[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 234 (Wednesday, December 6, 2006)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 70695]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-20608]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

18 CFR Part 40

[Docket No. RM06-16-000]


Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power System

November 27, 2006.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.

ACTION: Notice granting in part motions for extension of time to file 
comments and announcing rulemaking proceeding.

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

SUMMARY: On October 20, 2006, the Commission issued a Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking on mandatory reliability standards for the Bulk-
Power System. 71 FR 64770 (November 3, 2006). The Commission is 
extending the date to file comments on the proposed rule at the request 
of Edison Electric Institute and the ISO/RTO Council and is 
establishing a comment period for twenty revised proposed Reliability 
Standards that were filed in this docket on behalf of the North 
American Electric Reliability Council (NERC). The Commission is also 
opening a new rulemaking proceeding for three new proposed Reliability 
Standards that were filed by NERC.

DATES: Comments on the NOPR are due January 3, 2007. Comments on NERC's 
twenty revised proposed Reliability Standards are due January 3, 2007.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. RM06-16-
000, by one of the following methods:
     Agency Web site: http://ferc.gov. Follow the instructions 
for submitting comments via the eFiling link found in the Comment 
Procedures section of the Preamble.
     Mail: Commenters unable to file comments electronically 
must mail or hand deliver an original and 14 copies of their comments 
to: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Office of the Secretary, 888 
First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. Refer to the Comment 
Procedures section of the preamble for additional information on how to 
file paper comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jonathan First (Legal Information), 
Office of the General Counsel, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 
888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-8529.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power System, 
Docket No. RM06-16-000.
    Facilities Design, Connections and Maintenance Reliability 
Standards, Docket No. RM07-3-000.

    On October 20, 2006, in Docket No. RM06-16-000, the Commission 
issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) on Mandatory Reliability 
Standards for the Bulk-Power System.\1\ Comments on the NOPR are due 60 
days after publication in the Federal Register, or January 2, 2007. On 
November 17, 2006 and November 22, 2006, Edison Electric Institute 
(EEI) and the ISO/RTO Council, respectively, requested a seven day 
extension to file comments.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power System, 
117 FERC ] 61,084 (2006), 71 FR 64770 (November 3, 2006).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On November 15, 2006, the North American Electric Reliability 
Council, on behalf of its affiliate, the North American Electric 
Reliability Corporation (NERC Corporation, and collectively NERC), 
filed 20 revised proposed Reliability Standards and three new proposed 
Reliability Standards for Commission approval. The Commission certified 
NERC Corporation as the Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) 
pursuant to section 215 of the Federal Power Act in an order issued 
July 20, 2006 in Docket No. RR06-1-000.
    NERC requested that the 20 revised proposed Reliability Standards 
be included as part of the NOPR issued by the Commission in Docket No. 
RM06-16-000. Because of their close relationship with Reliability 
Standards dealt with in the October 20, 2006 NOPR, the Commission will 
address these 20 Reliability Standards as part of that proceeding. The 
20 revised proposed Reliability Standards are:

CIP-001-1--Sabotage Reporting
COM-001-1--Telecommunications
COM-002-2--Communications and Coordination
EOP-002-2--Capacity and Energy Emergencies
EOP-003-1--Load Shedding Plans
EOP-004-1--Disturbance Reporting
EOP-006-1--Reliability Coordination--System Restoration
INT-001-2--Interchange Information
INT-003-2--Interchange Transaction Information
IRO-001-1--Reliability Coordination--Responsibilities and 
Authorities
IRO-002-1--Reliability Coordination--Facilities
IRO-003-2--Reliability Coordination--Wide-Area View
IRO-005-2--Reliability Coordination--Current-Day Operations
PER-004-1--Reliability Coordination--Staffing
PRC-001-1--System Protection Coordination
TOP-001-1--Reliability Responsibilities and Authorities
TOP-002-2--Normal Operations Planning
TOP-004-1--Transmission Operations
TOP-006-1--Monitoring System Conditions
TOP-008-1--Response to Transmission Limit Violations

    Comments on these 20 revised proposed Reliability Standards should 
be submitted by January 3, 2007, in Docket No. RM06-16-000. In 
addition, the deadline for filing comments on the NOPR is extended to 
January 3, 2007. Accordingly, the requests for extension of time filed 
by EEI and the ISO/RTO Council are granted to the limited extent set 
forth here.
    The Commission is also opening a new Docket No. RM07-3-000 for 
processing the three new proposed Reliability Standards. No preliminary 
comments are being sought at this time. A proposed rulemaking will be 
issued later, and we will allow comments then. The three proposed new 
Reliability Standards included in this docket are:

FAC-010-1--System Operating Limits Methodology for the Planning
FAC-011-1--System Operating Limits Methodology for the Operations 
Horizon
FAC-014-1--Establish and Communicate System Operating Limits

    This filing is accessible on-line at http://www.ferc.gov, using the 
``eLibrary'' link and is available for review in the Commission's 
Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. There is an ``eSubscription'' 
link on the Web site that enables subscribers to receive e-mail 
notification when a document is added to a subscribed docket(s). For 
assistance with any FERC Online service, please e-mail 
[email protected], or call (866) 208-3676 (toll free). For 
TTY, call (202) 502-8659.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-20608 Filed 12-5-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P