[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 127 (Tuesday, July 2, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54814-54815]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-14508]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC24-14-000]


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 (OMB Control Number 1902-0257), which will be submitted to 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due August 1, 
2024.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments on FERC-921 to OMB through 
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain, Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission Desk Officer. Please identify the OMB control number (1902-
0257) in the subject line. Your comments should be sent within 30 days 
of publication of this notice in the Federal Register.
    Please submit copies of your comments (identified by Docket No. 
IC24-14-000) to the Commission as noted below. 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:
    OMB submissions must be formatted and filed in accordance with 
submission guidelines at www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain; Using the 
search function under the ``Currently Under Review field,'' select 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; click ``submit'' and select 
``comment'' to the right of the subject collection.
    FERC 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: Jean Sonneman may be reached by email 
at [email protected] and telephone at (202) 502-6362.
    Title: FERC-921, Ongoing Electronic Delivery of Data from Regional 
Transmission Organizations 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 No. 760,\1\ to detect potential 
anti-competitive or manipulative behavior or ineffective market rules. 
In Order No. 760, the Commission issued 18 CFR 35.28(g)(4), which 
requires ongoing electronic delivery of data by each Commission-
approved Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) and Independent 
System Operator (ISO). The required data include 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 RTOs and ISOs.
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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, 77 FR 26674 (May 7, 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, Commission staff estimates there to be about 
one and a half changes of this nature per RTO or ISO per year.
    The Commission published a 60-day Paperwork Reduction Act Notice on 
April 24, 2024 (89 FR 31197). The public comment period ended on June 
24, 2024. The Commission received no public comments in response.
    Types of Respondent: Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs) and 
Independent System Operators (ISOs).
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \2\ The Commission estimates the total 
annual

[[Page 54815]]

burden and cost for this information collection by calculating the 
total hourly cost (including both mean wages and benefits) of three 
occupations \3\ and then by multiplying that total hourly cost by the 
number of hours needed for each response. Specifically, the total 
hourly cost applied in this calculation is $88.03, calculated as the 
sum of weighted mean hourly wages and benefits of the following 
occupations:
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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 5 CFR 1320.3.
    \3\ Hourly costs (for wages and benefits) are based on mean wage 
estimates by the Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) Occupational 
Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program from May 2023 for 
Utilities (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm) and 
benefits information for private industry workers (released March 
2023) for private industry workers (https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm).
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     Computer Systems Analysts (Occupation Code: 15-1211): 
$56.57 (base hourly wage) / 70.7% (benefits) = $80.01 x 75 percent of 
the time needed for each response = $60.0075;
     Legal (Occupation Code: 23-0000): $104.10 (base hourly 
wage) / 70.7% (benefits) = $147.24 x 12.5 percent of the time needed 
for each response = $18.405; and
     Database Administrators (Occupation Code: 15-1242): $54.40 
(base hourly wage) / 70.7% (benefits) = $76.94 x 12.5 percent of the 
time needed for each response = $9.6175.
    The burden estimates are as follows:
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    \4\ Each RTO/ISO electronically submits data daily. To match 
past information collection requests, we are considering the 
collection of daily responses to be a single response, except in 
cases of a data delivery change.
    \5\ The hour burden associated with a ``Data Delivery Change 
Over the Year'' varies considerably based on the significance of the 
specific change; therefore, the estimate is intended to reflect the 
incremental burden for an average change. Based on historical 
patterns, staff estimates there to be about 1.5 changes of this 
nature per RTO or ISO per year. Based on our experience, we estimate 
that the total time required for a single change is 320 hours, and 
there are, on average, 1.5 changes annually, the estimated total 
time for this category of response is 480 hours (1.5 x 320 hours).

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                                                         Annual
                                                       number of                                                                            Annual cost
                Category                  Number of    responses    Total number    Average burden & cost per  Total annual burden hours        per
                                         respondents      per       of responses            response                     & cost           respondent ($)
                                                       respondent
                                                 (1)          (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4).......................  (3) * (4) = (5)..........       (5) / (1)
                                                                              (3)
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Ongoing Electronic Delivery of Data....            6            1           \4\ 6  52 hrs.; $4,577.56........  312 hrs.; $27,465.36.....       $4,577.56
Data Delivery Changes Over the Year \5\            6            1               6  480 hrs.; $42,254.40......  2,880 hrs.; $253,526,40..       42,254.40
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    Total..............................            6            2              12  ..........................  3,192 hrs.; $280,991.76..       46,831.96
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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: June 25, 2024.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-14508 Filed 7-1-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P