[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 230 (Wednesday, December 2, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63142-63146]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-28791]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC09-715-001]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-715); Comment 
Request; Submitted for OMB Review

November 23, 2009.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of section 3507 of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507, the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) has submitted the 
information collection described below to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review of the information collection requirements. Any 
interested person may file comments directly with OMB and should 
address a copy of those comments to the Commission as explained below. 
The Commission received one comment in response to the Federal Register 
notice (74FR47566, 9/16/2009). FERC has summarized and addressed the 
commenter's suggestions below and in its submission to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by January 4, 
2010.

ADDRESSES: Address comments on the collection of information to the 
Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Desk Officer. 
Comments to OMB should be filed electronically, c/o [email protected] and include OMB Control Number 1902-0171 as a 
point of reference. The Desk Officer may be reached by telephone at 
202-395-4638. A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission and should refer to Docket No. IC09-715-
001. Comments may be filed either electronically or in paper format. 
Those persons filing electronically do not need to make a paper filing. 
Documents filed electronically via the Internet must be prepared in an 
acceptable filing format and in compliance with the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission submission guidelines. Complete filing 
instructions and acceptable filing formats are available at http://www.ferc.gov/help/submission-guide/electronic-media.asp. To file the 
document electronically, access the Commission's Web site and click on 
Documents & Filing, E-Filing (http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp), and then follow the instructions for each screen. First-
time users will have to establish a user name and password. The 
Commission will send an automatic acknowledgement to the sender's e-
mail address upon receipt of comments.
    For paper filings, an original and 2 copies of the comments should 
be submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of 
the Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, and should 
refer to Docket No. IC09-715-001.
    All comments may be viewed, printed or downloaded remotely via the 
Internet through FERC's homepage using the ``eLibrary'' link. For user 
assistance, contact [email protected] or toll-free at (866) 
208-3676 or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by 
telephone at (202) 502-8663, by fax at (202) 273-0873, and by e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FERC-715 (``Annual Transmission Planning 
and Evaluation Report,'' OMB Control No. 1902-0171) is a mandatory 
filing described at 18 CFR 141.300. The FERC-715 must be submitted by 
each transmitting utility that operates integrated (that is, non-
radial) transmission facilities at or above 100 kilovolts. [An overview 
and current instructions for filing the FERC-715 are posted on the FERC 
Web site at: http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/eforms/form-715/instructions.asp.]
    Section 213 (b) of the Federal Power Act (FPA), as amended by the 
Energy Policy Act of 1992, requires FERC to collect, annually from 
transmitting utilities, sufficient information about their transmission 
systems to inform potential transmission customers, state regulatory 
authorities, and the public, of available transmission capacity and 
constraints. FERC-715 also supports the Commission's expanded 
responsibilities under Sections 211, 212, 213(a), 304, 307(a), 309, and 
311 of the FPA, as amended, for reviewing reliability issues, market 
structure relationships, and in rate and other regulatory proceedings.
    A summary of the comment filed, FERC's response, and proposed 
changes to the requirements follow.
    a. Comment: FERC Order No. 890 now requires regional transmission 
planning processes. We suggest that respondents be allowed to refer to 
Attachment K information already available on Regional Planning Web 
sites.
    FERC response: Respondents are already encouraged to incorporate 
references to readily available information when preparing their FERC-
715 submissions. External information is most often used in Part IV, 
Transmission Planning Reliability Criteria. However, Order No. 890 does 
not require utilities to file power flow data or maps with the 
Commission or otherwise make this data available. Therefore, FERC-715 
is the only source for these items.
    b. Comment: The commenter suggests FERC should allow filing via the 
Internet, as well as on CDs, DVDs, diskettes, or in hard copy.
    FERC response: The Commission agrees that Internet filing has the 
potential to reduce the burden to industry. Respondents are already 
given the option of filing via the Internet (through eFiling), if the 
submission can be completed using acceptable file formats. Filings may 
also be made on CD or DVD. The option of using diskettes is being 
eliminated, however, due to advances in technology and file sizes being 
too large for the medium.
    c. Comment: The commenter suggests that a list of changes be 
provided when the FERC-715 instructions are updated.
    FERC response: FERC agrees and will provide this information to 
respondents beginning with the 2010 filing.
    d. Comment: Certain parts of FERC-715 need only be updated when 
information changes from previous filings. The commenter suggests that 
respondents be required to report the last filing date of information 
that is unchanged.
    FERC response: FERC agrees and will incorporate this requirement 
into the FERC-715 instructions. To reduce the burden on industry, if 
this date is prior to the 2010 filing deadline, Respondents need only 
state that the previous filing was ``prior to the 2010 filing.''
    e. Comment: FERC-715 responses are considered Critical Energy 
Infrastructure Information (CEII), and parties requesting access to 
this data must be vetted and approved by FERC. These parties may also 
request CEII directly from FERC-715 respondents.

[[Page 63143]]

We suggest that FERC attempt to confirm to Respondents that parties 
requesting access to this data have passed the necessary background 
checks.
    FERC response: The process for requesting CEII from the Commission 
is detailed in Order Nos. 702, 683, 662, 649, 643, 630, and PL02-01-
000, and on http://www.ferc.gov. FERC-715 is not an appropriate venue 
to address the CEII request process, but the FERC offices responsible 
for handling CEII requests have been made aware of the suggestion.
    A copy of the proposed, revised instructions is attached and part 
of this document, but the instructions are not being printed in the 
Federal Register. The Attachment is available on the FERC's eLibrary 
(http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp) by searching Docket No. 
IC09-715-001, and through the FERC Public Reference Room.
    Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the 
current expiration date for the FERC-715, with the changes noted above 
and in the attached draft instructions.
    Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is 
estimated as follows.

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                                                                     Number of        Average      Total annual
                                                     Number of     responses per   burden hours    burden hours
              FERC data collection                  respondents     respondent     per response     (1) x (2) x
                                                   annually  (1)        (2)             (3)             (3)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FERC-715........................................             120               1             160         19,200
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[Note: These figures may not be exact, due to rounding.]

    The total estimated annual cost burden \1\ to respondents is 
$1,184,279.90 [(19,200 hrs.)/(2,080 hrs./yr.)] x ($128,297 per yr.).
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    \1\ Employees work an average of 2,080 hours per year, at an 
estimated cost of $128,297 per year.
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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 collections of 
information are 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 estimates of the 
burden of the proposed collections 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.

    Note: The Attachment (proposed, revised instructions) will not 
be printed in the Federal Register. The Attachment is available on 
the FERC's eLibrary (http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp) 
by searching Docket No. IC09-715-001, and through the FERC Public 
Reference Room.

Attachment

FERC-715--Annual Transmission Planning and Evaluation Report 
Instructions

Revised November 2009.
Approved OMB Control No. 1902-0171.
Expires: (MM/DD/YY).

    This report is mandatory under Sections 213(b), 307(a) and 311 
of the Federal Power Act and 18 CFR Section 141.300 of the 
Commission's regulations.

Sec.  141.300 FERC Form No. 715, Annual Transmission Planning and 
Evaluation Report

    Who must file: Any transmitting utility, as defined in Sec.  
3(23) of the Federal Power Act, that operates integrated (that is, 
non-radial) transmission facilities at or above 100 kilovolts must 
complete FERC Form No. 715;
    When to file: FERC Form No. 715 must be filed on or before each 
April 1st;
    What to file: FERC Form No. 715 must be filed with the Office of 
the Secretary of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 
accordance with the instructions on that form.
    The Commission considers the information collected by this 
report to be Critical Energy Infrastructure Information (CEII) and 
will treat it as such. The public reporting burden for this 
collection of information is estimated to average 160 hours per 
response, including the time for reviewing the instructions, 
searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data 
needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. 
You shall not be penalized for failure to respond to this collection 
of information unless the collection of information displays a valid 
OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or 
any other aspect of this collection of information, including 
suggestions for reducing this burden, to:

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Office of the Deputy Chief 
Information Officer, ATTN: Information Clearance Officer (ED-32), 
888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.

and to:

Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs. ATTN: Desk Officer for the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20503.

Table of Contents

I. General Information
    A. Purpose of Report
    B. Who Must Submit
    C. Waiver Request
    D. Blank or N/A (Not Applicable) Responses
    E. Checklist and Where to Submit
    F. When to Submit
    G. Contact Information
    H. Sanctions and Confidentiality Statements
II. General Instructions
    A. Submit
    B. Designate Entity to Submit Power Flow Cases
    C. Fee Schedule
    D. The Importance of Power Flow Cases in the Evaluation of 
System Performance
III. Terms and Definitions
    A. Transmission Planning Reliability Criteria
    B. Transmitting Utility
IV. Specific Instructions
    A. Part 1: Identification and Certification

[[Page 63144]]

    B. Part 2: Power Flow Base Cases
    C. Part 3: Transmitting Utility Maps and Diagrams
    D. Part 4: Transmission Planning Reliability Criteria
    E. Part 5: Transmission Planning Assessment Practices
    F. Part 6: Evaluation of Transmission System Performance

I. General Information

A. Purpose of Report

    The FERC Form No. 715, Annual Transmission Planning and 
Evaluation Report, is required pursuant to Sections 213(b), 307(a) 
and 311 of the Federal Power Act to provide information adequate to 
inform potential transmission customers, State regulatory 
authorities and the public of potential transmission capacity and 
known constraints, to support the Commission's expanded 
responsibilities under Sec. Sec.  211, 212 and 213(a) of the Federal 
Power Act (as amended by the Energy Policy Act), and to assist in 
rate or other regulatory proceedings.

B. Who Must Submit

    Each transmitting utility, as defined in section 3(23) of the 
Federal Power Act, that operates network (that is, non-radial) 
transmission facilities at or above 100 kilovolts must report the 
information requested under the listed items in the prescribed 
manner. In the case of joint ownership, only the operator of the 
facilities must report.
    A designated agent, such as a regional transmission group, 
regional reliability organization, formal power pool, or other 
group, may submit part or all of the required information on behalf 
of the transmitting utility. The transmitting utility is responsible 
for submitting all data not submitted on its behalf by a designated 
agent. Designated agents must specify the transmitting utility (or 
transmitting utilities) for which they are submitting information. 
The Commission prefers that all power flow data submitted for Part 2 
of FERC-715 be submitted by designated agents outlined above.

C. Waiver Request

    The final rule requires that an entity requesting waiver of 
FERC-715 must either: (1) Indicate the entity that performs 
transmission planning for it, or (2) state that it does not use 
power flow analyses in performing transmission planning. Once 
granted, a waiver request in subsequent years is unnecessary, 
provided the party's status does not change; that is, as long as the 
party does not begin to perform transmission planning or to use 
power flow analyses in its planning. Requests for waivers must be 
submitted prior to the required submission date, April 1st of the 
filing year.

D. Blank or N/A (Not Applicable) Responses

    All parts of the FERC-715 must be completed. Blank or N/A (Not 
Applicable) responses are not acceptable. For example; for Parts 4 
and 5, respondent transmitting utilities should state the reasons 
why they have not developed specific transmission reliability 
criteria or assessment practices for their own system in addition to 
that of the regional entities if that should be the case.

E. Checklist and Where To Submit

    Respondents may send their responses via FERC eFiling, if all 
the files comprising the submission are on the list of FERC 
acceptable file formats.
    Respondents who are unable or unwilling to use the FERC eFiling 
system must submit one original, either in hardcopy or 
electronically on CDs or DVDs, including all six Parts of FERC-715 
to: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Form No. 715, Secretary of 
the Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.

F. When To Submit

    File the report annually by April 1st of the filing year.

G. Contact Information

    Direct technical questions concerning the FERC-715, Annual 
Transmission Planning and Evaluation Report, to email 
[email protected].

H. Sanctions and Confidentiality Statements

    The FERC-715, Annual Transmission Planning and Evaluation 
Report, is mandatory under the Federal Power Act. The information 
reported in FERC-715 is classified as CEII. Late filing or failure 
to file, keep records, or comply with these instructions may result 
in criminal fines, civil penalties, and other sanctions as provided 
by law.

II. General Instructions

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) has 
determined that to satisfy section 213(b) of the Federal Power Act 
(FPA) it is necessary for potential customers to be able to 
reasonably anticipate the outcome of technical studies that a 
transmitting utility would perform in assessing the availability of 
transmission capacity to satisfy a request for transmission service. 
Therefore, the Commission requires each transmitting utility, or its 
designated agent, to:

A. Submit

    The Commission requires each transmitting utility, or its 
designated agent, to submit an annual report that includes:
    1. Power flow base cases for its transmission system, or if the 
transmitting utility belongs to a regional or subregional 
transmission planning or reliability organization, power flow base 
cases for that region or subregion;
    2. System maps and one-line diagrams;
    3. A description of their reliability criteria and transmission 
planning assessment practices; and
    4. An evaluation under the reliability criteria of the current 
and future performance of their transmission system.

B. Designate Entity To Submit Power Flow Cases

    The Commission requires each transmitting utility, or its agent, 
to designate any regional or subregional transmission planning or 
reliability organizations to which it belongs or any other single 
entity to submit to the Commission any regional or subregional power 
flow base cases developed for the purposes of members' transmission 
planning.

C. Fee Schedule

    If Respondents make CEII directly available to the requesting 
public and desire to impose copying charges for this service, they 
shall provide a fee schedule.

D. The Importance of Power Flow Cases in the Evaluation of System 
Performance

    The Commission assumes that most transmitting utilities 
participate in the development, by a regional or subregional 
organization to which they belong, of regional or subregional power 
flow base cases. The purpose of this process is to ensure 
consistency of assumptions and accuracy of data.
    Individual members of regional or subregional organizations use 
these power flow cases as the starting place for their own 
transmission planning studies. A detailed description of a 
transmitting utility's reliability criteria and planning practices 
and an evaluation of system performance are essential to perform 
planning studies, to assess the availability of transmission, to 
identify potential constraints, and to anticipate the outcome of 
transmitting utility technical studies made in response to an actual 
request for service.

III. Terms and Definitions

A. Transmission Planning Reliability Criteria

    The measuring systems and performance standards that are used 
for assessing the actual or projected ability of the bulk electric 
transmission system to deliver power to load reliably. Failure to 
attain a specified performance standard indicates the need to 
consider adding or rearranging facilities, changing operating modes, 
or other responses.
    Examples of criteria that might apply to simulated testing of 
the bulk electric transmission system are:
    1. No cascading outage following any specified set of 
contingencies.
    2. No overloaded facilities following a specified contingency.
    3. All voltages within prescribed limits.

B. Transmitting Utility

    Any electric utility, qualifying cogeneration facility (section 
3(18)(B), FPA), qualifying small power production facility (section 
3(17)(C), FPA), or Federal power marketing agency (section 3(19), 
FPA) that owns or operates electric power transmission facilities 
that are used for the sale of electric energy at wholesale. (section 
3(23), FPA)

IV. Specific Instructions

A. Part 1: Identification and Certification

    Provide the following information:
    1. Transmitting Utility Name
    2. Transmitting Utility Mailing Address
    3. Contact Person Name
    4. Contact Person Title
    5. Contact Person Telephone Number
    6. Contact Person Facsimile Number
    7. Certification by an authorized official of the Transmitting 
Utility regarding the accuracy of the information submitted.
    8. Certifying Official Signature

[[Page 63145]]

    9. Certifying Official Name
    10. Certifying Official Title

B. Part 2: Power Flow Base Cases

    A Respondent participating in a regional or subregional process 
(for consolidating and ensuring the consistency and accuracy of the 
power flow information used by the Respondent for transmission 
planning) must submit the most current regional or subregional input 
data to solved power flow base cases that the transmitting utility 
would ordinarily use as the starting point for its transmission 
planning studies or, where these data are unavailable from a 
regional organization, submit such data itself.
    If the Respondent participates in such a regional or subregional 
process, it must submit the following items:
    1. Regional or subregional organization name;
    2. Regional or subregional organization mailing address;
    3. Regional or subregional organization contact person;
    4. Regional or subregional organization contact person title;
    5. Regional or subregional organization contact person telephone 
number;
    6. Regional or subregional organization contact person facsimile 
number;
    7. Description of process for public access to regional or 
subregional power flow information; and
    8. Description of power flow cases currently available from 
regional or subregional organization, including time frame, 
conditions, format, media and the fees, if any, for copying data for 
the public.
    If a Respondent does not participate in the development of 
regional or subregional transmission planning power flow base cases, 
the Respondent must submit its own equivalent power flow base cases 
directly to the Commission.
    Each Respondent must submit for each solved power flow base 
case: the input data file (in formats described below) and the 
corresponding output data file (in ASCII format) showing the solved 
real and reactive power flows, voltages, real and reactive 
generation and loads, solution parameters, and other relevant output 
information; or, in the alternative, at a minimum, a one-line 
diagram showing real and reactive power flows, bus voltages and 
angles, generator outputs, transformer tap settings and loads.
    Regional and subregional organizations authorized by their 
members to provide access to solved power flow cases should make 
them available electronically on CDs or DVDs, or via a computer 
bulletin board, when practical, in the input data format associated 
with the power flow program that the regional or subregional 
organizations use in their transmission studies. The Commission 
expects that, in nearly all cases, the format will be one of the 
following:
    1. The Raw Data File format of the PTI (Power Technologies, 
Inc.) PSS/E Power flow program;
    2. The Card Deck Image format of the Philadelphia Electric Power 
flow program;
    3. The Card Deck format of the WSCC Power flow program;
    4. The Raw Data File format of the General Electric PSLF power 
flow program;
    5. The IEEE Common Format for Exchange of Solved Power Flows; or
    6. The Binary or Project File format of the PowerWorld 
simulator.
    Respondents submitting their own cases must supply the input 
data to the solved base cases and associated ASCII output data on 
CDs or DVDs in the format associated with the power flow program 
used by the Respondents in the course of their transmission studies, 
as described above.
    The power flow cases may also be submitted via eFiling, if they 
are available in an acceptable file format. A list of acceptable 
file formats is available on the FERC eFiling website.
    The input data to the solved power flow base cases must be 
forward-looking. For example, the power flow base cases submitted 
and made available might include:
    1. One, two, five and ten-year forecasts under summer and winter 
peak conditions and
    2. A one-year forecast under light load/heavy transfers 
condition.
    This example is similar to a schedule of base cases proposed by 
North American Electric Reliability Corporation's (NERC) 
Multiregional Modeling Working Group for development at the time 
this form was created. A regional or subregional organization may 
develop, depending on its needs, a different number of power flow 
base cases than those described above.
    The power flow base cases must be in sufficient detail that 
network equivalents, if used, extend sufficiently beyond the 
electrical borders of the transmitting utility that potential 
transmission users could simulate power transfers within a 
reasonable market area without significant loss of accuracy.
    The power flow base cases should include all branch circuit 
ratings (that is, normal, long-term and short-term emergency, or 
other relevant ratings) that a Respondent uses. Each Respondent must 
also submit or make available a data-dictionary that cross-
references the bus or line terminal names. Energy Information 
Administration (EIA) codes must be included for each generating 
plant referenced. [bond] EIA Plant Codes

C. Part 3: Transmitting Utility Maps and Diagrams

    1. Each Respondent must submit general transmission maps and 
single-line schematic diagrams. The maps and diagrams should be 
those prepared in the general course of business for planning and 
operating purposes. The guidelines provided below indicate the type 
of information and the level of detail desired; however, the 
Commission is not requiring the Respondent to specifically prepare 
new maps and diagrams to satisfy this requirement. If the Respondent 
has readily available more than one set of maps and/or diagrams, the 
Commission requests that the set submitted best provide the level of 
detail described below.
    2. The transmitting utility's general maps should show the 
geographic locations and names of:
    a. Generating plants;
    b. Switching stations;
    c. Substations;
    d. Service areas; and
    e. Interconnections with other utilities.
    3. The transmitting utility's single-line schematic diagrams 
should show and identify:
    a. AC and DC transmission lines and facilities, including their 
nominal operating and design voltages;
    b. Electrical connections;
    c. Generating plants;
    d. Transformation facilities;
    e. Phase angle transformers; and
    f. VAR control equipment; (i.e., shunt and series capacitors and 
inductors, etc.).
    4. On the maps or in separate documentation, each Respondent 
should provide a legend that shows the symbols used on the map or 
diagram to represent generators, transmission lines, transformers, 
capacitors, reactors, buses, etc.
    5. Respondents must submit new maps or diagrams each year 
regardless of its revision.
    6. The FERC prefers all maps and diagrams be submitted 
electronically in a format such that any text is searchable. For 
example, these maps typically list many substations, and FERC 
prefers that the format support a search for specific substation 
names. The Adobe PDF format is an example of a common file type that 
provides this feature.

D. Part 4: Transmission Planning Reliability Criteria

    Each Respondent is to provide the transmission planning 
reliability criteria used to assess and test the strength and limits 
of its transmission system to meet its load responsibility as well 
as to move bulk power between and among other electric systems.
    If a transmitting utility subscribes, through its 
interconnection or pooling agreements with others, to criteria that 
are more detailed than the NERC and regional entity standards, then 
it must also submit these additional criteria.
    The Commission expects that each transmitting utility will have 
additional detailed criteria. For example, each utility generally 
sets its own voltage limit criteria on its bulk system as well as 
its lower voltage system, since NERC and the regional entities 
generally do not. Each transmitting utility must submit all such 
additional criteria.
    The above criteria will be those which the transmitting utility 
uses to determine available transmission capacity needed to meet 
potential transmission requests as well as its own native load. A 
transmitting utility must describe the criteria that it uses in 
sufficient detail to allow others to use the criteria when 
performing their own planning or screening studies and to better 
understand the process of determining available transmission 
capacity.
    In subsequent years, Respondents need only identify and file 
changed criteria. If the criteria are unchanged from a previous 
filing, please provide the date of that filing. If this date is 
prior to the 2010 filing deadline, Respondents need only state that 
the previous filing was ``prior to the 2010 filing.''

E. Part 5: Transmission Planning Assessment Practices

    The criteria submitted under Part 4 of this form set the limits 
of transmission use.

[[Page 63146]]

However, assessment practices that a transmitting utility uses in 
applying these criteria are as important as the criteria themselves. 
These practices, developed through experience and study, include 
consideration of detailed factors that a transmitting utility may 
not list in the criteria that it submits under Part 4. For example, 
a utility might have certain operating restrictions and limitations 
that must be met by appropriate modeling within a simulation study.
    Also, through experience and study, each transmitting utility 
may have developed a list of various contingencies it typically 
tests against in the application of its transmission planning 
reliability criteria. For example, before testing for the limits of 
transmission capability that could be used for firm power transfers 
on its system, a transmitting utility will assume, based on 
experience or realistic expectation, that certain facilities will be 
unavailable for some period of time. Each transmitting utility must 
identify these contingencies and submit them under this Part.
    A description of the Respondent's practices when applying the 
transmission planning reliability criteria submitted in Part 4 must 
be submitted under this part. The description must include the 
substantive planning assessment practices that a Respondent follows 
in the normal course of business. The information filed should help 
requesters to perform planning or screening studies and to better 
understand the process of determining available transmission 
capacity and known constraints.
    In subsequent years, Respondents need only identify and file 
changed assessment practices. If the practices are unchanged from a 
previous filing, please provide the date of that filing. If this 
date is prior to the 2010 filing deadline, Respondents need only 
state that the previous filing was ``prior to the 2010 filing.''

F. Part 6: Evaluation of Transmission System Performance

    The transmitting utility must provide a narrative evaluation or 
assessment of the performance of its transmission system in future 
time periods based on the application of its reliability criteria. 
It must provide a clear understanding of existing and likely future 
transmission constraints, their sources, how it identified these 
constraints, and a description of any plans to mitigate the 
constraints. The evaluation must provide a clear understanding of 
the existing and expected system performance of the Respondent's 
transmission system. The evaluation should include a description of 
all existing transmission stability limits that the transmitting 
utility has uncovered through dynamic system simulation studies. If, 
in their studies, Respondents identify stability as a regional 
transmission limiting factor, Respondents must, on request, provide 
the results of their studies.
    The required evaluation is to be drawn from existing utility 
transmission planning studies and the experience and judgment of the 
Respondents' transmission system planners. Respondents may base the 
required evaluation, in part, on recently performed operating 
studies that determine transfer capabilities for the upcoming peak 
load season.

[FR Doc. E9-28791 Filed 12-1-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P