[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 42 (Friday, March 2, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12832-12835]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-5004]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. AD12-8-000]


Non-RTO/ISO Performance Metrics; Commission Staff Request 
Comments on Performance Metrics for Regions Outside of RTOs and ISOs

    In September 2008, the United States Government Accountability 
Office (GAO) issued a report titled ``Electricity Restructuring: FERC 
Could Take Additional Steps to Analyze Regional Transmission 
Organizations' Benefits and Performance,'' GAO-08-987. This report 
recommended that the Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission (Commission or FERC), among other actions, work with 
regional transmission organizations (RTO), Independent System Operators 
(ISO), stakeholders and other experts to develop standardized measures 
that track the performance of RTO/ISO operations and markets and report 
the performance results to Congress and the public annually, while also 
providing interpretation of (1) what the measures and reported 
performance communicate about the benefits of RTOs and, where 
appropriate, (2) changes that need to be made to address any 
performance concerns. Consistent with the goals outlined in GAO's 
report, the Commission's Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2009-2014 
outlined a multi-year process for developing and implementing a common 
set of performance measures for markets both within and outside of 
ISOs/RTOs.
    As recommended by GAO, Commission staff worked with representatives 
from all the jurisdictional ISOs/RTOs to develop a set of performance 
metrics for ISOs and RTOs. Commission staff and ISO/RTO representatives 
met with interested stakeholders to solicit their perspectives and 
comments on the proposed performance metrics. Commission staff then 
released the proposed metrics for public comment in Docket No. AD10-5-
000. In October 2010, Commission staff issued a staff report addressing 
the comments received and recommending a final list of metrics for ISOs 
and RTOs. In December 2010, the ISOs and RTOs submitted information for 
the 2005-2009 period addressing the final metrics developed by 
Commission staff. This information, along with a staff report and 
analysis of performance as measured by the metrics, was included in a 
report sent to Congress in April 2011. The ISOs and RTOs subsequently 
submitted a report providing data for the 2006-2010 period.
    Now, Commission staff has started the process of developing metrics 
to measure performance in regions outside of ISOs and RTOs. Consistent 
with the process used in developing metrics for ISO/RTO markets, 
Commission staff has worked with the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) 
and its members to develop a set of performance metrics for regions 
outside of ISOs and RTOs. Commission staff, along with EEI and its 
members, met with interested stakeholders to solicit their perspectives 
and comments on the proposed performance metrics. These metrics are 
based on the metrics previously selected in Docket No. AD10-5, but have 
been tailored to fit markets outside of ISOs and RTOs. We expect that 
those entities that decide to provide information in response to the 
final metrics developed in this proceeding will provide data and 
explain performance trends in a manner consistent with the responses 
provided by the ISOs and RTOs in Docket No. AD10-5.
    Commission staff requests comments on whether the proposed 
performance metrics (attached) will effectively track the performance 
of markets outside of ISOs and RTOs. Comments must be filed on or 
before May 1, 2012. Reply comments must be filed on or before May 16, 
2012.
    Addresses: Parties may submit comments, identified by Docket No. 
AD12-08-000, by one of the following methods.
    Agency Web site: http://www.ferc.gov/ gov/. Follow the instructions for 
submitting comments via the eFiling link found under the ``Documents 
and Filing'' tab.
    Mail: Those unable to file comments electronically may mail or 
hand-deliver comments to: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 
Secretary of the Commission, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 
20426.
    For Further Information Contact: Jeffrey Hitchings, Office of 
Energy Market Regulation, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426, Telephone: (202) 502-6042, 
Email: [email protected] or Stephen J. Hug, Office of the 
General Counsel--Energy Markets, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 
888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426, Telephone: (202) 502-8009, 
Email: [email protected].

Information Collection Statement

    The following collection of information contained in these proposed 
metrics is subject to review by

[[Page 12833]]

the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under section 3507 of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.\1\ OMB's regulations require approval 
of certain information collection requirements imposed by agency 
actions.\2\ The Commission solicits comments on the Commission's need 
for this information, whether the information will have practical 
utility, the accuracy of the burden estimates, ways to enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected or 
retained, and any suggested methods for minimizing respondents' burden, 
including the use of automated information techniques.
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    \1\ 44 U.S.C. 3507 (2006). The Paperwork Reduction Act requires 
OMB approval of certain information collection activities when these 
activities apply to 10 or more persons. Because it is estimated that 
11 entities will respond to this collection the Commission is 
requesting approval from OMB.
    \2\ 5 CFR part 1320 (2011).
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    The proposed collection of information requires those public 
utilities outside of ISOs and RTOs that choose to participate to 
provide information responding to the attached metrics on a periodic 
basis. This includes the submission of price data and information 
relating to reliability, transmission planning, requests for service, 
and system capacity. The information submitted by participating 
utilities would be used to help develop a common set of metrics for 
both ISO/RTO markets and non-RTO/ISO markets, and for evaluating market 
performance thereafter.
    Burden Estimate: The additional estimated public reporting burdens 
for the proposed reporting requirements in this rule are as follows.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                              Number of         Number of      Average burden
         FERC-922  requirements              respondents      responses per       hours per       Total annual
                                              annually         respondent         response        burden hours
                                                       (1)               (2)               (3)   (1) x (2) x (3)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Metrics Data Collection.................                11                 1                80               880
Write Performance Analysis..............                11                 1                60               660
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    Total...............................  ................  ................  ................             1,540
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    We estimate that it will take, on average, one technical analyst 
two weeks to collect the data to respond to the metrics. We also 
estimate that it will take one technical analyst one week to write a 
report responding to the metrics and it will take one manager 
approximately 20 hours to review the report.
    Cost to Comply: The Commission has projected the cost of compliance 
to be $106,920.
    Technical Expertise = $89,760 (880 hours data collection + 440 
hours report completion @ $68 per hour).
    Management Review = $17,160 (220 hours report review @ $78 per 
hour).
    Cost per hour figures are calculated using Bureau of Labor 
Statistics (BLS) data.\3\ The technical expertise category factors in 
the median wage for an engineer, analyst, attorney and economist. The 
management category factors in the median wage for general and 
operations managers. Based on BLS data,\4\ both cost figures have been 
adjusted to include benefits (benefits represent 29.5% of the total 
hourly figure).
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    \3\ See http://bls.gov/oes/current/naics4_221100.htm#(3).
    \4\ See http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm.
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    Title: FERC-922, Non-RTO/ISO Performance Metrics.
    Action: Proposed Collection.
    OMB Control No. TBD.
    Internal Review: The Commission has reviewed the proposed metrics 
and has determined that the metrics and data gathered thereunder are 
necessary. These requirements conform to the Commission's need for 
efficient information collection, communication, and management within 
the energy industry. The Commission has assured itself, by means of 
internal review, that there is specific, objective support for the 
burden estimates associated with the information collection 
requirements.
    Interested persons may obtain information on the reporting 
requirements by contacting the following: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426 [Attention: 
Ellen Brown, Office of the Executive Director], email: 
[email protected], Phone: (202) 502-8663, fax: (202) 273-0873. 
Comments on the collections of information and the associated burden 
estimates in this proceeding should be sent to the Commission in this 
docket and may also be sent to the Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503 
[Attention: Desk Officer for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission]. 
For security reasons, comments to OMB should be submitted by email to: 
[email protected]. Comments submitted to OMB should include 
Docket Number AD12-08-000 and FERC-922.

    Dated: February 23, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.

Attachment

          Proposed Performance Metrics for Non-ISO/RTO Regions
          [Based on ISO/RTO metrics from Docket No. AD10-5-000]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Performance metric                   Specific metric(s)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               Reliability
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A. National or Regional             1. References to which Electricity
 Reliability Standards Compliance.   Reliability Organization (ERO) and
                                     Regional Reliability Organization
                                     (RRO) standards are applicable.
                                    2. Number of violations self-
                                     reported and made public by NERC/
                                     FERC.
                                    3. Number of violations identified
                                     and made public as RRO or ERO audit
                                     findings.
                                    4. Total number of violations made
                                     public by NERC/FERC.
                                    5. Severity level of each violation
                                     made public by NERC/FERC.

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                                    6. Compliance with operating reserve
                                     standards.
                                    7. Unserved energy (or load
                                     shedding) caused by violations.
                                     Additional detail will be provided
                                     on (1) number of events; (2)
                                     duration of the events; (3) whether
                                     the events occurred during on/off-
                                     peak hours; and (4) additional
                                     information on equipment types
                                     affected and kV of lines affected.
                                    Items 2-7: Track the ISO/RTO
                                     definition: ``This metric is a
                                     quantification of all NERC and RRO
                                     Reliability Standards violations
                                     that have been identified during an
                                     audit or as a result of an ISO/RTO
                                     self-report and have been published
                                     as part of that process.''
                                    Non-ISO/RTO utilities should limit
                                     reporting to the same eight
                                     functional areas used by the ISO/
                                     RTOs:
                                       1. Balancing Authority.
                                       2. Interchange Authority.
                                       3. Planning Authority.
                                       4. Reliability Coordinator.
                                       5. Resource Planner.
                                       6. Transmission Operator.
                                       7. Transmission Planner.
                                       8. Transmission Service Provider.
B. Dispatch Reliability...........  1. Balance Authority Ace Limit
                                     (BAAL) OR// CPS1 and CPS2.
                                    2. Number of events of transmission
                                     load reliefs (of severity level 3
                                     or higher) called by the incumbent
                                     transmission provider or
                                     unscheduled flows.
                                        WECC entities will
                                        report events under the WECC
                                        Unscheduled Flow Mitigation
                                        Procedure (equivalent to the
                                        NERC TLR Level three).
                                    3. Energy Management System (EMS)
                                     availability.
C. Operational Planning--Load       Actual peak load as a percentage
 Forecast Accuracy.                  variance from forecasted peak load
                                     as reported in OASIS.
D. Wind Forecasting Accuracy......  Actual wind availability compared to
                                     forecasted wind availability.
E. Unscheduled Flows..............  Difference between net actual
                                     interchange (actual measured power
                                     flow in real time) and the net
                                     scheduled interchange in megawatt
                                     hours.
                                        Reported in Form 714.
F. Transmission Outage              Report information posted on OASIS
 Coordination.                       (percentage of outages, planned and
                                     unplanned, with less than 2 days
                                     notice).
G. Long-Term Reliability Planning-- 1. Dollar amount of facilities
 Transmission.                       approved to be constructed for
                                     reliability purposes.
                                    2. Percentage of approved
                                     construction completed.
                                    3. Performance of planning process
                                     related to:
                                       a. Requests for and number of
                                        completed reliability studies.
                                       b. Narrative detailing economic
                                        studies process.
                                    Discussion of stakeholder process
                                     and identification of stakeholder
                                     groups participating.
H. Long-Term Reliability Planning-- 1. Processing time for generation
 Resources.                          interconnection requests.
                                    2. Planned reserve margins.
                                    3. Explanation of the nature and
                                     characteristics of demand response
                                     programs and how they are used in
                                     system planning.
I. Infrastructure Investment--      1. Number of requests.
 Interconnection and Transmission   2. Number of studies completed.
 Process Metrics.                   3-5. Total cost and types of studies
                                     completed (e.g., feasibility study,
                                     system impact study and facility
                                     study).
                                    6. Number of transmission access
                                     denials/transmission service
                                     requests (TSRs) denied.
J. Special Protection Systems.....  1. Number of special protection
                                     systems.
                                    2. Percentage of special protection
                                     systems that responded as designed
                                     when activated.
                                        Applicable pool of
                                        special protection systems
                                        should be based on how the
                                        reporting entity's Regional
                                        Entity defines ``special
                                        protection systems.''
                                    3. Number of unintended activations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       System Operations Measures
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A. Demand Response................  Comprehensive explanation of the
                                     nature of utility demand response
                                     programs implemented for load
                                     management as well as in compliance
                                     with state requirements.
B. System Lambda..................  System Lambda (on marginal unit).
                                        Proposed System Lambda
                                        metric would not apply to
                                        utilities where the marginal
                                        price is typically set by hydro
                                        units.
                                        System lambda data will
                                        be based on Form 714
                                        information.
C. Congestion Management..........  Congestion analysis per Order No.
                                     890.
D. Resource Availability..........  System forced outage rate as
                                     measured over 12 months.
E. Transmission System              Interrupted load megawatt hours as a
 Availability.                       percentage of load served.
F. Fuel Diversity.................  Fuel diversity in terms of energy,
                                     installed capacity and actual
                                     production.
G. Clean Energy...................  1. Clean Energy megawatt hours, by
                                     resource type, as a percentage of
                                     total energy.
                                    2. Clean Energy megawatts, by
                                     resource type, as a percentage of
                                     total capacity.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      Organizational Effectiveness
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Not applicable to non-RTO
 entities
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[FR Doc. 2012-5004 Filed 3-1-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P