Document ID: FERC-2020-0232-0001
Agency: ferc
Document Type: Rule
Title: Standards for Business Practices and Communication Protocols for Public Utilities
Posted Date: 2020-02-25T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 37 (Tuesday, February 25, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 10571-10586]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-03244]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

18 CFR Parts 2 and 38

[Docket No. RM05-5-025; Docket No. RM05-5-026; Docket No. RM05-5-027; 
Order No. 676-I]

Standards for Business Practices and Communication Protocols for 
Public Utilities

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.

ACTION: Final rule.

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

SUMMARY: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is 
revising its regulations to incorporate by reference, with certain 
enumerated exceptions, the latest version (Version 003.2) 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. The Commission is adopting this latest version instead of 
WEQ Version 003.1, which was the subject of an earlier notice of 
proposed rulemaking. The Commission declines to adopt the proposal to 
remove the incorporation by reference of the WEQ-006 Manual Time Error 
Correction Business Practice Standards as adopted by NAESB.

DATES: Effective date: This rule is effective April 27, 2020.
    Compliance dates: Public utilities must make a compliance filing to 
comply with the requirements of this final rule through eTariff no 
later than May 26, 2020. The Commission will set an effective date for 
the proposed tariff changes in the order(s) on the compliance filings, 
but no earlier than July 27, 2020.
    Incorporation by reference: The incorporation by reference of 
certain publications listed in this rule is approved by the Director of 
the Federal Register as of April 27, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
Michael P. Lee (technical issues), Office of Energy Policy and 
Innovation, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, 
Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-6548
Michael A. Chase (legal issues), Office of the General Counsel, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 
20426, (202) 502-6205

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

 
                                                         Paragraph Nos.
 
I. Background........................................                 6.
II. Discussion.......................................                18.
    A. Overview......................................                18.
    B. Issues Raised by Commenters...................                22.
        1. Treatment of Requests for Redirects.......                23.
        2. Time Error Correction.....................                40.
        3. Other Issues Raised by Commenters.........                48.

[[Page 10572]]

 
        4. Implementatione...........................                64.
III. Notice of Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards..                68.
IV. Incorporation by Reference.......................                69.
V. Information Collection Statement..................                89.
VI. Environmental Analysis...........................                98.
VII. Regulatory Flexibility Act......................                99.
VIII. Document Availability..........................               101.
IX. Effective Date and Congressional Notification....               104.
 

    1. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is 
amending its regulations under the Federal Power Act (FPA) \1\ to 
incorporate by reference into its regulations as mandatory enforceable 
requirements, with certain enumerated exceptions, the latest version 
(Version 003.2) 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), filed with the Commission as a package on December 8, 2017 
(December 8 Filing), and includes minor clarifications and updates 
submitted by NAESB on June 5, 2019, and July 23, 2019.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ 16 U.S.C. 791a, et seq. (2018).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    2. The WEQ Version 003.2 Standards build upon the standards 
included in the WEQ Version 003.1 Standards and include, in their 
entirety, the modifications submitted to the Commission in WEQ Version 
003.1, which were the subject of an earlier notice of proposed 
rulemaking, with the addition of certain revisions and corrections.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ NAESB filed WEQ Version 003.1 of the Standards for Business 
Practices and Communication Protocols for Public Utilities as a 
package on October 26, 2015 (October 26 Filing). See Standards for 
Business Practices and Communication Protocols for Public Utilities, 
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 81 FR 49580 (July 28, 2016), 156 FERC 
] 61,055 (2016) (WEQ Version 003.1 NOPR).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    3. In this final rule, the Commission will not adopt the NOPR 
proposal to incorporate by reference NAESB's latest version of the WEQ-
006 Manual Time Error Correction Business Practice Standards. Version 
003.2 of NAESB's WEQ-006 Manual Time Error Correction Business Practice 
Standards proposes to retire the Time Error Correction Business 
Practice Standard, which have been the subject of a separate notice of 
proposed rulemaking.\3\ As explained below, the proposal to retire the 
Manual Time Error Correction Business Practice Standard has not been 
adequately supported by NAESB.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ Standards for Business Practices and Communication Protocols 
for Public Utilities, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 83 FR 51654 
(Oct. 12, 2018), 165 FERC ] 61,007 (2018) (Time Error Correction 
NOPR).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    4. Additionally, this final rule updates NAESB's Smart Grid 
Standards (set out in Standards WEQ-018 and WEQ-019) that the 
Commission listed for informational purposes in Part 2 of the 
Commission's Regulations, to match the latest iteration of those 
standards. These revisions update earlier versions of the WEQ-018 and 
WEQ-019 Standards that the Commission previously listed in Part 2 of 
our regulations as non-mandatory guidance at 18 CFR 2.27 in Order No. 
676-H.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ See Standards for Business Practices and Communication 
Protocols for Public Utilities, Order No. 676-H, 79 FR 56,939 (Oct. 
24, 2014), 148 FERC ] 61,205, at P 77 (2014).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    5. Finally, the Commission is incorporating by reference the WEQ-
022 Electric Industry Registry (EIR) Business Practice Standards, but 
declines to incorporate by reference in its entirety the WEQ-023 
Modeling Business Practice Standards. In WEQ Version 003.1, NAESB 
developed these two new suites of standards in coordination with the 
North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC).\5\ These two 
proposals would establish: (1) NAESB EIR business practice standards 
that replace the NERC Transmission System Information Networks (TSIN) 
as the tool to be used by wholesale electric markets to conduct 
electronic transactions via electronic tagging (e-Tags); and (2) 
Modeling Business Practice Standards to support and complement NERC's 
proposed retirement of its ``MOD A'' Reliability Standards.\6\ In this 
final rule, the Commission is incorporating by reference the WEQ-023 
standards that were moved from the WEQ-001 Standards by the changes 
made to WEQ Version 003.1. The Commission declines to adopt the 
remaining WEQ-023 Modeling Business Practice Standards as they are the 
subject of a separate proceeding.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ NERC is the Commission-certified ``electric reliability 
organization'' responsible for developing and enforcing mandatory 
Reliability Standards. See section 215 of the Federal Power Act, 16 
U.S.C. 824o (2018).
    \6\ In a February 19, 2014 petition, NERC proposed to retire 
Reliability Standards MOD-001-1a, MOD-004-1, MOD-008-1, MOD-028-2, 
MOD-029-1a, and MOD-030-2 and requested approval of new Reliability 
Standard MOD-001-2. Generally, the ``MOD A'' series of NERC 
Reliability Standards pertain to transmission system modeling. The 
Commission issued a notice of proposed rulemaking in Docket No. 
RM14-7-000 that addressed NERC's proposal, and the matter is 
currently pending before the Commission. Modeling, Data, and 
Analysis Reliability Standards, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 79 FR 
36269 (June 26, 2014), 147 FERC ] 61,208 (2014) (MOD NOPR). In a 
June 2, 2019 filing, NERC submitted a notice of withdrawal for its 
petition for approval of the proposed Reliability Standard MOD-001-2 
to replace the MOD A Standards in Docket No. RM14-7-000.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

I. Background

    6. NAESB is a non-profit standards development organization 
established in January 2002 that serves as an industry forum for the 
development and promotion of business practice standards that promote a 
seamless marketplace for wholesale and retail natural gas and 
electricity. Since 1995, NAESB and its predecessor, the Gas Industry 
Standards Board, have been accredited members of the American National 
Standards Institute (ANSI), complying with ANSI's requirements that its 
standards reflect a consensus of the affected industries.
    7. NAESB's standards include business practices intended to 
standardize and streamline the transactional processes of the natural 
gas and electric industries, as well as communication protocols and 
related standards designed to improve the efficiency of communication 
within each industry. NAESB supports the Wholesale Electric Quadrant 
(WEQ), the Wholesale Gas Quadrant, and the Retail Market Quadrant.\7\ 
All participants in the natural gas and electric industries are 
eligible to join NAESB and participate in standards development.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \7\ The retail gas quadrant and the retail electric quadrant 
were combined into the retail markets quadrant. NAESB continues to 
refer to these working groups as ``quadrants'' even though there are 
now only three.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    8. NAESB develops its standards under a consensus process so that 
the standards draw support from a wide range of industry members. 
NAESB's procedures are designed to ensure that all industry members can 
have input into the development of a standard, whether or not they are 
members of

[[Page 10573]]

NAESB, and each standard NAESB adopts is supported by a consensus of 
the relevant industry segments. Standards that fail to gain consensus 
support are not adopted. NAESB's consistent practice has been to submit 
a report to the Commission after it has revised existing business 
practice standards or has developed and adopted new business practice 
standards. NAESB's standards are voluntary standards, which become 
mandatory for public utilities upon incorporation by reference by the 
Commission.
    9. In Order No. 676, the Commission not only adopted business 
practice standards and communication protocols for the wholesale 
electric industry, it also established a formal ongoing process for 
reviewing and upgrading the Commission's Open Access Same Time 
Information System (OASIS) standards and other wholesale electric 
industry business practice standards. In later orders in this series, 
the Commission incorporated by reference: (1) The Version 001 Business 
Practice Standards; \8\ (2) the Version 002.1 Business Practice 
Standards; \9\ (3) business practice standards categorizing various 
demand response products and services; \10\ (4) OASIS-related Business 
Practice Standards related to Demand Side Management and Energy 
Efficiency; \11\ and (5) the Version 003 Business Practice 
Standards.\12\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \8\ Standards for Business Practices and Communication Protocols 
for Public Utilities, Order No. 676-C, 73 FR 43,848, (July 29, 
2008), 124 FERC ] 61,070 (2008), reh'g denied, Order No. 676-D, 124 
FERC ] 61,317 (2008).
    \9\ Standards for Business Practices and Communication Protocols 
for Public Utilities, Order No. 676-E, 74 FR 63,288 (Dec. 3, 2009), 
129 FERC ] 61,162 (2009). This order also incorporated revisions 
made in response to Order Nos. 890, 890-A, and 890-B. See Preventing 
Undue Discrimination and Preference in Transmission Service, Order 
No. 890, 118 FERC ] 61,119, order on reh'g, Order No. 890-A, 121 
FERC ] 61,297 (2007), order on reh'g, Order No. 890-B, 123 FERC ] 
61,299 (2008), order on reh'g, Order No. 890-C, 126 FERC ] 61,228, 
order on clarification, Order No. 890-D, 129 FERC ] 61,126 (2009).
    \10\ Standards for Business Practices and Communication 
Protocols for Public Utilities, Order No. 676-F, 75 FR 20,901 (Apr. 
22, 2010), 131 FERC ] 61,022 (2010).
    \11\ Standards for Business Practices and Communication 
Protocols for Public Utilities, Order No. 676-G, 78 FR 14,654 (Mar. 
7, 2013), 142 FERC ] 61,131 (2013). In this rule, the Commission 
incorporated by reference into its regulations updated business 
practice standards adopted by NAESB's WEQ to categorize various 
products and services for demand response and energy efficiency and 
to support the measurement and verification of these products and 
services in organized wholesale electric markets.
    \12\ See Order No. 676-H, 148 FERC ] 61,205 (2014).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    10. NAESB informed the Commission of the changes it had made to its 
Version 003 standards in its October 26 Filing to the Commission. NAESB 
adopted certain new and revised WEQ Version 003.1 Business Practice 
Standards based on developments involving NERC. In part, NAESB 
developed the WEQ-023 Modeling Business Practice Standards in response 
to a NERC petition to delete and retire the six ``MOD A'' Reliability 
Standards. NERC had previously filed a petition with the Commission on 
February 10, 2014, proposing to retire NERC's six MOD A Reliability 
Standards and replace them with Reliability Standard MOD-001-2, which 
NERC stated will focus exclusively on the reliability aspects of 
Available Flowgate Capability (AFC) and Available Transfer Capability 
(ATC). On February 7, 2014, NERC submitted a request to NAESB asking 
NAESB to consider adopting standards that address the commercial and 
business aspects of the MOD standards proposed for retirement. NAESB 
subsequently developed the WEQ-023 Business Practice Standards to 
support and complement the proposed retirement of the MOD A Reliability 
Standards.
    11. The WEQ-023 Business Practice Standards specify the 
requirements for calculating ATC and AFC and support the tasks of 
reporting on the commercial aspects of these calculations.\13\ WEQ-023 
also includes two new requirements not previously included in the NERC 
Reliability Standards related to contract path management. These two 
standards, WEQ-023-1.4 and WEQ-023-1.4.1, limit the amount of firm 
transmission service across a path between balancing authorities to the 
contract path limit for that given path.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \13\ NAESB October 26 Filing at 3.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    12. After consideration of the October 26 Filing, the Commission 
issued the WEQ Version 003.1 NOPR on July 21, 2016, wherein the 
Commission proposed to incorporate the WEQ Version 003.1 Standards, 
with certain enumerated exceptions. In the WEQ Version 003.1 NOPR, the 
Commission announced that it will address separately NAESB's WEQ-023 
Modeling Business Practice Standards, which concern technical issues 
affecting ATC/AFC calculation for wholesale electric transmission 
services.\14\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \14\ See WEQ Version 003.1 NOPR, 156 FERC ] 61,055 at P 42.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    13. In response to the WEQ Version 003.1 NOPR, eight stakeholders 
filed comments.\15\ A number of comments expressed general support for 
the Commission's proposals in the WEQ Version 003.1 NOPR, and no 
comments were received opposing the basic direction of the NOPR, 
although commenters did make suggestions on several specific details of 
the NOPR proposals.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \15\ Commenters on the WEQ Version 003.1 NOPR, and the 
abbreviations used in this final rule to identify them, are listed 
in the Appendix.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    14. On May 27, 2017, NAESB filed a report with the Commission \16\ 
stating that it ``reserved'' the WEQ-006 Manual Time Error Correction 
Standards to correspond to the NERC retirement of Reliability Standard 
BAL-004-0 Time Error Correction.\17\ NERC continues to provide 
Reliability Coordinators serving as time monitors in the North American 
Interconnections with a time monitoring reference document that 
specifies how manual time error corrections are to be implemented if 
needed to resolve time error issues and outlines procedural 
responsibilities assigned to the time monitor.\18\ NERC provides the 
time monitoring reference document for guidance, and the information 
therein does not reflect binding norms or mandatory requirements.\19\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \16\ NAESB Status Report on the Reservation of WEQ-006 Manual 
Time Error Correction Business Practice Standards, March 27, 2017 
(March 27 Filing), Docket Nos RM05-000 and RD17-1-000.
    \17\ See N. Amer. Elec. Reliability Corp., Docket No. RD17-1-000 
(Jan. 18, 2017) (delegated order). The delegated letter order 
approved NERC's Nov. 10, 2016 filing of the petition for approval of 
retirement of then-effective Reliability Standard BAL-004-0.
    \18\ NERC, Time Monitoring Reference Document--Version 4 
(approved by the NERC Operating Committee on Sept. 14, 2018).
    \19\ Id. at n.1.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    15. On December 8, 2017, NAESB filed the WEQ Version 003.2 
Standards. The WEQ Version 003.2 Standards build upon the standards 
included in the WEQ Version 003.1 Standards and include, in their 
entirety, the modifications submitted to the Commission in WEQ Version 
003.1, which were the subject to the WEQ Version 003.1 NOPR, with the 
addition of certain revisions and corrections. After consideration of 
the December 8 Filing, the Commission issued the WEQ Version 003.2 NOPR 
on May 16, 2019, wherein the Commission proposed to incorporate the WEQ 
Version 003.2 Standards, with certain enumerated exceptions.\20\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \20\ See Standards for Business Practices and Communication 
Protocols for Public Utilities, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 84 FR 
24,050 (May 16, 2019), 167 FERC ] 61,127 (2019) (WEQ Version 003.2 
NOPR).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    16. On June 5, 2019, NAESB submitted informational comments in the 
WEQ 003.2 docket to inform the Commission of ongoing NERC and NAESB 
coordination efforts, and clarified that it had reserved certain WEQ-
001 OASIS Business Practice Standards included as part of WEQ Version 
003.2 to avoid duplication with

[[Page 10574]]

the WEQ-023 Modeling Business Practice Standards.
    17. On July 23, 2019, NAESB submitted informational comments in 
response to the WEQ Version 003.2 NOPR stating that a minor correction 
to the WEQ-003-0 OASIS Data Dictionary was approved to remove 
references to two data elements and their definitions.\21\ The removal 
to the references occurred as a result of NAESB's ongoing coordination 
activities with NERC.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \21\ Both data elements, PROCEDURE_NAME and PROCEDURE_LEVEL, 
contain references to the retired NERC Reliability Standards IRO-
006-TRE-1--IROL and SOL Mitigation in the ERCOT Region, approved by 
the Commission for retirement on January 29, 2019.
    \22\ As discussed later in this final rule, the regulatory text 
accompanying our WEQ Version 003.1 NOPR erroneously proposed to 
exclude from incorporation several standards in the WEQ-001 suite of 
standards and also erroneously proposed the incorporation by 
reference of the entirety of Standard WEQ-023, even though the 
preamble makes clear that we did not intend to incorporate this 
standard. As discussed later in this final rule, we correct these 
errors herein.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

II. Discussion

A. Overview

    18. The specific revised or new NAESB business practice standards 
that we incorporate by reference in this final rule are the following 
WEQ standards:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
               WEQ                      Business practice standards
------------------------------------------------------------------------
000..............................  Abbreviations, Acronyms, and
                                    Definition of Terms.
001..............................  Open Access Same-Time Information
                                    System (OASIS), OASIS Version
                                    2.2.\22\
002..............................  OASIS Standards and Communication
                                    Protocols (S&CP), OASIS Version 2.2.
003..............................  OASIS S&CP Data Dictionaries, OASIS
                                    Version 2.2.
004..............................  Coordinate Interchange.
006..............................  Manual Time Error Correction.
008..............................  Transmission Loading Relief (TLR)--
                                    Eastern Interconnection.
012..............................  Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).
013..............................  OASIS Implementation Guide, Version
                                    2.2.
015..............................  Measurement and Verification of
                                    Wholesale Electricity Demand
                                    Response.
022..............................  Electric Industry Registry (EIR).
023..............................  Modeling.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    19. These standards establish a set of business practice standards 
and communication protocols for the electric industry that will 
continue to enable industry members to achieve efficiencies by 
streamlining utility business and transactional processes and 
communication procedures. All of these standards, except for Standards 
WEQ-022 and WEQ-023, update and replace standards that the Commission 
previously incorporated by reference in Order No. 676-H. In addition, 
in this final rule we update our reference to Standard WEQ-019 in Part 
2 of our regulations, which houses statements of general policy and 
interpretations of the Commission, so that we refer to the latest 
version of that standard.\23\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \23\ The references to the other smart grid standards that we 
list informationally in Part 2 of our regulations, at 18 CFR 2.27 
(2019), as non-mandatory guidance, are unchanged and do not require 
updating. These are Standards WEQ-016, WEQ-017, and WEQ-020. We are 
listing for informational purposes as non-mandatory guidance 
Standard WEQ-018. We also note that the WEQ Version 003.1 NOPR, at P 
49, in discussing Standard WEQ-019, referred to the ``International 
Electrotechnical Commission Information Model.'' We clarify that the 
full name of this model is the ``International Electrotechnical 
Commission Common Information Model.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    20. In keeping with the prior practice that the Commission adopted 
in Order No. 676-H, we are requiring public utilities and those 
entities with reciprocity tariffs to modify their open access 
transmission tariffs (OATTs) to include the WEQ standards that we are 
incorporating by reference. In order to comply with this final rule, 
public utilities and entities with reciprocity tariffs must make a 
compliance filing through eTariff no later than 90 days from the date 
the final rule is published in the Federal Register, using an 
indeterminant effective date (12/31/9998) for the tariff records. The 
Commission will establish an effective date for the proposed tariff 
changes in the order(s) on the compliance filings no earlier than five 
months from the date the final rule is published in the Federal 
Register.\24\ Should any public utility that has previously been 
granted a waiver of the regulations believe that its circumstances 
warrant a continued waiver, the public utility may file a request for a 
waiver wherein the public utility can detail the circumstances that it 
believes warrant a waiver.\25\ In its request for continued waiver, the 
public utility must include the date, Docket No. of the order(s) 
previously granting the waiver(s), and an explanation for why the 
waiver(s) was initially granted by the Commission. Any waiver requests 
must be filed at the same time with the public utility's compliance 
filing or in a separate FPA section 205 filing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \24\ As we explained in Order No. 676-H, at n.26, to the extent 
a public utility's OASIS obligations are administered by an 
independent system operator (ISO) or regional transmission operator 
(RTO) and are not covered in the public utility's OATT, the public 
utility will not need to modify its OATT to include the OASIS 
standards. Such a public utility will, however, be required to 
comply with these standards unless granted a waiver by the 
Commission. The business practice standards that we incorporate by 
reference into our regulations in this final rule govern the terms 
and conditions that public utilities must include in their OATTs and 
the transactions that entities enter with public utilities under 
these OATTs must be in accordance with the incorporated standards.
    \25\ Order No. 676-E, 129 FERC ] 61,162 at P 107.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    21. As the Commission has explained in prior orders, NAESB approved 
the standards under its consensus procedures.\26\ Adoption of consensus 
standards is appropriate because the consensus process helps ensure the 
reasonableness of the standards by requiring that the standards draw 
support from a broad spectrum of all segments of the industry. 
Moreover, since the industry itself must conduct business under these 
standards, the Commission's regulations should reflect those standards 
that have the widest possible support. In section 12(d) of the National 
Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995, Congress affirmatively 
requires federal agencies to use technical standards developed by 
voluntary consensus standards organizations, like NAESB, to carry out 
policy objectives or activities.\27\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \26\ See Order No. 676-H at P 21, n.27 (``WEQ's procedures 
ensure that all industry members can have input into the development 
of a business practice standard, whether or not they are members of 
NAESB, and each standard it adopts is supported by a consensus of 
the seven industry segments: Transmission, generation, marketer/
brokers, distribution/load serving entities, end users, independent 
grid operators/planners, and technology services. Under the WEQ 
process, for a standard to be approved, it must receive a super-
majority vote of 67 percent of the members of the WEQ's Executive 
Committee with support from at least 40 percent of each of the seven 
industry segments. For final approval, 67 percent of the WEQ's 
general membership must ratify the standards.'').
    \27\ Public Law No. 104-113, 12(d), 110 Stat. 775 (1996), 15 
U.S.C. 272 note (1997).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

B. Issues Raised by Commenters

    22. Eight stakeholders filed comments in response to the WEQ 
Version 003.1 NOPR. Eight stakeholders also filed comments in response 
to the WEQ Version 003.2 NOPR. Several comments filed in response to 
the WEQ Version 003.1 NOPR and WEQ Version 003.2 NOPR expressed general 
support for the Commission's proposals and no comments were received 
opposing the basic direction of the two NOPRs, although comments did 
make suggestions on several specific details of the NOPR proposals. 
Comments were also filed in response to the Time Error Correction NOPR 
by five commenters. Commenters were divided with regard to the 
Commission's proposal to remove the incorporation by reference of the

[[Page 10575]]

NAESB WEQ-006 Manual Time Error Correction Business Practice Standards. 
One commenter, Dr. Hardis, argued that his comments should be 
considered a complaint pursuant to 16 U.S.C. 824o(d)(3), and argued 
that the Commission should remand the matter of reliability standard 
BAL-004 back to NERC for reconsideration.
1. Treatment of Requests for Redirects
a. Request for Comments
    23. In Dynegy Power Marketing, Inc,\28\ the Commission established 
its policy on a customer's right to keep its contractual rights to 
point-to-point firm transmission service on the original path it has 
reserved while the customer's request for a redirect is pending. In the 
WEQ Version 003.1 NOPR, the Commission invited comment on whether the 
Commission should extend the Dynegy policy to both conditional original 
(parent) reservations for firm transmission service and non-firm 
transmission service.\29\ In Dynegy, the Commission held that a 
transmission customer receiving firm transmission service does not lose 
its rights to its original path until the redirect request satisfies 
all of the following criteria: (1) It is accepted by the transmission 
provider; (2) it is confirmed by the transmission customer; and (3) it 
passes the conditional reservation deadline under section 13.2 of the 
transmission provider's OATT. The Commission's concern was that a 
redirecting customer would lose its rights to the original parent path 
upon confirmation of a redirect request and be left with no 
transmission service during the redirect period if the requested 
redirect was preempted by a competing service request.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \28\ 99 FERC ] 61,054, at P 9 (2002) (Dynegy). This policy was 
retained and clarified in Entergy Services, Inc., 143 FERC ] 61,143, 
at PP 30-33 (2013) (Entergy).
    \29\ WEQ Version 003.1 NOPR at P 25.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    24. The NAESB Version 003.1 WEQ-001 business practice standards 
propose to permit a transmission customer to redirect point-to-point 
transmission service on a firm basis (WEQ-001-9) from unconditional 
parent reservations. While the standards do not explicitly permit 
redirects on a firm or non-firm basis from conditional parent 
reservations still subject to competition, the proposed standards 
include an option allowing individual transmission providers to 
implement alternative practices to the NAESB standards that apply to 
redirects on a firm basis from parent reservations that are conditional 
(text of WEQ-001-9 preamble).\30\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \30\ Standard WEQ-001-9 states: ``[t]he Business Practice 
Standard WEQ-001-9 is defined in order to enhance consistency of the 
reservation process that applies to Redirects on a firm basis from 
Parent Reservations that are unconditional, as defined in Section 
13.2(iii) of the pro forma tariff. The Transmission Provider shall 
specify any reservation process that applies to Redirects on a firm 
basis from Parent Reservations that are conditional, as defined in 
Section 13.2(iii) of the pro forma tariff in its Business Practices 
that are posted in accordance with Business Practice Standard WEQ-
001-13.1.4.'' (emphasis added).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    25. In the WEQ Version 003.1 NOPR, the Commission explained that 
the negative effects associated with the potential loss of a customer's 
parent path when the parent reservation is conditional and subject to 
competition is arguably less compelling than when the parent 
reservation is unconditional. The Commission then invited comment on 
whether the Commission should extend the Dynegy policy to both 
conditional parent reservations for firm transmission service and non-
firm transmission service.\31\ To aid the Commission's consideration of 
this issue, the Commission referenced four redirect issues on which 
NAESB stakeholders were unable to reach consensus and invited comments 
on whether the Commission should adopt regulations governing the 
business practices to be followed for requests for redirects from 
conditional parent reservations for short-term firm transmission 
service and for non-firm transmission service. These issues are: (1) 
The treatment of a firm redirect for transmission service following the 
preemption of the conditional parent reservation; (2) the circumstances 
under which a firm redirect for transmission service may return to the 
conditional parent reservation; (3) the number of subsequent firm 
redirects for transmission service that can stem from the original firm 
redirect for transmission service; and (4) the proper treatment of 
requests to redirect requests for non-firm transmission service. In the 
WEQ Version 003.2 NOPR, the Commission proposed to adopt the NAESB 
standards with the exception of the text from the WEQ-001-9 preamble, 
which would allow the implementation of alternative practices.\32\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \31\ WEQ Version 003.1 NOPR at P 25.
    \32\ The WEQ Version 003.2 NOPR does not request comments on the 
WEQ-001-10 preamble, and the language used therein, as related to 
treatment of redirects on a non-firm basis, is similar to that used 
in the WEQ-001-9 preamble for firm redirects. For the reasons 
outlined in this final rule to except the preamble to WEQ-001-9 from 
incorporation by reference, the preamble to WEQ-001-10 is excepted 
from incorporation by reference. See infra PP 35-39.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

b. Comments
    26. Virtually all the comments received on this subject oppose the 
option of extending the Dynegy redirect policy to either conditional 
parent reservations for short-term firm transmission service or non-
firm transmission service.\33\ As a result, most commenters express 
support for NAESB's proposed redirect standards for unconditional 
parent reservations,\34\ but did not express support for the proposed 
language provided within the WEQ-001-9 preamble that would also allow 
transmission providers the option of implementing alternative practices 
for redirects from conditional reservations.\35\ In addition, 
commenters did not express support for the proposed language provided 
within the WEQ-001-10 preamble that would allow transmission providers 
the option of implementing alternative practices for redirects from 
non-firm reservations.\36\ Southern expressed support for retaining the 
first sentence in the WEQ 001-9 and WEQ 001-10 preambles to make the 
applicability of the Dynegy policy to these standards clear.\37\ 
Simultaneously, some commenters state that they recommend or at least 
could support the application of a separate policy to provide 
transmission customers with the ability to redirect from conditional 
parent reservations.\38\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \33\ Bonneville WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 5; EEI WEQ Version 
003.1 Comments at 5; Idaho Power WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 2; 
Joint Commenters WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 6; OATI WEQ Version 
003.1 Comments at 3; Snohomish/Tacoma WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 
1; Southern WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 4.
    \34\ NAESB's redirect standards require a reservation for 
service to be unconditional before it may be redirected.
    \35\ Bonneville WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 4, 7; Idaho Power 
WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 2; Joint Commenters WEQ Version 003.1 
Comments at 6; OATI at 3; and Southern WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 
4. Bonneville WEQ Version 003.2 Comments at 3; MISO WEQ Version 
003.2 Comments at 2; OATI WEQ Version 003.2 Comments at 2-3.
    \36\ See e.g., MISO WEQ Version 003.2 Comments at 2; OATI WEQ 
Version 003.2 Comments at 2; SPP WEQ Version 003.2 Comments at 4.
    \37\ Southern WEQ Version 003.2 Comments at 3.
    \38\ Bonneville WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 6; OATI WEQ 
Version 003.1 Comments at 4. Bonneville WEQ Version 003.2 Comments 
at 2-3; MISO WEQ Version 003.2 Comments at 1-2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    27. Various commenters note that, under the Dynegy redirect policy, 
the transmission provider must hold ATC for the original firm 
reservation on the original path and simultaneously hold ATC on the 
redirect reservation's path until the redirect reaches the conditional 
deadline, and, at such time, capacity on the parent path may then be

[[Page 10576]]

released.\39\ Several commenters contend that this allows the 
transmission customer to hold priority of service options on two or 
more transmission paths at the same time.\40\ Joint Commenters ask the 
Commission if there may be benefits to revisiting specifics of the 
Dynegy/Entergy orders since the requirement that a redirect's parent 
passes the conditional reservation deadline sacrifices system 
efficiency.\41\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \39\ See, e.g., OATI WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 2-3; NV 
Energy WEQ Version 003.2 Comments at 1.
    \40\ See, e.g., EEI WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 7; OATI WEQ 
Version 003.1 Comments at 3. NV Energy WEQ Version 003.2 Comments at 
1.
    \41\ Joint Commenters WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 8-9.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    28. Several commenters oppose the proposal to extend the Dynegy 
policy beyond an application to unconditional parent reservations. 
These commenters point out that prior to the conditional reservation 
deadline, when the parent reservation is still conditional and subject 
to competition, there is no guarantee that firm service will be 
provided to the transmission customer on either the original 
transmission path or the requested redirect path since the reservation 
remains subject to competition until the conditional period 
expires.\42\ They observe that the transmission customer's expectation 
as to the certainty of service is different in the conditional and 
unconditional cases.\43\ Specifically, EEI references sections of the 
Commission's pro forma OATT to support its conclusion that a firm 
capacity reservation under which the transmission customer is already 
taking service must already exist, and a reservation for service must 
be unconditional before it may be redirected.\44\ Bonneville notes that 
a customer with a conditional parent reservation has no reasonable 
expectation of service, since a later-queued, higher-priority request 
may preempt or compete with that customer's conditional parent 
reservation. And because this expectation of service is different from 
a customer's expectation of service with an unconditional firm 
reservation, Bonneville argues it is inappropriate to extend the 
protections afforded by Dynegy to conditional parent reservations.\45\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \42\ See, e.g., EEI WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 6; OATI WEQ 
Version 003.1 Comments at 3; Southern WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 
5.
    \43\ See, e.g., Bonneville WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 5; EEI 
WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 6.
    \44\ EEI WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 5-6.
    \45\ Bonneville WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 4-5.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    29. Commenters also contend that there may be many difficulties in 
administering scenarios with multiple conditional, confirmed 
reservations consuming more transmission capacity than available, since 
capacity would be retained on both the parent path and all the 
redirected paths.\46\ Some commenters advise that, if transmission 
customers are able to redirect from conditional parent reservations, it 
could result in potentially troublesome administrative, billing, and 
liability issues.\47\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \46\ Southern WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 5; Bonneville WEQ 
Version 003.2 Comments at 3.
    \47\ Idaho Power WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 2; Southern WEQ 
Version 003.1 Comments at 5-6. Bonneville WEQ Version 003.2 Comments 
at 3.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    30. Specifically, Joint Commenters and Southern argue that a 
transmission customer should only be permitted to redirect transmission 
service from unconditional parent reservations.\48\ However, EEI argues 
individual transmission providers should be allowed the option to also 
permit redirects from conditional parent reservations by moving firm 
capacity to the redirect path upon confirmation.\49\ Snohomish/Tacoma 
suggests that the Commission should either: (1) Allow individual 
transmission providers to craft specific tariff provisions for how 
redirects from conditional parent reservations will be addressed; or 
(2) explicitly not apply the Dynegy redirect policy, nor any other 
restriction on redirects from conditional parent reservations.\50\ OATI 
comments that it is generally not in favor of adopting standards that 
allow for options to implement transmission provider alternative 
practices to the NAESB standards.\51\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \48\ Joint Commenters WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 5; Southern 
WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 4.
    \49\ EEI WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 4.
    \50\ Snohomish/Tacoma WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 1.
    \51\ OATI WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 4.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    31. OATI notes that, while it supports the application of Dynegy to 
redirects on a firm basis where the parent reservation is confirmed but 
still within the conditional reservation period (prior to the 
conditional reservation deadline),\52\ it could also support a NAESB 
standard where the capacity held on the conditional firm parent 
reservation is released immediately and lost on the parent path upon 
confirmation of the redirect on a firm basis.\53\ Other commenters 
agree and prefer such a NAESB standard for conditional parent 
reservations.\54\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \52\ Id. at 3.
    \53\ Id. at 4.
    \54\ Bonneville WEQ Version 003.2 Comments at 2-3, MISO WEQ 
Version 003.2 Comments at 1-2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    32. With respect to the Commission implementing a policy where a 
transmission customer redirects from a conditional parent reservation 
and the transmission customer loses the rights to the parent 
reservation once the redirect is confirmed, Bonneville advises that 
transmission providers will have a straightforward solution that is 
implementable and that can leverage technical capabilities that 
currently exist in most of the industry, and will not be burdened with 
accounting for capacity on multiple conditional paths.\55\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \55\ Bonneville WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 6.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    33. As to requests for redirects of requests for non-firm 
transmission service, all the commenters who addressed this issue 
oppose extending the Dynegy redirect policy to non-firm transmission 
service. Commenters note that the Commission's pro forma OATT only 
permits transmission customers taking firm point-to-point service to 
make modifications to points of receipt (PORs) and points of delivery 
(PODs), and the OATT does not state transmission customers may modify 
PORs and PODs on a non-firm basis.\56\ OATI states that non-firm 
(secondary) redirect is the lowest priority service under the OATT and 
would be subject to preemption or interruption at any time to process 
either a request to reserve or schedule an existing reservation for 
either firm or non-firm transmission service.\57\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \56\ EEI WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 10; Joint Commenters WEQ 
Version 003.1 Comments at 7; Southern WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 
7.
    \57\ OATI WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 6.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    34. Commenters also believe that a request to redirect firm 
transmission service on a non-firm basis should only be allowed from an 
unconditional, firm parent reservation.\58\ EEI advises that the 
potential for gaming, the impact on queue positions and processing, and 
the problem of undertaking ATC/AFC calculations, outweigh any potential 
benefits given that a customer can just as easily submit a new request 
for non-firm transmission service with a modified POR and/or POD.\59\ 
Commenters state that it is unnecessary to adopt changes to the 
proposed standards, since a customer can relinquish a capacity 
reservation

[[Page 10577]]

associated with a non-firm redirect back to the parent reservation.\60\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \58\ EEI WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 11; Idaho Power WEQ 
Version 003.1 Comments at 4; OATI WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 6.
    \59\ EEI WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 11.
    \60\ Bonneville WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 7; Idaho Power WEQ 
Version 003.1 Comments at 4.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

c. Commission Determinations
    35. Based on our consideration of the comments, we incorporate by 
reference the WEQ-001-9 and WEQ-001-10 standards with the exception of 
the text contained in the preambles to WEQ-001-9 and WEQ 001-10, which 
appear to allow transmission providers to adopt alternative procedures 
for redirects from conditional parent reservations. NAESB revised its 
standards by adding Standard WEQ 001-9.5.4 to apply the Dynegy policy 
to redirects from unconditional firm service. This standard provides 
for retention of parent transmission rights when the transmission 
provider confirms a redirect from unconditional firm service but during 
the period when the redirect remains conditional (i.e., before the 
conditional deadline under pro forma OATT section 13.2).
    36. We conclude that limiting the Dynegy policy to redirects from 
unconditional firm service is reasonable. We base this finding on 
several factors. With respect to redirect requests with conditional 
parent reservations, we note that, prior to the conditional reservation 
deadline, there is no guarantee that firm service will be provided to 
the transmission customer on the original transmission path. Moreover, 
the Dynegy policy was designed to protect a firm transmission customer 
that requests a redirect from losing its rights on the original path 
while its redirect request is pending. This is not the same as 
establishing a right that requires the transmission provider to hold 
ATC simultaneously on both the original path and the redirect path when 
the customer has no right to use a path service on either path. The 
only risk to a customer that requests a redirect for a conditional 
parent reservation would be the customer losing a right to use a path 
it does not yet have. As a result, the Dynegy policy will extend to 
neither short-term firm point-to-point transmission service nor non-
firm transmission service, and the Dynegy policy continues to be 
limited to parent reservations that are unconditional, as defined in 
Section 13.2 of the pro forma OATT.
    37. We decline to incorporate by reference the preamble to WEQ-001-
9, which appears to exempt redirects from conditional firm parents from 
the remainder of the redirect standards and permits transmission 
providers to implement their own procedures for redirect requests from 
conditional firm parents. The preamble to standard WEQ -001-9 states:

    The Business Practice Standard WEQ-001-9 is defined in order to 
enhance consistency of the reservation process that applies to 
Redirects on a firm basis from Parent Reservations that are 
unconditional as defined in Section 13.2(iii) of the pro forma 
tariff. The Transmission Provider shall specify any reservation 
process that applies to Redirects on a firm basis from Parent 
Reservations that are conditional, as defined in Section 13.2(iii) 
of the pro forma tariff in its Business Practices that are posted in 
accordance with Business Practice Standard WEQ-001-13.1.4.

    38. Prior to the revision from WEQ Version 003.1, the WEQ 001-9 
section did not contain a preamble and all the redirect standards for 
firm service applied to redirects from both unconditional and 
conditional firm parents. We see no reason to exempt redirects from 
conditional firm parents from these standards with the exception of 
standard WEQ 001-9.54 implementing the Dynegy policy with respect to 
unconditional firm parents, as discussed above. The application of the 
remaining redirect standards to redirects from conditional parents will 
help ensure consistency across the grid. For these same reasons we also 
decline to incorporate by reference the preamble included at the 
beginning to WEQ-001-10, which, as of WEQ Version 003.2, applies the 
above-quoted preamble to redirect requests for non-firm service.
    39. We agree with commenters who highlighted the administrative 
burden associated with standards that allow individual transmission 
providers to specify their own various business processes for 
redirects. Without consistent standards, transmission providers and 
transmission customers would then have to incur the costs of developing 
different business processes to adapt to the differing requirements, 
increasing the cost and complexity of their businesses. Furthermore, 
consistent standards help achieve greater efficiency and reduce costly 
disparities.

2. Time Error Correction

a. Request for Comments
    40. In the Time Error Correction NOPR, the Commission proposed to 
approve NAESB's latest version of its Business Practice Standards to 
remove the incorporation by reference of the Wholesale Electric 
Quadrant (WEQ) WEQ-006 Manual Time Error Correction Business Practice 
Standards as adopted by NAESB in its WEQ Version 003.0 Businesses 
Practice Standards.\61\ The WEQ-006 Manual Time Error Correction 
Business Practice Standards outline the commercial based procedures to 
be used for reducing time error to keep the system's time within 
acceptable limits of true time. NAESB's latest version of its Business 
Practice Standards retires and eliminates the Manual Time Error 
Correction Business Practice Standards to correspond with NERC's 
retirement of the Time Error Correction requirements, which the 
Commission approved in 2017. In the Time Error Correction NOPR, the 
Commission also proposed to incorporate by reference Standard WEQ-000, 
Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Definition of Terms Business Practice 
Standards (Version 003.2), which would eliminate the definitions of 
``Time Error'' and ``Time Error Correction'' as well as making 
unrelated minor corrections.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \61\ Time Error Correction NOPR, 165 FERC ] 61,007 at P 1.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

b. Comments
    41. Commenters were divided in their response to NAESB's proposal 
to remove the incorporation by reference of the WEQ-006 Manual Time 
Error Correction Business Practice Standards. NERC states that NAESB 
reserved WEQ-006 in coordination with NERC's retirement of Reliability 
Standard BAL-004-0, as approved by the Commission in 2017, and removing 
the reference to WEQ-006 in 18 CFR 38.1(b) ensures clarity and avoids 
inadvertent, uncoordinated, manual time error correction.\62\ SPP adds 
that removal of WEQ-006 from the Commission's regulations and the 
update of Standard WEQ-000 will promote clarity and ensure consistency 
between the Commission's regulations and current NERC and NAESB 
standards.\63\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \62\ NERC Time Error Correction NOPR Comments at 1-2.
    \63\ SPP Time Error Correction NOPR Comments at 2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    42. By contrast, Dr. Demetrios Matsakis and Dr. Jonathan Hardis 
\64\ state that the proposed rule change is not in the public 
interest,\65\ and Dr. Hardis asserts the public interest standard is 
the appropriate standard of review.\66\ Dr. Hardis states that his

[[Page 10578]]

comments should also serve as a complaint pursuant to 16 U.S.C. 
824o(d)(5) \67\ and asserts that the Commission should remand the 
matter of Reliability Standard BAL-004 back to NERC for 
reconsideration.\68\ Additionally, Dr. Hardis and Dr. Matsakis advise 
that the business practice of ``Time Error Correction'' works so well 
as a commercial service that the public gives little thought to why 
their synchronous clocks and appliances work. They state that, without 
Time Error Correction, synchronous clocks and appliances, which provide 
accurate time through the utilization of power line frequency, will not 
be accurate or work properly.\69\ Referring to Docket No. RD17-1-000, 
in which the Commission approved the retirement of Reliability Standard 
BAL-004-0, Dr. Hardis states the record in that proceeding contained 
statements that suggest a basic misunderstanding regarding Time Error 
Correction. He asserts that better regulating the grid frequency to be 
60 Hz does not substitute for or eliminate the need for Time Error 
Correction.\70\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \64\ Dr. Matsakis and Dr. Hardis submit their comments as 
individual citizens and not on behalf of any organization or 
employee. Dr. Matsakis is Chief Scientist for Time Services at the 
U.S. Naval Observatory. Dr. Hardis is a Senior Scientific Advisor 
for the Physical Measurement Laboratory at the National Institute 
for Standards and Technology.
    \65\ Dr. Matsakis Time Error Correction Comments at 1.
    \66\ Dr. Hardis Time Error Correction Comments at 1.
    \67\ Id. at 17.
    \68\ Id. at 2, 17.
    \69\ Id. at 1-3; Dr. Matsakis Time Error Correction Comments at 
1.
    \70\ Dr. Hardis Time Error Correction Comments at 4.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    43. Dr. Hardis also responds to the major arguments presented in 
Docket No. RD17-1-000 that support the retirement of Reliability 
Standard BAL-004-0.\71\ In support of his arguments, Dr. Hardis 
references a research paper that analyzes industry-supplied Time Error 
Correction data to conclude that without Time Error Correction being in 
effect between March 2016, when Daylight Saving Time was implemented, 
and November 2016, when Standard Time was re-implemented, there would 
have been approximately 7.5 minutes of time drift on the Eastern 
Interconnection.\72\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \71\ Id. at 9-13.
    \72\ Id. at 14 (citing J.E. Hardis, B. Fonville, and D. 
Matsakis, ``Time and frequency from electrical power lines,'' 
Proceedings of the 48th Annual Precise Time and Time Interval 
Systems and Applications Meeting, Monterey, California, January 
2017, pp. 372-386, https://www.nist.gov/publications/time-and-frequency-electrical-power-lines).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    44. Dr. Hardis also asserts that the decision to retire WEQ-006 was 
primarily made by those involved within NAESB's Wholesale Energy 
Quadrant, without adequate notice, which results in a lack of balance 
and underrepresentation from other interests (e.g., retail consumers, 
appliance manufactures, and state regulatory agencies).\73\ 
Additionally, Dr. Hardis contends that Time Error Correction is an 
interstate issue and that some kind of enforceable standards are still 
needed.\74\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \73\ Dr. Hardis Time Error Correction Comments at 16.
    \74\ Id. at 14-15, 17.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    45. NAESB filed comments clarifying that NAESB: (1) Is accredited 
by the ANSI; (2) is obligated to adhere to the ANSI principles of 
standards development, including the principles of openness and 
balance; and (3) employed extensive efforts to distribute notice to 
more than 200 different entities regarding the standards development 
effort, the formal comment period, and the intent of the NAESB WEQ 
Executive Committee to consider and vote on the recommended standard 
reservations and modifications.\75\ NAESB notes that it adheres to its 
governing principle of openness during the standards development 
process, with publicly noticed meetings, agendas, and items set for 
discussion and/or possible vote. NAESB notes that its process allows 
for all interested parties, regardless of membership, to have the 
opportunity to participate in the development of standards.\76\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \75\ NAESB Time Error Correction Comments at 1-2.
    \76\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

c. Commission Determinations

    46. Upon consideration of the record, we will not adopt the Time 
Error Correction NOPR proposal to remove the incorporation by reference 
to NAESB's latest version of the WEQ-006 Manual Time Error Correction 
Business Practice Standards. We find that NAESB has not provided 
sufficient justification for retiring Time Error Correction as a 
business standard; the only support provided for its retirement is that 
NERC retired the corresponding Reliability Standard as being 
unnecessary for reliability. In their comments, Dr. Hardis and Dr. 
Matsakis, however, raise considerable unrebutted concerns about the 
retirement of NAESB's Time Error Correction standards, citing 
significant reasons for why there is a continued need for, and possibly 
expansion, of such standards. While the Commission previously approved 
the retirement of NERC's BAL-004-0 (Time Error Correction) as related 
to reliability,\77\ NOPR commenters provide significant evidence that 
Time Error Correction remains an important business practice that 
requires robust and meaningful business practice standards. Moreover, 
NERC continues to provide Reliability Coordinators serving as time 
monitors in the North American Interconnections with a time monitoring 
reference document that specifies how manual time error corrections are 
to be implemented if needed and outlines procedural responsibilities 
assigned to the time monitor. After considering this record, we advise 
public utilities to work through the NAESB business practices 
development processes to revisit the rationale for removing the Time 
Error Correction standards to determine whether they should be retained 
or revised. Therefore, we do not adopt the NOPR proposal to incorporate 
by reference the reservation of the WEQ-006 Manual Time Error 
Correction Business Practice Standards, nor do we adopt the elimination 
to the definitions of ``Time Error'' and ``Time Error Correction'' in 
Standard WEQ-000 (Version 003.2). Rather, in this final rule, we 
incorporate by reference the WEQ-006 Version 003.1 Standard for Time 
Error Correction.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \77\ See North American Electric Reliability Corp., Docket No. 
17-1-000 (Jan. 18, 2017) (delegated order).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    47. With regard to Dr. Hardis' comments on the retirement of 
Reliability Standard BAL-004-0, we find that those comments are outside 
the scope of this proceeding and therefore we do not address them here. 
Moreover, we dismiss that portion of Dr. Hardis' comments wherein he 
requests that the Commission treat his pleading also as a complaint 
under 16 U.S.C. 824o(d)(5).\78\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \78\ The Commission has consistently rejected efforts to combine 
complaints with other types of filings. See Midwest Indep. 
Transmission Sys. Operator, Inc., 108 FERC ] 61248, at 62,383 n.8 
(2004) (citing Entergy Servs., Inc., 52 FERC ] 61,317 at 62,270 
(1990) (stating that the Commission has determined that complaints 
must be filed separately from motions to intervene and protests)). 
In rejecting these combined requests, we have stated that a combined 
filing does not assure that the procedural and other requirements 
applicable to the processing of a complaint will be met. Our 
dismissal of the conditional complaint is without prejudice to Dr. 
Hardis filing a separate complaint consistent with Rule 206 of the 
Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure. See 18 CFR 385.206 
(2019).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. Other Issues Raised by Commenters
a. NERC/NAESB Coordination
i. Comments
    48. NAESB states that it developed the WEQ-023 Modeling Business 
Practice Standards in WEQ Version 003.1 to support and complement the 
proposed retirement of certain NERC MOD A Reliability Standards which 
were to be replaced by NERC MOD-001-2 Reliability Standards. It states 
that the proposed NERC MOD-001-2 Reliability Standards were before the 
Commission in Docket No. RM14-7-

[[Page 10579]]

00.\79\ As part of the WEQ-023 Modeling Business Practice Standards, 
NAESB proposes to move 13 WEQ-001 standards and one appendix that 
relate to the calculation of ATC/AFC to WEQ-023.\80\ NAESB states that 
these 13 standards are currently included in WEQ-001-18 Postback 
Requirements and WEQ-019 Grandfathered Agreements. On June 5, 2019, 
NAESB submitted comments in the WEQ Version 003.2 NOPR proceeding 
reiterating that the WEQ-001 OASIS Business Practice Standards, 
included as part of WEQ Business Practice Standards Version 003.2, 
reserved 13 individual standards and one appendix for consistency 
purposes to avoid duplication with the WEQ-023 Modeling Business 
Practice Standards.\81\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \79\ NAESB October 26 Filing at 13.
    \80\ Id. at 14.
    \81\ NAESB enumerates the following standards as reserved WEQ-
001-18, WEQ-001-18.1, WEQ-001-18.1.1, WEQ-001-18.1.2, WEQ-0018-
1.2.1, WEQ-001-18.1.2.2, WEQ-001-18.1.2.3, WEQ-001-18.1.3, WEQ-001-
18.2, WEQ-001-19, WEQ-001-19.1, WEQ-001-19.1.1, WEQ-001-19.1.2, and 
WEQ-001-D Appendix D. NAESB December 8, 2017 Filing at 3-4.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    49. NAESB also submitted separate comments to the Commission 
detailing the ongoing coordination activities between NAESB and NERC, 
which led to NAESB's submission of a minor correction to WEQ-003-0 
OASIS Data Dictionary to remove references to two data elements and 
their definitions.\82\ NAESB states that both data elements, 
PROCEDURE_NAME and PROCEDURE_LEVEL, contain references to the retired 
NERC Reliability Standards IRO-006-TRE-1--IROL and SOL Mitigation in 
the ERCOT Region, approved by the Commission for retirement on January 
29, 2019.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \82\ NAESB WEQ Version 003.2 July 23, 2019 Comments at 2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

ii. Commission Determination
    50. The Commission appreciates and supports the ongoing 
coordination activities between NAESB and NERC. We decline NAESB's 
request to incorporate by reference the entire WEQ-023 Modeling 
Business Practice Standards, and are instead incorporating by reference 
only those standards moved from WEQ-001 to WEQ-023. The Commission is 
considering NERC's proposed retirement of its ATC-related Reliability 
Standards in Docket No. RM14-7-000. In addition, the Commission 
established a proceeding in Docket No. AD15-5-000 to consider the 
proposed changes to the calculation of ATC, and has conducted a 
technical conference and received comments regarding such changes.\83\ 
As a result, we do not incorporate by reference the entire WEQ-023 
Modeling Business Practice Standards in this final rule, but instead 
only incorporate by reference those sections listed below, and will 
consider the remaining standards as part of the overall inquiry into 
ATC calculation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \83\ See, e.g., the December 18, 2014 status report filed by 
NAESB in Docket Nos. RM05-5-000 and RM14-7-000, and the Commission's 
April 21, 2015 workshop, Available Transfer Capability Standards for 
Wholesale Electric Transmission Services, Docket No. RM15-5-000.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    51. In its WEQ Version 003.1 filing, NAESB requested to move 13 
standards and Appendix D related to ATC/AFC that are currently included 
in WEQ-001 to WEQ-023. In addition to moving the enumerated standards 
to WEQ-023, NAESB seeks to reserve the 13 standards and Appendix D in 
WEQ-001. In this final rule, we approve NAESB's request to move the 13 
standards and Appendix D to WEQ-023 and reserve the same standards and 
appendix within WEQ-001. Accordingly, the regulatory text accompanying 
this final rule incorporates by reference certain of the WEQ-023 
Standards, including: WEQ-023-5; WEQ-023-5.1; WEQ-023-5.1.1; WEQ-023-
5.1.2; WEQ-023-5.1.2.1; WEQ-023-5.1.2.2; WEQ-023-5.1.2.3; WEQ-023-
5.1.3; WEQ-023-5.2; WEQ-023-6; WEQ-023-6.1; WEQ-023-6.1.1; WEQ-023-
6.1.2; and WEQ-023-A Appendix A. Consistent with our support of the 
ongoing NAESB and NERC collaborative standards development activities, 
in this final rule, we also grant NAESB's request and incorporate by 
reference the removal of references to the two data elements, 
PROCEDURE_NAME and PROCEDURE_LEVEL, and their definitions within the 
WEQ-003-0 OASIS Data Dictionary.
b. Corrections to Regulatory Text
i. Comments
    52. A number of commenters have noted minor inconsistencies between 
the discussion in the preamble of the WEQ Version 003.1 NOPR of the 
standards proposed to be incorporated by reference and the proposed 
regulatory text. They suggest that the regulatory text be corrected to 
better match up with the discussion in the preamble. We agree. 
Commenters note an inconsistency in the WEQ Version 003.1 NOPR, between 
paragraph 27 of the WEQ Version 003.1 NOPR stating that the Commission 
proposed to incorporate the revised standards on timing of ATC 
narrative posting and the final proposed action to amend Sec.  38.1 
which continued to exclude 001-14.1.3 and 001-15.1.2.\84\ Commenters 
note that there is no further discussion of this action in the Version 
003.2 NOPR.\85\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \84\ OATI WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 3; Southern WEQ Version 
003.1 Comments at 7-8.
    \85\ OATI WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 3; Southern WEQ Version 
003.1 Comments at 7-8.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    53. Commenters also note minor inconsistencies between the 
Commission's WEQ Version 003.1 NOPR to adopt revised standard WEQ 001-
106.25, and the Commission's exclusion of WEQ 001-106.25 in the WEQ 
Version 003.2 NOPR.\86\ In the Version 003.1 NOPR, the Commission 
proposed to incorporate by reference, into the Commission's regulations 
at 18 CFR 38.1, NAESB's revised Standards WEQ-WEQ-001-106.2.21, WEQ-
001-106.2.1.1, and WEQ-001-106.2.5, as set forth in the WEQ Version 
003.1 Business Practice Standards.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \86\ Bonneville WEQ Version 003.2 Comments at 4; OATI WEQ 
Version 003.2 Comments at 3-4; Southern WEQ Version 003.2 Comments 
at 8-9; SPP WEQ Version 003.2 Comments at 5.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

ii. Commission Determination
    54. In consideration of these comments, in this final rule we 
incorporate by reference 001-14.1.3 and 001-15.1.2 into the 
Commission's regulations at 18 CFR 38.1. We also incorporate by 
reference WEQ 001-106.25 into the Commission's regulations at 18 CFR 
38.1.
c. Suggested Modifications to WEQ-004
i. Comments
    55. CAISO offers two suggestions for modifying Standard WEQ-004 and 
suggests that the Commission make a request to NAESB to address these 
issues. Its first suggestion relates to Appendix A of revised NAESB 
Standard WEQ-004, Section B.3, which requires a Sink Balancing 
Authority to communicate a message via email only to adjacent Balancing 
Authorities during an e-Tag Authority Service failure.\87\ CAISO 
suggests that the Sink Balancing Authority be allowed to broadcast its 
message to adjacent Balancing Authorities ``by email or similar 
alternate method.'' CAISO argues that this broader language would allow 
for alternate methods of communication to be used in instances where 
the e-Tag Authority Service is not functioning because the internet 
itself is unavailable.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \87\ CAISO WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at n.3 (citing WEQ-004-A, 
Appendix A, Section B (e-Tag Authority Service Failure Actions, No. 
3)).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    56. CAISO's second suggestion relates to the language in Standard 
WEQ-004, Section B.4 and the subsequent table under the heading 
``Singular Failure

[[Page 10580]]

Actions.'' It argues this language should be amended to broaden the 
method of communication beyond telephone.\88\ CAISO recommends that 
this language should be amended to state ``communicate and confirm,'' 
which would not only take into account other methods of communication 
that have been developed and are being used as a result of 
technological advances (e.g., electronic messaging or industry specific 
messaging systems like the WECC Net messaging system), but would also 
allow the messaging contemplated by these provisions to be accomplished 
by alternate routes should telephone use be unavailable.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \88\ Id. at n.6 (citing WEQ-004-A, Appendix A, Section B (e-Tag 
Authority Service Failure Actions, No.4).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

ii. Commission Determination
    57. We make no finding with regard to CAISO's suggested 
modifications, as the proposed changes have not been formally 
considered by NAESB and have not gone through the requisite consensus 
proceeding. CAISO can present these suggested revisions to NAESB and 
work through the NAESB process to build consensus for its position and, 
if successful, implement these changes at the time when NAESB next 
updates its business practice standards for public utilities.
d. Suggested Continued Optional Use of DUNS Numbers
i. Comments
    58. In its WEQ Version 003.1 NOPR comments EEI states that it 
supports the Commission's finding eliminating the use of DUNS numbers 
to identify organizations in OASIS postings. However, EEI encourages 
the Commission to recognize that the NAESB standards allow transmission 
providers who wish to continue using DUNS numbers for other purposes 
the option to do so, while allowing transmission providers who do not 
wish to use the numbers simply to fill in the DUNS number field with 
9s. While many EEI members prefer not to have to use the DUNS numbers, 
some members prefer to continue using them for a variety of reasons, 
for example, to avoid back-office problems and to reconcile with their 
use of DUNS numbers in the network integration transmission service 
(NITS) context. Thus, EEI argues that the NAESB approach is an 
appropriate compromise that the Commission should allow.
ii. Commission Determination
    59. The revised Standard WEQ-001-3.1 included in the Version 003.1 
package of standards no longer makes any reference to the use of DUNS 
numbers to identify an organization in OASIS postings. However, we 
agree with EEI that the revised standard does not prohibit the 
continued use of DUNS numbers to identify an entity in the Electric 
Industry Registry or for other purposes. We do not find this solution 
objectionable and do not find this an obstacle to our incorporating the 
standard by reference as we proposed in the WEQ Version 003.1 NOPR.
e. Timing for Source and Sink Unmasking
i. Comments
    60. In its WEQ Version 003.1 NOPR comments, EEI notes that the 
revised NAESB standards ``unmask the source and sink for a request for 
transmission service for all instances where the request for 
transmission service is moved to any final state,'' and the Commission 
proposes to adopt this change.\89\ However, EEI recommends against 
adopting this change and instead encourages the Commission to clarify 
that source and sink information should continue to be unmasked only 
when a transmission service request is ``confirmed.'' EEI argues that, 
if this standard is incorporated as it currently stands, the Commission 
could be understood to require unmasking of the source and sink 
information when a request's status is withdrawn, refused, invalid, 
declined, superseded, annulled, or retracted because these can all be 
considered to be ``final states.'' However, EEI is concerned that the 
unmasking of source and sink for these additional statuses could expose 
market information during the request process, prior to the 
transmission request being in the actual final state of ``confirmed'' 
intended by the submitter.\90\ As an example, EEI describes a situation 
where a transmission request was submitted with an error and as a 
result was declined.\91\ In such a situation, EEI is concerned that if 
``declined'' were treated as a final state, the source and sink would 
be exposed prior to obtaining the corrected final state of transmission 
reservation as ``confirmed.'' EEI argues that, at a minimum, adding 
some sort of time delay on all status states other than ``confirmed'' 
until the replacement transmission reservation was ``confirmed'' could 
allow the submitter to get the corrected request before the source and 
sink are exposed.\92\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \89\ EEI WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 16.
    \90\ Id. at 17.
    \91\ Id.
    \92\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

ii. Commission Determination
    61. In effect, EEI asks the Commission to modify Standard WEQ-002-
4.3.6.2 by ``clarifying'' that, despite the language of the standard 
that source and sink are to be unmasked at the time when the request 
for transmission service is moved to any final state, the standard 
should be interpreted to mean that source and sink should not be 
unmasked until the request reaches the final state of ``confirmed'' 
intended by the submitter. Notwithstanding EEI's concerns, there has 
been an industry consensus for the standard as adopted by NAESB and we 
decline to modify the standard as suggested by EEI. EEI or its members 
may, if they wish, seek to build a consensus through the NAESB process 
to revise the standard as recommended in its comments.
f. Waivers
i. Comments
    62. PJM asks the Commission to continue to acknowledge in its final 
rule that consistent with Commission precedent and currently-effective 
policy, each public utility may seek as part of its compliance filing 
waiver of new or revised standards in the WEQ Version 003.2 Standards, 
and renewal of existing waivers previously granted by the Commission. 
PJM requests a similar clarification be included in the final rule for 
this proceeding.\93\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \93\ PJM WEQ Version 003.2 Comments at 2-3.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

ii. Commission Determination
    63. The Commission has previously stated that if a public utility 
asserts that its circumstances warrant a continued waiver of the 
regulations, the public utility may file a request for a waiver wherein 
public utility can detail the circumstances that it believes warrant a 
waiver.\94\ In its request for continued waiver, the public utility 
must include the date, Docket No. and explanation for why the waiver 
was initially granted by the Commission. The Commission will decide on 
any such waiver request on a case-by-case basis, and absent a 
Commission-approved waiver, compliance with the standards is required 
by all public utilities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \94\ Order No. 676-E, 129 FERC ] 61,162 at P 107.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. Implementation
i. Comments
    64. Bonneville recommends the Commission set the implementation 
timeline to account for implementation of both the Version 003.1 and 
003.2 Standards and suggests a timeline of 12 to 15 months to implement 
changes to OASIS Templates and 24 to 30 months

[[Page 10581]]

to implement the WEQ Version 003.1 and 003.2 Standards.\95\ MISO 
requests that the time allotted for OASIS to support the Version 2.2 
OASIS Templates be modified to 12 months, and that the time for 
Transmission Providers to implement all changes be modified to 24 
months.\96\ NV Energy recommends that the Commission allow a total time 
of 24 months for all the steps required for implementation of Version 
003.1 and Version 003.2.\97\ SPP states that the Commission should 
allow six additional months to implement the changes proposed in 
Version 003.2 to the 12 months to implement Version 003.1 for a total 
of 18 months.\98\ EEI notes that the Commission proposes to adopt NAESB 
standards implementing a one-day posting of ATC narratives explaining 
changes in monthly or yearly ATC values on a constrained path as a 
result of a 10-percent change in total transfer capability. EEI argues 
that in order to provide adequate time for software developers to 
develop the automation needed to meet the one-day deadline, the 
Commission should provide at least one year from the effective date of 
the standard to make these necessary changes.\99\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \95\ Bonneville WEQ Version 003.2 Comments at 4.
    \96\ MISO WEQ Version 003.2 Comments at 3.
    \97\ NV Energy WEQ Version 003.2 Comments at 2. (NV Energy 
argues that the Commission should provide ``sufficient time for the 
complete implementation of the changes and new functionalities 
required by taking into consideration the need for building the 
functionalities, testing by vendors, testing by transmission 
providers, training in-house and training of the industry for 
implementation.'').
    \98\ SPP WEQ Version 003.2 Comments at 3.
    \99\ EEI WEQ Version 003.1 Comments at 15.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

ii. Commission Determination
    65. Public utilities must make a compliance filing to comply with 
the requirements of this final rule through eTariff no later than 90 
days from the date the final rule is published in the Federal Register, 
using an indeterminant effective date (12/31/9998) for the tariff 
records. The Commission will establish an effective date for the 
proposed tariff changes in the order(s) on compliance filings. To give 
parties sufficient time to make computer and other modifications 
required by this final rule, the Commission will set an effective date 
no earlier than five months from the date the final rule is published 
in the Federal Register. A few commenters requested additional time to 
make compliance filings. EEI points to the need to develop software to 
implement the revisions to ATC; but as discussed earlier, the ATC 
standards will be addressed in a separate proceeding. Other comments 
request additional time to implement both Versions 003.1 and 003.2. 
This final rule adopts only Version 003.2, except for WEQ-006 Manual 
Time Error Correction, and does not require combined implementation. 
Other than these rationales, the comments do not provide specific 
justification for their longer than usual implementation timelines, so 
we find no reason to extend the normal implementation schedule.
    66. Those utilities that revised their tariff after Order No. 676-H 
to incorporate the complete set of NAESB standards without modification 
need to implement the standards incorporated by reference in this final 
rule no later than five months from the date the final rule is 
published in the Federal Register. For public utilities that do not 
incorporate the NAESB standards without modification in their tariffs, 
and consistent with Order No. 587-Y and the Commission's requirement 
for natural gas pipelines to provide information on the NAESB WGQ 
Standards incorporated by reference, we are adopting a requirement in 
this final rule for public utilities to include a single tariff sheet 
in which they list every NAESB standard currently incorporated by 
reference by the Commission.\100\ This section should be a separate 
tariff record under the Commission's electronic tariff filing 
requirement and should be filed electronically using the eTariff portal 
using the Type of Filing Code 580. The public utility must specify in 
the tariff record a list of all the NAESB standards currently 
incorporated by reference by the Commission: (a) Whether the standard 
is incorporated by reference; (b) for those standards not incorporated 
by reference, the tariff provision that complies with the standard; and 
(c) a statement identifying any standards for which the public utility 
has been granted a waiver, extension of time, or other variance with 
respect to compliance with the standard.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \100\ See Standards for Business Practices of Interstate Natural 
Gas Pipelines, 165 FERC ] 61,109 at P 25 (2018) (Order 587-Y).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    67. Moreover, utilities that now wish to comply by incorporating 
the complete set of NAESB standards into their tariffs without 
modification may do so by making a filing with the Commission to 
include the following language in their tariffs: ``The current versions 
of the NAESB WEQ Business Practice Standards incorporated by reference 
into the Commission's regulations as specified in Part 38 of the 
Commission's regulations (18 CFR part 38) are incorporated by reference 
into this tariff.''

III. Notice of Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards

    68. Office of Management and Budget Circular A-119 (section 11) 
(Feb. 10, 1998) provides that when a federal agency issues or revises a 
regulation containing a standard, the agency should publish a statement 
in the final rule stating whether the adopted standard is a voluntary 
consensus standard or a government-unique standard. In this final rule, 
the Commission is incorporating by reference voluntary consensus 
standards developed by the NAESB's WEQ.

IV. Incorporation by Reference

    69. The Office of the Federal Register requires agencies 
incorporating material by reference in final rules to discuss, in the 
preamble of the final rule, the ways that the materials it incorporates 
by reference are reasonably available to interested parties and how 
interested parties can obtain the materials.\101\ The regulations also 
require agencies to summarize, in the preamble of the final rule, the 
material it incorporates by reference. The standards we incorporate by 
reference in this final rule can be summarized as follows:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \101\ 1 CFR 51.5 (2019). See Incorporation by Reference, 79 FR 
66267 (Nov. 7, 2014).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    70. The WEQ-000 Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Definition of Terms 
Business Practice Standards provide a single location for all 
abbreviations, acronyms, and defined terms referenced in the WEQ 
Business Practice Standards. These standards provide common 
nomenclature for terms within the wholesale electric industry, thereby 
reducing confusion and opportunities for misinterpretation or 
misunderstandings among industry participants. We are incorporating by 
reference WEQ Version 003.2 of the WEQ-000 Abbreviations, Acronyms, and 
Definition of Terms and incorporating by reference certain definitions 
from WEQ Version 003.1 related to the WEQ-006 Manual Time Error 
Correction Business Practice Standards. The definitions from WEQ 
Version 003.1 are: Interconnection Time Monitor, Time Error, and Time 
Error Correction.
    71. The WEQ-001 OASIS Business Practice Standards define the 
general and specific transaction processing requirements and related 
business processes required for OASIS. The standards detail 
requirements related to standard terminology for transmission and 
ancillary services, attribute values

[[Page 10582]]

defining transmission service class and type, ancillary and other 
services definitions, OASIS registration procedures, procurement of 
ancillary and other services, path naming, next hour market service, 
identical transmission service requests, redirects, resales, transfers, 
OASIS postings, procedures for addressing ATC or AFC methodology 
questions, rollover rights, conditional curtailment option 
reservations, auditing usage of Capacity Benefit Margin, coordination 
of requests for service across multiple transmission systems, 
consolidation, preemption and right-of-first refusal process, and NITS 
requests.
    72. The WEQ-002 OASIS Standards and Communication Protocols 
Business Practice Standards define the technical standards for OASIS. 
These standards detail network architecture requirements, information 
access requirements, OASIS and point-to-point interface requirements, 
implementation, and NITS interface requirements.
    73. The WEQ-003 OASIS Data Dictionary Business Practice Standards 
define the data element specifications for OASIS.
    74. The WEQ-004 Coordinate Interchange Business Practice Standards 
define the commercial processes necessary to facilitate interchange 
transactions via Request for Interchange (RFI) and specify the 
arrangements and data to be communicated by the entity responsible for 
authorizing the implementation of such transactions (the entities 
responsible for balancing load and generation).
    75. The WEQ-005 Area Control Error (ACE) Equation Special Cases 
Business Practice Standards define commercial based requirements 
regarding the obligations of a balancing authority to manage the 
difference between scheduled and actual electrical generation within 
its control area. Each balancing authority manages its ACE in 
accordance with the NERC Reliability Standards. These standards detail 
requirements for jointly owned utilities, supplemental regulation 
service, and load or generation transfer by telemetry.
    76. The WEQ-006 Manual Time Error Correction Business Practice 
Standards define the commercial based procedures to be used for 
reducing time error to within acceptable limits of true time. These 
standards have subsequently been marked reserved by NAESB.
    77. The WEQ-007 Inadvertent Interchange Payback Business Practice 
Standards define the methods in which inadvertent energy is paid back, 
mitigating the potential for financial gain through the misuse of 
paybacks for inadvertent interchange. Inadvertent interchange is 
interchange that occurs when a balancing authority cannot fully balance 
generation and load within its area. The standards allow for the 
repayment of any imbalances through bilateral in-kind payback, 
unilateral in-kind payback, or other methods as agreed to.
    78. The WEQ-008 Transmission Loading Relief--Eastern 
Interconnection Business Practice Standards define the business 
practices for cutting transmission service during a TLR event. These 
standards detail requirements for the use of interconnection-wide TLR 
procedures, interchange transaction priorities for use with 
interconnection-wide TLR procedures, and the Eastern Interconnection 
procedure for physical curtailment of interchange transactions.
    79. The WEQ-011 Gas/Electric Coordination Business Practice 
Standards define communication protocols intended to improve 
coordination between the gas and electric industries in daily 
operational communications between transportation service providers and 
gas-fired power plants. The standards include requirements for 
communicating anticipated power generation fuel for the upcoming day as 
well as any operating problems that might hinder gas-fired power plants 
from receiving contractual gas quantities.
    80. The WEQ-012 Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) Business Practice 
Standards establish the cybersecurity framework for parties partaking 
in transactions via a transmission provider's OASIS or e-Tagging 
system. The NAESB PKI framework secures wholesale electric market 
electronic commercial communications via encryption of data and the 
electronic authentication of parties to a transaction through the use 
of a digital certificate issued by a NAESB certified certificate 
authority. The standards define the requirements for parties utilizing 
the digital certificates issued by the NAESB certificate authorities.
    81. The WEQ-013 OASIS Implementation Guide Business Practice 
Standards detail the implementation of the OASIS Business Practice 
Standards. The standards detail requirements related to point-to-point 
OASIS transaction processing, OASIS template implementation, preemption 
and right-of-first-refusal processing, NITS application and 
modification of service processing, and secondary network transmission 
service.
    82. The WEQ-015 Measurement and Verification of Wholesale 
Electricity Demand Response Business Practice Standards define a common 
framework for transparency, consistency, and accountability applicable 
to the measurement and verification of wholesale electric market demand 
response practices. The standards describe performance evaluation 
methodology and criteria for the use of equipment, technology, and 
procedures to quantify the demand reduction value--the measurement of 
reduced electrical usage by a demand resource.
    83. The WEQ-021 Measurement and Verification of Energy Efficiency 
Products Business Practice Standards define a common framework for 
transparency, consistency, and accountability applicable to the 
measurement and verification of wholesale electric market energy 
efficiency practices. The standards establish energy efficiency 
measurement and verification criteria and define requirements for 
energy efficiency resource providers for the measurement and 
verification of energy efficiency products and services offered in the 
wholesale electric markets.
    84. The WEQ-022 EIR Business Practice Standards define the business 
requirements for entities utilizing the NAESB managed EIR, a wholesale 
electric industry tool that serves as the central repository for 
information needed in the scheduling of transmission through electronic 
transactions. The standards describe the roles within EIR, registration 
requirements, and cybersecurity.
    85. The WEQ-023 Modeling Business Practice Standards specify the 
requirements for incorporating postbacks in the ATC posted on OASIS and 
the treatment of grandfathered agreements in the calculation of ATCs 
and AFCs. In the event of a conflict between these Business Practice 
Standards and the Transmission Service Provider's tariff or FERC 
approved seams agreement(s), the tariff or FERC approved seams 
agreement(s) shall have precedence.

[[Page 10583]]

    86. In addition, NAESB has adopted an additional nine suites of 
standards that, consistent with our past decisions, we are not 
incorporating by reference.\102\ Additionally, as mentioned above, we 
are addressing the WEQ-023 ATC Modeling Standards, with the exception 
of the sections listed herein, in a separate rulemaking proceeding.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \102\ The suites of NAESB business practice standards we are not 
incorporating by reference in this final rule are: (1) The WEQ-009 
Standards of Conduct for Electric Transmission Providers, which 
NASESB has now eliminated as they duplicate the Commission's 
regulations; (2) the WEQ-010 Contracts Related Business Practice 
Standards that establish model contracts for the wholesale electric 
industry, and which the Commission has not incorporated as they are 
not mandatory; (3) the WEQ-014 WEQ/WGQ eTariff Related Business 
Practice Standards, which provide an implementation guide describing 
the various mechanisms, data tables, code values/reference tables, 
and technical specifications used in the submission of electronic 
tariff filings to the Commission, which the Commission has not 
incorporated as these submittals are governed by the Commission's 
eTariff regulations; (4) the WEQ-023 Modeling Business Practice 
Standards, with enumerated exceptions, which the Commission is 
addressing in a separate rulemaking; and (5) the WEQ-016, WEQ-017, 
WEQ-018, WEQ-019, and WEQ-020 Business Practice Standards that were 
developed as part of the Smart Grid implementation and which the 
Commission adopted as non-mandatory guidance in 18 CFR 2.27 (2019). 
See Order No. 676-H, 148 FERC ] 61,205.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    87. Our regulations provide that copies of the standards 
incorporated by reference may be obtained from NAESB, whose offices are 
located at 801 Travis Street, Suite 1675, Houston, TX 77002, Phone: 
(713) 356-0060. NAESB's website can be accessed at https://www.naesb.org. Copies of the standards may be inspected at the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Reference and Files Maintenance 
Branch, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426, Phone: (202) 502-
8371, http://www.ferc.gov.\103\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \103\ 18 CFR 284.12 (2019).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    88. NAESB is a private, consensus standards developer that develops 
voluntary wholesale and retail standards related to the energy 
industry. The procedures utilized by NAESB make its standards 
reasonably available to those affected by the Commission's 
regulations.\104\ Participants can join NAESB, for an annual membership 
cost of $7,500, which entitles them to full participation in NAESB and 
enables them to obtain these standards at no additional cost.\105\ Non-
members may obtain the Individual Standards Manual or Booklet for $250 
per manual or booklet.\106\ Non-members also may obtain the complete 
set of Business Practice Standards on USB flash drive for $2,000. NAESB 
also provides a free electronic read-only version of the standards for 
a three-business day period or, in the case of a regulatory comment 
period, through the end of the comment period.\107\ In addition, NAESB 
considers requests for waivers of the charges on a case-by-case basis 
based on need.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \104\ As a private, consensus standards developer, NAESB needs 
the funds obtained from its membership fees and sales of its 
Individual Standards Manual or Booklet to finance the organization. 
The parties affected by these Commission regulations generally are 
highly sophisticated and have the means to acquire the information 
they need to effectively participate in Commission proceedings.
    \105\ NAESB Membership Application, https://www.naesb.org/pdf4/naesbapp.pdf.
    \106\ NAESB Materials Order Form, https://www.naesb.org//pdf/ordrform.pdf.
    \107\ Procedures for non-members to evaluate work products 
before purchasing are available at https://www.naesb.org/misc/NAESB_Nonmember_Evaluation.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

V. Information Collection Statement

    89. The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) \108\ requires each federal 
agency to seek and obtain the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) 
approval before undertaking a collection of information (including 
reporting, record keeping, and public disclosure requirements) directed 
to ten or more persons or contained in a rule of general applicability. 
OMB regulations require approval of certain information collection 
requirements imposed by rules (including deletion, revision, or 
implementation of new requirements).\109\ Upon approval of a collection 
of information, OMB will assign an OMB control number and an expiration 
date. Respondents subject to the filing requirements of a rule will not 
be penalized for failing to respond to the collection of information 
unless the collection of information displays a valid OMB control 
number.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \108\ 44 U.S.C. 3501-21.
    \109\ 5 CFR part 1320.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    90. The Commission solicits comments from the public on the 
Commission's need for this information, whether the information will 
have practical utility, the accuracy of the burden estimates, ways to 
enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information collected 
or retained, and any suggested methods for minimizing respondents' 
burden, including the use of automated information techniques. 
Specifically, the Commission asks that any revised burden or cost 
estimates submitted by commenters be supported by sufficient detail to 
understand how the estimates are generated.
    91. Comments concerning the information collections modified in 
this final rule and the associated burden estimates should be sent to 
the Commission in this docket and may also be sent to the Office of 
Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs 
[Attention: Desk Officer for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission]. 
For security reasons, comments should be sent by email to OMB at the 
following email address: oira_submission@omb.eop.gov. Please refer to 
FERC-516E (OMB Control No. 1902-0290) and FERC-717 (OMB Control No. 
1902-0173).
    92. This final rule will affect the following existing data 
collections: Standards for Business Practices and Communication 
Protocols for Public Utilities (FERC-717) and Electric Rate Schedule 
Filings and Tariff Filings (FERC-516E).\110\ Estimates of the PRA-
related burden and cost \111\ follow.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \110\ The reporting and recordkeeping requirements would 
normally be covered by FERC-516 (OMB Control No. 1902-0096) and 
FERC-717. However, another request for an unrelated final rule is 
pending OMB review under FERC-516, and only one item per OMB Control 
Number may be pending OMB review at a time. In order to be submitted 
timely, the PRA requests for this final rule will be submitted to 
OMB in FERC-516E (a temporary placeholder collection number, as was 
done for Docket Nos. RM05-5-025 and RM05-5-027), and FERC-717.
    \111\ The Commission staff estimates that industry is similarly 
situated in terms of hourly cost (for wages plus benefits). Based on 
the Commission's Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 average cost of $167,091/year 
(for wages plus benefits, for one full-time employee), $80.00/hour 
is used.
    \112\ This includes any burden associated with waiver requests.

                                Modifications due to the final rule in Docket Nos. RM05-5-025, RM05-5-026, and RM05-5-027
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Annual  number
                                        Number of     of  responses   Total number    Average burden (hrs.) & cost ($)  Total annual burden hrs. & total
                                       respondents         per        of responses             per  response                     annual cost  ($)
                                                       respondent
                                                (1)             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4)..............................  (3) * (4) = (5)
                                                                                (3)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FERC-516E (one-time tariff filing)              165               1             165  6 hrs.; $480.....................  990 hrs.; $79,200
 \112\.

[[Page 10584]]

 
FERC-717 (compliance with                       165               1             165  30 hrs.; \114\ $2,400............  4,950 hrs.; $396,000
 standards) \113\.
                                    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total..........................  ..............  ..............             330  .................................  5,940 hrs.; $475,200
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    93. The Commission sought comments on the burden of complying with 
the requirements imposed by these requirements. No comments were filed 
addressing the reporting burden. While a number of utilities have 
reduced their actual filing burden by revising their tariffs as 
suggested in Order No. 676-H (and explained again in paragraph 66 of 
this final rule), we have not reduced the burden estimate to reflect 
this. Thus, our burden estimate is conservative in the regard.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \112\ This includes any burden associated with waiver requests.
    \113\ FERC-717 corresponds to OMB Control No. 1902-0173 that 
identifies the information collection associated with Standards for 
Business Practices and Communication Protocols for Public Utilities.
    \114\ The 30-hour estimate was developed in Docket No. RM05-5-
013, when the Commission prepared its estimate of the scope of work 
involved in transitioning to the NAESB Version 002.1 Business 
Practice Standards. See Order No. 676-E, 129 FERC ] 61,162 at P 134. 
We have retained the same estimate here, because the scope of the 
tasks involved in the transition to Version 003.2 of the Business 
Practice Standards is very similar to that for the transition to the 
Version 003 Standards.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    94. The Commission's regulations adopted in this rule are necessary 
to establish a more efficient and integrated wholesale electric power 
grid. Requiring such information ensures both a common means of 
communication and common business practices that provide entities 
engaged in the wholesale transmission of electric power with timely 
information and uniform business procedures across multiple 
Transmission Providers. These requirements conform to the Commission's 
goal for efficient information collection, communication, and 
management within the electric power industry. The Commission has 
assured itself, by means of its internal review, that there is 
specific, objective support for the burden estimates associated with 
the information requirements.
    Title: Standards for Business Practices and Communication Protocols 
for Public Utilities (FERC-717); \115\ and Electric Rate Schedules and 
Tariff Filings (FERC-516E).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \115\ FERC-717 was formerly known as Open Access Same-Time 
Information System and Standards for Business Practices and 
Communication Protocols.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Action: Final rule.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0290 (FERC-516E); 1902-0173 (FERC-717).
    Respondents: Business or other for profit, (Public Utilities--Not 
applicable to small businesses).
    Frequency of Responses: One-time.
    Necessity of the Information: This rule will upgrade the 
Commission's current business practice and communication standards. 
Specifically, these standards will provide common nomenclature for 
terms within the wholesale electric industry; define the general and 
specific transaction processing requirements and related business 
processes required for OASIS; define the commercial processes necessary 
to facilitate interchange transactions via RFI; define the business 
practices for cutting transmission service during a TLR event; assist 
with supporting the short-term pre-emption process and the merger of 
like transmission services; establish the cybersecurity framework for 
parties partaking in transactions via a transmission provider's OASIS 
or e-Tagging system; detail requirements related to point-to-point 
OASIS transaction processing; define a common framework for 
transparency, consistency, and accountability applicable to the 
measurement and verification of wholesale electric market demand 
response practices; ensure several suites of standards are consistent 
with or accurately reflect modifications to the NERC Reliability 
Standards, including dynamic tagging, pseudo-times, the full transfer 
of the Electric Industry Registry and additional changes to support 
market operator functionalities. These practices will ensure that 
potential customers of open access transmission service receive access 
to information that will enable them to obtain transmission service on 
a non-discriminatory basis and will assist the Commission in 
maintaining a safe and reliable infrastructure and also will assure the 
reliability of the interstate transmission grid. The implementation of 
these standards and regulations is necessary to increase the efficiency 
of the wholesale electric power grid. This final rule also updates the 
reference to NAESB's Smart Grid Standards that the Commission has 
listed informationally as non-mandatory guidance in Part 2 of the 
Commission's regulations.
    95. The information collection requirements of this final rule are 
based on the transition from transactions being made under the 
Commission's existing business practice standards to conducting such 
transactions under the standards incorporated by reference in this 
final rule and to account for the burden associated with the new 
standard(s) being incorporated by reference here (e.g., WEQ-000).
    96. Internal Review: The Commission has reviewed the revised 
business practice standards and has determined that the revisions 
adopted in this final rule are necessary to maintain consistency 
between the business practice standards and reliability standards on 
this subject. The Commission has assured itself, by means of its 
internal review, that there is specific, objective support for the 
burden estimate associated with the information requirements.
    97. Interested persons may obtain information on the reporting 
requirements by contacting the following: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426, [Attn: Ellen 
Brown, Office of the Executive Director, email: DataClearance@ferc.gov, 
phone: (202) 502-8663, fax: (202) 273-0873.

VI. Environmental Analysis

    98. The Commission is required to prepare an Environmental 
Assessment or an Environmental Impact Statement for any action that may 
have a significant adverse effect on the human environment.\116\ The 
Commission has categorically excluded certain actions from these 
requirements as not having a

[[Page 10585]]

significant effect on the human environment.\117\ The actions adopted 
here fall within categorical exclusions in the Commission's regulations 
for rules that are clarifying, corrective, or procedural, for 
information gathering analysis, and dissemination, and for sales, 
exchange, and transportation of natural gas and electric power that 
requires no construction of facilities. Therefore, an environmental 
assessment is unnecessary and has not been prepared in this final rule.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \116\ Order No. 486, Regulations Implementing the National 
Environmental Policy Act, 52 FR 47897 (Dec. 17, 1987), FERC Stats. & 
Regs. Preambles 1986-1990 ] 30,783 (1987).
    \117\ 18 CFR 380.4.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

VII. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    99. The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (RFA) \118\ generally 
requires a description and analysis of final rules that will have 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
As shown in the information collection section, this final rule applies 
to 165 entities. More specifically, this final rule imposes the latest 
version (Version 003.2) of the Standards for Business Practices and 
Communication Protocols for Public Utilities adopted by the WEQ and the 
associated financial burden upon these entities. Comparison of the 
applicable entities with the Commission's small business data indicates 
that approximately 26 are small entities \119\ or 15.8 percent of the 
respondents affected by this final rule.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \118\ 5 U.S.C. 601-612.
    \119\ The Small Business Administration sets the threshold for 
what constitutes a small business. Public utilities may fall under 
one of several different categories, each with a size threshold 
based on the company's number of employees, including affiliates, 
the parent company, and subsidiaries. For the analysis in this final 
rule, we are using a 500 employee threshold for each affected 
entity. Each entity is classified as Electric Bulk Power 
Transmission and Control (NAICS code 221121).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    100. The Commission estimates that each of the entities (small and 
large) to whom the final rule applies will incur one-time paperwork 
costs of $2,880.\120\ The Commission does not consider the estimated 
cost to be a significant economic impact on a substantial number of 
small entities. Accordingly, the Commission certifies that this final 
rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial 
number of small entities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \120\ $475,200 (total one-time paperwork cost) / 165 (number of 
entities) = $2,880/entity.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

VIII. Document Availability

    101. 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.
    102. 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.
    103. User assistance is available for eLibrary and the FERC's 
website during normal business hours from FERC Online Support at 202-
502-6652 (toll free at 1-866-208-3676) or email at 
ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, or the Public Reference Room at (202) 502-
8371, TTY (202) 502-8659. Email the Public Reference Room at 
public.referenceroom@ferc.gov.

IX. Effective Date and Congressional Notification

    104. These regulations are effective April 27, 2020. The Commission 
has determined with the concurrence of the Administrator of the Office 
of Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB that this rule is not a 
``major rule'' as defined in section 351 of the Small Business 
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996. The final rule will be 
submitted to the Senate, House, and Government Accountability Office.

List of Subjects

18 CFR Part 2

    Electric utilities, Guidance and policy statements.

18 CFR Part 38

    Business practice standards, Electric utilities, Incorporation by 
reference, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    By the Commission.

    Issued: February 4, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.

    In consideration of the foregoing, the Commission amends parts 2 
and 38, chapter I, title 18, Code of Federal Regulations, as follows:

PART 2--GENERAL POLICY AND INTERPRETATIONS

0
1. The authority citation for part 2 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 601; 15 U.S.C. 717-717z, 3301-3432, 16 
U.S.C. 792-828c, 2601-2645; 42 U.S.C. 4321-4370h, 7101-7352.

0
2. Amend Sec.  2.27 by revising paragraphs (c) and (d) to read as 
follows:

Sec.  2.27  Availability of North American Energy Standards Board 
(NAESB) Smart Grid Standards as non-mandatory guidance.

* * * * *
    (c) WEQ-018, Specifications for Wholesale Standard Demand Response 
Signals (WEQ Version 003.2, Dec. 8, 2017);
    (d) WEQ-019, Customer Energy Usage Information Communication (WEQ 
Version 003.1, Sep. 30, 2015); and
* * * * *

PART 38--STANDARDS FOR PUBLIC UTILITY BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND 
COMMUNICATIONS

0
3. The authority citation for part 38 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 791-825r, 2601-2645; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 42 
U.S.C. 7101-7352.

0
4. Revise Sec.  38.1 to read as follows:

Sec.  38.1  Incorporation by reference of North American Energy 
Standards Board Wholesale Electric Quadrant standards.

    (a) Any public utility that owns, operates, or controls facilities 
used for the transmission of electric energy in interstate commerce or 
for the sale of electric energy at wholesale in interstate commerce and 
any non-public utility that seeks voluntary compliance with 
jurisdictional transmission tariff reciprocity conditions must comply 
with the business practice and electronic communication standards 
promulgated by the North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB) 
Wholesale Electric Quadrant (WEQ) that are incorporated by reference in 
paragraph (b) of this section.
    (b) The material cited in this paragraph (b) was approved by the 
Director of the Federal Register for incorporated by reference in this 
section in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. Copies of 
the material may be obtained from North American Energy Standards Board 
(NAESB), 801 Travis Street, Suite 1675, Houston, TX 77002, Tel: (713) 
356-0060. NAESB's website is at www.naesb.org/. The material may be 
inspected at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Reference 
and Files Maintenance Branch, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 
20426, Tel: (202) 02-8371, www.ferc.gov, or at the National Archives 
and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability 
of this material at NARA, email fedreg.legal@nara.gov, or go to: 
www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html. The NAESB WEQ

[[Page 10586]]

Business Practice Standards; Standards and Models approved for 
incorporation by reference are:
    (1) WEQ-000, Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Definition of Terms, 
standard WEQ-000-2 ([WEQ] Version 003.1, September 30, 2015), including 
only: the definitions of Interconnection Time Monitor, Time Error, and 
Time Error Correction;
    (2) WEQ-000, Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Definition of Terms, 
([WEQ] Version 003.2, Dec. 8, 2017)(with minor correction applied July 
23, 2019);
    (3) WEQ-001, Open Access Same-Time Information Systems (OASIS), 
[OASIS] Version 2.2 ([WEQ] Version 003.2, Dec. 8, 2017), excluding: 
standards WEQ-001-9 preamble text, WEQ-001-10 preamble text;
    (4) WEQ-002, Open Access Same-Time Information Systems (OASIS) 
Business Practice Standards and Communication Protocols (S&CP), [OASIS] 
Version 2.2 ([WEQ] Version 003.2, Dec. 8, 2017);
    (5) WEQ-003, Open Access Same-Time Information Systems (OASIS) Data 
Dictionary, [OASIS] Version 2.2 ([WEQ] Version 003.2, Dec. 8, 2017) 
(with minor corrections applied July 23, 2019);
    (6) WEQ-004, Coordinate Interchange ([WEQ] Version 003.2, Dec. 8, 
2017);
    (7) WEQ-005, Area Control Error (ACE) Equation Special Cases ([WEQ] 
Version 003.2, Dec. 8, 2017);
    (8) WEQ-006, Manual Time Error Correction ([WEQ] Version 003.1, 
Sept. 30, 2015);
    (9) WEQ-007, Inadvertent Interchange Payback ([WEQ] Version 003.2, 
Dec. 8, 2017);
    (10) WEQ-008, Transmission Loading Relief (TLR)--Eastern 
Interconnection ([WEQ] Version 003.2, Dec. 8, 2017);
    (11) WEQ-011, Gas/Electric Coordination ([WEQ] Version 003.2, Dec. 
8, 2017);
    (12) WEQ-012, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) ([WEQ] Version 003.2, 
Dec. 8, 2017);
    (13) WEQ-013, Open Access Same-Time Information Systems (OASIS) 
Implementation Guide, [OASIS] Version 2.2 ([WEQ] Version 003.2, Dec. 8, 
2017);
    (14) WEQ-015, Measurement and Verification of Wholesale Electricity 
Demand Response ([WEQ] Version 003.2, Dec. 8, 2017);
    (15) WEQ-021, Measurement and Verification of Energy Efficiency 
Products ([WEQ] Version 003.2,Dec. 8, 2017);
    (16) WEQ-022, Electric Industry Registry ([WEQ] Version 003.2, Dec. 
8, 2017); and
    (17) WEQ-023, Modeling ([WEQ] Version 003.2, Dec. 8, 2017), 
including only: standards WEQ-023-5; WEQ-023-5.1; WEQ-023-5.1.1; WEQ-
023-5.1.2; WEQ-023-5.1.2.1; WEQ-023-5.1.2.2; WEQ-023-5.1.2.3; WEQ-023-
5.1.3; WEQ-023-5.2; WEQ-023-6; WEQ-023-6.1; WEQ-023-6.1.1; WEQ-023-
6.1.2; and WEQ-023-A Appendix A.

Appendix

    Note: The Following Appendix Will Not Be Published in the Code 
of Federal Regulations.

List of Entities Filing Comments on WEQ Version 003.1 NOPR in Docket 
No. RM05-5-025, and the Abbreviations Used To Identify Them

     Bonneville Power Administration (9/26/16) (Bonneville)
     California Independent System Operator Corporation (9/
26/16) (CAISO)
     Edison Electric Institute (9/26/16) (EEI)
     Idaho Power Company (9/23/16) (Idaho Power)
     Open Access Technology International (9/27/16) (OATI)
     Public Utility District No. 1 of Snohomish County, 
Washington and the City of Tacoma, Department of Public Utilities, 
Light Division (collectively, Snohomish/Tacoma) (9/26/16)
     Southern Company Services, Inc. (9/26/16) (Southern)
     Southwest Power Pool, Inc. and Midwest Independent 
System Operator, Inc. (9/26/16) (collectively, Joint Commenters)

List of Entities Filing Comments on WEQ Version 003.2 NOPR in Docket 
No. RM05-5-027, and the Abbreviations Used To Identify Them

     Bonneville Power Administration (7/23/2019) 
(Bonneville)
     Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. (7/23/
2019) (MISO)
     North American Energy Standards Board (6/5/2019) 
(NAESB)
     Nevada Power Company and Sierra Pacific Power Company 
(7/23/2019) (NV Energy)
     Open Access Technology International, Inc. (7/22/2019) 
(OATI)
     PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (7/23/2019) (PJM)
     Southern Company Services, Inc. (7/23/2019) (Southern)
     Southwest Power Pool, Inc. (7/23/2019) (SPP)

List of Entities Filing Comments on WEQ Time Error Correction NOPR in 
Docket No. RM05-5-026, and the Abbreviations Used To Identify Them

     Dr. Jonathan E. Hardis (11/13/18)
     Dr. Demetrios Matsakis (11/13/18)
     North American Electric Reliability Corporation (10/24/
2018) (NERC)
     North American Energy Standards Board (11/28/2018) 
(NAESB)
     Southwest Power Pool, Inc. (11/13/18) (SPP)
[FR Doc. 2020-03244 Filed 2-24-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P