
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 71 (Friday, April 12, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21934-21937]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-08597]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. AD12-12-000]


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

    As announced in the Notice issued on March 5, 2013,\1\ the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) staff will hold a technical 
conference on Thursday, April 25, 2013 from 9:00 a.m. to approximately 
5:00 p.m. to discuss natural gas and electric scheduling, and issues 
related to whether and how natural gas and electric industry schedules 
and practices could be harmonized in order to achieve the most 
efficient scheduling systems for both industries. The conference will 
be held at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street 
NE., Washington, DC 20426. The agenda and list of roundtable 
participants for this conference are attached. This conference is free 
of charge and open to

[[Page 21935]]

the public. Commission members may participate in the conference.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Coordination between Natural Gas and Electricity Markets, 
Docket No. AD12-12-000 (Mar. 5, 2013) (Notice of Technical 
Conference) (http://elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/File_list.asp?document_id=14095482).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    If you have not already done so, those who plan to attend the 
technical conference are strongly encouraged to complete the 
registration form located at: https://www.ferc.gov/whats-new/registration/nat-gas-elec-mkts-form-04-25-13.asp. There is no deadline 
to register to attend the conference.
    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 the Calendar of Events at www.ferc.gov 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: East 
Tennessee Natural Gas, L.L.C., Docket No. RP13-676-000; Gulf South 
Pipeline Company, LP, Docket No. RP13-294-001; ISO New England Inc. and 
New England Power Pool, Docket No. ER13-895-000, -001; Saltville Gas 
Storage Company L.L.C., Docket No. RP13-677-000; Tennessee Gas Pipeline 
Company, L.L.C., Docket No. RP12-514-000; Trailblazer Pipeline Company 
LLC, RP13-240-000; and Transwestern Pipeline Company, LLC, Docket No. 
RP13-404-001.
    Information on the technical conference will 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 1-866-208-
3372 (voice) or 202-502-8659 (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: April 3, 2013.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN12AP13.001

Coordination between Natural Gas and Electricity Markets

Docket No. AD12-12-000

April 25, 2013

Agenda

9:00-9:20 a.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks

    The purpose of this technical conference is to further explore 
concerns regarding gas-electric scheduling conflicts, consider whether 
adjustments to scheduling or capacity release rules or practices are 
needed, and identify specific areas in which additional guidance or 
regulatory changes could be considered. The conference will explore 
whether potential modifications in these areas would facilitate more 
efficient use of existing electric or natural gas infrastructure.

9:20-9:35 a.m. Opening Staff Presentation

    Staff will make a presentation on the gas and electric days, the 
gas scheduling timeline and electric scheduling timelines.

9:35-12:30 p.m. Coordination of Gas and Electric Schedules

    The morning roundtable will address how to best align the gas and 
electric schedules, including whether and on what geographic footprint 
an ``energy day'' \3\ and the scheduling for that day should be 
pursued, and whether there is a need for interregional or regional gas 
or electric scheduling modifications. This roundtable session will 
address whether and to what extent the electric and natural gas 
scheduling practices need to be aligned, what scheduling practices need 
to be revised (gas, electric or both), and whether alignment should be 
national, regional, or interconnection-wide. Recognizing that the 
electric markets vary by region, this roundtable session will also 
explore how electric markets are responding to the needs of gas-fired 
generators.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ The term ``energy day'' in this context refers to a 
simultaneous 24-hour time period when gas flow and electric 
generator commitments are effective. Currently, the ``day'' for 
purposes of measuring natural gas flows begins at 9:00 a.m. Central 
time; however, the ``day'' for purposes of measuring electricity 
flows begins at midnight local time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Roundtable panelists should be prepared to discuss the following:
     What would be the consequences of implementing a single 
``energy day'' that combines the gas and electric days and the 
scheduling for that day?
     If an interregional or regional approach to harmonizing 
gas or electric scheduling would improve efficient use of existing 
infrastructure, how could the different gas and electric geographic 
footprints be reconciled? How would this work for organized and 
bilateral electric markets?
     Some have proposed to integrate gas and electric 
scheduling on an interregional basis through a coordinated Eastern 
Interconnection gas and electric schedule and a coordinated Western 
Interconnection gas and electric schedule. What are the consequences of 
such a proposal?
     How could such interregional electric schedules be 
harmonized with the natural gas schedule?
     Would coordination of the gas nomination and electric 
bidding and commitment schedules on an interregional basis result in 
more efficient use of existing infrastructure?
     If gas or electric schedules were adjusted on a regional 
basis, should the adjustments be limited to day-ahead schedules, or 
also include changes to intraday (gas) and real-time (electric) 
schedules? What are the benefits and costs to each approach?
     Given technological advances, are there opportunities to 
reduce the time between electric offers and resource commitment? What 
would the benefits and costs be to implementing such a change?
     Given the increasing reliance on gas-fired generation, are 
there changes

[[Page 21936]]

required to the current schedules used in wholesale electric markets to 
commit gas-fired generation in the Day-Ahead market?
     Is there a need to sequence the timing of electric market 
clearing across adjacent wholesale electric markets? If so, how can the 
market clearing in adjacent regions be sequenced to promote efficient 
use of infrastructure? What are the costs and benefits of adjusting the 
electric market scheduling timeline across adjacent wholesale markets?
     Could electric scheduling modifications allow gas-fired 
generators to make or adjust gas commitments to avoid periods of gas 
illiquidity?
     Should electric system operators provide an opportunity 
for generators to adjust their offers after commitments have been 
posted or during the operating day to account for changes in gas or 
transportation costs?

12:30-1:30 p.m. Lunch

1:30-4:30 p.m. Natural Gas Pipeline Flexibility and Potential 
Scheduling Adjustments

    The afternoon roundtable will address suggestions regarding 
incremental changes to gas scheduling and explore the services already 
provided by pipelines, marketers and capacity release markets and 
whether these services could be expanded to provide additional use of 
existing infrastructure.
    Roundtable panelists should be prepared to discuss questions 
including:
     As some parties have suggested, should additional natural 
gas nomination opportunities be provided within the scheduling 
timeline? For example, would an additional nomination period during the 
night or early morning provide flexibility that would be used by 
shippers? What are the costs and benefits of doing so?
     Is it sufficient to permit enhanced pipeline nomination 
opportunities by individual pipelines given the need to coordinate such 
nominations with upstream and downstream parties?
     Given technological advances, are there opportunities to 
reduce the time between gas nominations and confirmations for intraday 
nominations? What would be the benefits and costs of implementing such 
a change?
     The current business practice standards (NAESB Standard 
1.3.80) permit shippers with scheduled gas past the point of a 
constraint to sell or transfer that gas supply to others without the 
need to reschedule. How do pipelines implement this requirement? What 
revisions, if any, are needed to provide more flexibility? How can 
marketers use this standard to help transfer gas?
     Should the no-bump rule be eliminated or the timing 
adjusted if additional nomination period(s) are added?
     Do changes need to be made to Commission policies to 
permit third parties to offer virtual storage or other balancing 
services? What are the advantages or disadvantages of such a change?
     What tools and services do generators use to manage 
procuring gas and transportation outside the common trading periods and 
over weekends? Could existing tools be expanded? Are any additional 
tools needed to manage difficulties with fuel supply arrangements 
outside standard trading periods?
     Pre-arranged capacity release transactions can be 
scheduled at every nomination opportunity on a pipeline. Are there any 
changes to the capacity release program that would make capacity 
release more efficient?
     To what extent and how do shippers use redirect options 
and flexible delivery point nominations? How might this be improved?

4:30-5:00 p.m. Closing

     Recap of what staff heard throughout the day
     Participant feedback
     Areas for further consideration, including issues outside 
of scheduling

Roundtable Participants

Morning Session

Robert Hayes, Vice President, Physical Trading and Operation, Calpine 
Corporation
Georgia Carter, Senior Vice President, Rates & Regulatory Affairs, 
Columbia Pipeline Group
Jim Ginnetti, Senior Vice President, EquiPower Resources Corp.
Lin Franks, Senior Strategist, RTO, FERC & Compliance Initiatives, 
Indianapolis Power & Light Company
Scott Rupff, Vice President, Marketing, Development & Commercial 
Operations, Iroquois Pipeline Operating Company
Peter Brandien, Vice President of System Operations, ISO-NE
Ray Miller, Vice President, Pipeline Management, Kinder Morgan
Wes Yeomans, Vice President, Operations/Kelli Joseph, Gas & Electric 
Analyst, NYISO
Joe Gardner, Vice President, Forward Markets & Operations Services 
Midwest ISO
Michael Frey, Vice President, Gas Supply & Operations, Municipal Gas 
Authority of Georgia
James Stanzione, Director of Federal Regulatory National Grid Policy
Donald Sipe, Attorney (On behalf of American Forest & Paper 
Association), PretiFlaherty
Todd Snitchler, Chairman, Public Utilities Commission of Ohio
Doug Rephlo, Senior Wholesale Originator, Shell Energy North America 
(U.S.), L.P.
Greg Lander, President, Skipping Stone
Carl Haga, Gas Services Director, Southern Company
Bruce Rew, Vice President, Operations, Southwest Power Pool
Richard Kruse, Vice President, Regulatory, Spectra Energy

Afternoon Session

Daniel Buckner, Director of Fuels Origination and Strategic 
Development, ACES
John Fortman, Director, Commercial Services, AGL Resources
Patrick Dinkel, Vice President, Resource Management, Arizona Public 
Service Company
Mark Evans, Vice President, North America Gas and Power Market, BG 
Energy Merchants, LLC
Kathy Kirk, Senior VP, Marketing & Origination/Adina Owen, Corporate 
Counsel, Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP
Tina Burnett, Senior Energy Analyst (On behalf of Process Gas Consumers 
Group), The Boeing Corporation
Kevin Holder, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, 
Cardinal Gas Storage Partners
Chris Ditzel, Division Vice President, Commercial Operations, 
CenterPoint Energy
John Rudiak, Senior Director, Energy Supply, CT Natural Gas & So. CT 
Gas
Mary Nelson, Devon Energy Corporation
Brad Holmes, Vice President, Market Services, Energy Transfer
Michelle Thiry, Director Energy Management Organization, Entergy
Jim Ginnetti, Senior Vice President, EquiPower Resources Corp.
Gene Nowak, Vice President, Transportation & Storage Services, Kinder 
Morgan
Rick Smead, Director (On behalf of America's Natural Gas Alliance), 
Navigant Consulting
Jim Dauer, Director, Natural Gas Trading, NRG Energy, Inc.
Doug Rephlo, Senior Wholesale Originator, Shell Energy North America 
(U.S.), L.P.
Richard Kruse, Vice President, Regulatory, Spectra Energy
Valerie Crockett, Senior Program Manager Regulatory Policy, TVA

[[Page 21937]]

Curt Dallinger, Director Gas Resource Planning, Xcel Energy

[FR Doc. 2013-08597 Filed 4-11-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


