Department of Energy September 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is proposing to revise its regulations to require that each regional transmission organization (RTO) and independent system operator (ISO) settle energy transactions in its real-time markets at the same time interval it dispatches energy and settle operating reserves transactions in its real-time markets at the same time interval it prices operating reserves. The Commission also proposes to revise its regulations to require that each RTO/ISO trigger shortage pricing for any dispatch interval during which a shortage of energy or operating reserves occurs. Adopting these reforms would align prices with resource dispatch instructions and operating needs, providing appropriate incentives for resource performance.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) proposes to amend its regulations to require each regional transmission organization (RTO) and independent system operator (ISO) to electronically deliver to the Commission, on an ongoing basis, data required from its market participants that would; first identify the market participants by means of a common alpha-numeric identifier; and secondly list their ``Connected Entities,'' which includes entities that have certain ownership, employment, debt, or contractual relationships to the market participants, as specified in this NOPR; and finally describe in brief the nature of the relationship of each Connected Entity. Such information will assist screening and investigative efforts to detect market manipulation, an enforcement priority of the Commission. The initiative would also assist market monitors for the RTOs and ISOs in their individual and joint investigations of potential cross-market manipulation. Unless the RTOs and ISOs request continuation of existing affiliate disclosure requirements based on a particularized need, the Commission expects that this new disclosure obligation will supplant all existing affiliate disclosures requirements contained in the RTOs and ISOs tariffs. The proposed definitional uniformity of the term ``Connected Entity'' across all of the RTOs and ISOs may help ease compliance burdens on market participants that are active in more than one RTO or ISO, and that are now required to submit affiliate information that may be unique to each of the organized markets in which they participate.

EIA published a notice in the Federal Register of September 15, 2015, inviting public comment on the proposed three-year extension of its Oil and Gas Reserves System Surveys. This document replaces that notice and corrects an error in the Web site address for the collection instruments and instructions. EIA invites public comment on the proposed three-year extension of the following Oil and Gas Reserves System Survey Forms that EIA is developing for submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995: Revision of Form EIA- 23L, Annual Survey of Domestic Oil and Gas Reserves, Field Level Report; extension without changes of Form EIA-64A, Annual Report of the Origin of Natural Gas Liquids Production; and continued suspension of Form EIA-23S, Annual Survey of Domestic Oil and Gas Reserves, Summary Level Report. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

This notice announces a teleconference call of the Commission to Review the Effectiveness of the National Energy Laboratories (Commission). The Commission was created pursuant to section 319 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014, Public Law 113-76, and in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended, 5 U.S.C., App. 2. This notice is provided in accordance with the Act.

Pursuant to the Federal Power Act, the Commission approves a revised Reliability Standard, PRC-005-4 (Protection System, Automatic Reclosing and Sudden Pressure Relaying Maintenance), developed and submitted by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC). In addition, the Commission approves one new definition and four revised definitions referenced in the proposed Reliability Standard, as well as the assigned violation risk factors and violation severity levels, and the associated implementation plan. Consistent with Order No. 758, the proposed Reliability Standard requires applicable entities to test and maintain certain sudden pressure relays as part of a protection system maintenance program.

This notice announces a combined meeting of the Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Committee and Waste Management Committee of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Northern New Mexico (known locally as the Northern New Mexico Citizens' Advisory Board [NNMCAB]). The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.