Electric Quarterly Reports (EQRs) for 3rd Quarter 2013 and Beyond
These Frequently Asked Questions are being provided by FERC staff to assist filers in complying with the requirements set forth in Commission rules and orders for EQRs filed for the third quarter of 2013 and later. Questions and answers may be added or updated from time to time.
Company Registration
If your entity is a non-public utility that is required to file an EQR but does not have an eTariff, you should select the “public utilities with cost-based rates” option in Company Registration. Your selection of this option is solely for system administration purposes and does not reflect how the non-public utility sets its rates. Please see Company Registration Manual
Contract Data
Contracts must be reported in the EQR once service under the contract begins. (Source: Order No. 2001 at PP 215-217).
These FERC Tariff Reference fields refer to the document that specifies the terms and conditions under which a Seller is authorized to make transmission sales, power sales, or sales of related jurisdictional services at cost-based rates or market-based rates. If the sales are market-based, the Seller’s market based rate tariff must be listed. Cost-based sales made under the WSPP Agreement should cite the WSPP tariff, and market-based sales made under the WSPP Agreement should cite the Seller’s market-based rate tariff. If a non-public utility does not have a FERC Tariff Reference, it should enter “NPU” for the FERC Tariff Reference. Unrestricted text (up to 60 characters) is submitted in these fields.
The FERC Tariff Reference fields should be populated using either the tariff designation or a truncated version of the section title of the Seller’s tariff document. For example, a section title using NAESB Business Names and adopted as FERC’s Business Names might include [Record Content Description]+[Tariff Record Title]+[Record Version Number]+[Option Code]. Each time a revision is made to the tariff being referenced, the FERC Tariff Reference field should be updated to reflect the updated tariff. The FERC Tariff Reference is not a docket number. If a contract refers to two tariffs, it should be identified as two separate contracts with two separate FERC Tariff References.
To look up a company’s tariff on the eTariff website, go to the eTariff homepage and enter your company’s name in the eTariff Viewer.
No. If a Seller has agreed to deliver a service or product, the agreement under which that Seller makes the sale (or transaction) is considered a contract that is reported in the EQR
The Begin Date (Field No. 43) and End Date (Field No. 44) require a numeric YYYYMMDDHHMM format. If your file does not have the date and time in this format, you will receive an error message. If the date and time are specified in the contract, then the date and time should be inserted in the format shown above; if they are not specified in the contract, the field should remain blank. Please ensure that the date fields contain valid entries.
The Contract Execution Date, the Commencement Date of Contract Terms, the Contract Termination Date, and the Actual Termination Date refer to the entire contract. The Contract Execution Date is the date the original contract was signed. If the parties signed on different dates, use the most recent date signed relative to the EQR being filed. Commencement Date of Contract Terms is the date the terms of the contract became effective relative to the EQR being filed. If those terms became effective on multiple dates (i.e., due to one or more amendments), the date reported in this field is the date the most recent amendment became effective. If the contract, or the most recent reported amendment, does not have an effective date, the date when service began pursuant to the contract or the most recently reported amendment may be used. The Contract Termination Date is the date that the contract expires. It is required, if specified in the contract. Actual Termination Date is the date the contract finally terminates and is required when the contract is terminated. (Source: Order No. 2001-H).
Extension Provision Description is an unrestricted text field so you can enter “None” or “N/A” if it is not specified in the contract.
The Contract Service Agreement ID is the naming or numbering system that is used by the Seller’s company to identify the contract. It should be unique for each contract. If FERC were to request that contract from the Seller, the Seller should be able to decipher that name/number and identify the specific contract.
A Seller (or their designated Agent) can list the product as “Other” if the service or product is not included in the list of Contract Products.
All service agreements and contracts must be reported in the EQR once sales under them begin. (Source: Order No. 2001 at PP 188-196). Also see the chart below.
Type of Agreement | Required to be Reported in EQR |
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Conforming Cost-Based Agreements | YES |
Conforming Market-Based Agreements | YES |
Non-conforming Cost- Based Agreements | YES |
Non-conforming Market- Based Agreements | YES |
Unexecuted Cost-Based Agreements |
The Commencement Date of Contract Terms should remain unchanged even if the Seller Company Name (Field No. 16) or Customer Company Name (Field No. 17) changes. The Commencement Date of Contract Terms would need to be changed when there is a change reported to Field Nos. 18, 23, and 25 through 44.
Yes, sales to parent companies should be reported as affiliated sales by marking “Y” in the Contract Affiliate field (Field No. 18).
Yes, all transmission capacity reassignments since the effective date of Order No. 890 (i.e. May 14, 2007) must be reported in the EQR according to the Commission’s Notice Providing Guidance on the Filing of Information on Transmission Capacity Reassignments in Electric Quarterly Reports . (Source: Order Nos. 890, 890-A, and 890-B).
For multi-party contracts, you should enter additional parties to a contract on separate lines within the same Contract Service Agreement ID. You will also need to change the Contract Unique ID (C1, C2, etc.) for each different party to the contract. When filing using XML, please see the XML schema.
When reporting contracts during a quarter in which the Seller’s name changed, If you decide to report the contract under both names, you will need to use two different Contract Unique ID numbers. If you decide to file the EQR under the Seller Company name that was active at the end of the quarter, then only one Contract Unique ID is required.
Each contract must be linked to a valid Seller. When filing using multiple Seller Company Names, each contract must be linked to a valid Seller Company Name active during that quarter.
This field must contain a text description of the rate. If the rate is not available on the FERC website, this field must include the rate algorithm if the rate is calculated. If the rate algorithm would exceed the 300 character field limit, provide a descriptive summary, including bases and methods of calculations with a detailed citation of the relevant FERC tariff including page numbers and section. If the rate is available on the FERC website, then the field may include a citation to the FERC Accession Number and the relevant FERC Tariff record instead of the entire rate algorithm. The objective of this field is to provide information to explain the bases and methods of the rate calculation; a simple tariff reference does not meet this standard.
This field should also be used to report products being sold if they are not listed in the current EQR Product Table, such as Meter Data Correction and Flexible Ramping. If transactions are being made under a Master Agreement, Sellers are instructed to specify that information in this field and should include specificity as to the type of transaction (e.g., “Market-Based EEI Master Agreement – Option Premium”; “WSPP Schedule Q APS rate - Accession # 1234567-0005, pg. 2-4”; “Price agreed to between seller and purchaser under WSPP contract schedules C and R”).
Contract Data/Transaction Data
Yes, at a minimum, a Seller is required to provide Identification Data every quarter, even if it has no contracts or sales. Contracts are reported when sales under the contract begin and must continue to be reported in the EQR until they are terminated. Transactions are reported in the quarter that they occur.
Information about standard, non-conforming, and conforming transmission service agreements should be reported in the Contract Data Section of the EQR. A transmission-owning public utility is responsible for filing its transmission-related information in the EQR, consistent with section 205(c) of the Federal Power Act. Third-party sellers of ancillary services must report information about their ancillary services in the Contract and Transaction Data Sections of the EQR (please refer to the FAQ on reactive power for reporting sales of reactive power). Transmission Providers that provide ancillary services under their OATTs should only report information about their ancillary services in the Contract Data Section of the EQR. Transmission transactions associated with power sales must be reported in the Transaction Data Section of the EQR. Transmission transactions made by merchant transmission companies under a negotiated rate also need to be reported in the Transaction Data Section of the EQR. Transmission Providers must report transmission capacity reassignment agreements and transmission capacity reassignments in the Contract Data Section of the EQR.
EQR Products
A Contract Product is the product that a company is offering to sell. For example, Energy and Capacity are types of Contract Products. All acceptable Contract Products are listed in Appendix A of the EQR Data Dictionary . All contract products offered to be sold must be included in the Contract Data.
Ancillary services contracts need to be reported in the Contract Section of the EQR. Ancillary services transactions made pursuant to an Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT) do not need to be reported in the Transaction Section of the EQR. Ancillary services transactions associated with power sales need to be reported in the Transaction Section of the EQR. Third-party sellers of ancillary services must report information about their ancillary services in the Contract and Transaction Data Sections of the EQR (please refer to the FAQ on reactive power for reporting sales of reactive power).
EQR Products/Ancillary Services
AGC is not in the EQR list of Contract Products - Appendix A of the EQR Data Dictionary . A Seller (or their designated Agent) should use “Regulation and Frequency Response” as a product name for AGC.
Mileage should be reported as “Regulation & Frequency Response.”
Reactive power sales should be reported as an ancillary service under the product name “Reactive Supply and Voltage Control” in the EQR. For reactive power associated with transmission and sold at a Commission-accepted cost-based rate, pursuant to an individual seller’s cost-based rate tariff or an RTO/ISO Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT), staff recommends that filers report information in the Contract Data section of the EQR with a reference to the relevant cost-based rate tariff or RTO/ISO OATT. If the sales of reactive power are associated with power sales, filers must report information about the reactive power sales in the Contract and Transaction Data sections of the EQR.
The Seller should report the bundled price for Requirements Service only if the component prices for energy, capacity, and ancillary service products are not separately delineated. To the extent the Seller can separate out the various components of the Requirements Service and report them as separate products (energy, capacity, ancillary services) in the EQR, the Seller should do so.
Yes, if the seller takes title to a product associated with the energy sale, then the product should be reported separately under the appropriate Product Name in the EQR. For example, if the seller charges a buyer for an ancillary service (e.g., Regulation & Frequency Response) associated with the sale of energy to the buyer, then the seller should report Regulation & Frequency Response as a separate product in the Contract and Transaction sections of the EQR. If a “pass through” charge associated with the energy sale is reportable but does not have a corresponding Product Name in the EQR Data Dictionary, (e.g., the Wind Integration product sold by Bonneville Power Administration), then the seller should report the charge under the Product Name “Other” in the Contract and Transaction sections of the EQR with a description of the product in the Rate Description field.
General EQR
The EQR is the reporting mechanism FERC uses for public utilities to fulfill their responsibility under section 205(c) of the Federal Power Act (FPA) to have their rates and charges on file in a convenient form and place. The EQR contains Seller-provided data summarizing contractual terms and conditions in agreements for all jurisdictional services, including cost-based sales, market- based rate sales, and transmission service, as well as transaction information for short-term and long-term market-based power sales and cost-based power sales. Certain non-public utilities are also required to file EQRs under section 220 of the FPA, beginning in the third quarter of 2013. The link to Commission Orders & Notices offers access to EQR-related orders and notices.
EQRs must be filed electronically. Beginning with the third quarter of 2013, EQR filers must use the EQR filing system available at https://eqronline.ferc.gov.
Extension requests should be filed in Docket No. ER02-2001-000. Extension requests must be in letter form and include the following:
- current date,
- name and CID of the company requesting an extension,
- contact name, address, and telephone number of the requestor,
- reason(s) for necessitating an extension, and
- proposed date by when the company expects to file the EQR.
To facilitate the processing of such requests, please include the Company Unique Identifier (CID) of the Seller within the letter. The request should be received by FERC prior to the EQR filing deadline barring extraordinary circumstances. (Source: 18 C.F.R. §§ 385.2008, 385.212). Extensions may be requested by: (1) electronic filing or (2) paper filings. Electronic filings must be made using eFiling located on the Document & Filings tab at www.ferc.gov. FERC Submission Guidelines can be found at https://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides. Paper filings should be addressed to: Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20426. The use of express or hand-delivered services for paper filings is recommended.
No. Sellers (or their designated Agents) are required to file EQRs using the EQR electronic process located at https://eqronline.ferc.gov. Sellers may not use eFiling or paper filings to submit their EQR. (Source: Order No. 2001).
When a Seller’s legal name changes or a Seller wishes to relinquish its market-based rate authority, it is required to notify the Commission. In some instances, if a Seller’s name changes, it may file a Notice of Succession. If the Seller desires to cancel its tariff, it must file a Notice of Cancellation.
Service agreements or contracts must be retained and be made available to the Commission or the public upon request. (Source: 18 C.F.R. § 35.1 (g)). Transaction information (all data and information upon which an entity billed the prices it charged for electric energy or electric energy products pursuant to the Seller’s market-based rate tariff as well as the prices it reported to price indices) must be retained for five years. (Source: 18 C.F.R. § 35.41 (d)).
If an entity fails to file EQR(s), or fails to timely file EQR(s), it may be subject to Commission enforcement action. The Commission has a number of enforcement tools at its disposal, including civil penalties; disgorgement of unjust profits; the imposition of a compliance plan; and the conditioning, suspension, or revocation of market-based rate authority. The decision of whether to impose a measure is based on an evaluation of the particular circumstances of the individual case, including the frequency, scope and seriousness of the violations.
Yes, a CID is required by the Seller to file an EQR. A CID is obtained through the Company Registration system. For more information, please see the FERC website section on Company Registration.
An Agent may use either a CID or DID to file the EQR. In both cases, the Agent will need to have the Seller’s authorization within the FERC eRegistration system to be able to file on behalf of the Seller. It is not enough to register within Company Registration. A Seller’s Account Manager must also assign the Agent to file the EQR on its behalf. The Seller is required to obtain a CID through FERC’s Company Registration system. For more information, please see the FERC website section on Company Registration.
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An automated email of receipt will be sent to the person who submitted the EQR.
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A notification of validation status will be sent via email to all company-appointed Seller and Agent contacts. This notice will
include any “errors” (i.e., significant defects that will result in the automatic rejection of the filing) and “warnings” (i.e.,
minor defects that will not result in the automatic rejection of the filing).
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Once validation occurs, a notification of acceptance or rejection will be sent via email to all company- appointed Seller and
Agent contacts. If you do not receive an email labeled “Acceptance of Filing,” then FERC has not received your filing and you need to resend the EQR to meet filing requirements. If you receive the “Acceptance of Filing” email, then you have successfully filed an EQR for the quarter. If you receive a rejection email, you will need to take corrective action with the data and resend the EQR.
An Agent is someone who is authorized to file an EQR on behalf of a Seller. An Agent must:
Be fully eRegistered with FERC through FERCOnline and have a FERC Unique ID.
Be assigned as an Agent to file EQRs. This assignment is done by an Account Manager associated with the Company; it is not done by FERC Staff. A person can be both an Account Manager and an Agent simultaneously.
Be identified as an Agent in the EQR file. In the CSV file, the Agent is the FA1 in the _Ident.csv file. In XML, the Agent is designated as the Filer, and the XML will reflect IsFilerContact="true" for the Agent.
Ensure that the assigned agent is logged in using their account so that the system sends the automated (receipt, acceptance, rejection) emails to a valid email.
No. If the seller did not report transactions to an index price publisher, you do not submit an Index Publisher file.
Yes, the Index Reporting Data is a separate EQR section. If Sellers are reporting to an index publisher that is not listed in the EQR, Seller representatives (or their designated Agents) should notify Commission staff of the index publisher by emailing EQR@ferc.gov.
Yes, list each index price publisher to which prices are reported on a separate line in the Index Reporting Data Section. If not all transactions or products are reported to that index, specify the types of transactions or products reported to the index (e.g., next day physical energy, balance of month physical energy) in Field No. 74 (Transactions Reported).
The list of Balancing Authorities is based on OATI’s webRegistry. This updated Balancing Authorities list can be viewed in the “Allowable Entries for PORBA, PODBA, and Hubs (Fields 39-42, 57, 58)” document available on the EQR webpage. Be aware that these entries may change so you may need to contact the Seller Company to determine the active Balancing Authority or Hub if you receive an associated filing error.
No, when refiling data, you must refile the entire set of contracts and transactions. The EQR system replaces the old file with the new file in its entirety. If you only send the contract file, you will lose the transactions that you previously submitted.
Filing and refiling EQRs for quarters prior to third quarter 2013 must be made using Visual FoxPro.
The Commission directs filers to correct the most recent 12 reports (three years of data) with a note placed in the EQR stating that other reports may also contain the error. Please see the guidance established in Executive Order 13579.
The requirement for Sellers to file contract, or contract and transaction data in the EQR (depending on the product being reported) begins with the first EQR filed after “service commences” under an agreement, and continues until the EQR filed after the agreement expires or by order of the Commission. For example, a Seller enters into a contract with a buyer in November 2017, but does not begin making transactions under that contract until January 2018. In this instance, the Seller would begin reporting the contract and any transactions made under that contract in its first quarter 2018 EQR filing. The Seller would continue reporting the relevant contract and any transaction data under that contract until the contract terminates or is canceled.
We recognize that filers may not have complete, final data for a quarter in time to file by the EQR filing deadline; however, the Commission requires the filer to submit the best available data by the EQR filing deadline. The Commission requires that any additions or changes to an EQR filing must be made by the end of the following quarter, at which time, the filer is expected to file the best available new data. Thereafter, the Commission requires the filer to report only material changes, either as a full refiling or as a transaction with the class name “Billing Adjustment.” The filer shall add any billing adjustment transaction to the prior quarter in which the change is applicable and then, refile for that quarter.
ID Data
The Filer Unique Identifier is used to identify contact information for the Seller and the Agent.
1. A Filer Unique Identifier of FS# (where “#” is an integer) should be used to indicate a Seller's employee contact information.
2. A Filer Unique Identifier of FA1 should be used to indicate the Agent contact Information. The Agent may be a company employee or designated third party.
The ID Data Section of the EQR must include at least one Seller and one Agent. When filing using XML, please see the XML https://ferc.gov/ferc-online/ferc-online/electric-quarterly-reports-eqr/xml-and-csv-templates-tables-and-samples
The tariff holder at the end of the quarter is responsible for filing the EQR. Since only one file will be processed, good utility practice requires the original company to provide the necessary data to the entity that must make the EQR filing.
Yes. The EQR System allows quarter over quarter Name Changes validated against the names identified in Company Registration, as well as mid-quarter Name Changes (i.e., more than one Seller name per quarter) validated against Company Registration. Filers are able to file for Seller Company Name(s) that are active during that quarter in the Company Registration system. For more information, please see the FERC website section on Company Registration.
Filing under multiple Seller Company names is optional. Filers still have the choice of reporting the EQR only under the Seller Company name that is active at the end of the quarter.
Field No. 1 (Filer Unique Identifier, or FA1) must be the Agent that is active on the date of the filing. Field No. 2 (Company Name) must be the active name of the Seller at the end of the filing quarter. Field Nos. 16 and 46 (Seller Company Name for contracts and transactions, respectively) can contain one or all names of the Seller that were active during the quarter in the Company Registration system.
In the EQR User Interface, the Seller Page contains options for the Seller Company Name to be used in that quarter’s filing. When filing using the CSV upload option, the filer has the option to file contracts and transactions associated with one or all Seller Company Names active during that quarter.
Non Public Utilities (NPUs)
A non-public utility is any market participant that is exempted from the Commission’s jurisdiction under section 201(f) of the FPA. This term does not include an entity that engages in purchases or sales of wholesale electric energy or transmission services within the Electric Reliability Council of Texas or any entity that engages solely in sales of wholesale electric energy or transmission services in the states of Alaska or Hawaii.
Yes, at a minimum, the non-public utility Seller is required to provide Identification Data every quarter even if it has no contracts or sales. Contracts are reported when sales under the contracts begin and must continue to be reported in the EQR until they are terminated. Transactions are reported in the quarter that they occur.
The threshold calculation is based on the average annual wholesale sales over the preceding three years, reported by the non- public utility as “Sales for Resale” in the Energy Information Administration (EIA) Form 861. (Source: Order No. 768 at P 46). EIA Form 861 instructions for Line 12 define “Sales for Resale” as the amount of electricity sold for resale purposes, including full and partial requirements customers, firm power customers, and non-firm customers. (Source: EIA, Annual Electric Power Industry Report Instructions).
For example, the threshold calculation should include:
- Sales by a non-public utility, such as a cooperative or joint action agency, to its members. (However, these sales do not need to be reported in the EQR). (See Order No. 768 at PP 2, 19).
- Sales by a non-public utility under a long-term, cost-based agreement required to be made to certain customers under Federal or state statute. (However, these sales do not need to be reported in the EQR). (See Order No. 768 at PP 2, 19).
- Sales by a non-public utility to organized RTO/ISO markets. (These sales must be reported in the EQR).
If the non-public utility is reporting contracts or transactions that occur outside a FERC tariff, the FERC Tariff Reference field should be populated with “NPU.”
Non-public utilities can provide a link to a webpage that contains a formula rate. If the webpage contains additional material, the Rate Description field must provide more detail regarding the location of the formula on the webpage. By contrast, public utilities must specify their formula rate in the EQR or reference a document in FERC’s eLibrary by Accession number; they cannot provide a link to any other webpage. (Source: Order No. 2001-H at PP 20-21).
QF & EWG
QFs that are required to file rates under section 205 of the Federal Power Act (FPA) must file EQRs, unless their sales are otherwise exempted from such requirements. Most QF sales are likely to be sales for resale in interstate commerce, and thus would be subject to sections 205 and 206 of the FPA. Such QF sales are exempt from sections 205 and 206 of the FPA, if they meet the criteria for exemption described in section 292.601(c)(1) of the Commission’s regulations, 18 C.F.R. § 292.601(c)(1), i.e., if they are sales from a QF 20 MW or smaller, if they are sales made pursuant to a state’s implementation of section 210 of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, 16 U.S.C. § 824a-3, or if they are sales made from a contract entered into on or before March 17, 2006.1 Such exempted QF sales need not be reported in the EQR. Thus, QF sales that are subject to the exemptions from sections 205 and 206 of the FPA that are listed in section 292.601(c) (1) of the Commission’s regulations do not have to be reported in EQRs.
Yes, EWGs must file EQRs. The term “Exempt Wholesale Generator” means any person engaged directly, or indirectly through one or more affiliates, that is exclusively in the business of owning or operating, or both owning and operating, all or part of one or more eligible facilities and selling electric energy at wholesale (Source: 18 C.F.R. § 366.1). EWGs are exempt from certain regulations implementing PUHCA 2005, but they are not exempt from section 205 of the FPA. Therefore, they must file EQRs.
Whether or not such reporting is required depends on a number of factors, starting with the type of facility, as described below and in the response to the following question. For the relevant specifics, see 18 C.F.R. § 292.601, but in brief the following qualifying facility (QF) sales are exempt from reporting:
All sales of energy or capacity made by cogeneration QFs are exempt from reporting where: (1) the QF is 20 MW or smaller; or (2) the energy or capacity is sold pursuant to a contract executed on or before March 17, 2006; or (3) the energy or capacity is sold pursuant to a state regulatory authority’s implementation of PURPA section 210.
All sales of energy or capacity made by geothermal small power production QFs are exempt from reporting where: (1) the QF is 20 MW or smaller; or (2) the energy or capacity is sold pursuant to a contract executed on or before March 17, 2006; or (3) the energy or capacity is sold pursuant to a state regulatory authority’s implementation of PURPA section 210.
All sales of energy or capacity made by non-geothermal small power production QFs that are equal to or less than 30 MW are exempt from reporting where: (1) the QF is also 20 MW or smaller; or (2) the energy or capacity is sold pursuant to a contract executed on or before March 17, 2006; or (3) the energy or capacity is sold pursuant to a state regulatory authority’s implementation of PURPA section 210, are exempt from FPA section 205 and do not need to be reported on EQRs. All sales of energy or capacity made by non-geothermal small power production QFs that are greater than 30 MW, however, must be reported on EQRs.
Finally, all sales of energy or capacity made by Federal Power Act section 3(17)(E) small power production QFs (that is, 1990s-grandfathered solar, wind, waste, or geothermal small power production QFs as defined in 16 U.S.C. § 796(17)(E)) are exempt from reporting where: (1) the QF is 20 MW or smaller; or (2) the energy or capacity is sold pursuant to a contract executed on or before March 17, 2006; or (3) the energy or capacity is sold pursuant to a state regulatory authority’s implementation of PURPA section 210.
If a QF is not able to take advantage of one of the above-described exemptions, the QF is obligated to report its sales on its EQR. And, if a QF makes sales pursuant to a market-based rate tariff, as explained in the response to the following question, it would separately have an obligation to file an EQR.
Yes. A QF that has applied for and been granted market-based rate authority must file an EQR with information about its market based sales as a condition of retaining its market-based rate authority. This requirement applies even if the QF makes some sales pursuant to an exemption identified in the response to the question immediately above. A QF must explain what portion of its sales meet the requirements for the exemption in section 292.601(c)(1) of the Commission’s regulations, and if the QF desires to sell both pursuant to an exemption while also selling pursuant to market-based rate authority, it must specifically list its limitations on sales at market-based rates in its market-based rate tariff. (See also the Electric Market Based Rates webpage.
Reports
EQR users can search by Company Unique Identifier (CID) and Seller Company Name within the EQR Report Viewer. Names and CIDs of entities with market-based rates can be found at: https://ferc.gov/electric-market-based-rates
Transaction data
Negative and $0 prices are allowed as entries, but you will receive a warning message informing you to double check this data. If you are being paid to sell energy, the price should be positive. If you pay to sell energy, you should use negative prices. You should not report booked out transactions using negative prices.
A new transaction row must be used every time the terms of a particular sale change, including price and product name.
Transactions should be reported for the quarter in which the power flowed, or would have flowed in the case of book outs.
If the same transaction occurs in multiple filing quarters, it must be reported in each applicable quarter.
Multi-day transaction reporting reflects the appropriate price change and/or the duration of the underlying commitment for which the transaction occurs, which determines the Increment Name (Field No. 61) and Increment Peaking Name (Field No. 62). For full period contracts, if the price doesn’t change with the increment peaking, the multi-day transaction can be reported as a single record.
When filing using CSV, the Transaction Unique ID (Field No. 45) is an identifier beginning with the letter “T” and followed by a number used to designate a record containing transaction information. The Transaction Unique Identifier (Field No. 50) is a unique reference number assigned by the Seller for each transaction.
No. The Transaction Increment Name should reflect the duration of the terms agreed upon in the transaction (i.e., the quantity sold, the hours of flow, and the pricing method). The Contract Increment Name for the contract should reflect the duration of the terms of the contract. Because these Increment Names are defined differently, they do not necessarily have to be the same. (Source: Order No. 2001-G).
Please use the actual Begin and End Date of the delivery of the true up volume.
“FLAT RATE” may be used as appropriate but must be converted to $/MWh in Standardized Price (Field No. 68) and MWh in Standardized Quantity (Field No. 67).
In this scenario, the generator would report its sale to the marketer in the EQR with the marketer listed as the Customer Company (i.e. buyer). The marketer would then report its sale to the RTO or ISO with the RTO or ISO listed as the Customer Company (i.e. buyer).
It depends on the terms of the particular sale. Please see the definitions for Increment Name (Field No. 61) in the Data Dictionary.
Offsetting transactions in ISO/RTO markets must be reported in the EQR in accordance with the Real Time/Day Ahead guidance document . Sales in ISO/RTO markets should not be reported as “BOOKED OUT POWER.”
The Trade Date should be the date the offer cleared in the day-ahead market, i.e., the day before the power flowed.
The Trade Date should be the date of the offset.
The Trade Date should be the date the markets clear. For example, if a credit is related to a day-ahead energy sale to the RTO or ISO, the correct Trade Date for the uplift credit is the day before the power flowed. If a credit is related to a real-time energy sale to an RTO or ISO, the correct Trade Date for the regulation and frequency response credit is the day the power flowed.
Imports should follow the same guidelines for Trade Date as noted above for other, similar transactions. As such, the Trade Date for a day-ahead import is the day before the power was imported; the Trade Date for a real-time import is the date of the import.
Bilateral Transactions occurring between market participants within an RTO or ISO for the purchase or sale of electric energy are separate from other transactions taking place in the organized energy market. Therefore, the Trade Date for a Bilateral Transaction should be the date upon which the parties made the legally binding agreement on the price of the transaction, not necessarily the date that the trade may have been reported to an RTO or ISO.
Yes. “RTO/ISO” is used in the Type of Rate field if the rate is the result of an RTO/ISO market or a sale made to the RTO/ISO. (Source: Order No. 768-A at P47).
Yes, use “Electric Index” in the Type of Rate field if an RTO/ISO price is a component of the rate charged in a bilateral sale. In a situation where a formula rate is tied to an RTO/ISO price, the Type of Rate should be listed as “Electric Index.” It is not an “RTO/ISO” Type of Rate because it is not the result of an RTO/ISO market or a sale made to the RTO/ISO. (Source: Order No. 768- A at P47).
If the transaction was entered into on or after July 1, 2013, Order 768-A clarified that the “Trade Date” and “Type of Rate” fields are required.
No, data must specifically reflect the price changes per product per timeframe during a quarter. The price and time changes can be shown as several rows within one transaction or as separate transactions. If the price changed hourly, there will be a new row for each hour.
Booked Out Power is the offsetting of opposing buy-sell transactions at the same time and place. In other words, energy or capacity contractually committed bilaterally for delivery but not actually delivered due to some offsetting or countervailing trade. For example, if A sells 50MW of power to B, and for the same time period and location B sells 50MW of power back to A, the transactions would be booked out in their entirety and no transmission would be required. Nonetheless, the transactions must both
be reported in Electric Quarterly Reports. Likewise, using the example given in Order No. 2001, if A sells 50MW to B and, for the same time period and location B sells 60MW back to A, then all of these separate transactions must be reported in Electric Quarterly Reports even though only 10MW would be transmitted to A. A would report a 50MW power sale to B, and B would report a 60MW power sale to A.
Note: Booked Out Power should never be reported in the contracts portion of the EQR. (Source: Order Nos. 2001, and 2011-E.) Offsetting transactions in RTO/ISO markets must be reported in the EQR in accordance with the Real Time/Day Ahead guidance document.
If the product is delivered at the interconnection of two Balancing Authority Areas, the Point of Delivery Balancing Authority (PODBA) (Fields Nos. 41 and 57) that the product is entering should be used. If delivery occurs at a trading hub specified in the EQR software, the term “Hub” should be used. The Point of Delivery Specific Location (PODSL) (Field Nos. 42 and 58) should be reported as the specific location where the product was delivered, which may not necessarily be located in the balancing authority area that the product entered.
Exchange/Brokerage Service (Field No. 54) field should be ICE.
Yes, sales to Canada should be reported when:
1. the sale originates in the United States and is delivered in the United States; or
2. the sale originates in the United States where title changes on the United States’ side of the United States-Canada border.
(Source: Order No. 2001-G at PP 64-65).
Yes, when the sale originates in Canada and the title changes in the United States. (Source: Order No. 2001-G at PP 64-65).
In general, an entity making sales solely within the boundaries of ERCOT does not need to report EQRs because these sales are not jurisdictional; however, an entity should report in the EQR sales originating in ERCOT that are delivered into the United States outside of ERCOT, or sales originating in the United States outside ERCOT that are delivered into ERCOT. In addition, if an entity has been granted market-based rate authority by the Commission, it should report Identification, Contract, and/or Transaction Data in the EQR, as applicable, as a condition of retaining its market-based rate authority.
Both Energy and Capacity products can be booked out. If a Seller is reporting “Booked Out Power” of Energy, the units should be MWh and $/MWh for standardized quantity and standardized price respectively; if a Seller is reporting “Booked Out Power” of Capacity, the units should be MW-MO and $/MW-MO respectively. A Seller should be able to identify what product is sold or booked out.
No. If no transmission charges are incurred during the reporting period, enter 0 (zero).
Cost-based sales under the WSPP Agreement should cite the WSPP tariff, and market-based sales made under the WSPP Agreement should cite the Seller’s market-based rate tariff. (Source: Order No. 2001-G at P 17). The Seller (or their designated Agent) will need to report the WSPP Agreement separately for each counterparty. The application of the WSPP Agreement to a given counterparty should be reported once a transaction occurs with the counterparty and should continue until the reporting company leaves the WSPP Agreement or determines that it is unlikely to do a bilateral transaction with the counterparty under the WSPP. The Commencement and Execution Dates should be reported as the date that the Seller joined WSPP.
Three charge codes should be incorporated into a filer’s EQR when reporting EIM sales. These charge codes are:
- 64600 FMM Instructed Imbalance Energy EIM Settlement
- 64700 Real Time Instructed Imbalance Energy EIM Settlement
- 66200 RTM Bid Cost Recovery EIM Settlement
These EIM sales should be reported in the Contract and Transaction Data sections of the EQR using the Product Name ENERGY. Filers are encouraged to incorporate “EIM64600,” “EIM64700,” “EIM66200,” or “FMMIIE,” “RTIIE,” “RTMBCR,” as applicable, at the start of the Transaction Unique Identifier (Field No. 50) to identify the transactions associated with each charge code.
User Interface
Yes. The EQR application can be accessed from multiple locations and by multiple Agents; however, only one eRegistered individual may view, or edit the working copy of the EQR file for a specific Seller and quarter at any one time. Once an Agent has clicked on the Seller to view working data, all others are locked out until the user exits the system. A Seller representative (or its designated Agent) can exit the session by logging out of the application, timing out, or filing the data with FERC. Once the Seller representative (or their designated Agent) exits, any other Seller representative (or it’s designated Agent) with access to that EQR can view the current working data.
When using Manual Entry, there is a “prefill from prior period” option that can be used to pre-populate the ID Data and Contract data. Transactions cannot pre-populated. See the User Guide for further guidance.
If the system does not let a Seller representative (or its designated Agent) view data for filing, then that Seller representative (or their designated Agent) will receive a message stating which eRegistered user is currently viewing the data. Either a Seller representative (or their designated Agent) can contact the other specified eRegistered user to coordinate their work on the EQR or, if the other Seller representative (or their designated Agent) is away from his/her desk, the application will log them out automatically after the system times out after 20 minutes of inactivity. (Note: After 15 minutes, a pop up warning message lets users know they will be timing out unless they click the OK button.) In the event that a Seller representative (or their designated Agent) is forcibly logged off (when the system times out), that data will be saved in its most current form.
No, if a Seller representative (or their designated Agent) creates an EQR submittal using the web interface or edits information uploaded from the CSV file using the web interface, the changes are stored in a working copy of the data on FERC servers. Working data is not considered a filing; working data is retained until it is successfully filed and accepted by FERC.
Once the CSV file is uploaded, data remains in the EQR system until filed. To access data uploaded before filing, a Seller representative or their designated Agent will need to log back in and select “Manual Edit” to update or file the data. (Note: Once a filing is made, a date-time stamp will appear in the “Last Action Date” column on the .main filing page.).
Once uploaded, data remains in the EQR system until filed. To replace uploaded data before filing, a Seller contact or designee will need to log back into the system and select “CSV New” to upload revised CSV data files. Once a filing is made, a date-time stamp will appear in the “Last Action Date” column on the .main filing page.
Select “CSV Replace.” If there is no date-time stamp in the “Last Action Date” column, then the filing was not received by FERC.
Select “Manual Edit.” If there is no date-time stamp in the “Last Action Date” column, then the filing was not received by FERC.
The four CSV files should be named similar to:
1. XXXXX_ident.CSV
2. FEL_Q3_2013_contracts.CSV
3. Company_transactions.CSV
4. Your_Choice_indexpub.CSV
Adding notes to a large CSV file submission differs slightly from how notes are added for smaller files. Adding notes to a large file submission requires the filer to insert notes prior to uploading the file for “Test Only Validation” or “Direct Submission.” If a message appears from the system indicating that the Zip File is too large for the pre-validation process, the system will return to the “Browse and Upload” page. At this point, the filer should select “Test Only Validation” or “Direct Submit” to process the file, and then enter the notes by pressing on the blue “Notes” button. After the notes are entered, the Save button should be pressed. For large file submissions, the filer must enter the notes BEFORE they upload the file. Once the file is uploaded, it automatically proceeds to processing, and there will be no ability to enter notes.
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