[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 37 (Tuesday, February 25, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 10571-10586]
[FR Doc No: 2020-03244]

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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.

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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,<PHONE_NUMBER>
Michael A. Chase (legal issues), Office of the General Counsel, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC
20426,<PHONE_NUMBER>

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.

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

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\
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    \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).
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    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.
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    \13\ NAESB October 26 Filing at 3.
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    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\
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    \14\ See WEQ Version 003.1 NOPR, 156 FERC ] 61,055 at P 42.
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    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.
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    \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.
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    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\
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    \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.
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    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\
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    \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).
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    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

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.
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    \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.
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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:

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               WEQ                      Business practice standards
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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.
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    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\
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    \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.''
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    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.
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    \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.
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    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\
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    \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).
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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

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.
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    \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.
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    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\
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    \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).
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    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\
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    \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

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

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

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-

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-<IP_ADDRESS>, WEQ-001-<IP_ADDRESS>, 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-<IP_ADDRESS>; WEQ-023-<IP_ADDRESS>; WEQ-023-<IP_ADDRESS>; 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-<IP_ADDRESS>, 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

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-
<IP_ADDRESS> 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

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

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.

    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<EMAIL_ADDRESS>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\.

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.
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    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<EMAIL_ADDRESS>
phone:<PHONE_NUMBER>, fax:<PHONE_NUMBER>.

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

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.
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    \120\ $475,200 (total one-time paperwork cost) / 165 (number of
entities) = $2,880/entity.
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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
<EMAIL_ADDRESS>or the Public Reference Room at (202) 502-
8371, TTY<PHONE_NUMBER>. Email the Public Reference Room at
<EMAIL_ADDRESS>
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<EMAIL_ADDRESS>or go to:
www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html. The NAESB WEQ

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-<IP_ADDRESS>; WEQ-023-<IP_ADDRESS>; WEQ-023-<IP_ADDRESS>; 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