AD19-16, 30-day Notice, published in Fed. Reg.

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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 20 / Thursday, January 30, 2020 / Notices

Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 2/13/20.
Docket Numbers: ER20–529–001.
Applicants: Wilderness Line
Holdings, LLC.
Description: Tariff Amendment:
Request to Hold Proceedings in
Abeyance—LGIA & TSA to be effective
12/31/9998.
Filed Date: 1/23/20.
Accession Number: 20200123–5104.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 2/13/20.
Docket Numbers: ER20–868–000.
Applicants: Lake Benton Power
Partners II, LLC.
Description: Tariff Cancellation: Lake
Benton Power Partners II, LLC Notice of
Cancellation of MBR Tariff to be
effective 1/24/2020.
Filed Date: 1/23/20.
Accession Number: 20200123–5107.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 2/13/20.
Docket Numbers: ER20–870–000.
Applicants: Panda Liberty LLC.
Description: Compliance filing:
compliance 2020 information to be
effective N/A.
Filed Date: 1/24/20.
Accession Number: 20200124–5150.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 2/14/20.
Docket Numbers: ER20–871–000.
Applicants: Panda Patriot LLC.
Description: Compliance filing:
compliance 2020 information to be
effective N/A.
Filed Date: 1/24/20.
Accession Number: 20200124–5153.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 2/14/20.
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: January 24, 2020.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020–01678 Filed 1–29–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. AD19–16–000]

Commission Information Collection
Activities (FERC–922); Comment
Request
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of information collection
and request for comments.
AGENCY:

In compliance with the
requirements of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission
(Commission or FERC) staff is soliciting
public comment on the reinstatement
and revision of the FERC–922,
Performance Metrics for ISOs, RTOs,
and Regions Outside ISOs and RTOs.
The Commission is 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.
DATES: Comments on the information
collection are due March 2, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB,
identified by OMB Control No. 1902–
0262, 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, identified by Docket No.
AD19–16–000, by either of the following
methods:
• eFiling at Commission’s Website:
http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
efiling.asp, or
• Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier:
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
Secretary of the Commission, 888 First
Street NE, Washington, DC 20426.
Instructions: All submissions to the
Commission 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 ferconlinesupport@
ferc.gov, 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:
Darren Sheets may be reached by email
SUMMARY:

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at [email protected], or by
telephone at (202) 502–8742.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: FERC–922 (Performance Metrics
for ISOs, RTOs, and Regions Outside
ISOs and RTOs).
OMB Control No.: 1902–0262.1
Type of Request: Reinstatement of the
FERC–922 information collection, with
revisions, as discussed in Docket No.
AD19–16–000.
Abstract: On July 10, 2019, the
Commission published a notice in the
Federal Register in Docket No. AD19–
16–000 requesting comment on the
proposed information collection. The
Commission received eight comments
on the proposed reinstatement and
revision of the FERC–922. Commission
staff addresses these comments in this
notice and in its submittal to OMB. In
addition to addressing the comments
received, Commission staff also has
updated the attachments to the notice of
information collection to reflect the
correction of certain typographical and
formatting errors.
In September 2008, the United States
Government Accountability Office
(GAO) issued a report recommending
that the Commission, among other
actions, work with Regional
Transmission Organizations (RTOs),
Independent System Operators (ISOs),
stakeholders, and other experts to
develop standardized metrics to track
the performance of RTO/ISO operations
and markets and publicly report those
metrics.2 In accordance with the 2008
GAO Report, Commission staff
developed a set of standardized metrics
(the Common Metrics), sought and
received OMB approval to collect
information on those metrics from
RTOs/ISOs, and later non-RTO/ISO
utilities, and ultimately issued five
public reports (Common Metrics
Reports).3
In December 2017, the GAO issued a
report on the RTOs/ISOs with
1 The Commission previously had OMB approval
for the information collection FERC–922 under
OMB Control No. 1902–0262. At the Commission’s
request, OMB approval for the information
collection was discontinued on August 31, 2018.
Commission staff plans to request authority from
OMB to reinstate the information collection FERC–
922, with certain revisions, as described in more
detail herein. See 44 U.S.C. 3507 (2012).
2 U.S. Gov’t Accountability Office, GAO–08–987,
Report to the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate; Electricity
Restructuring: FERC Could Take Additional Steps
to Analyze Regional Transmission Organizations’
Benefits and Performance (2008), https://
www.gao.gov/assets/290/281312.pdf.
3 See Fed. Energy Regulatory Comm’n, RTO/ISO
Performance Metrics (last updated Aug. 16, 2019),
http://www.ferc.gov/industries/electric/indus-act/
rto/rto-iso-performance.asp.

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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 20 / Thursday, January 30, 2020 / Notices
centralized capacity markets.4 Among
other recommendations, the GAO found
that the Commission should take steps
to improve the quality of the data
collected for its Common Metrics
Reports, such as implementing
improved data quality checks and,
where feasible, ensuring that RTOs/ISOs
report consistent metrics over time by
standardizing definitions. Furthermore,
the GAO recommended that the
Commission develop and document an
approach to regularly identify, assess,
and respond to risks that capacity
markets face.
In response to the 2017 GAO Report,
Commission staff has proposed changes
to the Common Metrics information
collection. First, Commission staff
proposes to improve the data collection
process by creating a standardized
information collection Input
Spreadsheet (i.e., the reporting form)
and an updated, more detailed User
Guide, which will provide guidance on
completing the information collection
request, including information about
who should respond; the timeline for
responses; the metrics being collected,
including important definitions and a
description of the types of metrics and
their structure in the information
collection; and how to properly use the
reporting form. Also, Commission staff
proposes to update the list of Common
Metrics to focus on centrally-organized
energy markets and capacity markets,
which involves adding capacity market
metrics.
The update eliminates previouslycollected metrics on reliability, RTO/
ISO billing controls and customer
satisfaction, interconnection and
transmission processes, and system
lambda. Commission staff proposes
eliminating these metrics because they
provide limited information, do not
significantly help Commission staff or
the public draw any conclusions
regarding the benefits of an RTO/ISO,
and to reduce the reporting burden for

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4 U.S. Gov’t Accountability Office, GAO–18–131,
Electricity Markets: Four Regions Use Capacity
Markets to Help Ensure Adequate Resources, but
FERC Has Not Fully Assessed Their Performance
(2017), https://www.gao.gov/assets/690/689293.pdf
(hereinafter 2017 GAO Report).

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respondents. The revised data
collection, after additions and deletions,
consists of twenty-nine Common
Metrics.
In addition to eliminating certain
metrics and adding new ones, the
Common Metrics are now organized
into three groups:
• Group 1 metrics are designed to be
collected from all respondents (i.e.,
RTOs/ISOs and non-RTO/ISO utilities).
There are seven Group 1 metrics:
Reserve Margins, Average Heat Rates,
Fuel Diversity, Capacity Factor by
Technology Type, Energy Emergency
Alerts (EEA Level 1 or Higher),
Performance by Technology Type
during EEA Level 1 or Higher, and
Resource Availability (Equivalent
Forced Outage Rate Demand (EFORd)).
• Group 2 metrics pertain to
organized energy markets and, thus, are
designed to be collected only from
respondents with such energy markets
(i.e., all RTOs/ISOs). There are twelve
Group 2 metrics: Number and Capacity
of Reliability Must-Run Units,
Reliability Must-Run Contract Usage,
Demand Response Capability, Unit
Hours Mitigated, Wholesale Power Costs
by Charge Type, Price Cost Markup,
Fuel Adjusted Wholesale Energy Price,
Energy Market Price Convergence,
Congestion Management,
Administrative Costs, New Entrant Net
Revenues, and Order No. 825 5 Shortage
Intervals and Reserve Price Impacts.
• Finally, the new Group 3 metrics
pertain to organized capacity markets
and, thus, are designed to be collected
only from respondents with such
capacity markets (i.e., all RTOs/ISOs
with capacity markets). There are ten
Group 3 metrics: Net Cost of New Entry
(Net CONE) Value, Resource
Deliverability, New Capacity (Entry),
Capacity Retirement (Exit), Forecasted
Demand, Capacity Market Procurement
and Prices, Capacity Obligations and
Performance Assessment Events,
Capacity Over-Performance, Capacity
5 Settlement Intervals and Shortage Pricing in
Mkts. Operated by Reg’l Transmission Orgs. &
Indep. Sys. Operators, Order No. 825, 155 FERC
¶ 61,276 (2016).

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Under-Performance, and Total Capacity
Bonus Payments and Penalties.
A table showing the revised Common
Metrics organized by the three groups
can be found at the end of this notice.
The updated User Guide for the
information collection, as well as the
standardized information collection
reporting form, are also attached to this
notice. These attachments will not be
published in the Federal Register but
will be available as part of this notice in
the Commission’s eLibrary system
under Docket No. AD19–16–000.
Commission staff has assured itself,
by means of internal review, that there
is specific, objective support for the
burden estimates associated with the
information collection requirements.
Type of Respondents: ISOs, RTOs,
and non-RTO/ISO utilities.
Estimate of Annual Burden: 6
Commission staff expects that
respondents will submit information on
the Common Metrics every two years.
Commission staff is requesting a threeyear approval from OMB, so the
voluntary information collection would
happen in Year 1 and Year 3.7 The
following table sets forth the estimated
annual burden and cost 8 for this
information collection:
6 Burden is defined 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, refer to 5 CFR 1320.3.
7 The OMB approval is for a maximum of three
years.
8 See generally Bureau of Labor Statistics,
Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018
(last modified Mar. 29, 2019), available at:
Computer Systems Analysts (15–1121), https://
www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes151121.htm; Lawyers
(23–1011), https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/
oes231011.htm; Electrical Engineers (17–2071),
https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes172071.htm;
Economists (19–3011), https://www.bls.gov/oes/
current/oes193011.htm; Chief Executives (11–1011),
https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes111011.htm;
see also Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs
for Employee Compensation, News Release USDL–
19–2195 (Dec. 18, 2019), https://www.bls.gov/
news.release/ecec.nr0.htm. Those estimated average
hourly wages (plus benefits) are: $82.42 for the
Metrics Data Collection and Write Performance
Analysis categories, and $156.99 for the
Management Review component (which is solely
based on the Chief Executive wage rates).

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Explanation of the Table
The Number of Respondents (1) in the
first column varies by Group because all
respondents do not provide information
on each of the twenty-nine Common
Metrics.
Commission staff has estimated the
number of respondents for the first three
Groups based on the assumption that
the six jurisdictional RTOs/ISOs and the
five non-RTO/ISO utilities (eleven total
respondents) that previously responded
to the FERC–922 information collection
will provide responses to this revised
FERC–922 information collection.
Therefore, the estimated number of
respondents in Group 1 is eleven,
because all respondents can report on
the Group 1 metrics. The estimated
number of respondents for Group 2 is
six because only the jurisdictional
RTOs/ISOs with energy markets can
respond to the Group 2 metrics.
Likewise, the estimated number of
respondents in Group 3 is four because
only the jurisdictional RTOs/ISOs with
capacity markets can respond to the
Group 3 metrics. Finally, the table
includes a burden estimate for potential
new respondents. Since all the
jurisdictional RTOs/ISOs previously
responded to FERC–922, any potential
new respondent would be a non-RTO/
ISO utility and, thus, would only submit
responses to the Group 1 metrics. The
burden estimate for new respondents
reflects the fact that a potential new
respondent would be submitting for the
first time, therefore requiring more
hours and cost per new response.
Commission staff conservatively

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estimates that one new non-RTO/ISO
utility may respond to this revised
FERC–922 information collection.
The second column (2), Number of
Responses in Years 1 & 3, is
characterized by the number of
Balancing Authority Areas (BAAs) each
respondent would be reporting on, as
the respondent would provide a
response to each metric for each of its
BAAs. Each RTO/ISO is a single BAA
and, therefore, will only provide
responses to each metric for one BAA,
but non-RTO/ISO utilities may report
for multiple BAAs. Therefore, the
estimated number of responses for
Group 1 (all RTOs/ISOs and non-RTO/
ISO utilities) is the number of BAAs in
the RTOs/ISOs (i.e., six), plus the
number of non-RTO/ISO BAAs (i.e.,
ten), which equals sixteen total
responses. The estimated number of
responses for Group 2 (all RTOs/ISOs
with energy markets) is the same as the
number of respondents (i.e., six), as only
the RTOs/ISOs respond and they each
have only one BAA. The estimated
number of responses for Group 3 (all
RTOs/ISOs with capacity markets) is the
same as the number of respondents (i.e.,
four), as only the four RTOs/ISOs with
capacity markets can respond and they
each have only one BAA. Finally, there
is only estimated to be one non-RTO/
ISO utility as a potential new
respondent, which would only respond
to the Group 1 metrics that apply to all
respondents.
The Annual Frequency of Filings (3)
is 0.67 for all groups. This fraction
reflects that there will be two

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information collections, one each during
Year 1 and Year 3 of the three-year OMB
authorization period. Therefore, 2⁄3 or
0.67 is the adjustment to reflect an
average yearly value for the burden.
The Total Number of Annual
Responses (4) is the product of the
second column, Number of Responses
in Years 1 and 3 (2), multiplied by the
third column, the Annual Frequency of
Filings (3). Thus, for the first group of
respondents, this value is 16 × 0.67, or
10.72.
The Estimated Burden Hours per
Response (5) reflects the total number of
estimated burden hours, separated into
the three reporting categories (collect,
write, review) for each group of
respondents. The total estimated burden
hours for the first 3 groups of
respondents are the same (401 hours) as
determined in the previous FERC–922
information collection burden estimates.
An increased estimate of the burden
hours, 427 hours, is for Potential New
Respondents, in recognition of the fact
that the burden on a new respondent is
likely higher. The number of hours in
each reporting category has been
adjusted in this collection, as compared
to the previous FERC–922 collection
burden estimate, to reflect less emphasis
on the writing category, as Commission
staff has developed a structured data
collection tool that will decrease the
amount of written text that respondents
will provide in the information
collection.9
9 The estimated hours per response has increased
for: (a) Metrics Data Collection component to 271
hours (from 229 hours), and (b) Management

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The Estimated Cost per Response (6)
is the product of the following three
variables: The Estimated Burden Hours
per Response (5) for a category,
multiplied by the labor rate (wages plus
benefits) for each category (which is not
shown in the table), multiplied by the
proportion of total hours attributable to
a given Group that reports on a category,
e.g., the number of metrics in that Group
divided by the total number of metrics
(also not shown in table). An example
in the first row is that for Group 1,
Metrics Data Collection category, the
$5,391 is the product of 271 hours in
column (5) multiplied by the weighted
average labor rate for that category
($82.42) multiplied by 0.242 (the ratio of
metrics in Group 1, 7, to the total
number of metrics, 29 or 7 ÷ 29). This
fraction is not displayed in the table.10
The Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours (7) is the product of the Total
Number of Annual Responses (4) times
the Estimated Burden Hours per
Response (5). For the first row of the
first group of respondents, this value is
2,905 hours (or 10.72 × 271 hours).
Finally, the Estimated Total Annual
Cost (8) reflects the total burden to the
industry and is calculated by
multiplying the Total Number of
Annual Responses (4) times the
Estimated Cost per Response (6) for each
category for all groups and produces an
estimated total cost in the last row of the
table. The wage rates utilized in this
burden estimate have been updated to
recent Bureau of Labor Statistics
estimates for the same categories as used
in the prior burden estimates for the
FERC–922 information collection (i.e.,
Computer Systems Analysts, Lawyers,
Electrical Engineers, Economists, and
the category Chief Executive) in the
Electric Power Generation,
Transmission, and Distribution
industry. Wage estimates use the hourly
mean wage from the Bureau of Labor
Statistics data, adjusted upward for the
private industry benefits of 29.9 percent,
and are an average of those categories.
Public Comments and Commission
Staff’s Responses: Comments were filed
by the public in response to the July 10,
2019 notice published by the
Commission in the Federal Register, 84
FR 32,908 (July 10, 2019). Commission
staff’s responses to those comments are
provided below.
Review component to 60 hours (from 33 hours). The
estimated hours per response for ‘‘Write
Performance Analysis’’ has decreased to 70 hours
(from 139 hours).
10 The fraction for Group 1 and the Potential New
Respondents is 0.242 (the seven metrics in Group
1 divided by the total number of metrics, twentynine); for Group 2 the fraction is 0.414 (twelve
divided by twenty-nine); for Group 3 the fraction
is 0.345 (ten divided by twenty-nine).

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General Comments on Reinstatement
and Revision of FERC–922 Information
Collection
In general, commenters, including
APPA, California Independent System
Operator Corporation (CAISO),
Midcontinent Independent System
Operator, Inc. (MISO), the PJM
Interconnection, L.L.C. Independent
Market Monitor (PJM market monitor),
the ISO/RTO Council (IRC),
Transmission Access Policy Study
Group (TAPS), and the Competitive
Transmission Developers,11 support
Commission staff’s efforts to reinstate
the FERC–922 information collection
and to improve it by adding the Group
3 capacity market metrics, and by
providing a new User Guide and Input
Spreadsheet. APPA further notes its
support of Commission staff’s proposal
to eliminate the metrics on reliability,
RTO/ISO billing controls,
interconnection and transmission
processes, and system lambda. To
further improve the value of the
information collection, APPA and the
Competitive Transmission Developers
comment that the metrics collected
should not be limited to information
that is already collected and published
by RTOs/ISOs. APPA and the
Competitive Transmission Developers
also comment that Commission staff
should increase the quality checks it
performs on the data submitted in
response to the information collection
and undertake critical analysis of the
data submitted, including identifying
opportunities for comparisons between
RTOs/ISOs and non-RTO/ISO utilities.
IRC requests a reasonable period to
submit information in response to the
information collection.
Commission Staff Response:
Commission staff believes that staff
deliberations, combined with significant
public outreach, have resulted in the
development of twenty-nine Common
Metrics, as well as the associated User
Guide and Input Spreadsheet, that
address many of the concerns raised by
the GAO in the 2017 GAO Report, and
that will allow for meaningful
evaluations of the performance and
reliability of RTOs/ISOs and non-RTO/
ISO utilities. Commission staff has not
limited the information collection to
metrics that are already collected and/
or published by the RTOs/ISOs or their
market monitors. If and when the
information collection is approved by
OMB, Commission staff will issue a
formal request for information, seeking
responses to the information collection
11 The Competitive Transmission Developers
include GridLiance Holdco, LP, LSP Transmission
Holdings II, LLC, and BHE U.S. Transmission, LLC.

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within ninety days, which staff believes
is a reasonable period of time to
respond. Once responses are received,
Commission staff intends to undertake
additional, improved quality checks on
the data, as recommended by GAO.
Comments Requesting Modification of
Proposed Metrics and Inclusion of
Additional Metrics
The CAISO Department of Market
Monitoring (CAISO market monitor)
requests the addition of four additional
Group 2 metrics regarding the efficiency
of congestion revenue rights (CRR)
auctions. APPA requests additional
Group 2 and Group 3 metrics, including:
(1) A metric addressing transmission
costs comprehensively; (2) a metric
addressing whether existing capacity is
over- or under-recovering its costs in the
RTO/ISO-operated markets; (3) a metric
addressing the concentration of
ownership of capacity resources; and (4)
a metric regarding the participation and
profitability of financial entities in RTO/
ISO-operated markets. APPA also
recommends that Commission staff
retain the RTO/ISO governance metric it
proposed deleting from the information
collection. The Competitive
Transmission Developers recommend
inclusion of a transmission metric on
constructions costs, comparing initial
RTO/ISO cost estimates to actual costs
at the time the project went into service,
and identifying whether a project was
competitive or designated to
incumbents. In contrast, IRC does not
believe that expansion of the metrics
beyond Commission staff’s proposal is
warranted.
APPA recommends substantive
changes to Metrics #13, #16, #18, #22,
and #25 on the basis that its proposed
changes would increase the accuracy of
the metrics, increase comparability, or
otherwise add useful data to the
information collection. TAPS
recommends that sub-part ten of Metric
#25 be expanded to include data on
generation capacity owned by load
serving entities, to allow for greater
comparability across markets. The PJM
market monitor recommends
substantive changes to Metrics #3, #5,
#6, #10, #11, #16, #19, #20, and #26, on
the basis that its proposed changes
would enhance the metrics, better align
them with the PJM market monitor’s
own calculations, or otherwise add
useful data to the information
collection. The PJM market monitor
argues that Metrics #13 and #14 are not
useful measures of market performance.
Commission Staff Response:
Commission staff agrees with IRC that
an expansion of these metrics is not
warranted at this time. Some of the

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additional metrics recommended by
commenters may be calculated by
certain RTOs/ISOs or non-RTO/ISO
utilities but not by others, thus losing
the commonality and comparability of
the Common Metrics desired by
Commission staff. In many instances,
commenters have requested further
granularity of specific metrics—either at
a sub-RTO/ISO level, further divisibility
of the metric, or for information based
on individual resources or resource
owners. However, Commission staff
notes that the Common Metrics
collection is aimed at data applicable at
the RTO/ISO-level or non-RTO/ISO
utility-level based on data that could be
calculated using ‘‘common’’
methodologies and not designed for
granularity at the individual resource or
resource owner level or further split in
a manner that loses the commonality for
each region.
Commission staff also believes that
adding some of the proposed additional
metrics, without allowing significant
time for further research, outreach, and
refinement, would be premature.
However, staff commits to continuing to
research and discuss additional metrics
of interest to commenters in the ongoing
voluntary and collaborative process
with participating RTOs/ISOs and nonRTO/ISO utilities, and to consider
adding additional metrics to the next
iteration of this information collection.
Commission staff does not agree with
APPA that the customer satisfaction
metric staff proposed to eliminate
should be retained. Historically,
responses to this metric have not
provided meaningful data, and therefore
the metric has served only to increase
the reporting burden on respondents.
Staff commits to continuing to research
and discuss additional metrics of
interest to commenters in the ongoing
voluntary and collaborative process,
which could include organizational
effectiveness.
Commission staff has reviewed the
substantive changes recommended by
commenters to the proposed metrics
and has determined not to make
significant modifications to the metrics
at this time. Among other
considerations, Commission staff
believes some of the proposed changes:
(1) Would significantly increase the data
collection and reporting burden on
respondents; (2) would undermine the
commonality and comparability of
certain metrics across RTOs/ISOs and
non-RTO/ISO utilities; and (3) do not
support the general purpose of the
Common Metrics information

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collection.12 Further, Commission staff
believes that certain other refinements
would be premature to implement at
this time, without additional research,
outreach, and refinement. However,
Commission staff commits to continue
discussing ways to improve the metrics
and make them more meaningful in the
ongoing voluntary and collaborative
process with participating RTOs/ISOs
and non-RTO/ISO utilities, and to
consider additional refinements to the
metrics in the next iteration of this
information collection.
Comments Requesting Clarification of
Proposed Metrics
Commenters, including CAISO,
MISO, the PJM market monitor, and
IRC, note that certain respondents may
not be able to provide responsive
information or data for each metric
addressed in the information collection,
or may collect data in a manner that
deviates from the metric as requested.
IRC comments that the wording of
Metric #17 implies that the ability of
RTOs/ISOs to manage the growth rate of
administrative costs will be
commensurate with the growth rate of
system load—a presumption with which
IRC disagrees. APPA and TAPS both
recommend certain clarifying edits to
the description and calculation of
Metric #16. Specifically, with regard to
Metric #16, TAPS recommends that
Commission staff: (1) Clarify the
definition of ‘‘congestion revenue’’; (2)
clarify the definition of ‘‘congestion
charge’’; (3) clarify the information to be
submitted in sub-part 5 of Metric #16;
and (4) clarify that in reporting
congestion revenues returned to load,
RTOs should take into account all
revenues and charges associated with
Financial Transmission Rights (FTRs)
and Auction Revenue Rights (ARRs).
APPA supports TAPS’ comments
requesting an improved definition of
congestion revenue and congestion
charges and also recommends reversing
the numerator and denominator of the
calculation in sub-part 5 of Metric #16.
APPA also recommends that Metric #16
document how the payments for FTRs
that are purchased in an auction
compare to the revenues paid to the
12 Commission staff notes that individual RTOs/
ISOs, non-RTO/ISO utilities, and market monitors
may consider developing more granular metrics
specific to their markets for their own reporting
purposes. The Common Metrics information
collection is not meant to be a comprehensive
information collection for all RTOs/ISOs and nonRTO/ISO utilities. Rather, it is meant to focus on
metrics that are common and comparable across the
different regions. Staff believes that earlier outreach
efforts and extensive internal staff deliberations
have resulted in meaningful common metrics that
meet this objective.

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instrument holders. The PJM market
monitor recommends that Commission
staff clarify: (1) The method of
calculating new entrant net revenues in
Metric #18; (2) the intent of Metric #19;
(3) whether Metric #21 is intended to
include aggregate import and exports
limits for the RTO/ISO as a whole; and
(4) whether Metric #24 should be
calculated for each Locational
Deliverability Area that price separates
in PJM and for PJM as a whole.
Commission Staff Response:
Commission staff acknowledges that not
all respondents will have responsive
information for all of the metrics, and
that some respondents may calculate
certain data responsive to a metric in a
way that deviates from that requested
due to administrative and/or structural
differences across the different RTOs/
ISOs and non-RTO/ISO utilities.
Commission staff requests that
respondents respond as
comprehensively and as close to the
form requested as possible and simply
note and explain in the ‘‘Explanatory
Text’’ field for each metric any
deviations or omissions.
Commission staff did not intend for
the wording of Metric #17 to imply that
administrative costs will always be
commensurate with the system load
growth; therefore, Commission staff has
revised Metric #17 to read:
The ability of RTOs/ISOs to manage the
growth rate of administrative costs as the
growth rate of system load changes.

Commission staff agrees with APPA
and TAPS that enhancing the
definitions of congestion charges and
congestion revenue in Metric #16 would
ensure consistent reporting across
RTOs/ISOs, and Commission staff has
updated the User Guide and Input
Spreadsheet accordingly. Commission
staff also agrees that adding a line
omitted from the original Input
Spreadsheet and reversing the
numerator and denominator of sub-part
5 of Metric #16 will improve the
metric’s clarity, and Commission staff
has updated the Input Spreadsheet
accordingly. Commission staff does not
agree that Metric #16 should examine
how payments for FTRs that are
purchased in an auction compare to the
revenues paid to the instrument holders
because the Commission does not
generally assess the effectiveness of a
market by examining how well specific
types of market participants are
profiting from participation in the
market. Commission staff also does not
agree that congestion charges should be
reported separately for the day-ahead
and balancing markets because only

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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 20 / Thursday, January 30, 2020 / Notices
day-ahead congestion is associated with
FTRs.
Commission staff recognizes there are
varying methodologies for calculating
new entrant net revenues in Metric #18
and requests that respondents explain in
the Explanatory Text field any
clarifications they wish to provide. The
intent of Metric #19 is to measure the
impact that shortage events will have on
reserve market clearing prices. If
respondents would like to provide more
granular data or improvements to the
methodology, these can be submitted in
the Input Spreadsheet and described in
the Explanatory Text field provided.
The intent of Metric #21 is to measure
the maximum importable external
capacity into a capacity zone for the
purpose of resource deliverability in the
capacity auction and should therefore
focus on imports by zone. Commission
staff confirms Metric #24 should be
calculated both by zone and for the RTO
as a whole.
Finally, Commission staff notes that
this information collection is a
voluntary, collaborative process. To the
extent respondents have outstanding or
additional questions about the twentynine Common Metrics, including the
relevant definitions and calculations,
Commission staff is available to provide
guidance.
Further Comments Requested
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.

khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES

Dated: January 24, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020–01692 Filed 1–29–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P

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Online service, please email
[email protected]. or call
(866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY, call
(202) 502–8659.

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. ER20–859–000]

Outlaw Wind Project, LLC;
Supplemental Notice That Initial
Market-Based Rate Filing Includes
Request for Blanket Section 204
Authorization
This is a supplemental notice in the
above-referenced proceeding of Outlaw
Wind Project, LLC’s application for
market-based rate authority, with an
accompanying rate tariff, noting that
such application includes a request for
blanket authorization, under 18 CFR
part 34, of future issuances of securities
and assumptions of liability.
Any person desiring to intervene or to
protest should file with the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426,
in accordance with Rules 211 and 214
of the Commission’s Rules of Practice
and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211 and
385.214). Anyone filing a motion to
intervene or protest must serve a copy
of that document on the Applicant.
Notice is hereby given that the
deadline for filing protests with regard
to the applicant’s request for blanket
authorization, under 18 CFR part 34, of
future issuances of securities and
assumptions of liability, is February 12,
2020.
The Commission encourages
electronic submission of protests and
interventions in lieu of paper, using the
FERC Online links at http://
www.ferc.gov. To facilitate electronic
service, persons with internet access
who will eFile a document and/or be
listed as a contact for an intervenor
must create and validate an
eRegistration account using the
eRegistration link. Select the eFiling
link to log on and submit the
intervention or protests.
Persons unable to file electronically
should submit an original and 5 copies
of the intervention or protest to the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
888 First Street NE, Washington, DC
20426.
The filings in the above-referenced
proceeding are accessible in the
Commission’s eLibrary system by
clicking on the appropriate link in the
above list. They are also available for
electronic review in the Commission’s
Public Reference Room in Washington,
DC. There is an eSubscription link on
the website that enables subscribers to
receive email notification when a
document is added to a subscribed
docket(s). For assistance with any FERC

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5423

Dated: January 23, 2020.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020–01593 Filed 1–29–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. CP20–44–000]

Notice of Request for Confirmation or,
in the Alternative, Abbreviated
Application for Amendment of
Certificate of Public Convenience and
Necessity of Iroquois Gas
Transmission, L.P.
Take notice that on January 17, 2020,
Iroquois Gas Transmission System, L.P.
(Iroquois) filed with the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) a request for confirmation
that Iroquois’ current and ongoing
practices of monitoring its pipeline right
of way (ROW) satisfy the environmental
condition that Iroquois conduct a yearly
walkover of its pipeline ROW that was
incorporated by reference in the
Commission’s 1990 order granting
Iroquois’ original certificate to
construct, own, and operate its
interstate natural gas pipeline system
(1990 Certificate Order) in the
alternative, Iroquois requests that the
Commission approve a limited
amendment to Iroquois’ certificate
granted in the 1990 Certificate Order to
remove the requirement that Iroquois
perform and annual walkover of its
pipeline ROW (Amendment
Application) all as more fully set forth
in the request which is on file with the
Commission and open to public
inspection. Iroquois requests that the
Commission grant Iroquois’ request (or
alternatively, issue a final order granting
the Amendment Application) by
February 17, 2020.
The filing is available for review at
the Commission in the Public Reference
Room or may be viewed on the
Commission’s website web at http://
www.ferc.gov using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link.
Enter the docket number excluding the
last three digits in the docket number
field to access the document. For
assistance, contact FERC at
[email protected] or call
toll-free, (886) 208–3676 or TYY, (202)
502–8659.

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