OMB files this comment in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.11(c) of the Paperwork Reduction Act and is withholding approval of this collection at this time. This OMB action is not an approval to conduct or sponsor an information collection under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The agency shall examine public comment in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and will include in the supporting statement of the next ICR, to be submitted to OMB at the final rule stage, a description of how the agency has responded to any public comments on the ICR. This action has no effect on any current approvals.
table that charts list comparision
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
36 Months From Approved
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Transmission providers require reactive power to control system voltage for efficient and reliable operation of an alternating current transmission system. At times, transmission providers need generators to either supply or consume reactive power. Starting with Order No. 888, which included provisions regarding reactive power from generators as an ancillary service in Schedule 2 of the pro forma Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT), the Commission issued a series of orders intended to ensure that sufficient reactive power is available to maintain the reliability of the electric grid.
Starting with Order No. 2003, the Commission adopted standard procedures and a standard agreement for the interconnection of large generation facilities, the pro forma Large Generator Interconnection Agreement (LGIA), which included the reactive power requirement. The Commission recognized in Order No. 2003-A that the pro forma LGIA was âdesigned around the needs of large synchronous generators and that generators relying on newer technologies may find that either a specific requirement is inapplicable or that it calls for a slightly different approachâ because such generators âmay have unique electrical characteristics.â Therefore, the Commission exempted wind generators from the reactive power requirement and added a blank Appendix G to the pro forma LGIA as a placeholder for future interconnection requirements for newer technologies.
In June 2005, the Commission issued Order No. 661, establishing interconnection requirements in Appendix G to the pro forma LGIA for large wind generators. Recognizing that, unlike traditional synchronous generators, wind generators had to âinstall costly equipmentâ in order to maintain reactive power capability, the Commission in Order No. 661 preserved the exemption for large wind generators from the reactive power requirement unless the transmission provider shows, through a System Impact Study, that reactive power capability is required to ensure safety or reliability. The Commission explained that this qualified exemption from the reactive power requirement for large wind generators would provide certainty to the industry and âremove unnecessary obstacles to the increased growth of wind generation.â
In May 2005, the Commission issued Order No. 2006, in which it adopted standard procedures and a standard agreement for the interconnection of small generation facilities, the pro forma Small Generator Interconnection Agreement (SGIA). In Order No. 2006, the Commission completely exempted small wind generators from the reactive power requirement. The Commission reasoned that, similar to large wind generators, small wind generators would face increased costs to provide reactive power that could create an obstacle to the development of small wind generators. Additionally, the Commission reasoned that small wind generators would âhave minimal impact on the Transmission Providerâs electric systemâ and therefore the reliability requirements for large wind generators that were eventually imposed in Order No. 661 were not needed for small wind generators.
The reforms proposed in this NOPR in Docket RM16-1 would amend the Commissionâs standard generator interconnection agreements in accordance with section 35.28(f)(1) of the Commissionâs regulations to require that each public utility transmission provider amend its pro forma LGIA and pro forma SGIA to: (1) eliminate the exemptions for wind generators from the requirement to provide reactive power; and (2) require that all newly interconnecting non-synchronous generators, as well as all existing non-synchronous generators making upgrades to their generation facilities that require new interconnection requests, provide reactive power as a condition of interconnection, as of the effective date of the final revision.
The proposed revisions in RM16-1-000 would require filings of pro forma LGIAs and pro forma SGIAs with the Commission. Commission staff anticipates the reforms proposed here, once implemented, would not significantly change currently existing burdens on an ongoing basis.
The FERC-516B is a temporary information collection number. It was created to facilitate a quicker submission to OMB. The FERC-516 is currently occupied by the submission contained in the ICR Reference Number 201511-1902-005 submitted on 12/1/2015.
$79,938
No
No
No
No
No
Uncollected
Brian Bak 202 502-6574
Reginfo record details
No
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
RM16-1-000 NOPR supporting statement3-24-2016.docx
Large Generator Interconnection Agreement.pdf
NOPR in RM16-1-000 (One-time)