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The other final rule, Order No. 889, (i) implements standards of conduct for jurisdictional utilities that <br /> off:r open access transmission services to ensure that transmission owners and their affiliates do not have <br /> an infair competitive advantage in using transmission to sell power, and (ii)requires those jurisdictional <br /> util ties to establish or use an electronic "Open Access Same-time Information System" ("OASIS") to <br /> sh.le transmission-related information (including information about available capacity) on the Internet, <br /> and to require that those jurisdictional utilities also obtain information about their transmission systems <br /> for their own wholesale power transactions, such as available capacity, in the same way that their <br /> co petitors do through the OASIS. <br /> In .007, the FERC issued Order No. 890 which, as modified and clarified on rehearing, updated Order <br /> No,. 888 and 889. Order 890 did not substantially change the requirements or jurisdictional reach of <br /> tho.e orders with respect to the Utility. <br /> Th: Utility, as a non jurisdictional utility, is not directly subject to Order No. 888, 889, and 890. <br /> Th: efore at this time, the Utility is unable to predict what effect, if any these rules will have on the <br /> Uti ity. <br /> En:rgy Policy Act of 2005 <br /> Th: Energy Policy Act of 2005 (the "2005 Act") made additional changes to the federal regulation of the <br /> ele.tric utility industry, some of which affect the Utility. <br /> Th- 2005 Act required the creation of an electric reliability organization that has authority to establish and <br /> enforce mandatory reliability standards on a nation-wide basis. The electric reliability organization is <br /> sub ect to FERC's oversight. FERC approved the North American Electric Reliability Council ("NERC") <br /> as t e electric reliability organization and has approved nation-wide reliability standards. FERC has also <br /> app oved NERC's delegation of certain functions to regional reliability organizations, including the <br /> Mi west Reliability Organization("MRO"). The standards that are administered by NERC and the MRO <br /> app y to all users, owners, and operators of the bulk power system including the Utility. <br /> Th 2005 Act requires the Department of Energy to designate national interest electric transmission <br /> cor idors, where constraints or congestion adversely affect consumers. FERC may authorize the siting of <br /> tra smission facilities within those corridors if the states have failed to act. The courts held that FERC <br /> may act when a state, rather than failing to act, has denied an application for siting. It is anticipated that <br /> FERC will continue to assert broad authority to authorize the siting of transmission facilities and that <br /> Co gress might act expressly to expend FERC's authority. <br /> Th: 2005 Act requires price transparency and prohibits market manipulation for all wholesale markets. <br /> Th: requirements apply to all entities that participate in those markets, including the Utility. <br /> Re'•it Electric Service Territories <br /> Th: State of Minnesota(the "State")presently prohibits other electric utilities from serving areas within a <br /> mug icipality which are presently receiving retail electric service from a municipal utility. The State <br /> pe I its municipal utilities to expand their retail electric services to additional areas located within the <br /> mug icipalities' boundaries, including areas added by way of annexation. When municipal utilities expand <br /> thei retail electric service territory, they are required to pay compensation to any other displaced electric <br /> util ty. The compensation due to such displaced utilities is determined by the courts, utility regulatory <br /> co 1 missions, or by mutual agreement between the two parties. <br /> - 7 - <br /> 16 <br />