[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 42 (Wednesday, March 4, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11667-11668]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-04446]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. AD10-12-006]


Increasing Market and Planning Efficiency Through Improved 
Software; Notice of Technical Conference: Increasing Real-Time and Day-
Ahead Market Efficiency Through Improved Software

    Take notice that Commission staff will convene a technical 
conference on June 22, 23, and 24, 2015 to discuss opportunities for 
increasing real-time and day-ahead market efficiency through improved 
software. A detailed agenda with the list of and times for the selected 
speakers will be published on the Commission's Web site \1\ after April 
24, 2015.
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    \1\ http://www.ferc.gov/industries/electric/indus-act/market-planning.asp.
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    This conference will bring together experts from diverse 
backgrounds and experiences, including electric system operators, 
software developers, government, research centers and academia for the 
purposes of stimulating discussion, sharing information, and 
identifying fruitful avenues for research concerning the technical 
aspects of improved software for increasing efficiency. This conference 
is intended to build on the discussions initiated in the previous 
Commission staff technical conferences on increasing market and 
planning efficiency through improved software. As such, staff will be 
facilitating a discussion to explore research and operational advances 
with respect to market modeling that appear to have significant promise 
for potential efficiency improvements. Broadly, such topics fall into 
the following categories:
    (1) Improvements to the representation of physical constraints that 
are either not currently modeled or currently modeled using 
mathematical approximations (e.g., modeling voltage and reactive power 
though alternating current (AC) optimal power flow modeling, modeling 
contingencies or events beyond first contingencies);
    (2) Consideration of uncertainty to better maximize expected market 
surplus (e.g., stochastic modeling, or other improved modeling 
approaches to energy and reserve dispatch that efficiently manage 
uncertainty);
    (3) Improvements to the ability to identify and use flexibility in 
the existing systems (e.g., optimal transmission switching, active or 
dynamic transmission ratings, and modeling ramping capability needs); 
and
    (4) Other improvements in algorithms, model formulations, or 
hardware that may allow for increases in market efficiency.
    Within these or related subject areas, we encourage presentations 
that discuss best modeling practices, existing modeling practices that 
need improvement, any advances made since last year's conference, or 
related perspectives on increasing market efficiency through improved 
power systems modeling.

[[Page 11668]]

    The technical conference will be held at the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission headquarters, 888 First Street NE., Washington, 
DC 20426. All interested participants are invited to attend, and 
participants with ideas for relevant presentations are invited to 
nominate themselves to speak at the conference.
    Speaker nominations must be submitted on or before March 25, 2015 
through the Commission's Web site \2\ by providing the proposed 
speaker's contact information along with a title, abstract, and list of 
contributing authors for the proposed presentation. Proposed 
presentations should be related to the topics discussed above. Speakers 
and presentations will be selected to ensure relevant topics and to 
accommodate time constraints.
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    \2\ The speaker nomination form is located at https://www.ferc.gov/whats-new/registration/real-market-6-22-15-speaker-form.asp.
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    Although registration is not required for general attendance by 
United States citizens, we encourage those planning to attend the 
conference to register through the Commission's Web site.\3\ We will 
provide nametags for those who register on or before June 19, 2015.
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    \3\ The registration form is located at https://www.ferc.gov/whats-new/registration/real-market-6-22-15-form.asp.
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    Due to new security procedures, we strongly encourage attendees who 
are not citizens of the United States to register for the conference by 
June 1, 2015, in order to avoid any delay associated with being 
processed by FERC security.
    The Commission will accept comments following the conference, with 
a deadline of July 31, 2015.
    There is an ``eSubscription'' link on the Web site that enables 
subscribers to receive email notification when a document is added to a 
subscribed docket(s). For assistance with any FERC Online service, 
please email [email protected], or call (866) 208-3676 (toll 
free). For TTY, call (202) 502-8659.
    A WebEx will be available. Off-site participants interested in 
listening via teleconference or listening and viewing the presentations 
through WebEx must register at https://www.ferc.gov/whats-new/registration/real-market-6-22-15-form.asp, and do so by 5:00 p.m. EST 
on June 15, 2015. WebEx and teleconferencing may not be available to 
those who do not register.
    FERC conferences are accessible under section 508 of the 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973. For accessibility accommodations please 
send an email 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.
    For further information about these conferences, please contact: 
Sarah McKinley (Logistical Information), Office of External Affairs, 
(202) 502-8004, [email protected].; Daniel Kheloussi (Technical 
Information), Office of Energy Policy and Innovation, (202) 502-6391, 
[email protected].

    Dated: February 26, 2015.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-04446 Filed 3-3-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P