[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 92 (Thursday, May 12, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29561-29563]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-11228]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC16-6-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-725J); 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 
collection FERC-725J (Definition of the

[[Page 29562]]

Bulk Electric System) 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 (81 FR 9179, 2/24/
2016) requesting public comments. The Commission received no comments 
on the FERC-725J and is making this notation in its submittal to OMB.
    Note: Commission staff has revised the burden table, added an 
information collection requirement, and revised the burden estimate.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by June 13, 
2016.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by the OMB Control No. 
1902-0259, 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. IC16-6-000, 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.
    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:
    Title: FERC-725J, Definition of the Bulk Electric System.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0259.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-725J information 
collection requirements with no changes to the reporting requirements.
    Abstract: 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.
    Type of Respondents: Generator owners, distribution providers, 
other NERC-registered entities.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \1\ The Commission estimates the annual 
public reporting burden \2\ for the information collection as:
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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.
    \2\ The FERC-725J information collection no longer includes 
reporting burden for ``System Review and List Creation'' and 
``Regional and ERO Handling of Exception Requests''. These two 
response categories were part of the reporting burden in Years 1 and 
2 of the FERC-725J implementation and have been completed.
    \3\ The hourly cost figure (wages plus benefits) comes from the 
Bureau of Labor Statistics (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm). The figure is for an electric engineer ($62.38, 
Occupational Code: 17-2071), file clerk ($30.53, Occupational Code: 
43-4071), and a lawyer (129.12, Occupational Code: 23-0000); the 
calculation is as follows: 60 hours of burden * $62.38 = $3,743; 32 
hours * $30.53 = $977; 2 hours * $129.12 = $258. $3,743 + $977 + 
$258 = $4,978.
    \4\ The hourly cost figure of $62.38 (wages plus benefits) comes 
from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm). The figure is for an electric engineer (Occupational 
Code: 17-2071).
    \5\ The hourly cost figure (wages plus benefits) comes from the 
Bureau of Labor Statistics (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm). The figure is a weighted average comprised of hourly 
figures for an electric engineer ($62.38, Occupational Code: 17-
2071), file clerk ($30.53, Occupational Code: 43-4071), and a lawyer 
(129.12, Occupational Code: 23-0000); the calculation is as follows: 
60 hours of burden * $62.38 = $3,743; 8 hours * $30.53 = $244; 24 
hours * $129.12 = $3,099. $3,743 + $244 + $3,099 = $7,086.

                                                                        FERC-725J
                                                        [Definition of the bulk electric system]
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                                                       Annual  number
                                          Number of     of  responses   Total number    Average burden and cost    Total annual  burden      Cost per
                                         respondents         per        of responses         per  response           hours  and total       respondent
                                                         respondent                                                    annual cost              ($)
                                                  (1)             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4).....................  (3) * (4) = (5)........       (5) / (1)
                                                                                  (3)
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Generator Owners, Distribution                     20               1              20  94 hrs.; $4,978 \3\.....  1,880 hrs.; $99,560....          $4,978
 Providers, and Transmission Owners
 (Exception Request).
All Registered Entities                           186               1             186  350 hrs.; $21,833 \4\...  65,100 hrs.; $4,060,938          21,833
 (Implementation Plans and
 Compliance).
Local Distribution Determinations....               8               1               8  92 hrs.; 7,086 \5\......  736 hrs.; $56,688......           7,086
                                      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total............................  ..............  ..............             214  ........................  67,716 hrs.; $4,217,186  ..............
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[[Page 29563]]

    Comments: Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the collection of 
information is 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 estimate of the burden and 
cost of the collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information collection; and (4) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are 
to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.

    Dated: May 5, 2016.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-11228 Filed 5-11-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P