In the same way your teacher loaded you down with books and assignments on the first day of the school year, new Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Pat Wood, presiding over his first meeting Wednesday. He put a whole slew of initiatives in motion, setting meetings, rulemakings, and calling for comments.

Sorting it out:

The Commission voted out a proposed rulemaking that which would extend the standards of conduct to fence off federally regulated transmission monopolies, both gas pipelines and electric transmission lines, from any other affiliate, including financial affiliates (see related story). For gas pipelines, which have been unbundled for a number of years and subject to affiliate codes of conduct for an equal number of years, the proposed rule will not be as onerous as it will for electric utilities, many of which are still bundled. This will mean, however, that gas transmission utilities must maintain firewalls between themselves and power affiliates, as well as gas marketing affiliates. Turn in your comments, please.

By its second meeting in October, FERC will have a detailed business plan, including priorities and completion dates for its Oct. 1, 2001 to Oct. 1, 2002 fiscal year. Wood directed a panel of senior staff members and another of junior staff members and union representatives to come up with the plan. The commissioners voted Wednesday to amend their existing five-year plan to emphasize their major new emphasis on market monitoring and mitigation.

FERC will be holding regional meetings on gas and electric infrastructure. It will start with a meeting on the western infrastructure following the Nov. 1-2 Western Governors Association meeting in Seattle. Wood said he expected federal and state regulators, and others to participate. A meeting for the Northeast may be scheduled in December, with sessions for the South and Midwest to come later. Attendance is not mandatory.

FERC will cooperate with the Department of Energy in two technology-oriented sessions, one to explore technology solutions such as remote metering to capturing retail and wholesale consumer demand response in mid-February and another to investigate new transmission technology in mid-January.

Don’t be surprised to see a lot of topics debated at FERC’s regular open meetings. The sunshine laws which prohibit more than two commissioners from discussing FERC business except in an open meeting, is confining, Wood said. (Usually commission staff runs back and forth among commissioners to establish positions before the meetings). Wood would like to have more discussions out in the open to work things out, and also to let the public know “not just what we are doing, but why we are doing it.”

And also, be prepared to pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America from now on at any FERC meeting presided over by Chairman Wood. The chairman also asked for a moment of silence Wednesday for the victims of the Sept. 11 attack.

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