[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 12 (Wednesday, January 20, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3223-3224]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-919]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. ER09-1048-000; ER09-1049-000; ER09-1050-000; ER09-1192-
000; ER09-1051-000; ER09-1063-000; ER09-1142-000]


California Independent System Operator Corporation; Midwest 
Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc; . Southwest Power Pool, 
Inc.; ISO New England, Inc. and New England Power Pool; PJM 
Interconnection, LLC; New York Independent System Operator, Inc.; 
Notice Providing Agenda for Technical Conference on RTO/ISO 
Responsiveness

January 8, 2010.
    On November 13, 2009, the Commission issued a notice announcing 
that the Commission staff would hold a technical conference in the near 
future to address issues raised in the above-referenced Order No. 719 
compliance proceedings.\1\ The notice indicated that the date, time, 
and agenda for the conference would be announced in a subsequent 
notice.
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    \1\ Wholesale Competition in Regions with Organized Electric 
Market, Order No. 719, 73 FR 64,100 (Oct. 28, 2008), FERC Stats & 
Regs. ] 31,281 (2008); order onreh'g, 74 FR 37,772 (July 29, 2009), 
128 FERC ] 61,059 (2009) (Order No. 719-A).
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    The staff technical conference will be held on Thursday, February 
4, 2010, from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (EST) in the Commission Meeting 
Room at the Commission's Washington, DC headquarters, 888 First Street, 
NE.
    As described in the November 13 Notice, this conference is intended 
to provide a forum for participants to

[[Page 3224]]

discuss issues related to the responsiveness of regional transmission 
organizations (RTOs) and independent system operators (ISOs) to their 
customers and other stakeholders. Various parties filed specific 
proposals in the above-referenced proceedings to address perceived 
problems with stakeholder and Board processes and configurations. For 
example, during the Order No. 719 compliance period, the Ohio 
Consumers' Council filed a motion to lodge a report on RTO/ISO 
governance written by the National Association of State Utility 
Consumer Advocates (NASUCA). In the report, NASUCA argues that existing 
RTO/ISO structures prevent effective participation by end-user 
consumers for three reasons: (1) The decision making process is 
complicated, (2) the decision making process is time intensive, and (3) 
most consumers and their advocates lack the resources required to 
meaningfully monitor and influence the stakeholder process. NASUCA 
argues that for these reasons, there is a lack of adequate retail 
consumer involvement under the current structure, which may lead to 
decisions that do not adequately consider the price of electricity to 
residential consumers.
    To address these concerns, NASUCA recommends the Commission take 
action to reorganize the RTO/ISO stakeholder process and governance 
structure. First, NASUCA states that it is necessary to have all RTO/
ISO Board meetings open to the public and include remote participation 
by teleconference wherever possible. Next, NASUCA proposes a revised 
governance structure that reflects consumer interests at the Board 
level, through the inclusion of two Board members with Consumer 
Advocate experience, at the Committee level, through a Standing 
Committee dedicated to Consumer Affairs, and within the RTO/ISO, 
through a Division of Consumer Affairs. NASUCA also recommends the 
creation of a funding mechanism, via RTO/ISO fees, which would provide 
resources for public representatives of consumers to support consumer 
positions at all levels of the stakeholder process.
    In addition to the proposals made by NASUCA, other commenters argue 
that RTOs and ISOs must take further steps to satisfy the criteria 
established in Order No. 719 on responsiveness to customers and other 
stakeholders, including proposals to reduce the number of RTO and ISO 
meetings by streamlining approval processes and to include language in 
RTO and ISO mission statements reflecting consumer interests.
    The technical conference will provide the Commission staff with the 
opportunity to further explore these concerns and proposals with the 
parties and the RTOs and ISOs. These dockets will remain open for 30 
days following the conference in order to provide an opportunity for 
the filing of written comments. Attached is an agenda for the 
conference.
    This conference will be webcast. All interested parties are 
invited, and there is no registration fee to attend.
    FERC 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) 502-8659 (TTY), or send a fax to (202) 208-2106 
with the required accommodations.
    Questions about the technical conference may be directed to Kurt 
Longo at [email protected], (202) 502-8048.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010-919 Filed 1-19-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P