Document ID: FERC-2010-0879-0001
Agency: ferc
Document Type: Notice
Title: Technical Conference: Reliability Standards Development and NERC and Regional Entity Enforcement
Posted Date: 2010-06-25T04:00Z

[Federal Register: June 25, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 122)]
[Notices]               
[Page 36385-36386]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25jn10-53]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. AD10-14-000]

 
Reliability Standards Development and NERC and Regional Entity 
Enforcement Supplemental Notice of Technical Conference

June 18, 2010.
    On June 15, 2010, the Commission issued a Notice (June 15 Notice) 
announcing a Commissioner-led technical conference in the above-
captioned proceeding. As stated in the June 15 Notice, the conference 
will provide a forum to consider industry perspectives on certain 
issues pertaining to the development and enforcement of mandatory 
Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power System by the North American 
Electric Reliability Corporation and the Regional Entities. The 
conference will be held on Tuesday, July 6, 2010, in the Commission 
Meeting Room (2C) at the Commission's Washington, DC headquarters, 888 
First Street, NE., Washington, DC, from approximately 10 a.m. until 
approximately 4 p.m. (EDT).
    The agenda for the conference is attached. If any changes are made, 
the revised agenda will be posted prior to the event on the calendar 
page for this event on the Commission's Web site, http://www.ferc.gov.
    Please note that on a future date the Commission intends to convene 
a second Commissioner-led technical conference to discuss reliability 
monitoring, enforcement, and compliance issues.
    The July 6, 2010 conference will be open to the public. 
Registration is not required. To accommodate participants outside of 
Washington, DC a free webcast of the conference will be available on 
http://www.ferc.gov. Anyone who desires to view the webcast may do so 
by visiting http://www.ferc.gov by clicking on the Calendar of Events 
link, and finding the conference on the calendar. The Capitol 
Connection provides technical support for free webcasts and offers the 
option of listening via phone-bridge for a fee. If you have any 
questions, visit http://www.CapitolConnection.org or call 703-993-3100.
    A transcript of the conferences will be immediately available from 
Ace Reporting Company (202-347-3700 or 1-800-336-6646) for a fee. The 
transcript will be available for the public on the Commission's 
eLibrary system seven calendar days after the Commission receives the 
transcript.
    Any person interested in filing comments after the conference 
should do so in this docket by July 26, 2010. A person is not required 
to have attended the conference in order to file comments.
    Commission conferences are accessible under section 508 of the 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973. For accessibility accommodations please 
send an e-mail to accessibility@ferc.gov or call toll free 1-866-208-
3372 (voice) or 202-208-1659 (TTY), or send a FAX to 202-208-2106 with 
the required accommodations.
    Questions about the conference may be directed to Karin Larson at 
202-502-8236 or Karin.Larson@ferc.gov and Christopher Young at 202-502-
6403 or Christopher.Young@ferc.gov.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.

Commissioner-Led Technical Conference on Reliability Standards 
Development and NERC and Regional Entity Enforcement July 6, 2010 10 
a.m.-4 p.m.

Agenda

10 a.m. Commissioners' Opening Remarks.
10:20 a.m. Introductions, Joseph McClelland, Director, Office of 
Electric Reliability, FERC.
10:25 a.m. Panel 1: Presentations and Discussion on the Current State 
of Mandatory Reliability Standards Development.
    Presentations: Panelists will be invited to express their general 
views on the progress of developing and implementing mandatory and 
enforceable Reliability Standards since the passage of EPAct 2005. What 
is working well? What needs improvement? Panelists should address the 
following broad questions in their presentations:
    a. How can the Commission, NERC and the industry best identify 
priorities for ensuring reliability of the bulk power system?
    b. What are the areas for improvement of communication and 
cooperation between the Commission, NERC

[[Page 36386]]

and the industry?
    c. What issues have arisen in the development of reliability 
standards, and what solutions should be explored going forward?
11:45 a.m. Lunch.
12:30 p.m. Continuation of Panel 1.
    Discussion with Commissioners: Open dialogue and questions and 
answers between Panel 1 and Commissioners.
1:30 p.m. Panel 2: Reliability Standards Development Process.
    Panelists will address more specifically their views regarding the 
reliability standards development process. Panelists will be asked to 
address some or all of the following (Commissioners and staff may ask 
questions during the presentations):
    a. Are the current processes for timely development of new or 
revised standards working? If not, how can they be revised? Are 
additional resources needed?
    b. How well are the current approaches for identifying and 
resolving ambiguities in reliability standards working (e.g., formal 
interpretations, NERC advisories, NERC ``lessons learned'' procedures)? 
Should streamlined procedures be developed for resolving ambiguities?
    c. What is the best process for identifying the highest priority 
reliability standards?
    d. How can the reliability standards development process better 
account for and timely respond to Commission directives?
    e. The need to revise FERC processes to be more open and to fully 
accommodate industry participation, e.g., lengthening the comment 
period in NOPRs, and prioritizing standards development and NERC's 
compliance with directives.
    f. How can the reliability standards development process better use 
individual events to produce reliability improvements nationwide?
    g. How can a balance be achieved between documentation requirements 
needed to ensure compliance and a focus on improving reliability?

[FR Doc. 2010-15390 Filed 6-24-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P