[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 63 (Friday, April 1, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18209-18210]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-7680]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC11-725D-001]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-725D); Comment 
Request; Submitted for OMB Review

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 issued a Notice in the Federal Register (75 FR 71678, 
11/24/2010) requesting public comments. FERC received no comments on 
the FERC-725D and has made this notation in its submission to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by May 2, 
2011.

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 1902-0247 for 
reference. The Desk Officer may be reached by telephone at 202-395-
4638.
    A copy of the comments should also be sent 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-001. 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-001, due to a system issue. 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 e-mail 
at [email protected], by telephone at (202) 502-8663, and by 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 
U.S.C. 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-
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

[[Page 18210]]

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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    \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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                                        No. of      Average No. of
          Data collection             respondents    responses per   Average burden hours   Total annual burden
                                        \6\ (1)     respondent (2)     per response (3)    hours (1) x (2) x (3)
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FERC-725D.........................             470               1  Reporting: \7\ 90....  Reporting: 42,300
                                                                   ---------------------------------------------
                                    ..............  ..............  Recordkeeping: 210...  Recordkeeping: 98,700
    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:
     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 estimates 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 collections 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.

    Dated: March 25, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-7680 Filed 3-31-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P