[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 49 (Monday, March 14, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13356-13357]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-05654]



[[Page 13356]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. RD16-1-000]


Notice on Agency Information Collection (FERC-725L)

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) invites 
public comment in Docket No. RD16-1-000 on a non-material or non-
substantive change to the collection of information (FERC-725L) that 
the Commission is submitting 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 April 13, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by the OMB Control No. 
1902-0261 or collection number (FERC-725L), should be sent via email to 
the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at: 
[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, identified by docket number, should also be 
sent to the Commission in one of 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 Commission will submit the reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements of Reliability Standard MOD-031-2 to OMB for 
review of a non-material or non-substantive change. Reliability 
Standard MOD-031-2 replaces or supplements requirements from previous 
versions of the MOD-031 Reliability Standard, which are approved under 
FERC-725L (Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power System: 
MOD Reliability Standards).
    Type of Request: Approval of a non-material or non-substantive 
change to the FERC-725L information collection requirements.
    Abstract: The Commission requires the information collected by the 
FERC-725L to implement the statutory provisions of section 215 of the 
Federal Power Act (FPA).\1\ On August 8, 2005, Congress enacted into 
law the Electricity Modernization Act of 2005, which is Title XII, 
Subtitle A, of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005).\2\ 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.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ 16 U.S.C. 824o (2012).
    \2\ Energy Policy Act of 2005, Pub. L. 109-58, Title XII, 
Subtitle A, 119 Stat. 594, 941 (codified at 16 U.S.C. 824o).
    \3\ 16 U.S.C. 824o(e)(3).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On February 3, 2006, the Commission issued Order No. 672, 
implementing section 215 of the FPA.\4\ Pursuant to Order No. 672, the 
Commission certified one organization, North American Electric 
Reliability Corporation (NERC), as the ERO.\5\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ 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).
    \5\ North American Electric Reliability Corp., 116 FERC ] 
61,062, order on reh'g and compliance, 117 FERC ] 61,126 (2006), 
order on compliance, 118 FERC ] 61,190, order on reh'g, 119 FERC ] 
61,046 (2007), aff'd sub nom. Alcoa Inc. v. FERC, 564 F.3d 1342 
(D.C. Cir. 2009).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Reliability Standard MOD-031-2 achieves the same reliability 
purpose of the prior version MOD-031-1. This standard provides 
authority for Bulk-Power System planners and operators to collect 
demand, energy, and related data to support reliability studies and 
assessments, and enumerates the responsibilities and obligations of 
requestors and respondents of that data.
    In its November 13, 2015 petition, NERC states that Reliability 
Standard MOD-031-2 is an improvement to the existing version of the 
standard because it clarifies the compliance obligations related to (1) 
providing data to Regional Entities and (2) responding to a request for 
data subject to confidentiality restrictions. NERC also states that the 
improvements to the Reliability Standard are consistent with the 
Commission directives in Order No. 804.\6\ In Order No. 804, the 
Commission approved Reliability Standard MOD-031. However, the 
Commission also directed, pursuant to 215(d)(5) of the FPA, that NERC 
develop a modification to Reliability Standard MOD-031-1 to clarify 
that planning coordinators and balancing authorities must provide 
demand and energy data upon request of a Regional Entity, as necessary 
to support NERC's development of seasonal and long-term reliability 
assessments.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \6\ NERC Petition at 2, n.8 citing Demand and Energy Data 
Reliability Standard, Order No. 804, 150 FERC ] 61,109 at PP 14-15 
(2015).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In a Delegated Letter Order in Docket No. RD16-1, the Commission 
approved the proposed Reliability Standard MOD-031-2 on February 18, 
2016.\7\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \7\ The Delegated Letter Order is available in FERC's eLibrary 
at http://elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/common/opennat.asp?fileID=14148897.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    FERC is not changing the way the FERC-725L collection is being 
done, and is not modifying the burden, cost, or respondents. The 
reporting and recordkeeping requirements will be submitted to the OMB 
as a non-material or non-substantive change to the currently approved 
FERC-725L collection.
    Type of Respondents: Distribution Providers (DP), Load-Serving 
Entities (LSE), Transmission Planner (TP), and Balancing Authorities 
(BA).
    Estimate of Annual Burden.\8\ The burden and cost are not expected 
to

[[Page 13357]]

change from the figures currently approved by the OMB.\9\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \8\ 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. See 5 CFR part 1320 for more information.
    \9\ The current burden inventory for FERC-725L, as modified by 
the Final Rule (Order No. 804) in Docket No. RM14-12 (80 FR 9596, 2/
24/2015), was approved by the OMB on 4/24/2015.

    Dated: March 8, 2016.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-05654 Filed 3-11-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P