Rules Concerning Certification of the Electric Reliability Organization; and Procedures for the Establishment, Approval, and Enforcement of Electric Reliability Standards; Statement of Administrative Policy on Processing Reliability Notices of Penalty and Order Revising Statement in Order No. 672, 21814-21818 [E8-8745]
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 79 / Wednesday, April 23, 2008 / Rules and Regulations
established body of technical
regulations for which frequent and
routine amendments are necessary to
keep them operationally current. It,
therefore, (1) is not a ‘‘significant
regulatory action’’ under Executive
Order 12866; (2) is not a ‘‘significant
rule’’ under DOT Regulatory Policies
and Procedures (44 FR 11034; February
26, 1979); and (3) does not warrant
preparation of a Regulatory Evaluation
as the anticipated impact is so minimal.
Since this is a routine matter that will
only affect air traffic procedures and air
navigation, it is certified that this rule,
when promulgated, will not have a
significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities
under the criteria of the Regulatory
Flexibility Act.
The FAA’s authority to issue rules
regarding aviation safety is found in
Title 49 of the United States Code.
Subtitle I, Section 106 describes the
authority of the FAA Administrator.
Subtitle VII, Aviation Programs,
describes in more detail the scope of the
agency’s authority.
This rulemaking is promulgated
under the authority described in
Subtitle VII, Part, A, Subpart I, Section
40103. Under that section, the FAA is
charged with prescribing regulations to
assign the use of airspace necessary to
ensure the safety of aircraft and the
efficient use of airspace. This regulation
is within the scope of that authority as
it establishes Class E airspace at
Winona, MS.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 71
Airspace, Incorporation by reference,
Navigation (air).
Adoption of the Amendment
In consideration of the foregoing, the
Federal Aviation Administration
amends 14 CFR part 71 as follows:
I
PART 71—DESIGNATION OF CLASS A,
CLASS B, CLASS C, CLASS D, AND
CLASS E AIRSPACE AREAS;
AIRWAYS; ROUTES; AND REPORTING
POINTS
1. The authority citation for part 71
continues to read as follows:
I
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g); 40103, 40113,
40120; E.O. 10854, 24 FR 9565, 3 CFR, 1959–
1963 Comp., p. 389.
§ 71.1
[Amended]
2. The incorporation by reference in
14 CFR 71.1 of Federal Aviation
Administration Order 7400.9R, Airspace
Designations and Reporting Points,
signed August 15, 2007, and effective
September 15, 2007, is amended as
follows:
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I
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Paragraph 6005 Class E Airspace Areas
Extending Upward From 700 Feet or More
Above the Surface of the Earth.
*
*
*
*
*
ASO MS E5 Winona, MS [New]
Winona-Montgomery County Airport, MS
(Lat. 33°27′54″ N., long. 89°43′48.8″ W.)
That airspace extending upward from 700
feet above the surface of the Earth within a
6.9-mile radius of Winona-Montgomery
County Airport.
*
*
*
*
*
Issued in College Park, Georgia, on April 7,
2008.
Kathy Swann,
Acting Manager, System Support Group,
Eastern Service Center, Air Traffic
Organization.
[FR Doc. E8–8578 Filed 4–22–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–13–M
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
18 CFR Part 39
[Docket Nos. AD08–6–000 and RM05–30–
000]
Rules Concerning Certification of the
Electric Reliability Organization; and
Procedures for the Establishment,
Approval, and Enforcement of Electric
Reliability Standards; Statement of
Administrative Policy on Processing
Reliability Notices of Penalty and
Order Revising Statement in Order No.
672
Issued April 17, 2008.
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, DOE.
ACTION: Final Rule: Statement of
Administrative Policy.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: On February 3, 2006, the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
issued a Final Rule (Order No. 672)
implementing Subtitle A (Reliability
Standards) of the Electricity
Modernization Act of 2005, which is
Title XII of the Energy Policy Act of
2005 (EPAct). The Commission is
issuing a policy statement that adopts
administrative policy on Commission
review of notices of penalty for violation
of Reliability Standards and that
modifies Order No. 672.
DATES: Effective Date: April 17, 2008.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Roger P. Morie, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First
Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426,
(202) 502–8446.
Christy Walsh (Legal Information),
Office of the General Counsel, Federal
PO 00000
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Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street, NE., Washington, DC
20426, (202) 502–6523.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Before Commissioners: Joseph T. Kelliher,
Chairman; Suedeen G. Kelly, Marc Spitzer,
Philip D. Moeller, and Jon Wellinghoff.
1. On February 3, 2006, the
Commission issued a Final Rule (Order
No. 672),1 implementing Subtitle A
(Reliability Standards) of the Electricity
Modernization Act of 2005, which is
Title XII of the Energy Policy Act of
2005.2 Among other things, Order No.
672 amended the Commission’s
regulations to implement section 215(e)
of the Federal Power Act (FPA), which
authorizes the Electric Reliability
Organization (ERO) to impose a penalty
for a violation of a Reliability Standard
by a user, owner or operator of the BulkPower System, subject to an opportunity
for Commission review.3 In this order,
the Commission adopts this statement of
administrative policy on Commission
review of these penalties.4 In addition,
the Commission modifies our statement
in Order No. 672 that any settlement of
an alleged violation of a Reliability
Standard that the ERO files with the
Commission should be filed for
information purposes only and that
these settlements will not be subject to
Commission review pursuant to section
39.7(e) of our regulations.5 Any
settlement filed by the ERO after the
date of this order will be subject to
Commission review pursuant to section
39.7(e), although the Commission
continues to encourage these
settlements and expects that it will
normally allow ERO or Regional Entity
settlements to become effective.
I. Background
2. Pursuant to FPA section 215(e)(1),6
the North American Electric Reliability
Corporation (NERC), in its capacity as
1 Rules Concerning Certification of the Electric
Reliability Organization; Procedures for the
Establishment, Approval, and Enforcement of
Electric Reliability Standards, Order No. 672, FERC
Stats. & Regs. ¶ 31,204 (2006), order on reh’g, Order
No. 672–A, FERC Stats. & Regs. ¶ 31,212 (2006).
2 Public Law No. 109–58, Title XII, Subtitle A,
119 Stat. 594, 941, codified at 16 U.S.C. 824o (Supp.
V 2005).
3 These implementing regulations are found in
Part 39 of our regulations, 18 CFR Part 39 (2007).
4 FPA section 215(e)(3) empowers the
Commission itself to impose a penalty against a
user, owner or operator for a violation of a
Reliability Standard. This order does not address
the Commission’s procedures for imposing these
penalties. The Commission discussed these
procedures in Statement of Administrative Policy
Regarding the Process for Assessing Civil Penalties,
117 FERC ¶ 61,317, at P 5 & n.15 (2006).
5 See Order No. 672 at P 598.
6 16 U.S.C. 824o(e)(1) (Supp. V (2005)).
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the nation’s ERO,7 may impose a
penalty on a user, owner or operator of
the Bulk-Power System for a violation of
a Reliability Standard approved by the
Commission. Pursuant to FPA section
215(e)(4),8 the Commission authorized
NERC to delegate authority to impose
such penalties to eight Regional Entities
through Commission-approved
Delegation Agreements.9 The
Commission also approved, subject to
further modifications, NERC’s
Compliance Monitoring and
Enforcement Program (CMEP), which
establishes procedures for Regional
Entities to impose penalties and for
NERC to review them, whether a
registered entity appeals a Regional
Entity determination, agrees not to
contest it, or enters into a settlement
with respect to the penalty.10 NERC
itself may also impose a penalty.
3. FPA section 215(e)(2) provides that
a penalty NERC or a Regional Entity
imposes may take effect no earlier than
31 days after NERC files with the
Commission a notice of penalty and the
record of proceedings.11 FPA section
215(e)(2) further states, ‘‘Such penalty
shall be subject to review by the
Commission, on its own motion or upon
application by the user, owner or
operator that is the subject of the
penalty filed within 30 days after the
date such notice is filed with the
Commission.’’
4. In Order No. 693, the Commission
approved 83 Reliability Standards that
NERC proposed.12 These Reliability
Standards generally became effective on
June 18, 2007. The Commission directed
in Order No. 693 that NERC and the
7 North American Electric Reliability Corp., 116
FERC ¶ 61,062 (ERO Certification Order), order on
reh’g and compliance, 117 FERC ¶ 61,126 (2006).
8 16 U.S.C. 824o(e)(4) (Supp. V (2005)).
9 North American Electric Reliability Corp., 119
FERC ¶ 61,060 (Delegation Agreement Order), order
on reh’g, 120 FERC ¶ 61,260 (2007), order on
responsive filing, 122 FERC ¶ 61,245 (2008) (Second
Delegation Agreement Order). The Regional Entity
Delegation Agreements went into effect on June 5,
2007. See Delegation Agreement Between the North
American Electric Reliability Corp. and Texas
Regional Entity, a division of ERCOT, 119 FERC
¶ 61,232 (2007).
10 See id. The relevant CMEP provisions are
sections 5.1 through 5.6.
11 16 U.S.C. 824o(e)(2) (Supp. V (2005)). See also
18 CFR 39.7(e).
12 Mandatory Reliability Standards for the BulkPower System, Order No. 693, FERC Stats. & Regs.
¶ 31,242, at P 1 (2007), order on reh’g, Order No.
693–A, 120 FERC ¶ 61,053 (2007). The Commission
subsequently approved other Reliability Standards.
North American Electric Reliability Corp., 119 FERC
¶ 61,260 (2007) (approving eight regional standards
proposed by the Western Electricity Coordinating
Council); Facilities Design, Connections and
Maintenance Reliability Standards (Order No. 705),
121 FERC ¶ 61,296 (2007); Mandatory Reliability
Standards for Critical Infrastructure Protection
(Order No. 706), 122 FERC ¶ 61,040 (2008).
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Regional Entities, as a matter of
enforcement discretion, focus their
resources on the most serious violations
during an initial period through
December 31, 2007, and that this
discretion should apply to all users,
owners and operators of the Bulk-Power
System.13 The Commission expects that,
in due course, NERC will file notices of
penalty with respect to certain
violations of Reliability Standards that
occurred during the June 18 to
December 31, 2007 initial period. The
Commission further expects that NERC
will file notices of penalty representing
settlements entered into by it or a
Regional Entity of violations that
occurred or are alleged to have occurred
during this period. The Commission
also expects that, in due course, NERC
will file notices of penalty for violations
that occurred or are alleged to have
occurred after this initial six-month
period. Accordingly, the Commission
believes that an explanation of how it
plans to process any notice of penalty
filed by NERC will afford entities
identified in notices of penalty, and the
electric industry as a whole, increased
transparency into the Commission’s
enforcement processes involving
Reliability Standards.
II. Commission Review of EROApproved Penalties
5. Pursuant to section 39.7(e)(1) of our
regulations, an entity subject to a notice
of penalty may file an application for
review of it within 30 days of the date
NERC files the notice of penalty.14 Any
answer, intervention or comment to an
application for review of a proposed
penalty must be filed within 20 days
after the application is filed, unless
otherwise ordered by the Commission.15
If the entity subject to a proposed
penalty files an application for review of
the proposed penalty, the Commission
will take action on that application
within 60 days of the date on which it
is filed, unless the Commission
determines on a case-by-case basis that
an alternative expedited procedure is
appropriate.16
6. In addition, any proposed penalty
filed by NERC is subject to review by
the Commission on its own motion
13 Order
No. 693 at P 222.
CFR 39.7(e)(1).
15 18 CFR 39.7(e)(4). All notices of penalty will
receive a docket number with an ‘‘NP’’ prefix, as
the Commission’s Secretary stated in a February 7,
2008 notice.
16 18 CFR 39.7(e)(6). The Commission may
determine that an alternative time period is
appropriate at any point within the ‘‘default’’ 60day period that section 39.7(e)(6) establishes. If the
Commission determines to extend that period in a
particular proceeding, it will issue an order
establishing the alternative time period.
14 18
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21815
within 30 days after the date on which
NERC files the notice of penalty.17
Should the Commission determine to
review a proposed penalty on its own
motion, it will issue an order initiating
review of the proposed penalty and
establishing a filing date for any
answers, interventions or comments.
The Commission’s regulations do not
state when answers, interventions and
comments ordinarily would be filed if
the Commission were to initiate review
of a notice of penalty. However, we
generally will establish the filing
deadline as 20 days after the date of the
Commission’s order initiating a review
of a proposed penalty on its own
motion. Likewise, the Commission’s
regulations do not specify a default time
period for the Commission to complete
the review of a notice of penalty on its
own motion. The Commission
nevertheless anticipates that it would
ordinarily issue a determination within
60 days of ordering that review, unless
issues in a particular case require a
longer period for consideration.
7. Section 39.7(e)(1) provides that the
Commission may take action within 30
days after NERC files a notice of
penalty, other than moving to review
the notice of penalty, to prevent a
proposed penalty from being affirmed
by operation of law on the expiration of
that 30-day period. For example, the
Commission could issue an order stating
that it requires more than 30 days to
determine whether it should review a
proposed penalty on its own motion.
While we anticipate that the
Commission will issue such orders
rarely, in appropriate instances, the
Commission retains the option of doing
so. Such an order will not solicit
answers, intervention or comments. If
the Commission determines to review
the notice of penalty, it will issue a
subsequent order initiating review of the
proposed penalty and establishing a
filing deadline for any answers,
intervention or comments. Should the
Commission decide not to review the
notice of penalty, the Commission will
issue an order terminating the
proceeding. The proposed penalty shall
be affirmed by operation of law
immediately upon the issuance of that
order.
8. We wish to make clear that in an
application for review of a proposed
penalty filed by NERC, an entity may
seek review of the amount of the
proposed penalty or its type (i.e., argue
that a proposed monetary penalty
should be a non-monetary penalty, for
example) as well as of any
determinations underlying the proposed
17 18
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CFR 39.7(e)(1).
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penalty, including whether a violation
of a Commission-approved Reliability
Standard occurred or whether there is a
sufficient factual record to support any
such determination.18 Likewise, if the
Commission moves to review a
proposed penalty, it may review the
amount or type of the proposed penalty,
as well as any determinations
underlying it, such as the existence of
one or more violations of a Commissionapproved Reliability Standard.
9. Section 215(e)(6) of the FPA states
that a penalty imposed for a violation of
a Reliability Standard ‘‘shall bear a
reasonable relation to the seriousness of
the violation and shall take into
consideration the efforts of [the
registered entity] to remedy the
violation in a timely manner.’’ 19 When
reviewing a notice of penalty, whether
pursuant to an application for review or
on our own motion, we will conduct a
de novo review of the record of the
proceeding below to ascertain whether
the record contains adequate evidence
that the proposed penalty determination
accords with this test. 20 We observe in
this regard that FPA section 215(e)(2)
states that in any proceeding to review
a notice of penalty, the Commission
must provide notice and an opportunity
for hearing that ‘‘may consist solely of
the record before the ERO and
opportunity for the presentation of
supporting reasons to affirm, modify, or
set aside the penalty.’’ 21 As we stated in
Order No. 672, based on this provision,
we expect in most instances not to open
the record set forth in or accompanying
a notice of penalty to additional
material from third parties.22
18 See Order No. 672 at P 508 (allowing the
Commission to remand a penalty to the ERO for
additional fact-finding proceedings). Nevertheless,
for example, it would not be appropriate, absent
extraordinary circumstances, for an entity that
applies for a review of a notice of penalty to contest
a finding of violation included in it if that entity
had admitted or not contested a finding of violation,
as set forth in the record of proceedings the NERC
submits with a notice of penalty. Similarly, we
ordinarily would look with great disfavor on an
entity’s attempt in an application for review to
contest a fact or matter if that entity stipulated to
it, as described in the record of proceedings.
19 16 U.S.C. 824o(e)(6) (Supp. V (2005)).
20 See Order No. 672 at P 614 (de novo review is
consistent with the practice of other administrative
agencies that review sanctions imposed by their
associated self-regulatory organizations). We
concluded in the Delegation Agreement Order that
a Regional Entity or NERC may not impose a
penalty in an adjudication without concluding that
the preponderance of the evidence supports the
penalty. Delegation Agreement Order at P 146.
21 16 U.S.C. 824o(e)(2) (Supp. V (2005)).
22 Order No. 672 at P 511. In this regard, we
emphasize our agreement in the ERO Certification
Order at P 491 that NERC affords appropriate
deference in its procedures to the Regional Entities’
role as reliability managers and their familiarity
with operating conditions by prohibiting NERC’s
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However, the Commission retains the
discretion in particular cases to permit
additions to the record with respect to
a notice of penalty.23
10. We believe that entities that are
subject to Reliability Standards should
have notice of the general criteria the
Commission will use to determine
whether it will review particular notice
of penalty on its own motion. We will
use the following principles in this
matter. First, the Commission does not
anticipate moving to review every
notice of penalty that NERC files, or
even most. While the Commission is
required to review every notice of
penalty for which a registered entity
files an application for review, the
Commission’s limited resources would
likely preclude review of all
uncontested notices of penalty. Second,
as described earlier, the Commission
has approved NERC’s CMEP as the
framework for NERC’s enforcement
authority under section 215 of the FPA,
as well as NERC’s delegation of
enforcement powers to Regional Entities
through the Delegation Agreements. The
Commission sees no general need to
review each notice of penalty for which
a Regional Entity has developed a
record and which it has approved, and
which NERC has reviewed for
sufficiency and consistency. Third, the
Commission recognizes that, on a
continuing basis, Regional Entities and
NERC retain an element of enforcement
discretion similar to our own discretion
in enforcement matters.24 Reviewing
every uncontested notice of penalty on
our own motion would be inconsistent
with this recognition and would
ultimately weaken the enforcement
efforts of the Regional Entities and
NERC.25
consideration on appeal of any fact that is not in
the record compiled by the relevant Regional Entity.
23 See 18 CFR 39.7(e)(2) (an applicant for
Commission review of a penalty in a notice of
penalty may support its explanation by providing
information that is not included in the ERO’s
record) and 39.7(e)(3) (when reviewing a notice of
penalty, the Commission may ‘‘establish a hearing
before an administrative law judge or initiate such
further procedures as it determines to be
appropriate’’). However, in neither of these
situations is the Commission required to admit into
the record information or documents proffered by
parties to the review proceeding. In particular, the
Commission would look with disfavor on admitting
into the record in a proceeding to review a notice
of penalty documents or information that a party
had an opportunity to move into the record before
the Regional Entity, but failed to do so.
24 See Order No. 693 at P 225 (‘‘The Commission
agrees that, separate from our specific directive that
all concerned focus their resources on the most
serious violations during an initial period, the ERO
and Regional Entities retain enforcement discretion
as would any enforcement entity.’’).
25 Id. (observing that NERC’s Sanction Guidelines,
which set forth the principles under which NERC
and the Regional Entities will determine penalties,
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11. Nonetheless, because the
Commission bears ultimate
responsibility for the enforcement of
Reliability Standards, we may review a
notice of penalty even if the registered
entity that is the subject of the notice of
penalty does not file an application for
review.26 In determining whether to
review a notice of penalty (which will
occur prior to receiving an application
for review), we would look first to the
apparent relative seriousness of the
violation at issue in the notice of
penalty. For example, we would
evaluate the seriousness of a violation
by the combination of violation risk
factor and violation severity level that
NERC has assigned and that we have
approved for particular requirements of
the Reliability Standards implicated in
the notice of penalty.27 We also will
analyze notices of penalty to ascertain
the potential risk to the reliability of the
Bulk-Power System, as well as any
actual harm, presented by their
particular fact patterns. The more
serious a violation described in a notice
of penalty appears to be, the more likely
it is that we would review the proposed
penalty. In addition, the Commission
retains the authority to review notices of
penalty on its own motion to ensure that
penalties are applied in a reasonably
consistent manner, or to improve
compliance with Reliability Standards
and thereby increase the reliability of
the Bulk-Power System.28
provide flexibility as to establishing the appropriate
penalty within the range of applicable penalties).
26 It is possible that a registered entity will file an
application for review of a notice of penalty after
the Commission has issued an order stating that it
will review the notice of penalty on its own motion.
In that situation, the Commission will adhere to the
procedural provisions of section 39.7(e)(4) and
(e)(6) with respect to an application for review of
a notice of penalty.
27 Pursuant to section 4.1 of NERC’s Sanction
Guidelines, NERC and Regional Entities use the
intersection of the violation risk factor and violation
severity level in setting the initial range of the Base
Penalty Amount that is calculated in the process of
determining an appropriate penalty for a particular
violation. See North American Electric Reliability
Corp., 119 FERC ¶ 61,248, at P 74 (2007). While the
Commission has approved or directed revisions to
violation risk factors for all requirements of
Reliability Standards it has currently approved to
apply nationwide, NERC’s proposed violation
severity levels for these standards are currently
pending before the Commission in Docket No.
RR08–4–000. Pending Commission review of this
filing, as an interim measure when determining
penalties, NERC and Regional Entities may use
existing Levels of Non-Compliance assigned to
particular standards to substitute for violation
severity levels. Id. P 79.
28 See Second Delegation Agreement Order at P
60 (The Commission’s discretion to review penalty
determinations on its own motion includes, but is
broader than, ascertaining whether they clearly
conflict with the goal of consistent national
reliability enforcement or whether their revision is
needed for oversight of Regional Entity compliance
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12. Section 39.7(e)(3) of our
regulations provides that neither an
application for review of a notice of
penalty nor the Commission’s initiation
of a review of a notice of penalty will
operate as a stay of the proposed penalty
unless the Commission otherwise
orders, upon application by the subject
of a notice of penalty or upon the
Commission’s own motion.
Nevertheless, as a matter of policy, the
Commission intends as a general matter
to stay any proposed penalty under
Commission review. Not doing so
would require a user, owner or operator
to pay a penalty that the Commission
may later set aside or modify. To the
extent that any proposed penalty is later
affirmed by the Commission, the
penalty amount must be paid with
interest from the date of the stay.
13. Pursuant to section 39.7(e)(5) of
our regulations, in any proceeding to
review a proposed penalty, the
Commission, after public notice and
opportunity for hearing, may by order
affirm, set aside, or modify the proposed
penalty, or remand the determination of
the proposed penalty, or its form or
amount, to the ERO for further
proceedings. Any party to the
proceeding may seek rehearing of the
Commission’s order, as described in
Rule 713 of the Commission’s Rules of
Practice and Procedure.29
III. Commission Review of Settlements
of Reliability Penalties by Regional
Entities or NERC
A. Order No. 672
14. Order No. 672 stated the ERO
should file, for informational purposes
only, any settlement of an alleged
violation regardless of whether the
agreement contains an admission by the
settling user, owner or operator. While
settlements will be made public, Order
No. 672 provided that settlements
would not be noticed for public
comment; nor would they be subject to
Commission review pursuant to section
39.7(e) of the Commission’s regulations
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activities, citing Delegation Agreement Order at P
173).
29 18 CFR 385.713 (2007).
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15:54 Apr 22, 2008
Jkt 214001
regarding Commission review of a
notice of penalty.30
B. Commission Determination
15. Upon reconsideration based on
our experience since Order No. 672
issued, the Commission revises its
policy stated in Order No. 672 with
regard to reviewing settlements of
alleged violations. In modifying our
policy regarding ERO and Regional
Entity settlements, we note that the
Commission may change its policy if it
provides, as it does here, a reasoned
basis for that change.31 The Commission
believes that, on reflection, our
statement in Order No. 672 is not in the
public interest for several reasons. First,
it is contrary to Commission policy
regarding settlements in other contexts.
For example, pursuant to Rule 602 of
the Commission’s Rules of Practice and
Procedure, the Commission must review
written offers of settlement filed in any
proceeding pending before the
Commission.32 Further, the Commission
reviews settlements entered into by the
Commission’s Office of Enforcement.33
Second, after issuing Order No. 672, the
Commission decided that the ERO
should have authority on its own
motion to reject settlements into which
Regional Entities have entered.34
16. The Commission does not believe
that it should afford settlements entered
into by the ERO or a Regional Entity
relating to an alleged or confirmed
violation of Commission-approved
mandatory Reliability Standards more
30 Order No. 672 at P 598. The Commission
presumes that a settlement will require a registered
entity that is a party to forego any right to file an
application for Commission review of the
settlement.
31 E.g., B&J Oil and Gas v. FERC, 353 F.3d 71
(D.C. Cir. 2004).
32 18 CFR 385.602(g)(3), (h)(1)(i) (2007).
33 See, eg., Statement of Administrative Policy
Regarding the Process for Assessing Civil Penalties,
117 FERC ¶ 61,317, at P 2 (2006) (noting that ‘‘civil
penalties often are negotiated as part of a
stipulation and agreement resolving compliance
issues’’ and that ‘‘[i]n such cases the civil penalty
is imposed through a Commission order approving
the negotiated agreement. * * *’’) See also, e.g., In
re Gexa Energy, LLC, 120 FERC ¶ 61,175 (2007); In
re Cleco Power, LLC, 119 FERC ¶ 61,271 (2007).
34 Delegation Agreement Order at P 107.
PO 00000
Frm 00011
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21817
deference than we would afford to those
entered into by the Office of
Enforcement or approved by the
Commission’s Administrative Law
Judges. Nor should the Commission
abstain from reviewing settlements
approved by the ERO in the manner in
which it has permitted the ERO to
review Regional Entity settlements.
Finally, we do not believe it reasonable
to treat settlements as categorically
different than other notices of penalty.
17. Not allowing Commission review
of a settlement would mean, for
example, that an entity that does not
contest a proposed penalty would
nonetheless have its notice of penalty
subject to review by the Commission,
whereas an entity that initially
contested the proposed penalty but
subsequently settled with the Regional
Entity would not have its settlement
subject to review by the Commission.
This distinction makes little sense and
could actually increase litigation (in an
effort to produce formal settlements)
rather than reduce it. Therefore, any
settlement entered into by the ERO or a
Regional Entity after the date of this
order will be subject to Commission
review pursuant to section 39.7(e) of the
Commission’s regulations.
18. As a final matter, we wish to make
it clear that the Commission continues
to encourage settlements by Regional
Entities and NERC.35 Similar to the
Commission’s statement that it does not
expect the ERO to reject Regional Entity
settlements as a normal practice, the
Commission expects that it will
normally allow ERO or Regional Entity
settlements to become effective.36
By the Commission.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
APPENDIX
FLOW CHART ILLUSTRATING
NOTICE OF PENALTY PROCESSES
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
35 See ERO Certification Order at P 479;
Delegation Agreement Order at P 107.
36 Id.
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 79 (Wednesday, April 23, 2008)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 21814-21818]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-8745]
=======================================================================
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
18 CFR Part 39
[Docket Nos. AD08-6-000 and RM05-30-000]
Rules Concerning Certification of the Electric Reliability
Organization; and Procedures for the Establishment, Approval, and
Enforcement of Electric Reliability Standards; Statement of
Administrative Policy on Processing Reliability Notices of Penalty and
Order Revising Statement in Order No. 672
Issued April 17, 2008.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.
ACTION: Final Rule: Statement of Administrative Policy.
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SUMMARY: On February 3, 2006, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
issued a Final Rule (Order No. 672) implementing Subtitle A
(Reliability Standards) of the Electricity Modernization Act of 2005,
which is Title XII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct). The
Commission is issuing a policy statement that adopts administrative
policy on Commission review of notices of penalty for violation of
Reliability Standards and that modifies Order No. 672.
Dates: Effective Date: April 17, 2008.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Roger P. Morie, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street,
NE., Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-8446.
Christy Walsh (Legal Information), Office of the General Counsel,
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE.,
Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-6523.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Before Commissioners: Joseph T. Kelliher, Chairman; Suedeen G.
Kelly, Marc Spitzer, Philip D. Moeller, and Jon Wellinghoff.
1. On February 3, 2006, the Commission issued a Final Rule (Order
No. 672),\1\ implementing Subtitle A (Reliability Standards) of the
Electricity Modernization Act of 2005, which is Title XII of the Energy
Policy Act of 2005.\2\ Among other things, Order No. 672 amended the
Commission's regulations to implement section 215(e) of the Federal
Power Act (FPA), which authorizes the Electric Reliability Organization
(ERO) to impose a penalty for a violation of a Reliability Standard by
a user, owner or operator of the Bulk-Power System, subject to an
opportunity for Commission review.\3\ In this order, the Commission
adopts this statement of administrative policy on Commission review of
these penalties.\4\ In addition, the Commission modifies our statement
in Order No. 672 that any settlement of an alleged violation of a
Reliability Standard that the ERO files with the Commission should be
filed for information purposes only and that these settlements will not
be subject to Commission review pursuant to section 39.7(e) of our
regulations.\5\ Any settlement filed by the ERO after the date of this
order will be subject to Commission review pursuant to section 39.7(e),
although the Commission continues to encourage these settlements and
expects that it will normally allow ERO or Regional Entity settlements
to become effective.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Rules Concerning Certification of the Electric Reliability
Organization; Procedures for the Establishment, Approval, and
Enforcement of Electric Reliability Standards, Order No. 672, FERC
Stats. & Regs. ] 31,204 (2006), order on reh'g, Order No. 672-A,
FERC Stats. & Regs. ] 31,212 (2006).
\2\ Public Law No. 109-58, Title XII, Subtitle A, 119 Stat. 594,
941, codified at 16 U.S.C. 824o (Supp. V 2005).
\3\ These implementing regulations are found in Part 39 of our
regulations, 18 CFR Part 39 (2007).
\4\ FPA section 215(e)(3) empowers the Commission itself to
impose a penalty against a user, owner or operator for a violation
of a Reliability Standard. This order does not address the
Commission's procedures for imposing these penalties. The Commission
discussed these procedures in Statement of Administrative Policy
Regarding the Process for Assessing Civil Penalties, 117 FERC ]
61,317, at P 5 & n.15 (2006).
\5\ See Order No. 672 at P 598.
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I. Background
2. Pursuant to FPA section 215(e)(1),\6\ the North American
Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), in its capacity as
[[Page 21815]]
the nation's ERO,\7\ may impose a penalty on a user, owner or operator
of the Bulk-Power System for a violation of a Reliability Standard
approved by the Commission. Pursuant to FPA section 215(e)(4),\8\ the
Commission authorized NERC to delegate authority to impose such
penalties to eight Regional Entities through Commission-approved
Delegation Agreements.\9\ The Commission also approved, subject to
further modifications, NERC's Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement
Program (CMEP), which establishes procedures for Regional Entities to
impose penalties and for NERC to review them, whether a registered
entity appeals a Regional Entity determination, agrees not to contest
it, or enters into a settlement with respect to the penalty.\10\ NERC
itself may also impose a penalty.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ 16 U.S.C. 824o(e)(1) (Supp. V (2005)).
\7\ North American Electric Reliability Corp., 116 FERC ] 61,062
(ERO Certification Order), order on reh'g and compliance, 117 FERC ]
61,126 (2006).
\8\ 16 U.S.C. 824o(e)(4) (Supp. V (2005)).
\9\ North American Electric Reliability Corp., 119 FERC ] 61,060
(Delegation Agreement Order), order on reh'g, 120 FERC ] 61,260
(2007), order on responsive filing, 122 FERC ] 61,245 (2008) (Second
Delegation Agreement Order). The Regional Entity Delegation
Agreements went into effect on June 5, 2007. See Delegation
Agreement Between the North American Electric Reliability Corp. and
Texas Regional Entity, a division of ERCOT, 119 FERC ] 61,232
(2007).
\10\ See id. The relevant CMEP provisions are sections 5.1
through 5.6.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. FPA section 215(e)(2) provides that a penalty NERC or a Regional
Entity imposes may take effect no earlier than 31 days after NERC files
with the Commission a notice of penalty and the record of
proceedings.\11\ FPA section 215(e)(2) further states, ``Such penalty
shall be subject to review by the Commission, on its own motion or upon
application by the user, owner or operator that is the subject of the
penalty filed within 30 days after the date such notice is filed with
the Commission.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ 16 U.S.C. 824o(e)(2) (Supp. V (2005)). See also 18 CFR
39.7(e).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. In Order No. 693, the Commission approved 83 Reliability
Standards that NERC proposed.\12\ These Reliability Standards generally
became effective on June 18, 2007. The Commission directed in Order No.
693 that NERC and the Regional Entities, as a matter of enforcement
discretion, focus their resources on the most serious violations during
an initial period through December 31, 2007, and that this discretion
should apply to all users, owners and operators of the Bulk-Power
System.\13\ The Commission expects that, in due course, NERC will file
notices of penalty with respect to certain violations of Reliability
Standards that occurred during the June 18 to December 31, 2007 initial
period. The Commission further expects that NERC will file notices of
penalty representing settlements entered into by it or a Regional
Entity of violations that occurred or are alleged to have occurred
during this period. The Commission also expects that, in due course,
NERC will file notices of penalty for violations that occurred or are
alleged to have occurred after this initial six-month period.
Accordingly, the Commission believes that an explanation of how it
plans to process any notice of penalty filed by NERC will afford
entities identified in notices of penalty, and the electric industry as
a whole, increased transparency into the Commission's enforcement
processes involving Reliability Standards.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\ Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power System,
Order No. 693, FERC Stats. & Regs. ] 31,242, at P 1 (2007), order on
reh'g, Order No. 693-A, 120 FERC ] 61,053 (2007). The Commission
subsequently approved other Reliability Standards. North American
Electric Reliability Corp., 119 FERC ] 61,260 (2007) (approving
eight regional standards proposed by the Western Electricity
Coordinating Council); Facilities Design, Connections and
Maintenance Reliability Standards (Order No. 705), 121 FERC ] 61,296
(2007); Mandatory Reliability Standards for Critical Infrastructure
Protection (Order No. 706), 122 FERC ] 61,040 (2008).
\13\ Order No. 693 at P 222.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
II. Commission Review of ERO-Approved Penalties
5. Pursuant to section 39.7(e)(1) of our regulations, an entity
subject to a notice of penalty may file an application for review of it
within 30 days of the date NERC files the notice of penalty.\14\ Any
answer, intervention or comment to an application for review of a
proposed penalty must be filed within 20 days after the application is
filed, unless otherwise ordered by the Commission.\15\ If the entity
subject to a proposed penalty files an application for review of the
proposed penalty, the Commission will take action on that application
within 60 days of the date on which it is filed, unless the Commission
determines on a case-by-case basis that an alternative expedited
procedure is appropriate.\16\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\14\ 18 CFR 39.7(e)(1).
\15\ 18 CFR 39.7(e)(4). All notices of penalty will receive a
docket number with an ``NP'' prefix, as the Commission's Secretary
stated in a February 7, 2008 notice.
\16\ 18 CFR 39.7(e)(6). The Commission may determine that an
alternative time period is appropriate at any point within the
``default'' 60-day period that section 39.7(e)(6) establishes. If
the Commission determines to extend that period in a particular
proceeding, it will issue an order establishing the alternative time
period.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. In addition, any proposed penalty filed by NERC is subject to
review by the Commission on its own motion within 30 days after the
date on which NERC files the notice of penalty.\17\ Should the
Commission determine to review a proposed penalty on its own motion, it
will issue an order initiating review of the proposed penalty and
establishing a filing date for any answers, interventions or comments.
The Commission's regulations do not state when answers, interventions
and comments ordinarily would be filed if the Commission were to
initiate review of a notice of penalty. However, we generally will
establish the filing deadline as 20 days after the date of the
Commission's order initiating a review of a proposed penalty on its own
motion. Likewise, the Commission's regulations do not specify a default
time period for the Commission to complete the review of a notice of
penalty on its own motion. The Commission nevertheless anticipates that
it would ordinarily issue a determination within 60 days of ordering
that review, unless issues in a particular case require a longer period
for consideration.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\17\ 18 CFR 39.7(e)(1).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Section 39.7(e)(1) provides that the Commission may take action
within 30 days after NERC files a notice of penalty, other than moving
to review the notice of penalty, to prevent a proposed penalty from
being affirmed by operation of law on the expiration of that 30-day
period. For example, the Commission could issue an order stating that
it requires more than 30 days to determine whether it should review a
proposed penalty on its own motion. While we anticipate that the
Commission will issue such orders rarely, in appropriate instances, the
Commission retains the option of doing so. Such an order will not
solicit answers, intervention or comments. If the Commission determines
to review the notice of penalty, it will issue a subsequent order
initiating review of the proposed penalty and establishing a filing
deadline for any answers, intervention or comments. Should the
Commission decide not to review the notice of penalty, the Commission
will issue an order terminating the proceeding. The proposed penalty
shall be affirmed by operation of law immediately upon the issuance of
that order.
8. We wish to make clear that in an application for review of a
proposed penalty filed by NERC, an entity may seek review of the amount
of the proposed penalty or its type (i.e., argue that a proposed
monetary penalty should be a non-monetary penalty, for example) as well
as of any determinations underlying the proposed
[[Page 21816]]
penalty, including whether a violation of a Commission-approved
Reliability Standard occurred or whether there is a sufficient factual
record to support any such determination.\18\ Likewise, if the
Commission moves to review a proposed penalty, it may review the amount
or type of the proposed penalty, as well as any determinations
underlying it, such as the existence of one or more violations of a
Commission-approved Reliability Standard.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\18\ See Order No. 672 at P 508 (allowing the Commission to
remand a penalty to the ERO for additional fact-finding
proceedings). Nevertheless, for example, it would not be
appropriate, absent extraordinary circumstances, for an entity that
applies for a review of a notice of penalty to contest a finding of
violation included in it if that entity had admitted or not
contested a finding of violation, as set forth in the record of
proceedings the NERC submits with a notice of penalty. Similarly, we
ordinarily would look with great disfavor on an entity's attempt in
an application for review to contest a fact or matter if that entity
stipulated to it, as described in the record of proceedings.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. Section 215(e)(6) of the FPA states that a penalty imposed for a
violation of a Reliability Standard ``shall bear a reasonable relation
to the seriousness of the violation and shall take into consideration
the efforts of [the registered entity] to remedy the violation in a
timely manner.'' \19\ When reviewing a notice of penalty, whether
pursuant to an application for review or on our own motion, we will
conduct a de novo review of the record of the proceeding below to
ascertain whether the record contains adequate evidence that the
proposed penalty determination accords with this test. \20\ We observe
in this regard that FPA section 215(e)(2) states that in any proceeding
to review a notice of penalty, the Commission must provide notice and
an opportunity for hearing that ``may consist solely of the record
before the ERO and opportunity for the presentation of supporting
reasons to affirm, modify, or set aside the penalty.'' \21\ As we
stated in Order No. 672, based on this provision, we expect in most
instances not to open the record set forth in or accompanying a notice
of penalty to additional material from third parties.\22\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\19\ 16 U.S.C. 824o(e)(6) (Supp. V (2005)).
\20\ See Order No. 672 at P 614 (de novo review is consistent
with the practice of other administrative agencies that review
sanctions imposed by their associated self-regulatory
organizations). We concluded in the Delegation Agreement Order that
a Regional Entity or NERC may not impose a penalty in an
adjudication without concluding that the preponderance of the
evidence supports the penalty. Delegation Agreement Order at P 146.
\21\ 16 U.S.C. 824o(e)(2) (Supp. V (2005)).
\22\ Order No. 672 at P 511. In this regard, we emphasize our
agreement in the ERO Certification Order at P 491 that NERC affords
appropriate deference in its procedures to the Regional Entities'
role as reliability managers and their familiarity with operating
conditions by prohibiting NERC's consideration on appeal of any fact
that is not in the record compiled by the relevant Regional Entity.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
However, the Commission retains the discretion in particular cases
to permit additions to the record with respect to a notice of
penalty.\23\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\23\ See 18 CFR 39.7(e)(2) (an applicant for Commission review
of a penalty in a notice of penalty may support its explanation by
providing information that is not included in the ERO's record) and
39.7(e)(3) (when reviewing a notice of penalty, the Commission may
``establish a hearing before an administrative law judge or initiate
such further procedures as it determines to be appropriate'').
However, in neither of these situations is the Commission required
to admit into the record information or documents proffered by
parties to the review proceeding. In particular, the Commission
would look with disfavor on admitting into the record in a
proceeding to review a notice of penalty documents or information
that a party had an opportunity to move into the record before the
Regional Entity, but failed to do so.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. We believe that entities that are subject to Reliability
Standards should have notice of the general criteria the Commission
will use to determine whether it will review particular notice of
penalty on its own motion. We will use the following principles in this
matter. First, the Commission does not anticipate moving to review
every notice of penalty that NERC files, or even most. While the
Commission is required to review every notice of penalty for which a
registered entity files an application for review, the Commission's
limited resources would likely preclude review of all uncontested
notices of penalty. Second, as described earlier, the Commission has
approved NERC's CMEP as the framework for NERC's enforcement authority
under section 215 of the FPA, as well as NERC's delegation of
enforcement powers to Regional Entities through the Delegation
Agreements. The Commission sees no general need to review each notice
of penalty for which a Regional Entity has developed a record and which
it has approved, and which NERC has reviewed for sufficiency and
consistency. Third, the Commission recognizes that, on a continuing
basis, Regional Entities and NERC retain an element of enforcement
discretion similar to our own discretion in enforcement matters.\24\
Reviewing every uncontested notice of penalty on our own motion would
be inconsistent with this recognition and would ultimately weaken the
enforcement efforts of the Regional Entities and NERC.\25\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\24\ See Order No. 693 at P 225 (``The Commission agrees that,
separate from our specific directive that all concerned focus their
resources on the most serious violations during an initial period,
the ERO and Regional Entities retain enforcement discretion as would
any enforcement entity.'').
\25\ Id. (observing that NERC's Sanction Guidelines, which set
forth the principles under which NERC and the Regional Entities will
determine penalties, provide flexibility as to establishing the
appropriate penalty within the range of applicable penalties).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
11. Nonetheless, because the Commission bears ultimate
responsibility for the enforcement of Reliability Standards, we may
review a notice of penalty even if the registered entity that is the
subject of the notice of penalty does not file an application for
review.\26\ In determining whether to review a notice of penalty (which
will occur prior to receiving an application for review), we would look
first to the apparent relative seriousness of the violation at issue in
the notice of penalty. For example, we would evaluate the seriousness
of a violation by the combination of violation risk factor and
violation severity level that NERC has assigned and that we have
approved for particular requirements of the Reliability Standards
implicated in the notice of penalty.\27\ We also will analyze notices
of penalty to ascertain the potential risk to the reliability of the
Bulk-Power System, as well as any actual harm, presented by their
particular fact patterns. The more serious a violation described in a
notice of penalty appears to be, the more likely it is that we would
review the proposed penalty. In addition, the Commission retains the
authority to review notices of penalty on its own motion to ensure that
penalties are applied in a reasonably consistent manner, or to improve
compliance with Reliability Standards and thereby increase the
reliability of the Bulk-Power System.\28\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\26\ It is possible that a registered entity will file an
application for review of a notice of penalty after the Commission
has issued an order stating that it will review the notice of
penalty on its own motion. In that situation, the Commission will
adhere to the procedural provisions of section 39.7(e)(4) and (e)(6)
with respect to an application for review of a notice of penalty.
\27\ Pursuant to section 4.1 of NERC's Sanction Guidelines, NERC
and Regional Entities use the intersection of the violation risk
factor and violation severity level in setting the initial range of
the Base Penalty Amount that is calculated in the process of
determining an appropriate penalty for a particular violation. See
North American Electric Reliability Corp., 119 FERC ] 61,248, at P
74 (2007). While the Commission has approved or directed revisions
to violation risk factors for all requirements of Reliability
Standards it has currently approved to apply nationwide, NERC's
proposed violation severity levels for these standards are currently
pending before the Commission in Docket No. RR08-4-000. Pending
Commission review of this filing, as an interim measure when
determining penalties, NERC and Regional Entities may use existing
Levels of Non-Compliance assigned to particular standards to
substitute for violation severity levels. Id. P 79.
\28\ See Second Delegation Agreement Order at P 60 (The
Commission's discretion to review penalty determinations on its own
motion includes, but is broader than, ascertaining whether they
clearly conflict with the goal of consistent national reliability
enforcement or whether their revision is needed for oversight of
Regional Entity compliance activities, citing Delegation Agreement
Order at P 173).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 21817]]
12. Section 39.7(e)(3) of our regulations provides that neither an
application for review of a notice of penalty nor the Commission's
initiation of a review of a notice of penalty will operate as a stay of
the proposed penalty unless the Commission otherwise orders, upon
application by the subject of a notice of penalty or upon the
Commission's own motion. Nevertheless, as a matter of policy, the
Commission intends as a general matter to stay any proposed penalty
under Commission review. Not doing so would require a user, owner or
operator to pay a penalty that the Commission may later set aside or
modify. To the extent that any proposed penalty is later affirmed by
the Commission, the penalty amount must be paid with interest from the
date of the stay.
13. Pursuant to section 39.7(e)(5) of our regulations, in any
proceeding to review a proposed penalty, the Commission, after public
notice and opportunity for hearing, may by order affirm, set aside, or
modify the proposed penalty, or remand the determination of the
proposed penalty, or its form or amount, to the ERO for further
proceedings. Any party to the proceeding may seek rehearing of the
Commission's order, as described in Rule 713 of the Commission's Rules
of Practice and Procedure.\29\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\29\ 18 CFR 385.713 (2007).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
III. Commission Review of Settlements of Reliability Penalties by
Regional Entities or NERC
A. Order No. 672
14. Order No. 672 stated the ERO should file, for informational
purposes only, any settlement of an alleged violation regardless of
whether the agreement contains an admission by the settling user, owner
or operator. While settlements will be made public, Order No. 672
provided that settlements would not be noticed for public comment; nor
would they be subject to Commission review pursuant to section 39.7(e)
of the Commission's regulations regarding Commission review of a notice
of penalty.\30\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\30\ Order No. 672 at P 598. The Commission presumes that a
settlement will require a registered entity that is a party to
forego any right to file an application for Commission review of the
settlement.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
B. Commission Determination
15. Upon reconsideration based on our experience since Order No.
672 issued, the Commission revises its policy stated in Order No. 672
with regard to reviewing settlements of alleged violations. In
modifying our policy regarding ERO and Regional Entity settlements, we
note that the Commission may change its policy if it provides, as it
does here, a reasoned basis for that change.\31\ The Commission
believes that, on reflection, our statement in Order No. 672 is not in
the public interest for several reasons. First, it is contrary to
Commission policy regarding settlements in other contexts. For example,
pursuant to Rule 602 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and
Procedure, the Commission must review written offers of settlement
filed in any proceeding pending before the Commission.\32\ Further, the
Commission reviews settlements entered into by the Commission's Office
of Enforcement.\33\ Second, after issuing Order No. 672, the Commission
decided that the ERO should have authority on its own motion to reject
settlements into which Regional Entities have entered.\34\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\31\ E.g., B&J Oil and Gas v. FERC, 353 F.3d 71 (D.C. Cir.
2004).
\32\ 18 CFR 385.602(g)(3), (h)(1)(i) (2007).
\33\ See, eg., Statement of Administrative Policy Regarding the
Process for Assessing Civil Penalties, 117 FERC ] 61,317, at P 2
(2006) (noting that ``civil penalties often are negotiated as part
of a stipulation and agreement resolving compliance issues'' and
that ``[i]n such cases the civil penalty is imposed through a
Commission order approving the negotiated agreement. * * *'') See
also, e.g., In re Gexa Energy, LLC, 120 FERC ] 61,175 (2007); In re
Cleco Power, LLC, 119 FERC ] 61,271 (2007).
\34\ Delegation Agreement Order at P 107.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
16. The Commission does not believe that it should afford
settlements entered into by the ERO or a Regional Entity relating to an
alleged or confirmed violation of Commission-approved mandatory
Reliability Standards more deference than we would afford to those
entered into by the Office of Enforcement or approved by the
Commission's Administrative Law Judges. Nor should the Commission
abstain from reviewing settlements approved by the ERO in the manner in
which it has permitted the ERO to review Regional Entity settlements.
Finally, we do not believe it reasonable to treat settlements as
categorically different than other notices of penalty.
17. Not allowing Commission review of a settlement would mean, for
example, that an entity that does not contest a proposed penalty would
nonetheless have its notice of penalty subject to review by the
Commission, whereas an entity that initially contested the proposed
penalty but subsequently settled with the Regional Entity would not
have its settlement subject to review by the Commission. This
distinction makes little sense and could actually increase litigation
(in an effort to produce formal settlements) rather than reduce it.
Therefore, any settlement entered into by the ERO or a Regional Entity
after the date of this order will be subject to Commission review
pursuant to section 39.7(e) of the Commission's regulations.
18. As a final matter, we wish to make it clear that the Commission
continues to encourage settlements by Regional Entities and NERC.\35\
Similar to the Commission's statement that it does not expect the ERO
to reject Regional Entity settlements as a normal practice, the
Commission expects that it will normally allow ERO or Regional Entity
settlements to become effective.\36\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\35\ See ERO Certification Order at P 479; Delegation Agreement
Order at P 107.
\36\ Id.
By the Commission.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
APPENDIX
FLOW CHART ILLUSTRATING NOTICE OF PENALTY PROCESSES
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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BILLING CODE 6717-01-C