FERC-725 60-day notice (published)

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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 162 / Friday, August 21, 2015 / Notices

The filings are accessible in the
Commission’s eLibrary system by
clicking on the links or querying the
docket number.
Any person desiring to intervene or
protest in any of the above proceedings
must file in accordance with Rules 211
and 214 of the Commission’s
Regulations (18 CFR 385.211 and
385.214) on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern
time on the specified comment date.
Protests may be considered, but
intervention is necessary to become a
party to the proceeding.
eFiling is encouraged. More detailed
information relating to filing
requirements, interventions, protests,
service, and qualifying facilities filings
can be found at: http://www.ferc.gov/
docs-filing/efiling/filing-req.pdf. For
other information, call (866) 208–3676
(toll free). For TTY, call (202) 502–8659.
Dated: August 13, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015–20651 Filed 8–20–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. IC15–12–000]

Commission Information Collection
Activities (FERC–725); Comment
Request; Extension
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, DOE.
ACTION: Notice of information collection
and request for comments.
AGENCY:

In compliance with the
requirements of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C.
3506(c)(2)(A), the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (Commission or
FERC) is soliciting public comment on
the currently approved information
collection, FERC–725 [Certification of
Electric Reliability Organization;
Procedures for Electric Reliability
Standards].

SUMMARY:

Comments on the collection of
information are due October 20, 2015.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
(identified by Docket No. IC15–12–000)
by either of the following methods:
rmajette on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

DATES:

1 The Commission does not expect any new ERO
applications to be submitted in the next five years
and is not including any burden for this
requirement in the burden estimate. FERC still
seeks to renew the regulations pertaining to a new
ERO application under this renewal but is
expecting the burden to be zero for the foreseeable
future. 18 CFR 39.3 contains the regulation
pertaining to ERO applications.

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• 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/submissionguide.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/docsfiling/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–725, Certification of
Electric Reliability Organization;
Procedures for Electric Reliability
Standards
OMB Control No.: 1902–0225
Type of Request: Three-year extension
of the FERC–725 information collection
requirements with no changes to the
current reporting requirements.
Abstract: The FERC–725 information
collection contains the following
information collection elements:
• Self Assessment and Electric
Reliability Organization (ERO)
Application: The Commission requires
the ERO to submit to FERC a
performance assessment report every
five years. The next assessment is due
in 2019. Each Regional Entity submits a
performance assessment report to the
ERO. Submitting an application to
become an ERO is also part of this
collection.1
• Reliability Assessments: 18 CFR
39.11 requires the ERO to assess the
reliability and adequacy of the BulkPower System in North America.
Subsequently, the ERO must report to
the Commission on its findings.
Regional entities perform similar
assessments within individual regions.
Currently, the ERO submits to FERC
three assessments each year: long term,

winter, and summer. In addition, NERC
also submits various other assessments
as needed.
• Reliability Standards Development:
Under Section 215 of the Federal Power
Act (FPA), the ERO is charged with
developing Reliability Standards.
Regional Entities may also develop
regional specific standards. Reliability
Standards are one of the three principal
mechanisms provided to FERC to ensure
reliability on the Bulk-Power System.
• Reliability Compliance: Reliability
Standards are mandatory and
enforceable upon approval by FERC. In
addition to the specific information
collection requirements contained in
each Reliability Standard (cleared under
other information collections), there are
general compliance, monitoring and
enforcement information collection
requirements imposed on applicable
entities. Audits, spot checks, selfcertifications, exception data submittals,
violation reporting, and mitigation plan
confirmation are included in this area.
• Stakeholder Survey: The ERO uses
a stakeholder survey to solicit feedback
from registered entities 2 in preparation
for its three year and five year selfperformance assessment. The
Commission assumes that the ERO will
perform another survey prior to the
2019 self- assessment.
• Other Reporting: This category
refers to all other reporting requirements
imposed on the ERO or regional entities
in order to comply with the
Commission’s regulations. For example,
FERC may require NERC to submit a
special reliability assessment. This
category is mentioned to capture these
types of one-time filings required of
NERC or the Regions.
The Commission implements its
responsibilities through 18 CFR part 39.
Without the FERC–725 information, the
Commission, ERO, and Regional Entities
will not have the data needed to
determine whether sufficient and
appropriate measures are being taken to
ensure the reliability of the nation’s
electric grid.
Type of Respondents: ERO and
regional entities
Estimate of Annual Burden: 3 The
Commission estimates the annual public
reporting burden for the information
collection as:

2 A ‘‘registered entity’’ is an entity that is
registered with the ERO. All Bulk-Power System
owners, operators and users are required to register
with the ERO. Registration is the basis for
determining the Reliability Standards with which
an entity must comply. See http://www.nerc.com/
page.php?cid=3%7C25 for more details.

3 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.

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50847

Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 162 / Friday, August 21, 2015 / Notices
FERC–725—CERTIFICATION OF THE ERO; PROCEDURES FOR ELECTRIC RELIABILITY STANDARDS
Type of respondent

Electric Reliability
Organization
(ERO) 1.

Type of reporting
requirement

Self-Assessment .....

Number of
respondents

Number of
responses per
respondent

Total number of
responses

Average
burden hours
& cost per
response

Estimated total
annual burden
& cost

(A)

(B) 4

(A) × (B) = (C)

(D)

(C) × (D)

.................................

.2

.2

7,800

1,560
$114,941

5 $574,704

Reliability Assessments.
Reliability Compliance.
Standards Development.
Other Reporting ......

.................................

5.5

5.5

15,600

85,800
$6,321,744
24,960
$1,839,053
28,080
$1,865,916
2,080
$270,130
26,624
$1,769,164
124,800
$8,292,960
324,480
$23,907,688
18,720
$1,243,944
8,320
$1,080,520
2,312
$170,221
578,400
$42,616,512

5 $1,149,408

.................................

2

2

12,480
5 $919,526

.................................

1

1

28,080
6 $1,865,916

1 ..............................

1

1

2080
7 $270,130

Regional Entities .....

Self-Assessment .....

.................................

.2

1.6

16,640
6 $1,105,728

Reliability Assessments.
Reliability Compliance.
Standards Development.
Other Reporting ......

.................................

1

8

15,600
6 $1,036,620

.................................

1

8

40,560
5 $2,988,461

.................................

1

8

2,340
6 $155,493

8 ..............................

1

8

1,040
7 $135,065

Registered Entities ..

Stakeholder Survey

.................................

.2

289

8
5 $589

Reliability Compliance.

estimated 1446 .......

1

N/A

Total Burden
Hours.
Total Cost ..

142,480 hrs.
502,944 hrs.
580,712 hrs.

.................................

.................................

............................

............................

........................

1,226,136 hrs.

.................................

.................................

............................

............................

........................

$89,492,791

Comments: Comments are invited on:
(1) Whether the collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the

rmajette on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

400
5 $29,472

Subtotals:
ERO
Regional
Registered

4 In all instances below where the number of
responses per respondent is ‘‘1’’ the Commission
acknowledges that actual number of responses
varies and cannot be estimated clearly.
5 Uses the weighted hourly average wage (salary
plus benefits) for electrical engineers and lawyers
obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (data
for May 2014, posted on 4/1/2015 at http://
www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm): $91.82/
hour. The weighted average used the following
calculation: [(0.20) * ($129.87) + (0.60) * ($66.45)
+ (0.2) * ($39.18)] = $73.68. $129.87/hour is the
wage for lawyers. $66.45/hour is the wage for
engineers. $39.17/hour is the wage for office and
administrative support. Occupation codes are 23–
0000, 17–2071, and 43–0000 respectively.
6 Uses the hourly average wage (salary plus
benefits) for electrical engineers obtained from the
Bureau of Labor Statistics (data for May 2014,
posted on 4/1/2015 at http://www.bls.gov/oes/
current/naics2_22.htm): $66.45/hour. Occupation
code is 17–2071.
7 Uses the hourly average wage (salary plus
benefits) for lawyers obtained from the Bureau of
Labor Statistics (data for May 2014, posted on 4/1/
2015 at http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_
22.htm): $129.87/hour. Occupation code is 23–
0000.

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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: August 17, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015–20744 Filed 8–20–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. AD14–15–000]

Common Performance Metrics;
Request for Information on Common
Performance Metrics for RTOs and
ISOs and Utilities Outside RTO and ISO
Regions
On August 26, 2014, Commission
Staff issued a ‘‘Common Metrics
Report,’’ establishing 30 common
metrics for independent system
operators (ISOs), regional transmission
organizations (RTOs), and utilities in
non-ISO/RTO regions. In that report,
Commission Staff indicated that upon
approval by the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for additional data
collection, a notice would be issued
requesting that the ISOs, RTOs, and
participating utilities in non-ISO/RTO
regions provide performance

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