[Federal Register: May 27, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 102)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 30326-30328]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27my08-15]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
18 CFR Part 40
[Docket No. RM08-7-000]
Modification of Interchange and Transmission Loading Relief
Reliability Standards; and Electric Reliability Organization
Interpretation of Specific Requirements of Four Reliability Standards
May 16, 2008.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.
ACTION: Supplemental Notice of proposed rulemaking.
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SUMMARY: On April 21, 2008, the Commission issued a Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking (NOPR) that proposes, inter alia, to approve interpretations
of specific requirements of Commission-approved Reliability Standards
submitted to the Commission for approval by the North American Electric
Reliability Corporation (NERC).
[[Page 30327]]
Pursuant to section 215 of the Federal Power Act (FPA), the Commission
supplements the NOPR by proposing to approve NERC's modified
interpretation of Reliability Standard BAL-005-0 (Automatic Generation
Control), Requirement R17.
DATES: Comments for this Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking are
due June 12, 2008, concurrent with the comment due date for the NOPR
issued on April 21, 2008.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number by any
of the following methods:
Agency Web Site: http://www.ferc.gov. Documents created
electronically using word processing software should be filed in native
applications or print-to-PDF format and not in a scanned format.
Mail/Hand Delivery. Commenters unable to file comments
electronically must mail or hand deliver an original and 14 copies of
their comments to: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of
the Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Patrick Harwood (Technical Information), Office of Electric
Reliability, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street,
NE., Washington, DC 20426.
Christopher Daignault (Legal Information), Office of the General
Counsel, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE.,
Washington, DC 20426.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
May 16, 2008.
1. On April 21, 2008, the Commission issued a Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking (NOPR) that proposes, inter alia, to approve interpretations
of specific requirements of Commission-approved Reliability Standards
submitted to the Commission for approval by the North American Electric
Reliability Corporation (NERC).\1\ Pursuant to section 215 of the
Federal Power Act (FPA),\2\ the Commission supplements the NOPR by
proposing to approve NERC's modified interpretation of Reliability
Standard BAL-005-0 (Automatic Generation Control), Requirement R17.
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\1\ Modification of Interchange and Transmission Loading Relief
Reliability Standards; and Electric Reliability Organization
Interpretation of Specific Requirements of Four Reliability
Standards, 73 FR 22,856 (Apr. 28, 2008), FERC Stats. & Regs. ]
32,632 (2008).
\2\ 16 U.S.C. 824o (Supp. V 2005).
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I. Background
A. Regulatory History
2. On December 19, 2007, NERC submitted for Commission approval
interpretations of requirements in four Commission-approved Reliability
Standards, including an interpretation of BAL-005-0, Requirement
R17.\3\ On April 15, 2008, NERC submitted a request to withdraw the
interpretation of Requirement R17 and substitute a revised
interpretation of the same requirement (referred to by NERC as
``interpretation (b)'').
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\3\ The Commission approved BAL-005-0 in Order No. 693.
Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power System, Order No.
693, 72 FR 31,452, FERC Stats. & Regs. ] 31,242, at P 396 (2007),
order on reh'g, Order No. 693-A, 120 FERC ] 61,053 (2007).
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3. On April 21, 2008, the Commission issued a NOPR in this
proceeding. In the NOPR, the Commission noted that NERC submitted a
modified interpretation of BAL-005-0 on April 15, 2008. The Commission
stated that it did not plan to act on the initial interpretation and
would address ``interpretation (b)'' at a future time.
B. NERC's Proposed Interpretation
4. Requirement R17 of Reliability Standard BAL-005-0 obligates each
balancing authority to ``at least annually check and calibrate its time
error and frequency devices against a common reference.'' This is one
aspect of ensuring the accurate calculation of area control error
(ACE). Requirement R17 states that a balancing authority must adhere to
minimum accuracies in terms of ranges for the following devices:
Digital frequency transducer, voltage transducer, remote terminal unit,
potential transformer, and current transformer.
5. NERC received a request for interpretation regarding the type
and location of the equipment to which Requirement R17 applies. In
response, a NERC task force developed, and the NERC board of trustees
approved, interpretation (b), which provides that BAL-005-0,
Requirement R17
applies only to the time error and frequency devices that provide,
or in the case of back-up equipment may provide, input into the
reporting or compliance ACE equation or provide real-time time error
or frequency information to the system operator. Frequency inputs
from other sources that are for reference only are excluded. The
time error and error frequency measurement devices may not
necessarily be located in the system operations control room or
owned by the Balancing Authority; however the Balancing Authority
has the responsibility for the accuracy of the frequency and time
error devices. * * *
New or replacement equipment that provides the same functions noted
above requires the same calibrations. Some devices used for time
error and frequency measurement cannot be calibrated as such. In
this case, these devices should be cross-checked against other
properly calibrated equipment and replaced if the devices do not
meet the required level of accuracy.
II. Discussion
6. The Commission proposes to approve NERC's interpretation (b) of
BAL-005-0, Requirement R17. The Commission agrees that, as stated in
interpretation (b), time error and frequency devices that serve as
input into the reporting or compliance of the ACE equation, whether
inside or outside the operations control room, must be annually checked
and calibrated. In addition, the Commission notes that tie-line
megawatt metering data is another important aspect of ensuring the
accurate calculation of area control error (ACE), and interpretation
(b) limits the specific accuracy requirements of Requirement R17 to
frequency and time error measurement devices. We seek comment on
whether interpretation (b): (1) Could decrease the accuracy of
frequency and time-error measurements by not requiring calibration of
tie-line megawatt metering devices; (2) what conditions would preclude
the requirement to calibrate these devices; and (3) whether the
accuracy of these devices is assured by other requirements within BAL-
005-0 in the absence of calibration.
III. Comment Procedures
7. The Commission invites interested persons to submit comments on
the matters and issues proposed in this notice to be adopted, including
any related matters or alternative proposals that commenters may wish
to discuss. Comments are due June 12, 2008, concurrent with the comment
due date for the NOPR issued on April 21, 2008. Comments must refer to
Docket No. RM08-7-000, and must include the commenter's name, the
organization they represent, if applicable, and their address in their
comments.
8. The Commission encourages comments to be filed electronically
via the eFiling link on the Commission's Web site at http://
www.ferc.gov. The Commission accepts most standard word processing
formats. Documents created electronically using word processing
software should be filed in native applications or print-to-PDF format
and not in a scanned format. Commenters filing electronically do not
need to make a paper filing.
[[Page 30328]]
9. Commenters that are not able to file comments electronically
must send an original and 14 copies of their comments to: Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First
Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.
10. All comments will be placed in the Commission's public files
and may be viewed, printed, or downloaded remotely as described in the
Document Availability section below. Commenters on this proposal are
not required to serve copies of their comments on other commenters.
IV. Document Availability
11. In addition to publishing the full text of this document in the
Federal Register, the Commission provides all interested persons an
opportunity to view and/or print the contents of this document via the
Internet through FERC's Home Page (http://www.ferc.gov) and in FERC's
Public Reference Room during normal business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Eastern time) at 888 First Street, NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426.
12. From FERC's Home Page on the Internet, this information is
available on eLibrary. The full text of this document is available on
eLibrary in PDF and Microsoft Word format for viewing, printing, and/or
downloading. To access this document in eLibrary, type the docket
number excluding the last three digits of this document in the docket
number field.
13. User assistance is available for eLibrary and the FERC's Web
site during normal business hours from FERC Online Support at (202)
502-6652 (toll free at 1-866-208-3676) or e-mail at
ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, or the Public Reference Room at (202) 502-
8371, TTY (202) 502-8659. E-mail the Public Reference Room at
public.referenceroom@ferc.gov.
List of Subjects in 18 CFR Part 40
Electric power, Electric utilities, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirement.
By direction of the Commission.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-11694 Filed 5-23-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P