[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 226 (Wednesday, November 24, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71678-71679]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-29571]
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FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. IC11-725D-000; FERC-725d ]
Commission Information Collection Activities; Comment Request;
Extension
November 17, 2010.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of proposed information collection and request for
comments.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of section 3506(c)(2)(A)
of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A) (2006),
(Pub. L. 104-13), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission
or FERC) is soliciting public comment on the proposed information
collection described below.
DATES: Comments in consideration of the collection of information are
due January 24, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Commenters must send an original of their comments to:
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888
First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. Comments may be filed either
on paper or on CD/DVD, and should refer to Docket No. IC11-725D-000.
Documents must be prepared in an acceptable filing format and in
compliance with Commission submission guidelines at http://www.ferc.gov/help/submission-guide.asp. eFiling and eSubscription are
not available for Docket No. IC11-725D-000, due to a system issue.
All comments and FERC issuances may be viewed, printed or
downloaded remotely through FERC's eLibrary at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp, by searching on Docket No. IC11-725D. For
user assistance, contact FERC Online Support by e-mail at
[email protected], or by phone at: (866) 208-3676 (toll-free),
or (202) 502-8659 for TTY.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by e-mail
at [email protected], telephone at (202) 502-8663, and fax at
(202) 273-0873.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information collected by the FERC-725D,
``Facilities Design, Connections and Maintenance Reliability
Standards'' (OMB Control No. 1902-0247), is required to implement the
statutory provisions of section 215 of the Federal Power Act (FPA) (16
USC 824o). On August 8, 2005, the Electricity Modernization Act of
2005, which is Title XII, Subtitle A, of the Energy Policy Act of 2005
(EPAct 2005), was enacted into law.\1\ EPAct 2005 added a new section
215 to the FPA, which required a Commission-certified Electric
Reliability Organization (ERO) to develop mandatory and enforceable
reliability standards, which are subject to Commission review and
approval. Once approved, the reliability standards may be enforced by
the ERO subject to Commission oversight, or the Commission can
independently enforce reliability standards.\2\
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\1\ Energy Policy Act of 2005, Public Law 109-58, Title XII,
Subtitle A, 119 Stat. 594, 941 (2005), 16 U.S.C. 824o.
\2\ 16 U.S.C. 824o(e)(3).
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On February 3, 2006, the Commission issued Order No. 672,
implementing section 215 of the FPA. Pursuant to Order No. 672, the
Commission certified one organization, North American Electric
Reliability Council (NERC), as the ERO. The reliability standards
developed by the ERO and approved by the Commission will apply to
users, owners and operators of the Bulk-Power System, as set forth in
each reliability standard.
On November 15, 2006, NERC filed 20 revised reliability standards
and three new reliability standards for Commission approval. The
Commission addressed the 20 revised Reliability Standards in Order No.
693.\3\ The three new reliability standards were approved by FERC on
December 27, 2007 in Order 705 and were designated by NERC as follows:
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\3\ On March 16, 2007, the Commission approved 83 of the 107
standards initially filed by NERC. See Mandatory Reliability
Standards for the Bulk-Power System, Order No. 693, 72 FR, 16,416
(April 4, 2007), 118 FERC ] 61,218 (2007), order on reh'g Order No.
693-A, 120 FERC ] 61,053 (2007).
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FAC-010-1 (System Operating Limits Methodology for the
Planning Horizon).
FAC-011-1 (System Operating Limits Methodology for the
Operations Horizon).
FAC-014-1 (Establish and Communicate System Operating
Limits).
These standards were subsequently modified by NERC in April of 2008
and submitted to the Commission for approval. On March 20, 2009 the
Commission approved NERC's modifications to the FAC standards in Order
No. 722 and NERC now designates these standards as FAC-010-2, FAC-011-
2, and FAC-014-2.\4\ The three newly approved FAC reliability standards
require planning authorities and reliability coordinators to establish
methodologies to determine system operating limits (SOLs) for the bulk-
[[Page 71679]]
power system in the planning and operation horizons.
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\4\ Version Two Facilities Design, Connections and Maintenance
Reliability Standards, Order No. 722, 126 FERC Stats. & Regs. 61,255
(2009).
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The three reliability standards do not require responsible entities
to file information with the Commission. Nor, with the exception of a
three-year self-certification of compliance, do the Reliability
Standards require responsible entities to file information with the ERO
or Regional Entities. However, the Reliability Standards do require
responsible entities to develop and maintain certain information for a
specified period of time, subject to inspection by the ERO or Regional
Entities.
Reliability standard FAC-010-2 requires the planning authority to
have a documented methodology for use in developing SOLs and must
retain evidence that it issued its SOL methodology to relevant
reliability coordinators, transmission operators and adjacent planning
authorities. Likewise, the planning authority must respond to technical
comments on the methodology within 45 days of receipt. Further, each
planning authority must self-certify its compliance to the compliance
monitor once every three years. Reliability standard FAC-011-2 requires
similar documentation by the reliability coordinator.\5\ Reliability
standard FAC-014-2 requires the reliability coordinator, planning
authority, transmission operator, and transmission planner to verify
compliance through self-certification submitted to the compliance
monitor annually. These entities must also document that they have
developed SOLs consistent with the applicable SOL methodology and that
they have provided SOLs to entities identified in Requirement 5 of the
reliability standard. Further, the planning authority must maintain a
list of multiple contingencies and their associated stability limits.
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\5\ The difference between the two is that FAC-10-1 deals with
SOL methodology for the planning horizon and FAC-011-1 with SOL
methodology for the operating horizon.
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Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the
FERC-725D reporting requirements, with no changes.
Burden Statement: The estimated annual public reporting burden
follows:
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Average
Number of number of
Data collection respondents responses per Average burden hours per response Total annual burden hours
\6\ respondent
(1) (2) (3) (1) x (2) x (3)
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FERC-725D............................... 470 1 Reporting: \7\ 90 Reporting: 42,300
Recordkeeping: 210 Recordkeeping: 98,700
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Total............................... 470 .............. ...................................... 141,000
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The estimated average annualized cost is increased from the
previous estimate due to an increase in the number of entities who are
registered for the Planning Authority, Reliability Coordinator,
Transmission Planner, and Transmission Operator functions. The new
estimated average annualized cost is $6,640,500 ($14,128.72 per
respondent), as shown here:
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\6\ This figure comes from NERC's compliance registry matrix
which was updated on 10/27/10 and includes all entities registered
as a Planning Authority, Reliability Coordinator, Transmission
Planner, or Transmission Operator functions that are responsible for
compliance with FAC-014-2.
\7\ Hours are attributable to developing SOLs. Recordkeeping
pertains to the documentation to be maintained for audits.
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Reporting: \8\ 42,300 hours @ $95/hour = $4,018,500.
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\8\ Estimate based on hourly costs for legal, technical and
administrative staff. See http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm and http://www.marylandlawyerblog.com/2009/07/average_hourly_rate_for_lawyer.html.
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Recordkeeping: \9\ 98,700 hours @ $26/hour = $2,566,200.
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\9\ Estimate based on hourly costs for technical and clerical
staff. See http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm.
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Storage: \10\ 1,800 sq. ft. @ $31/sq. ft. = $55,800.
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\10\ Estimate based on in-office square foot costs obtained from
a Commission assessment of the industry performed in 2010.
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The reporting burden includes the total time, effort, or financial
resources expended to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide
the information including: (1) Reviewing instructions; (2) developing,
acquiring, installing, and utilizing technology and systems for the
purposes of collecting, validating, verifying, processing, maintaining,
disclosing and providing information; (3) adjusting the existing ways
to comply with any previously applicable instructions and requirements;
(4) training personnel to respond to a collection of information; (5)
searching data sources; (6) completing and reviewing the collection of
information; and (7) transmitting or otherwise disclosing the
information.
The estimate of cost for respondents is based upon salaries for
professional and clerical support, as well as direct and indirect
overhead costs. Direct costs include all costs directly attributable to
providing this information, such as administrative costs and the cost
for information technology. Indirect or overhead costs are costs
incurred by an organization in support of its mission. These costs
apply to activities which benefit the whole organization rather than
any one particular function or activity.
Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of
the Commission, including whether the information will have practical
utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are
to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms
of information technology e.g. permitting electronic submission of
responses.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010-29571 Filed 11-23-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P