
[Federal Register: December 22, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 246)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 78183-78184]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22de08-13]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

18 CFR Part 358

[Docket No. RM07-1-000]


Standards of Conduct for Transmission Providers

December 15, 2008.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.

ACTION: Order granting an extension of time and providing notice of
change in personnel.

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SUMMARY: On October 16, 2008, the Commission issued Order No. 717,
which revised the Standards of Conduct for natural gas and electric
transmission providers.\1\ Order No. 717 became effective on November
26, 2008, 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. According
to Order No. 717, transmission providers must be in full compliance
with the Standards by that date, with the exception of the posting and
training requirements, with which transmission providers must be in
full compliance no later than 60 days from the date of publication in
the Federal Register, or December 26, 2008. On November 17, 2008, the
Edison Electric Institute (EEI) and the Interstate Natural Gas
Association of America (INGAA) jointly filed a motion for extension of
certain compliance deadlines under Order No. 717. This order grants
EEI's and INGAA's request to extend the time for compliance with 18 CFR
358.8(c)(1), 358.7(d), 358.7(h), and 358.8(b)(2) to January 30, 2009;
and for a grace period until February 27, 2009 for training of new
employees hired before January 30, 2009. In addition, this order
provides notice of a change in personnel.
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    \1\ Standards of Conduct for Transmission Providers, Order No.
717, 73 FR 63796 (Oct. 27, 2008), FERC Stats. & Regs. ] 31,280
(2008) (Order No. 717).

DATES: Compliance Date: The time for compliance with 18 CFR
358.8(c)(1), 358.7(d), 358.7(h), and 358.8(b)(2) is extended to January
30, 2009 and new employees hired before January 30, 2009 shall be
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trained by February 27, 2009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mason Emnett (Legal Information),
Office of the General Counsel, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-6540.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 1. On October 16, 2008, the Commission
issued Order No. 717, which revised the Standards of Conduct for
natural gas and electric transmission providers.\2\ The Commission
stated that Order No. 717 would become effective 30 days after
publication in the Federal Register, that is, November 26, 2008.\3\
According to the Order, transmission providers must be in full
compliance with the Standards by that date, with the exception of the
posting and training requirements, with which transmission providers
must be in full compliance no later than 60 days from the date of
publication in the Federal Register, or December 26, 2008.\4\
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    \2\ Standards of Conduct for Transmission Providers, Order No.
717, 73 Fed. Reg. 63796 (Oct. 27, 2008), FERC Stats. & Regs. ]
31,280 (2008) (Order No. 717).
    \3\ Id. P 330.
    \4\ Id.
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    2. On November 17, 2008, the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) and
the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) jointly filed
a motion for extension of certain compliance deadlines under Order No.
717 to January 30, 2009. Specifically, EEI and INGAA request an
extension of (1) the deadline to complete revisions to compliance
procedures and training

[[Page 78184]]

materials; (2) the compliance deadline for transmission providers to
post the written procedures implementing the Standards on their
Internet Web sites under section 358.7(d); (3) the compliance deadline
for distribution of procedures to the employees listed in section
358.8(b)(2); and, (4) the compliance deadline for recordation of
information exchanges under section 358.7(h). EEI and INGAA further
request an initial grace period until February 27, 2009 for the
training of new employees that are hired before the transmission
provider develops the new training materials and procedures. Thus, the
deadline for training employees hired before January 30, 2009 would be
extended to February 27, 2009, but all new hires on or after January
30, 2009 would receive training within 30 days of their employment
date.
    3. EEI and INGAA state that a significant commitment of time and
resources is necessary to analyze the changes made under Order No. 717,
to revise procedures and training materials, to implement the changes
in the compliance programs, and to train new employees. And, because
the current deadlines fall during the end-of-year holiday season, many
employees that are needed to complete these tasks and meet these
compliance deadlines have already committed to take annual leave over
the holidays.
    4. The Commission recognizes that due to the publication date of
Order No. 717 in the Federal Register, the current compliance deadlines
do fall during the end-of-year holiday season, making it difficult for
companies to have the staff and resources available to meet the
compliance requirements of the Order. Accordingly, upon consideration
of the concerns raised by EEI and INGAA, the Commission will grant
EEI's and INGAA's requests (1) to extend the time for compliance with
18 CFR 358.8(c)(1), 358.7(d), 358.7(h), and 358.8(b)(2) to January 30,
2009; and (2) for a grace period until February 27, 2009 for training
of new employees hired before January 30, 2009.
    5. As a separate matter, this order is intended to serve as a
notice to participants in this proceeding that they should contact for
now Mason Emnett in the Office of General Counsel (OGC) at 202-502-6540
for all future requests for further information on Order No. 717, and
should also watch for future notices of other OGC contacts. Likewise,
any inquiries regarding the interpretation of the Standards should be
directed to the Commission's Help Desk \5\ and should not be directed
to the Commission's Enforcement Hotline, unless the caller wishes to
report a violation of the Standards.
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    \5\ Questions can be submitted to the Help Desk via an online
form available at http://www.ferc.gov/contact-us/compliance-help-
desk.asp.
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The Commission Orders

    The Commission hereby grants the requested extensions of certain
compliance deadlines in Order No. 717, as discussed in the body of the
order.

    By the Commission.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E8-30257 Filed 12-19-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
