[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 20 (Thursday, January 30, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4894-4896]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-01872]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. RD14-2-000]


Proposed Agency Information Collection

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) invites 
public comment in Docket No. RD14-2-000 on a proposed collection of 
information that the Commission is

[[Page 4895]]

developing for submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Comments are invited 
on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) 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; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.

DATES: Comments regarding this proposed information collection must be 
received on or before March 31, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Comments, identified by docket number, may be filed in the 
following ways:
     Electronic Filing through http://www.ferc.gov. Documents 
created electronically using word processing software should be filed 
in native applications or print-to-PDF format and not in a scanned 
format.
     Mail/Hand Delivery: Those unable to file electronically 
may mail or hand-deliver an original of their comments to: Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First 
Street NE., Washington, DC 20426.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed information collection in 
Docket No. RD14-2-000 relates to a proposed revision to the definition 
of bulk electric system, developed by the North American Electric 
Reliability Corporation (NERC), and submitted to the Commission for 
approval. NERC's petition related to the revised definition of bulk 
electric system is pending before the Commission. The proposed revision 
modifies the definition of bulk electric system in response to 
Commission directives in Order Nos. 773 and 773-A as well as some other 
clarifying revisions.\1\ The information collection requirements 
contained in the definition of bulk electric system are contained in 
FERC-725J (OMB Control Number 1902-0259).
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    \1\ Revisions to Electric Reliability Organization Definition of 
Bulk Electric System and Rules of Procedure, Order No. 773, 141 FERC 
] 61,236 (2012); order on reh'g, Order No. 773-A, 143 FERC ] 61,053 
(2013), order on reh'g and clarification, 144 FERC ] 61,174.
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    On December 20, 2012, the Commission issued Order No. 773, a Final 
Rule approving NERC's modifications to the definition of ``bulk 
electric system'' and the Rules of Procedure exception process to be 
effective July 1, 2013. On April 18, 2013, in Order No. 773-A the 
Commission largely affirmed its findings in Order No. 773. In Order 
Nos. 773 and 773-A the Commission directed NERC to modify the 
definition of bulk electric system in two respects: (1) Modify the 
local network exclusion (exclusion E3) to remove the 100 kV minimum 
operating voltage to allow systems that include one or more looped 
configurations connected below 100 kV to be eligible for the local 
network exclusion; and (2) modify the exclusions to ensure that 
generator interconnection facilities at or above 100 kV connected to 
bulk electric system generators identified in inclusion I2 are not 
excluded from the bulk electric system.
    In its December 13, 2013 Petition, NERC proposed revisions to 
respond to the Commission directives. In addition, NERC revised 
inclusion I4 to include the collector system at the point of 
aggregation.\2\ Therefore, the estimates for this information 
collection are based on the three proposed modifications.
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    \2\ The bulk electric system definition components consist of 
the core definition, five inclusions and four exclusions. NERC does 
not propose any changes to the core definition, inclusion I3 or 
exclusion E2. The proposed changes chiefly affect exclusions E1 and 
E3 and inclusion I4. NERC also made minor clarifying changes to 
inclusions I1, I2, and I5 and exclusion E4. These minor changes do 
not affect the information collection and reporting requirements 
approved in Order Nos. 773 and 773-A.
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    The Commission estimates a modest decrease in information 
collection and reporting that would result from implementing the 
proposed revisions to the definition of bulk electric system. 
Specifically, the Commission estimates a decrease in information 
collection and reporting that would result from implementing NERC's 
proposed revisions to the definition of bulk electric system. The 
estimate is derived in NERC's alternative proposal in addressing the 
Commission's concern regarding low voltage looped configurations. NERC 
explains that its technical analysis shows that a 50 kV threshold for 
sub-100 kV loops does not affect the application of exclusion E1. NERC 
states that this approach will ease the administrative burden on 
entities as it negates the necessity for an entity to prove that they 
qualify for exclusion E1 if the sub-100 kV loop in question is less 
than or equal to 50 kV.\3\ This administrative burden falls into the 
category of ``System Review and List Creation'' as described in Order 
Nos. 773 and 773-A.\4\ NERC's technical justification has shown that a 
subset of low voltage loops (operating between 0 and 50 kV) do not 
provide parallel flows and thus qualify for exclusion E1.
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    \3\ NERC Petition at 19-25, Exhibit D at 2, 48-90.
    \4\ System Review and List Creation corresponds to step 1 of 
NERC's proposed transition plan, which requires each U.S. asset 
owner to apply the revised bulk electric system definition to all 
elements to determine if those elements are included in the bulk 
electric system pursuant to the revised definition. See Order No. 
773, 141 FERC ] 61,236 at P 330.
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    Because the E1 exclusion applies to low voltage loops operated 
below 50 kV, entities will no longer evaluate looped configurations for 
either the E3 network exclusion or the NERC exception process.\5\ 
Accordingly, we estimate a decrease of one engineering hour needed for 
``System Review and List Creation'' for transmission owners and 
distribution providers, respectively. With respect to the revisions to 
inclusion I4, NERC states that the standard drafting team ``identified 
the portions of the collector system which consistently provide a 
reliability benefit to the interconnected transmission network and are 
easily identified within collector systems.'' \6\ Thus, the Commission 
estimates no material change in information collection because the 
engineering time needed to evaluate the collector system component that 
NERC proposes to be included in the bulk electric system is a simple 
and straightforward determination of whether the collector system 
aggregates to greater than 75 MVA.
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    \5\ Cf., Order No. 773-A, 143 FERC ] 61,053 at P 128.
    \6\ NERC Petition at 16.
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    Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this proposed 
collection is estimated as:

[[Page 4896]]



                                       RD14-2-000 (FERC-725J): Revision to the Definition of Bulk Electric System
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                                                                    Number of       Number of                    Average burden
                                                                   respondents    responses per   Total number     hours  per     Estimated total year 1
                                                                       \7\         respondent     of responses      response        burden  reduction
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                                                                            (A)             (B)     (A) x (B) =             (D)                (C) x (D)
                                                                                                            (C)
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Transmission Owners (System Review and List Creation)..........             333               1             333              -1                     -333
Distribution Providers (System Review and List Creation).......             554               1             554              -1                     -554
                                                                ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total......................................................  ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............                     -887
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    \7\ The number of respondents for transmission owners and 
distribution providers is based on the NERC Compliance Registry 
referenced in Order No. 773.
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    The total estimated decrease in cost burden to respondents (year 1 
only) is $53,220; [i.e., -887 hours * $60 \8\ = -$53,220].
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    \8\ The estimate for cost per hour for an electrical engineer is 
$60 (the average salary plus benefits) according to the Bureau of 
Labor Statistics at http://bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm.

    Dated: January 24, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-01872 Filed 1-29-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P