[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 23 (Wednesday, February 4, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6067-6072]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-02115]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC14-16-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-537, FERC-
725F, and FERC-725I); Comment Request

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Comment request.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D), the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission (Commission or FERC) is submitting its information 
collections FERC-537 (Gas Pipeline Certificates: Construction, 
Acquisition and Abandonment), FERC-725F (Mandatory Reliability 
Standards for Nuclear Plant Interface Coordination), and FERC-725I 
(Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Northeast Power Coordinating 
Council), 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 previously issued 
a Notice in the Federal Register (79 FR 61068, 10/9/2014) requesting 
public comments. The Commission received no comments on the FERC-537, 
FERC-725F, and FERC-725I and is making this notation in its submittal 
to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collections of information are due by March 6, 
2015.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by the OMB Control Nos. 
1902-0060 (FERC-537), 1902-0249 (FERC-725F), and 1902-0258 (FERC-725I) 
should be sent via email to the Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs: [email protected], Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission Desk Officer. The Desk Officer may also be reached via 
telephone at 202-395-0710.
    A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Commission, in 
Docket No. IC14-16-000, by either of the following methods:
     eFiling at Commission's Web site: http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp.

[[Page 6068]]

     Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20426.
    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], by telephone at (202) 502-8663, and by fax 
at (202) 273-0873.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Type of Request: Three-year extensions 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 next.
    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-537, Gas Pipeline Certificates: Construction, Acquisition and 
Abandonment

OMB Control No.:1902-0060

    Abstract: The information collected under the requirements of FERC-
537 is used by the Commission to implement the statutory provisions of 
the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 (NGPA) \1\ and the Natural Gas Act 
(NGA).\2\ Under Section 7(c) of the NGA, natural gas pipeline companies 
must obtain Commission authorization to undertake the construction or 
extension of any facilities, or to acquire or operate any such 
facilities or extensions. A natural gas company must also obtain 
Commission approval under Section 7(b) of the NGA prior to abandoning 
any jurisdictional facility or service. Under the NGA and the NGPA, 
interstate and intrastate pipelines must also obtain authorization for 
certain transportation and storage services and arrangements, 
particularly a Part 284, Subpart G--Blanket Certificate.\3\
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    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 3301-3432.
    \2\ 15 U.S.C. 717-717w.
    \3\ 18 CFR 284.8.
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    The information collected is necessary to certificate interstate 
pipelines engaged in the transportation and sale of natural gas, and 
the construction, acquisition, and operation of facilities to be used 
in those activities, to authorize the abandonment of facilities and 
services, and to authorize certain NGPA transactions. If a certificate 
is granted, the natural gas company can construct, acquire, or operate 
facilities, plus engage in interstate transportation or sale of natural 
gas. Conversely, approval of an abandonment application permits the 
pipeline to cease service and/or discontinue the operation of such 
facilities. Authorization under NGPA Section 311(a) allows the 
interstate or intrastate pipeline applicants to render certain 
transportation services.
    The data required to be submitted consists of identification of the 
company and responsible officials, factors considered in the location 
of the facilities and the detailed impact on the project area for 
environmental considerations. The following will also be submitted:
     Flow diagrams showing proposed design capacity for 
engineering design verification and safety determination;
     Commercial and economic data presenting the basis for the 
proposed action; and
     Cost of the proposed facilities, plans for financing, and 
estimated revenues and expenses related to the proposed facility for 
accounting and financial evaluation.
    The Commission implements these filing requirements in the Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR 157.5-.11; 157.13-.20; 157.53; 
157.201-.209; 157.211; 157.214-.218; 284.8; 284.11; 284.126; 284.221; 
284.224.
    Type of Respondent: Natural Gas Pipelines.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: The Commission estimates the annual 
public reporting burden for the information collection as: \4\
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    \4\ The annual public reporting burden of the FERC-537 has 
changed since the publication of the 60-day notice. The current 
estimate of annual burden has been updated and is reflected in this 
notice. Figures in the table have been rounded. The reporting 
requirements have not changed.
    \5\ The estimates for cost per response are derived using the 
following formula: Average Burden Hours per Response * $70.50 per 
Hour = Average Cost per Response. The cost per hour figure is the 
FERC average salary plus benefits. Subject matter experts found that 
industry employment costs closely resemble FERC's regarding the 
FERC-537 information collection.

                 FERC-537--Gas Pipeline Certificates: Construction, Acquisition, and Abandonment
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                                                                      Average      Total annual
                                   Annual number   Total number    burden hours   burden hours &     Cost per
      Number of respondents        of responses    of responses     & cost per     total annual     respondent
                                  per respondent                   response \5\        cost             ($)
(1)                                          (2)     (1)*(2)=(3)             (4)     (3)*(4)=(5)         (5)/(1)
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204.............................            2.24             458             146          66,868         $23,109
                                                                         $10,293      $4,714,194
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    A more granular breakdown of the average burden hour figure (i.e., 
146 average hours per response) follows:

[[Page 6069]]



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                                                                     Number of                     Average hours
                                                                    respondents      Number of     per response
            18 CFR Section                  Regulation topic         (distinct       responses       (average,
                                                                     entities)                       weighted)
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157.5-.11; & 157.13-.20...............  Interstate certificate               159              82             500
                                         and abandonment
                                         applications.
157.53................................  Exemptions..............              39               3              50
157.201-.209; 157.211; 157.214-.218...  Blanket Certificates                  62              46             200
                                         prior notice filings.
157.201-.209; 157.211; 157.214-.218...  Blanket Certificates--               159             159              50
                                         annual reports.
284.11................................  NGPA Sec. 311                         93              93              50
                                         Construction--annual
                                         reports.
284.8.................................  Capacity Release--record               0             N/A              75
                                         keeping.
284.126(a)............................  Intrastate bypass, semi-              37              48              30
                                         annual transportation.
284.221...............................  Blanket Certificates--                14              14             100
                                         one time filing, inc.
                                         new tariff and rate
                                         design proposal.
284.224...............................  Hinshaw Blanket                        8               8              75
                                         Certificates.
157.5-.11; & 157.13-.20...............  Non-facility certificate               5               5              75
                                         or abandonment
                                         applications.
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    Totals............................  ........................             204             458             146
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FERC-725F, Mandatory Reliability Standards for Nuclear Plant Interface 
Coordination

OMB Control No.: 1902-0249

    Abstract: The Commission requires the information collected by the 
FERC-725F 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.\6\ 
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.\7\
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    \6\ Energy Policy Act of 2005, Public Law 109-58, Title XII, 
Subtitle A, 119 Stat. 594, 941 (2005), 16 U.S.C. 824o.
    \7\ 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.\8\ Pursuant to Order No. 672, the 
Commission certified one organization, North American Electric 
Reliability Corporation (NERC), as the ERO. The Reliability Standards 
developed by the ERO and approved by the Commission apply to users, 
owners and operators of the Bulk-Power System as set forth in each 
Reliability Standard.
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    \8\ Rules Concerning Certification of the Electric Reliability 
Organization; and Procedures for the Establishment, Approval, and 
Enforcement of Electric Reliability Standards, Order No. 672, FERC 
Stats. & Regs. ] 31,204, order on reh'g, Order No. 672-A, FERC 
Stats. & Regs. ] 31,212 (2006).
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    On November 19, 2007, NERC filed its petition for Commission 
approval of the Nuclear Plant Interface Coordination Reliability 
Standard, designated NUC-001-1. In Order No. 716, issued October 16, 
2008, the Commission approved the standard while also directing certain 
revisions.\9\ Revised Reliability Standard, NUC-001-2, was filed with 
the Commission by NERC in August 2009 and subsequently approved by the 
Commission January 21, 2010.\10\
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    \9\ Mandatory Reliability Standard for Nuclear Plant Interface 
Coordination, Order No. 716, 125 FERC ] 61,065, at P 189 & n.90 
(2008), order on reh'g, Order No. 716-A, 126 FERC ] 61,122 (2009).
    \10\ North American Electric Reliability Corporation, 130 FERC ] 
61,051 (2010). When the revised Reliability Standard was approved 
the Commission did not go to OMB for approval. It is assumed that 
the changes made did not substantively affect the information 
collection and therefore a formal submission to OMB was not needed.
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    The purpose of Reliability Standard NUC-001-2 is to require 
``coordination between nuclear plant generator operators and 
transmission entities for the purpose of ensuring nuclear plant safe 
operation and shutdown.'' \11\ The Nuclear Reliability Standard applies 
to nuclear plant generator operators (generally nuclear power plant 
owners and operators, including licensees) and ``transmission 
entities,'' defined in the Reliability Standard as including a nuclear 
plant's suppliers of off-site power and related transmission and 
distribution services. To account for the variations in nuclear plant 
design and grid interconnection characteristics, the Reliability 
Standard defines transmission entities as ``all entities that are 
responsible for providing services related to Nuclear Plant Interface 
Requirements (NPIRs),'' and lists eleven types of functional entities 
(heretofore described as ``transmission entities'') that could provide 
services related to NPIRs.\12\
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    \11\ See Reliability Standard NUC-001-2 at http://www.nerc.com/files/NUC-001-2.pdf.
    \12\ The list of functional entities consists of transmission 
operators, transmission owners, transmission planners, transmission 
service providers, balancing authorities, reliability coordinators, 
planning authorities, distribution providers, load-serving entities, 
generator owners and generator operators.
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    FERC-725F information collection requirements include establishing 
and maintaining interface agreements, including record retention 
requirements. These agreements are not filed with FERC but with the 
appropriate entities as established by the Reliability Standard.
    Type of Respondent: Nuclear operators, nuclear plants, transmission 
entities.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: The Commission estimates the average 
annual burden for this information collection as:
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    \13\ The cost for reporting requirements is $73.83/hour and is 
based on a composite loaded (wage plus benefits) average wage for an 
electrical engineer, attorney, and administrative staff. The cost 
for record keeping is $29.01/hour and is based on wages plus 
benefits for a file clerk. The wages are generated from Bureau of 
Labor Statistics data retrieved September, 2014 from http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm. The loaded wage is calculated 
using BLS data indicating, as of Sept 1, 2014, that wages make up 
69.9% of total salary (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm).
    \14\ This figure of 130 transmission entities is based on the 
assumption that each agreement will be between 1 nuclear plant and 2 
transmission entities (65 times 2 = 130). However, there is some 
double counting in this figure because some transmission entities 
may be party to multiple agreements with multiple nuclear plants. 
The double counting does not affect the burden estimate and the 
correct number of unique respondents will be reported to OMB. The 
actual number of unique entities subject to this collection is 143.
    \15\ The recordkeeping ``responses'' are considered to be part 
of (i.e., to be contained within the same quantity as) the Reporting 
responses leading to a total number of unique responses of 420 (390 
+ 30 = 420).

[[Page 6070]]



 
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                                                                                                          Average burden   Total annual
                                                                           Annual number   Total number    hours & cost   burden hours &     Cost per
                 FERC-725F                      Number of respondents      of responses    of responses    per response    total annual   respondent ($)
                                                                          per respondent                       \13\            cost
                                            (1).........................             (2)     (1)*(2)=(3)             (4)     (3)*(4)=(5)         (5)/(1)
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New agreements (Reporting)................  10 nuclear operators + 20                  1              30           1,080          32,400         $79,736
                                             transmission entities.                                              $79,736      $2,392,092
New Agreements (Record Keeping)...........  10 nuclear operators + 20                  1              30             108           3,240          $3,133
                                             transmission entities.                                               $3,133         $93,992
Modifications to agreements (Reporting)...  65 nuclear plants + 130                    2             390           66.67          26,000          $9,844
                                             transmission entities \14\.                                          $4,922      $1,919,581
Modifications to Agreements (Record         65 nuclear plants + 130                    2             390            6.67           2,600            $387
 Keeping).                                   transmission entities.                                                 $193         $75,426
    Total.................................  ............................  ..............        \15\ 420  ..............          64,240  ..............
                                                                                                                              $4,481,091
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FERC-725I, Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Northeast Power 
Coordinating Council

OMB Control No.: 1902-0258

    Abstract: This information collection relates to two FERC-approved 
Protection and Control (PRC) regional Reliability Standards: PRC-002-
NPCC-01--Disturbance Monitoring, and PRC-006-NPCC-1--Automatic Under 
frequency Load-Shedding. These Northeast Power Coordinating Council 
(NPCC) regional Reliability Standards require respondents to provide 
recording capability necessary to monitor the response of the Bulk-
Power System to system disturbances, including scheduled and 
unscheduled outages; require each reliability coordinator to establish 
requirements for its area's dynamic disturbance recording needs; 
establish disturbance data reporting requirements; and require planning 
coordinators to incrementally gather data, run studies, and analyze 
study results to design or update the UFLS programs that are required 
in the regional Reliability Standard in addition to the requirements of 
the NERC Reliability Standard PRC-006-1.\16\
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    \16\ The burden estimates for Reliability Standard PRC-006-1 are 
included in Order No. 763 (Final Rule in RM11-20) and covered in 
FERC-725A (OMB Control No. 1902-0244). OMB approved those 
requirements on 7/9/2012 (ICR Reference No. 201204-1902-001).
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    Reliability Standard PRC-002-NPCC-01 introduced several new 
mandatory and enforceable requirements for the applicable entities. 
However, when FERC approved this standard, NPCC had (and continues to 
have) criteria \17\ and published guidance \18\ addressing similar 
requirements that the Reliability Standard made mandatory. Thus, it is 
usual and customary for affected entities within NPCC to create, 
maintain and store some of the same or equivalent information 
identified in Reliability Standard PRC-002-NPCC-01. Therefore, many of 
the requirements contained in PRC-002-NPCC-01 do not impose new burdens 
on the affected entities.\19\
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    \17\ Disturbance Monitoring Equipment Criteria (Aug. 2007), 
available at https://www.npcc.org/Standards/Criteria/A-15.pdf 
(Disturbance Monitoring Criteria).
    \18\ Guide for Application of Disturbance Recording Equipment 
(Sept. 2006), available at https://www.npcc.org/Standards/Guides/B-26.pdf (Application Guide).
    \19\ 5 CFR 1320.3(b)(2) (2011).
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    Several requirements contained in regional Reliability Standard 
PRC-002-NPCC-01 were entirely new responsibilities for the applicable 
entities when the Commission approved the standard and each of these is 
listed in the estimated annual burden section below.
    Information collection burden for Reliability Standard PRC-006-
NPCC-01 is based on the time needed for planning coordinators and 
generator owners to incrementally gather data, run studies, and analyze 
study results to design or update the UFLS programs that are required 
in the regional Reliability Standard in addition to the requirements of 
the NERC Reliability Standard PRC-006-1. There is also burden on the 
generator owners to maintain data.
    Type of Respondent: Entities registered with the North American 
Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) as Generator Owners, 
Transmission Owners, Reliability Coordinators and Planning Coordinators
    Estimate of Annual Burden: The number of respondents is based on 
NERC's registry as of August 27, 2014. Entities registered for more 
than one applicable function type have been accounted for in the 
figures below. The Commission estimates the annual public reporting 
burden for the information collection as:

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                                                                                                          Average burden   Total annual
    Reliability Standard PRC-002-NPCC-01, information        Number of     Annual number   Total number    hours & cost   burden hours &     Cost per
                 collection requirements                    respondents    of responses    of responses    per response    total annual   respondent ($)
                                                                          per respondent                       \20\            cost
                                                                     (1)             (2)     (1)*(2)=(3)             (4)     (3)*(4)=(5)         (5)/(1)
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R13: GO \21\ and TO to have evidence it acquired and                   1               1               1              10              10  ..............
 installed dynamic disturbance recorders and a mutually                                                             $290            $290            $290
 agreed upon implementation schedule with the RC (record
 retention).............................................

[[Page 6071]]

 
R14.5: GO and TO to have evidence of a maintenance and               169              12            2028               5           9,960  ..............
 testing program for stand-alone disturbance monitoring                                                             $305        $618,540          $3,660
 equipment including monthly verification of active
 analog quantities......................................
R14.7: GO and TO to record efforts to return failed                   33               1              33              10             330  ..............
 units to service if it takes longer than 90 days \22\..                                                            $610         $20,130            $610
R14.7: GO and TO record retention.......................              33               1              33              10             330  ..............
                                                                                                                    $290          $9,570            $290
R17: RC provide certain disturbance monitoring equipment               5               1               5               5              25  ..............
 data to the Regional Entity upon request...............                                                            $305          $7,625            $305
R17: RC record retention................................               5               1               5              10              50  ..............
                                                                                                                    $290          $1,450            $290
    TOTAL...............................................  ..............           2,105  ..............          10,705  ..............
                                                                                                                $657,605
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                                                                        FERC-725I
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                                                                                                                           Total annual
    Reliability standard PRC-006-NPCC-01, information        Number of     Annual number   Total number   Average burden  burden hours &     Cost per
                 collection requirements                    respondents    of responses    of responses    hours & cost    total annual   respondent ($)
                                                                          per respondent                   per response        cost
                                                                     (1)             (2)     (1)*(2)=(3)             (4)     (3)*(4)=(5)         (5)/(1)
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PCs Design and document automatic UFLS program..........               6               1               6               8              48  ..............
                                                                                                                    $488          $2,928            $488
PCs update and maintain UFLS program database...........               6               1               6              16              96  ..............
                                                                                                                    $976          $5,856            $976
GOs provide documentation and data to the planning                   145               1             145              16           2,320  ..............
 coordinator............................................                                                            $976        $141,520            $976
GOs: record retention...................................             145               1             145               4             580  ..............
                                                                                                                    $116         $16,820            $116
    TOTAL...............................................  ..............  ..............             302  ..............           3,044  ..............
                                                                                                                                $167,124
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    \20\ The estimates for cost per response are derived using the 
following formula: Average Burden Hours per Response * XX per Hour = 
Average Cost per Response. The hourly cost figure comes from the 
Bureau of Labor Statistics (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm and http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm). 
Record retention (wage plus benefits) cost is $29/hour, and the 
remaining costs (wage plus benefits for an electrical engineer are 
$61/hour.
    \21\ For purposes of these charts, generation owner is 
abbreviated to GO, transmission owner is abbreviated to TO, 
reliability coordinator is abbreviated to RC, and planning 
coordinator is abbreviated to PC.
    \22\ We estimate that an entity will experience a unit failure 
greater than 90 days once every five years. Therefore, 20 percent of 
NPCC's 166 generator owners and transmission owners will experience 
a unit failure of this duration each year.


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    Dated: January 28, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-02115 Filed 2-3-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P