
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 12, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15719-15720]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-05626]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[ Docket No. AD12-12-000]


Coordination Between Natural Gas and Electricity Markets; Notice 
of Technical Conference

    Take notice that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
(Commission) staff will hold a technical conference focused on natural 
gas and electric scheduling, and issues related to whether and how 
natural gas and electric industry schedules could be harmonized in 
order to achieve the most efficient scheduling systems for both 
industries. The technical conference will take place on April 25, 2013 
beginning at 9:00 a.m. and ending at approximately 5:00 p.m. The 
conference will be held at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 
888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426. All interested persons are 
invited to attend the conference. Commission members may participate in 
the conference.
    Following a series of regional technical conferences conducted in 
August 2012, the Commission issued an order directing further 
conferences and reports in the above captioned docket on November 15, 
2012.\1\ In the November 15 Order, the Commission noted that while its 
current regulations and policies provide flexibility in the near-term 
for utilities to address coordinated scheduling issues on a regional 
basis and for pipelines to provide enhanced scheduling opportunities, 
there are broader questions regarding whether industry-wide changes to 
scheduling practices and capacity release rules would be necessary or 
appropriate to achieve long-term gas-electric harmonization, address 
seams issues across regional markets, or promote a more efficient 
utilization of existing pipeline capacity. The Commission also noted 
the questions raised relating to whether new flexible pipeline services 
and additional nomination opportunities as developed by industry will 
result in more efficient utilization of pipeline capacity.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Coordination between Natural Gas and Electricity Markets, 
141 FERC ] 61,125, at P 11 (2012) (November 15 Order).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The conference will explore whether and how to achieve more 
efficient scheduling practices for the two industries. The conference 
will consider whether changes should be made to provide additional 
scheduling flexibility, including suggestions raised by stakeholders 
such as whether to increase the number of nomination opportunities, 
eliminate or change the interruptible ``no-bump'' rule, and/or provide 
enhanced ability for customers to schedule real-time gas transfers/
sales or intraday capacity release transactions. The conference also 
will explore coordination of gas and electric scheduling, including: 
whether the establishment of a single ``energy day'' is desired and 
would be beneficial and how the scheduling leading up to that day could 
be efficiently sequenced; how to manage difficulties scheduling gas in 
the evenings and for weekends and holidays; whether it is preferable 
for electric scheduling to be done before or after gas and 
transportation scheduling; and whether technological advances permit a 
reduction in the time between the electric bid or pipeline nomination 
and when they are scheduled. Lastly, the conference also will explore 
whether these suggestions or any other options would allow for more 
efficient use of existing infrastructure by both gas generators and 
other customers.
    Those interested in speaking at the technical conference should 
notify the Commission by March 15, 2013 by completing the online form 
at the following Web page: https://www.ferc.gov/whats-new/registration/nat-gas-elec-mkts-speaker-form-04-25-13.asp. Due to time constraints, 
we may not be able to accommodate all those interested in speaking. A 
supplemental notice also will be issued prior to the technical 
conference to provide

[[Page 15720]]

information about the agenda and organization of the technical 
conference. Those interested in attending the technical conference are 
encouraged, but not required, to register at the following Web page: 
https://www.ferc.gov/whats-new/registration/nat-gas-elec-mkts-form-04-25-13.asp.
    The technical conference will not be transcribed. However, there 
will be a free webcast of the conference. The webcast will allow 
persons to listen to the technical conference, but not participate. 
Anyone with Internet access who wants to listen to the conference can 
do so by navigating to www.ferc.gov's Calendar of Events and locating 
the technical conference in the Calendar. The technical conference will 
contain a link to its webcast. The Capitol Connection provides 
technical support for the webcast and offers the option of listening to 
the meeting via phone-bridge for a fee. If you have any questions, 
visit www.CapitolConnection.org or call 703-993-3100.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ The webcast will continue to be available on the Calendar of 
Events on the Commission's Web site www.ferc.gov for three months 
after the conference.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Notice is also hereby given that the discussions at the conference 
may address matters at issue in the following Commission proceeding(s) 
that are either pending or within their rehearing period: ISO New 
England Inc., Docket No. ER13-895-000.
    Information on the technical conference will also be posted on the 
Web site http://www.ferc.gov/industries/electric/indus-act/electric-coord.asp, as well as the Calendar of Events on the Commission's Web 
site, http://www.ferc.gov, prior to the conference.
    Commission conferences are accessible under section 508 of the 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973. For accessibility accommodations, please 
send an email to accessibility@ferc.gov or call toll free (866) 208-
3372 (voice) or (202) 208-1659 (TTY), or send a FAX to (202) 208-2106 
with the required accommodations.
    For more information about the technical conference, please 
contact:

Elizabeth Topping (Technical Information), Office of Energy Policy and 
Innovation, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-6731, Elizabeth.Topping@ferc.gov.
Anna Fernandez (Legal Information), Office of General Counsel, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 
20426, (202) 502-6682, Anna.Fernandez@ferc.gov.
Sarah McKinley (Logistical Information), Office of External Affairs, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Washington, 
DC 20426, (202) 502-8004, Sarah.McKinley@ferc.gov.

    Dated: March 5, 2013.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-05626 Filed 3-11-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


