
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 16 (Monday, January 26, 2015)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 3880-3881]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-01141]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

18 CFR Parts 2 and 38

[Docket No. RM05-5-024; Order No. 676-H]


Standards for Business Practices and Communication Protocols for 
Public Utilities

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.

ACTION:  Final rule; notice of extension of time.

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SUMMARY: Order No. 676-H, published on September 14, 2014, requires 
public utilities to comply with the incorporated Version 003 business 
practice standards by February 2, 2015 (former), with the exception of 
those standards related to the Network Integration Transmission Service 
(NITS) Open Access Same-Time Information System (OASIS) template, for 
which compliance is required by April 25, 2016 (latter). This document 
extends the afore-mentioned deadline to comply with requirements not 
related to the NITS OASIS template from February 2, 2015 to and 
including May 15, 2015.

DATES: Effective date: This rule is effective January 26, 2015.
    Compliance date: Compliance with the Version 003 business practice 
standards not related to the NITS OASIS template, published in the rule 
of September 14, 2014 (79 FR 56939), is extended to and including May 
15, 2015, for all entities subject to the requirement.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Tony Dobbins (Technical Issues), Office of Energy Policy and 
Innovation, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-6630
Gary D. Cohen (Legal Issues), Office of the General Counsel, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 
20426, (202) 502-8321

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In Order No. 676-H, the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission (Commission) amended its regulations to 
incorporate by reference, with certain enumerated exceptions, the 
latest version (Version 003) of the Standards for Business Practices 
and Communication Protocols for Public Utilities adopted by the 
Wholesale Electric Quadrant (WEQ) of the North American Energy 
Standards Board (NAESB) as mandatory enforceable requirements.\1\ Order 
No. 676-H requires public utilities to comply with the incorporated 
Version 003 business practice standards by February 2, 2015, with the 
exception of those standards related to the NITS OASIS template, for 
which compliance is required by April 25, 2016. Several entities have 
requested a time extension for compliance with the February 2, 2015 
implementation date.
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    \1\ Standards for Business Practices and Communication Protocols 
for Public Utilities, 148 FERC ] 61,205 (2014).
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    Upon consideration of these requests for extension of time, the 
Commission will extend the requirement for compliance with the Version 
003 business practice standards not related to the NITS OASIS template 
to and including May 15, 2015, for all entities subject to these 
requirements. All other compliance obligations set forth in Order No. 
676-H remain in force. We will consider further requests for extension 
for particular standards in future orders.\2\
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    \2\ For example, in Docket Nos. RM05-5-024 and ER15-550-000, the 
New York Independent System Operator, Inc., has requested a time 
extension for compliance with the NAESB standards involving Public 
Key Infrastructure (WEQ-012) to allow a 24 month compliance 
schedule.


[[Page 3881]]


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    Dated: January 15, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-01141 Filed 1-23-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


