Promoting Wholesale Competition Through Open Access Nondiscriminatory Transmission Services by Public Utilities; Recovery of Stranded Costs by Public Utilities and Transmitting Utilities; Notice of Technical Conference and Potential Broadcast of Technical Conference Concerning Independent System Operators and Reform of Power Pools Under the Federal Power Act

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

18 CFR Part 35

[Docket Nos. RM95-8-000 and RM94-7-001]

Promoting Wholesale Competition Through Open Access

Nondiscriminatory Transmission Services by Public Utilities; Recovery

of Stranded Costs by Public Utilities and Transmitting Utilities;

Notice of Technical Conference and Potential Broadcast of Technical

Conference Concerning Independent System Operators and Reform of Power

Pools Under the Federal Power Act

January 4, 1996.

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of Technical Conference and Potential Broadcast of

Technical Conference.

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

SUMMARY: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) notifies

interested persons that it will hold a technical conference regarding

independent system operators (ISOs) and power pools on January 24,

1996, at 9:30 A.M. The Commission has invited specific persons with

technical expertise to participate in the conference. Their names, and

an agenda for the conference, are attached. This notice also provides

interested persons with the necessary information by which they may

seek to receive the broadcast of the conference.

DATES: Persons interested in receiving the broadcast of the conference

for a fee must notify Shirley Al-Jarani or Julia Morelli at the Capitol

Connection (703-993-3100) by January 10, 1996. The conference will be

held on January 24, 1996, at 9:30 A.M.

ADDRESSES: The conference will be held at the Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Karen A. Tomcala (Legal Issues), Office of the General Counsel, Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.

20426, (202) 208-0464

Carolyn A. Berry (Technical Issues), Office of Economic Policy, Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.

20426, (202) 208-2227

t, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Karen A. Tomcala (Legal Issues), Office of the General Counsel, Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.

20426, (202) 208-0464

Carolyn A. Berry (Technical Issues), Office of Economic Policy, Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.

20426, (202) 208-2227

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In addition to publishing the full text of

this document in the Federal Register, the Commission also provides all

interested persons an opportunity to inspect or copy the contents of

this document during normal business hours in the Public Reference Room

at 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426.

The Commission Issuance Posting System (CIPS), an electronic

bulletin board service, provides access to the text of formal documents

issued by the Commission. CIPS is available at no charge to the user

and may be accessed using a personal computer with a modem by dialing

(800) 856-3920 or (202) 208-1397 if dialing locally. To access CIPS,

set your communications software to 19200, 14400, 12000, 9600, 7200,

4800, 2400, or 1200 bps, full duplex, no parity, 8 data bits and 1 stop

bit. The full text of this document will be available on CIPS in ASCII

and WordPerfect 5.1 format. The complete text on diskette in

WordPerfect format may also be purchased from the Commission's copy

contractor, La Dorn Systems Corporation, also located in the Public

Reference Room at 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426.

At the Commission's technical conference on comparability for power

pools held December 5 and 6, 1995, several speakers described proposals

for developing independent system operators (ISOs) as one method to

address full competition and comply with the Commission's open access

and comparability requirements.\1\ Power pools considering the

formation of ISOs include PJM, NEPOOL and NYPP.

0426.

At the Commission's technical conference on comparability for power

pools held December 5 and 6, 1995, several speakers described proposals

for developing independent system operators (ISOs) as one method to

address full competition and comply with the Commission's open access

and comparability requirements.\1\ Power pools considering the

formation of ISOs include PJM, NEPOOL and NYPP.

\1\ See Promoting Wholesale Competition Through Open Access Non-

discriminatory Transmission Services by Public Utilities; Recovery

of Stranded Costs by Public Utilities and Transmitting Utilities,

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Supplemental Notice of Proposed

Rulemaking, 60 FR 17662 (April 7, 1995), IV FERC Stats. & Regs.

para. 32,514 (1995) (Open Access Proceeding).

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

To follow up on the issues raised during the December technical

conference, the Commission will hold a

technical conference on issues relating to ISOs and power pools on

January 24, 1996, beginning at 9:30 a.m. The speakers for the technical

conference are:

Panel One

Hon. William Daniel Fessler, President, California Public Utilities

Commission (invited)

John Rowe, President and CEO, New England Electric System

Paul Joskow, MITSUI Professor of Economics and Management,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Steven J. Kean, Vice President, Enron Power Marketing, Inc.

J. Leroy Thilly, General Manager & Counsel, Wisconsin Public Power,

Inc.

Panel Two

E. Linn Draper, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO, American Electric

Power Company

William W. Hogan, Thorton Bradshaw Professor of Public Policy &

Management, Harvard University

Alan Richardson, Executive Director, American Public Power Association

Jeanine Hull, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, LG&E Power

Inc.

Steven Walton, P.E., Manager, Transmission Policy & Pricing, Pacificorp

E. Linn Draper, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO, American Electric

Power Company

William W. Hogan, Thorton Bradshaw Professor of Public Policy &

Management, Harvard University

Alan Richardson, Executive Director, American Public Power Association

Jeanine Hull, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, LG&E Power

Inc.

Steven Walton, P.E., Manager, Transmission Policy & Pricing, Pacificorp

The conference will be held at the Commission, 888 First Street, NE.,

Washington, DC 20426.

The purpose of the technical conference is threefold. First, the

Commission expects the participants to help us define the essential

elements and operational characteristics of an ISO.

Second, the Commission wishes to explore the development of

principles that should be applied in reforming power pools, including

evaluating ISO proposals by power pools, to ensure that they are not

unduly discriminatory under the Federal Power Act. The Commission is

particularly interested in exploring whether the creation of ISOs is

necessary to ensure comparability of transmission service by power

pools.

Third, the Commission is aware that public utilities that are not

members of power pools also are considering the formation of ISOs. The

Commission is interested in exploring the development of criteria for

evaluating these types of ISO proposals as well. As is the case with

power pools, the Commission is interested in whether ISOs are necessary

to ensure comparability for public utilities that are not members of

power pools.

Broadcast of Technical Conference

If there is sufficient interest, the Capitol Connection may

broadcast the technical conference on January 24, 1996, to interested

persons. Persons interested in receiving the broadcast for a fee should

contact Shirley Al-Jarani or Julia Morelli at the Capitol Connection

(703-993-3100) no later than January 10, 1996.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96-340 Filed 1-9-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-M