[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]
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