[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 91 (Thursday, May 13, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26220-26221]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-10111]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC21-28-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-921); Comment 
Request; Extension

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

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-921 (Ongoing Electronic Delivery of Data 
from Regional Transmission Organization and Independent System 
Operators).

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due July 12, 2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. IC21-28-
000) by either of the following methods: Electronic filing through 
http://www.ferc.gov, is preferred.
     Electronic Filing: Documents must be filed in acceptable 
native applications and print-to-PDF, but not in scanned or picture 
format.
     For those unable to file electronically, comments may be 
filed by USPS mail or by hand (including courier) delivery:
    [cir] Mail via U.S. Postal Service Only: Addressed to: Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First 
Street NE, Washington, DC 20426.
    [cir] Hand (including courier) Delivery: Deliver to: Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, MD 20852.
    Instructions: All submissions must be formatted and filed in 
accordance with submission guidelines at: http://www.ferc.gov. For user 
assistance, contact FERC Online Support by email at 
[email protected], or by phone at (866) 208-3676 (toll-free).
    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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by email at 
[email protected], telephone at (202) 502-8663.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: FERC-921, Ongoing Electronic Delivery of Data from Regional 
Transmission Organization and Independent System Operators.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0257.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-921 information 
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting 
requirements.
    Abstract: The collection of data in FERC-921 is an effort by the 
Commission, implemented under Order

[[Page 26221]]

No. 760,\1\ to detect potential anti-competitive or manipulative 
behavior or ineffective market rules by requiring Regional Transmission 
Organizations (RTO) and Independent System Operators (ISO) to 
electronically submit, on a continuous basis, data relating to physical 
and virtual offers and bids, market awards, resource outputs, marginal 
cost estimates, shift factors, financial transmission rights, internal 
bilateral contracts, uplift, and interchange pricing. Although 
provision was made by the Commission that market monitoring units 
(MMUs) may provide datasets, all data for this collection has (and is 
expected to continue to) come from each RTO or ISO and not the MMUs. 
Therefore, any associated burden is counted as burden on RTO and ISO.
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    \1\ Enhancement of Electricity Market Surveillance and Analysis 
through Ongoing Electronic Delivery of Data from Regional 
Transmission Organizations and Independent System Operators, Order 
No. 760, 139 FERC ] 61,053 (2012).
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    While the ongoing delivery of data under FERC-921 is continuous and 
routine, each RTO or ISO makes sporadic changes to its individual 
market with Commission approval. When those changes occur, the RTO or 
ISO may need to change the data being routinely sent to the Commission 
to ensure compliance with Order No. 760. Such changes typically require 
respondents to alter the ongoing delivery of data under FERC-921. The 
burden associated with a change varies considerably based on the 
significance of the specific change; therefore, the estimate below is 
intended to reflect the incremental burden for an average change. Based 
on historical patterns, staff estimates there to be about one and a 
half changes of this nature per RTO or ISO per year.
    Type of Respondent: Regional Transmission Organizations (RTO) and 
Independent System Operators (ISO).

                FERC-921 (Ongoing Electronic Delivery of Data From Regional Transmission Organizations and Independent System Operators)
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                                                      Annual  number                                                                       Annual  cost
              Category                   Number of     of  responses   Total number of    Average burden & cost     Total annual burden         per
                                        respondents   per respondent      responses            per response            hours & cost       respondent ($)
                                                 (1)             (2)    (1) * (2) = (3)  (4)....................  (3) * (4) = (5).......       (5) / (1)
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Ongoing electronic delivery of data.               6               1              \6\ 6  52 hrs.; $4,034.68.....  312 hrs.; $24,208.08..       $4,034.68
Data Delivery Changes over the year.               6               1              \7\ 6  480 hrs.; $37,243.20...  2,880 hrs.;                  37,243.20
                                                                                                                   $223,459.20.
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    Total...........................               6               2                 12  .......................  3,192 hrs.;                  41,277.88
                                                                                                                   $247,667.28.
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    Estimate of Annual Burden: \2\ The Commission estimates the total 
annual burden and cost \3\ for this information collection as follows. 
The ongoing electronic delivery of data requires the following 
occupations (which includes wages and benefits): \4\
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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.
    \3\ Costs (for wages and benefits) are based on the mean wage 
estimate by the Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) Occupational 
Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program from May 2020 (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm.) and benefits information, 
accounting for 70.3% of average employment (released March 2021) for 
private industry workers (https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm). We estimate the total time required per change to be 
320 hours. Because a response encompasses one year where there are, 
on average, 1.5 changes, the total time per response is 480 hours 
(1.5 x 320 hours).
    \4\ The loaded hourly wage for each occupation is as follows:
     Computer Systems Analysts: $47.63 (base hourly wage) / 
70.3% (benefits) = $67.75.
     Legal: $100 (base hourly wage) / 70.3% (benefits) = 
$142.25.
     Database Administrators and Architects: $50.65 (base 
hourly wage) / 70.3% (benefits) = $71.92.
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     75% of the time is spent by Computer Systems Analysts 
(Occupational Code: 15-1211) at $67.75/hr.,
     12.5% of the time is spent by Legal (Occupation Code: 23-
0000) at $142.25/hr., and
     12.5% of the time is spent by Database Administrators and 
Architects (Occupational Code: 15-1245) at $71.92/hr.

Therefore, we use the weighted hourly cost (for wages and benefits) of 
$77.59.\5\
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    \5\ The rounded weighted hourly cost breakdown includes: [(0.75 
* $67.75) + (0.125 * $142.25) + (0.125 * $71.92)]= $77.59
    \6\ Each RTO/ISO electronically submits data daily. To match 
with past filings, we are considering the collection of daily 
responses to be a single response.
    \7\ Each RTO/ISO is estimated to make one and a half changes 
yearly. To be consistent with the formulation that the submissions 
over the course of a year constitute a single response, for the 
purpose of this calculation, we are assuming that each response 
requires one and a half changes over the course of the year and 
estimating burden accordingly.
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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.

    Dated: May 7, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-10111 Filed 5-12-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P