[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 69 (Thursday, April 10, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19888-19891]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-08038]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC14-10-000]
Commission Information Collection Activities, (FERC-725E, FERC-
583, FERC-512, and FERC-588); Consolidated Comment Request; Extension
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.
ACTION: Notice of information collections and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, 44 USC 3506(c)(2)(A), the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (Commission or FERC) is soliciting public comment on the
requirements and burden \1\ of the information collections described
below. Please note that this is the first time FERC has issued a
consolidated notice involving otherwise unrelated information
collections.
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\1\ The Commission defines burden as the total time, effort, or
financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain,
retain, or disclose or provide information to or for a Federal
agency. For further explanation of what is included in the
information collection burden, reference 5 Code of Federal
Regulations 1320.3.
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DATES: Comments on the collections of information are due June 9, 2014.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. IC14-10-
000) by either of the following methods:
eFiling at Commission's Web site: http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp
Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First Street NE.,
Washington, DC 20426.
Please reference the specific collection number and/or title in
your comments.
Instructions: All submissions must be formatted and filed in
accordance with submission guidelines at: http://www.ferc.gov/help/submission-guide.asp. For user assistance contact FERC Online Support
by email at [email protected], or by phone at: (866) 208-3676
(toll-free), or (202) 502-8659 for TTY.
Docket: Users interested in receiving automatic notification of
activity in this docket or in viewing/downloading comments and
issuances in this docket may do so at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/docs-filing.asp.
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:
Type of Request: Three-year extension of the information collection
requirements for all collections described below with no changes to the
current reporting requirements. Please note that each collection is
distinct from the others contained within this notice.
Comments: Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the 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 and cost of the collections of information, including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance
the quality, utility and clarity of the information collections; and
(4) ways to minimize the burden of the collections of information on
those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
FERC-725E, Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Western Electric
Coordinating Council
OMB Control No.: 1902-0246.
Abstract: The information collected by the FERC-725E (OMB Control
No. 1902-0246) is required to implement the statutory provisions of
section 215 of the Federal Power Act (FPA) (16 U.S.C. 824o). Section
215 of the FPA buttresses the Commission's efforts to strengthen the
reliability of the interstate grid through the grant of new authority
by providing for a system of mandatory Reliability Standards developed
by the Electric Reliability Organization. Reliability Standards that
the ERO proposes to the Commission may include Reliability Standards
that are proposed to the ERO by a Regional Entity.\2\ A Regional Entity
is an entity that has been approved by the Commission to enforce
Reliability Standards under delegated authority from the ERO.\3\ On
June 8, 2008 in an adjudicatory order, the Commission approved eight
regional Reliability Standards submitted by the ERO that were proposed
by the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC).\4\
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\2\ 16 U.S.C. 824o(e)(4).
\3\ 16 U.S.C. 824o(a)(7) and (e)(4).
\4\ 72FR33462, June 18, 2007.
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WECC is responsible for coordinating and promoting electric system
reliability. In addition to promoting a reliable electric power system
in the Western Interconnection, WECC
[[Page 19889]]
supports efficient competitive power markets, ensures open and non-
discriminatory transmission access among members, and provides a forum
for resolving transmission access disputes plus the coordination of
operating and planning activities of its members.
There are eight Reliability Standards currently applicable in the
WECC region. These standards generally require entities to document
compliance with substantive requirements, retain documentation, and
submit reports to WECC.
BAL-002-WECC-2 requires balancing authorities and reserve
sharing groups to document compliance with the contingency reserve
requirements described in the standard.
BAL-004-WECC-02 requires balancing authorities to document
that time error corrections and primary inadvertent interchange payback
were conducted according the requirements in the standard.
FAC-501-WECC-1 requires transmission owners with certain
transmission paths to have a transmission maintenance and inspection
plan and to document maintenance and inspection activities according to
the plan.
IRO-006-WECC-1 requires balancing authorities and
reliability coordinators document actions taken to mitigate unscheduled
flow.
PRC-004-WECC-1 requires transmission owners, generator
owners and transmission operators to document their analysis and/or
mitigation due to certain misoperations on major transfer paths. This
standard requires that documentation be kept for six years.
TOP-007-WECC-1 requires transmission operators to document
that when actual flows on major transfer paths exceed system operating
limits their schedules and actual flows are not exceeded for longer
than a specified time.
VAR-002-WECC-1 requires generator operators and
transmission operators to provide quarterly reports to the compliance
monitor and have evidence related to their synchronous generators,
synchronous condensers, and automatic voltage regulators.
VAR-501-WECC-1 requires generator operators to provide
quarterly reports to the compliance monitor and have evidence regarding
operation of their power system stabilizers.
The information generated by these standards generally serves to
ensure entities are complying with applicable Reliability Standards.
Type of Respondents: Balancing authorities, reserve sharing groups,
transmission owners, reliability coordinators, transmission operators,
generator operators.
Estimate of Annual Burden: The Commission estimates the annual
public reporting burden for the information collection as:
FERC-725E, Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Western Electric Coordinating Council
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Total annual
Number of Annual number Average burden/ burden hours
respondents \5\ of responses cost per (Total annual
per respondent response cost)
FERC data collection (1) (2) (4) (1)*(2)*(3)
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FERC-725E
Reporting:
Balancing Authorities................... 34 1 21 714
Generator Operators..................... 228 1 10 2,280
Transmission Operators applicable to 86 4 10 3,440
standard VAR-002 \6\...................
Transmission Operators that operate 9 3 40 1,080
qualified transfer paths \7\...........
Transmission Owners that operate 5 3 40 600
qualified transfer paths \8\...........
Reliability Coordinators................ 1 1 1 1
Reserve Sharing Group................... 3 1 1 3
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Total............................... ............... ............... ............... 8,118
Record-keeping: \9\
Balancing Authorities................... ............... ............... ............... 71
Balancing Authorities (IRO-006) \10\.... ............... ............... ............... 34
Generator Operators..................... ............... ............... ............... 228
Transmission Operator (VAR-002)......... ............... ............... ............... 344
Transmission Operator................... ............... ............... ............... 108
Transmission Owner...................... ............... ............... ............... 60
Reliability Coordinator \11\............ ............... ............... ............... 34
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Total............................... ............... ............... ............... 879
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\5\ Number of respondents derived from the NERC Compliance
Registry as of February 25, 2014.
\6\ Based on estimates in Order 751, Docket No. RM09-9-000
\7\ Based on burden estimates taken from the Order in Docket No.
RR07-11-000 P. 130.
\8\ Id.
\9\ Based on 10% total annual burden hours per response.
\10\ Based on record keeping hours for Balancing Authorities in
Order 746 in Docket No. RM09-19-000 implementing IRO-006-WECC-1.
\11\ Based on record keeping hours in Order 746 in Docket No.
RM09-19-000.
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FERC-583, Annual Kilowatt Generating Report (Annual Charges)
OMB Control No.: 1902-0136.
Abstract: The FERC-583 is used by the Commission to implement the
statutory provisions of section 10(e) of the Federal Power Act (FPA)
(16 U.S.C. 803(e)), which requires the Commission to collect annual
charges from hydropower licensees for, among other things, the cost of
administering Part I of the FPA and for the use of United States dams.
In addition, section 3401 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of
1986 (OBRA) authorizes the Commission to ``assess and collect fees and
annual charges in any fiscal year in amounts equal to all of the costs
incurred by the Commission in that fiscal year.'' The information is
collected annually and used to determine the amounts of the annual
charges to be assessed licensees for
[[Page 19890]]
reimbursable government administrative costs and for the use of
government dams. The Commission implements these filing requirements in
the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR part 11.
Type of Respondent: FERC-regulated private and public hydropower
licensees.
Estimate of Annual Burden: The Commission estimates the annual
public reporting burden for the information collection as:
FERC-583, Annual Kilowatt Generating Report (Annual Charges)
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Annual number Average burden Total annual
Number of of responses per Total number of and cost per burden hours and Cost per
respondents \12\ respondent responses response \13\ total annual cost respondent ($)
(1) (2) (1)*(2)=(3) (4) (3)*(4)=(5) (5)/(1)
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517 1 517 2 1,034 $141
$141 $72,897
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\12\ Based on data from Fiscal Year 2013, there were 517
projects, owned by 241 FERC-regulated private and public licensees.
Many of the licensees owned multiple projects.
\13\ The estimates for cost per response are derived using the
following formula: Average Burden Hours per Response * $70.50 per
hour.
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FERC-512, Application for Preliminary Permit
OMB Control No.: 1902-0073.
Abstract: The Commission uses the information collected under the
requirements of FERC-512 to implement the statutory provisions of
sections 4(f), 5 and 7 of the Federal Power Act (FPA).\14\ The purpose
of obtaining a preliminary permit is to maintain priority of the
application for a license for a hydropower facility while the applicant
conducts surveys to prepare maps, plans, specifications and estimates;
conducts engineering, economic and environmental feasibility studies;
and making financial arrangements. The conditions under which the
priority will be maintained are set forth in each permit. During the
term of the permit, no other application for a preliminary permit or
application for a license submitted by another party can be accepted.
The term of the permit is three years. The information collected under
the designation FERC-512 is in the form of a written application for a
preliminary permit which is used by Commission staff to determine an
applicant's qualifications to hold a preliminary permit, review the
proposed hydro development for feasibility and to issue a notice of the
application in order to solicit public and agency comments. The
Commission implements these mandatory filing requirements in the Code
of Federal Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR 4.31-.33, 4.81-.83.
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\14\ 16 U.S.C. 797, 798, & 800.
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Type of Respondents: Hydropower facilities.
Estimate of Annual Burden: The Commission estimates the annual
public reporting burden for the information collection as:
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\15\ The estimates for cost per response are derived using the
following formula: Average Burden Hours per Response * $70.50 per
hour.
FERC-512--Application for Preliminary Permit
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Total annual
Number of Annual number of Total number of Average burden/$ burden hours Cost per
respondents responses per responses per response (total annual respondent ($)
respondent \15\ cost)
(1) (2) (1)*(2)=(3) (4) (3)*(4)=(5) (5)/(1)
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125 1 125 37 4,625 $2,608.50
$2,608.50 $326,062.50
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FERC-588, Emergency Natural Gas Transportation, Sale, and Exchange
Transportation
OMB Control No.: 1902-0144.
Abstract: The Commission uses the information collected under the
requirements of FERC-588 to implement the statutory provisions of
sections 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) (Pub. L. 75-688) (15 U.S.C.
717-717w) and provisions of the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 (NGPA),
15 U.S.C. 3301-3432. Under the NGA, a natural gas company must obtain
Commission approval to engage in the transportation, sale or exchange
of natural gas in interstate commerce. However, section 7(c) exempts
from certificate requirements ``temporary acts or operations for which
the issuance of a certificate will not be required in the public
interest.'' The NGPA also provides for non-certificated interstate
transactions involving intrastate pipelines and local distribution
companies.
A temporary operation, or emergency, is defined as any situation in
which an actual or expected shortage of gas supply would require an
interstate pipeline company, intrastate pipeline, local distribution
company, or Hinshaw pipeline to curtail deliveries of gas or provide
less than the projected level of service to the customer. The natural
gas companies which provide the temporary assistance to the companies
which are having the ``emergency'' must file the necessary information
described in Part 284, Subpart I of the Commission's Regulations with
the Commission so that it may determine if their assisting transaction/
operation qualifies for exemption. The assisting company may or may not
be under the Commission's jurisdiction and if their assisting actions
qualify for the exemption, they will not become subject to the
Commission's jurisdiction for such actions.
A report within forty-eight hours of the commencement of the
transportation, sale or exchange, a request to extend the sixty-day
term of
[[Page 19891]]
the emergency transportation, if needed, and a termination report are
required. The data required to be filed for the forty-eight hour report
is specified by 18 CFR 284.270.
Type of Respondents: Natural Gas Pipelines.
Estimate of Annual Burden: The Commission estimates the annual
public reporting burden for the information collection as:
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\16\ The estimates for cost per response are derived using the
following formula: Average Burden Hours per Response * $70.50 per
hour.
FERC-588--Emergency Natural Gas Transportation, Sale, and Exchange Transportation
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Total annual
Number of Annual number of Total number of Average burden/$ burden hours Cost per
respondents responses per responses per response \16\ (total annual respondent ($)
respondent cost)
(1) (2) (1)*(2)=(3) (4) (3)*(4)=(5) (5)/(1)
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8 1 8 10 80 $705
$705 $5,640
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Dated: April 2, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-08038 Filed 4-9-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P