[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 134 (Thursday, July 12, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41184-41185]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-16997]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. AD12-12-000]


Coordination Between Natural Gas and Electricity Markets; Notice 
of Technical Conferences

    Take notice that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
(Commission) staff will hold regional technical conferences on 
Coordination between Natural Gas and Electricity Markets. The regional 
technical conferences will be held on the following dates and in the 
following cities:\1\
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    \1\ We recognize that due to the long lines of some of the 
interstate pipelines, natural gas pipeline infrastructure may not 
neatly fit into these divisions, but find these divisions reasonable 
for discussing gas-electric coordination issues.
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Central \2\--August 6, 2012, St. Louis, MO
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    \2\ For purposes of these conferences, the Central region is 
largely defined by the corporate boundaries of the organized 
wholesale electric markets of Midwest Independent Transmission 
System Operator Inc. (MISO), Southwest Power Pool, Inc. (SPP) and 
Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). While we recognize we 
do not have Federal Power Act jurisdiction over the rates or terms 
of service in wholesale electricity markets doing business wholly 
within the state of Texas in ERCOT events in Texas affect, and are 
affected by, gas-electric coordination issues in other geographic 
areas and opening these discussions to all participants will permit 
a broader and more inclusive examination of all the relevant issues.
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Northeast \3\--August 20, 2012, Boston, MA
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    \3\ ISO New England, Inc. (ISO-NE).
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Southeast \4\--August 23, 2012, Washington, DC (FERC HQ)
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    \4\ Southern Company, Duke and Progress Energy, TVA, and other 
areas south of PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (PJM) and East of SPP and 
ERCOT.
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West \5\--August 28, 2012, Portland, OR
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    \5\ The Western Interconnection.
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Mid-Atlantic \6\--August 30, 2012, Washington, DC (FERC HQ)
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    \6\ New York Independent System Operator Inc. (NYISO), PJM and 
related areas.

    The regional technical conferences will be open for the public to 
attend. Commission members will participate in the conferences.
    On February 15, 2012, in the above-mentioned docket, a notice was 
issued requesting comments regarding gas-electric interdependence. The 
commenters raised a wide variety of issues regarding gas-electric 
interdependence. Many of the commenters asserted that those issues 
differed on a regional basis. The regional technical conferences will 
discuss the various aspects of gas-electric interdependence and 
coordination, as well as ways to improve communication and coordination 
between the two industries.
    Each conference will be organized as a roundtable discussion of the 
following topics: (1) Communications/coordination/information sharing; 
(2) scheduling; (3) market structures and rules; and (4) reliability 
concerns. Time permitting, comments or questions from those attending 
the conference, but not participating in the roundtable, will be 
permitted. Subsequent notices will be issued specifying the time, 
venue, and agenda for each conference.
    Those interested in attending a conference are encouraged to 
register by close of business, July 19, 2012. You may register at the 
following Web page: http://www.ferc.gov/whats-new/registration/nat-gas-elec-mkts-form.asp. Those also interested in participating in a 
roundtable should notify the Commission by close of business on the 
same day by completing an online form identifying at which conference 
they wish to participate: http://www.ferc.gov/whats-new/registration/nat-gas-elec-mkts-speaker-form.asp. Due to time and seating 
constraints, we may not be able to accommodate all those interested in 
participating in the roundtables.
    Information on the conferences will also be posted on the Web site 
http://www.ferc.gov/industries/electric/indus-act/electric-coord.asp, 
as well as the Calendar of Events on the Commission's Web site, http://www.ferc.gov, prior to the conferences.
    Commission conferences are accessible under section 508 of the

[[Page 41185]]

Rehabilitation Act of 1973. For accessibility accommodations, please 
send an email to [email protected] or call toll free 1-866-208-
3372 (voice) or 202-208-1659 (TTY), or send a fax to 202-208-2106 with 
the required accommodations.
    For more information about the regional technical conferences, 
please contact:

Pamela Silberstein, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First 
Street NE., Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-8938, 
[email protected].
Sarah McKinley, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street 
NE., Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-8004, [email protected].


    Dated: July 5, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-16997 Filed 7-11-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P