FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20426

OFFICE OF ENERGY MARKET REGULATION

New York Independent System Operator, Inc.

Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation

Docket No. ER19-132-000

Issued: December 4, 2018

Garrett E. Bissell, Esq.

New York Independent System Operator, Inc.

10 Krey Boulevard

Rensselaer, NY 12144

Daniel Galaburda, Esq.

National Grid

40 Sylvan Road

Waltham, MA 02451

Reference:Revised Depreciation Rates

On October 17, 2018, New York Independent System Operator, Inc. filed, on behalf of Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation (Niagara Mohawk), updated transmission depreciation rates to revise Niagara Mohawk’s Wholesale Transmission Service Charge (TSC) formula rate.[1]  You state that Niagara Mohawk’s revised depreciation rates, based on a 2016 depreciation rate study, were approved by the New York Public Service Commission (Docket No. 17-E-0238) effective April 1, 2018.

Pursuant to the authority delegated to the Director, Division of Electric Power

Regulation – East, under 18 C.F.R. § 375.307, your submittal is accepted for filing, effective as requested, subject to NYISO and Niagara Mohawk filing a compliance filing within 30 days of the date of this order, adding Niagara Mohawk’s depreciation and amortization rates for General Plant, Common Plant and Intangible Plant to its Wholesale TSC formula rate.[2] 

The filing was noticed on October 18, 2018, with comments, interventions, and protests due on or before November 7, 2018.  Pursuant to Rule 214 (18 C.F.R. § 385.214 (2018)), to the extent that any timely filed motions to intervene and any motion to intervene out-of-time were filed before the issuance date of this order, such interventions are granted.  Granting late interventions at this stage of the proceeding will not disrupt the proceeding or place additional burdens on existing parties.   

This acceptance for filing shall not be construed as constituting approval of the referenced filing or of any rate, charge, classification, or any rule, regulation, or practice affecting such rate or service contained in your filing; nor shall such acceptance be deemed as recognition of any claimed contractual right or obligation associated therewith; and such acceptance is without prejudice to any findings or orders that have been or may hereafter be made by the Commission in any proceeding now pending or hereafter instituted by or against NYISO or Niagara Mohawk.

This order constitutes final agency action.  Requests for rehearing by the Commission may be filed within 30 days of the date of issuance of this order, pursuant to 18 C.F.R. § 385.713.

Issued by: Kurt M. Longo, Director, Division of Electric Power Regulation – East

[1] New York Independent System Operator, Inc., NYISO Tariffs, NYISO OATT, 14.1 OATT Att H TSC, 15.0.0, NYISO OATT, 14.1 OATT Att H TSC, 16.0.0, NYISO OATT, 14.1 OATT Att H TSC, 17.0.0, and NYISO OATT, 14.1 OATT Att H TSC, 18.0.0.

[2] See Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, 133 FERC ¶ 61,261 (2010) at P 5 (“Unlike the variable components of a formula rate, the depreciation rates are fixed components of the rate, and as such, they should be included in tariff or rate schedules for public inspection pursuant to FPA section 205(c).”)