[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 53 (Tuesday, March 19, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10058-10059]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-05048]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC19-13-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-715); Comment 
Request; Extension

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of information collection and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or 
FERC) is soliciting public comment on the currently approved 
information collection FERC-715 (Annual Transmission Planning and 
Evaluation Report) and submitting the information collection to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. Any interested person 
may file comments directly with OMB and should address a copy of those 
comments to the Commission as explained below. On December 27, 2018 (83 
FR 66697), the Commission published a Notice in the Federal Register in 
Docket No. IC19-13-000 requesting public comments. The Commission 
received one comment, which is addressed in this Notice and will be 
included in the submittal to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due April 18, 
2019.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by OMB Control No. 1902-
0171, should be sent via email to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs: [email protected]. Attention: Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission Desk Officer.
    A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Commission, in 
Docket No. IC19-13-000, by either of the following methods:
     eFiling at Commission's Website: 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], telephone at (202) 502-8663, and fax at (202) 
273-0873.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: FERC-715, Annual Transmission Planning and Evaluation 
Report.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0171.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-715 information 
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements.
    Abstract: Acting under FPA section 213,\1\ FERC requires each 
transmitting utility that operates integrated transmission system 
facilities rated above 100 kilovolts (kV) to submit annually:
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    \1\ 16 U.S.C. 824l.
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     Contact information for the FERC-715;
     Base case power flow data (if it does not participate in 
the development and use of regional power flow data);
     Transmission system maps and diagrams used by the 
respondent for transmission planning;
     A detailed description of the transmission planning 
reliability criteria used to evaluate system performance for time 
frames and planning horizons used in regional and corporate planning;
     A detailed description of the respondent's transmission 
planning assessment practices (including, but not limited to, how 
reliability criteria are applied and the steps taken in performing 
transmission planning studies); and
     A detailed evaluation of the respondent's anticipated 
system performance as measured against its stated reliability criteria 
using its stated assessment practices.
    The FERC-715 enables the Commission to use the information as part 
of their regulatory oversight functions which include:
     The review of rates and charges;
     The disposition of jurisdictional facilities;
     The consolidation and mergers;
     The adequacy of supply and;
     Reliability of the nation's transmission grid.
    The FERC-715 enables the Commission to facilitate and resolve 
transmission disputes. Additionally, the Office of Electric Reliability 
(OER) uses the FERC-715 data to help protect and improve the 
reliability and security of the nation's bulk power system. OER 
oversees the development and review of mandatory reliability and 
security standards and ensures compliance with the approved standards 
by the users, owners, and operators of the bulk power system. OER also 
monitors and addresses issues concerning the nation's bulk power system 
including assessments of resource adequacy and reliability.
    Without the FERC-715 data, the Commission would be unable to 
evaluate planned projects or requests related to transmission.
    Summary and Response to Public Comment: In response to the Notice 
of Information Collection and Request for Comments published in the 
Federal Register on December 27, 2018, the Commission received one 
comment from the American Public Power Association (APPA). The comment 
recommended enhancing the current FERC Form No. 715 collection process

[[Page 10059]]

to have each of the six submission parts better segregated from each 
other to allow for more granular responses to data requests and limit 
the release of components of the report which are Critical Energy/
Electric Infrastructure Information (CEII).
    These recommendations will be taken under consideration in the 
event of potential future revisions of the FERC Form No. 715 process.
    Type of Respondent: Integrated transmission system facilities rated 
at or above 100 kilovolts (kV).
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \2\ The Commission estimates the total 
annual burden and cost \3\ for this information collection as follows.
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    \2\ ``Burden'' is 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, refer to Title 5 Code of Federal Regulations 1320.3.

                                                                  FERC-715--Annual Transmission Planning and Evaluation Report
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                                                           Annual number
                                             Number of     of responses    Total number       Average burden & cost per response       Total annual burden hours & total annual      Cost per
                                            respondents   per respondent   of responses                                                                  cost                     respondent ($)
                                                     (1)             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4).......................................  (3) * (4) = (5)...........................       (5) / (1)
                                                                                     (3)
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Annual Transmission Planning and                     111               1             111  160 hrs.; $11,897.60......................  17,760 hrs.; $1,320,633.60................      $11,897.60
 Evaluation Report \4\.
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    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.
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    \3\ The hourly cost (for salary plus benefits) uses the figures 
from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2017. These figures include 
salary (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm) and benefits 
(http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm) and are:
    --Management (Code 11-0000), $94.28/hr.
    --Computer and mathematical (Code 15-0000), $63.25/hr.
    --Electrical Engineers (Code 17-2071), $66.90/hr.
    --Economist (Code 19-3011), $71.98/hr.
    --Computer and Information Systems Managers (Code 11-3021), 
$96.51/hr.
    --Accountants and Auditors (Code 13-2011), $56.59/hr.
    --Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (Code 11-
3071), $88.61/hr.
    --Power Distributors and Dispatchers (Code 51-8012), $56.74/hr.
    We are using the average hourly cost (for wages plus benefits, 
for these categories) of $74.36/hour.
    \4\ In 2018, FERC had 111 direct filings (responses) from 
entities. However there were 239 total respondents if Transmitting 
Utilities that have their filing submitted by a designated reporting 
agent, such as a regional entity, are counted independently.

    Dated: March 12, 2019.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-05048 Filed 3-18-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P