacy?
    Participants:
    Florida Public Service Commission (invited).
    New York Public Service Commission (invited).
    Western Governors Association (invited).
    Alberta Department of Energy (invited).
    National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners 
(invited).
    Southwest Power Pool Regional State Committee (invited).
    National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates 
(invited).
    Organization of Midwest ISO States (invited).
1 p.m.-1:45 p.m.--LUNCH
1:45 p.m.--Panel III: Compliance and Enforcement.
    EPAct 2005 gives the ERO the power to enforce reliability 
standards with penalties for violation of standards approved by the 
Commission, and to file notice and record of the proceeding with the 
Commission. Penalties shall be subject to review by the Commission. 
The Commission may take such action as is necessary or appropriate 
against the ERO or a regional entity to ensure compliance with a 
reliability standard or any Commission order affecting the ERO or a 
regional entity.
    The panelists will discuss the following questions:
     What process should be used to monitor reliability 
standards compliance and determine violations?
     How should the ERO coordinate and oversee the regional 
entities' compliance efforts?
     How should penalties be determined? How should 
violations be disclosed?
     What data should the Commission and the ERO collect to 
enforce reliability standards?
     Should there be different levels of penalties for 
different types of reliability standards?
     How do self-regulatory organizations assure compliance, 
conduct investigations, and coordinate enforcement with federal 
agencies?
    Participants:
    North American Electric Reliability Council (invited).
    Institute for Nuclear Power Operation (invited).
    U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (invited).
    National Association of Securities Dealers (invited).
    Edison Electric Institute (invited).
3 p.m.--Closing Remarks.

 [FR Doc. E5-7094 Filed 12-8-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P