Commission Information Collection Activities, Proposed Collection; Comment Request, 39682-39684 [E9-18914]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
39682
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 151 / Friday, August 7, 2009 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. IC09–731–000]
Commission Information Collection
Activities, Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
July 31, 2009.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: Notice of proposed information
collection and request for comments.
SUMMARY: In compliance with the
requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A) (2006), the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC or Commission) is soliciting
public comment on the proposed
information collection described below.
DATES: Comments on the proposed
collection of information are due 60
days after publication in the Federal
Register.
Comments may be filed
either electronically (e-Filed) or in
paper format, and should refer to Docket
No. IC09–731–000. Documents must be
prepared in an acceptable filing format
and in compliance with Commission
submission guidelines at https://
www.ferc.gov/help/submissionguide.asp.
Comments may be eFiled. The eFiling
option under the Documents & Filings
tab on the Commission’s home Web
page (https://www.ferc.gov) directs users
to the eFiling Web page. First-time users
should follow the eRegister instructions
on the eFiling Web page to establish a
user name and password before eFiling.
Filers will receive an e-mailed
confirmation of their eFiled comments.
Commentors filing electronically
should not make a paper filing.
Commentors that are not able to file
electronically must send an original and
14 paper copies of the filing to: Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission,
Secretary of the Commission, 888 First
Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.
Parties interested in receiving
automatic notification of activity in this
docket may do so through
eSubscription. The eSubscription option
under the Documents & Filings tab on
the Commission’s home Web page
directs users to the eSubscription Web
page. Users submit the docket numbers
of the filings they wish to track and will
subsequently receive an e-mail
notification each time a filing is made
under the submitted docket numbers.
First-time users will need to establish a
pwalker on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with NOTICES
ADDRESSES:
VerDate Nov<24>2008
17:09 Aug 06, 2009
Jkt 217001
user name and password before
eSubscribing.
Filed comments and FERC issuances
may be viewed, printed and
downloaded remotely from the
Commission’s Web site. The eLibrary
link found at the top of most of the
Commission’s Web pages directs users
to FERC’s eLibrary. From the eLibrary
Web page, choose General Search, and
in the Docket Number space provided,
enter IC09–731, then click the Submit
button at the bottom of the page. For
help with any of the Commission’s
electronic submission or retrieval
systems, contact FERC Online Support
via e-mail at:
ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, or
telephone toll-free: (866) 208–3676
(TTY (202) 502–8659).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michael Miller may be reached by
telephone at (202) 502–8415, by fax at
(202) 273–0873, and by e-mail at
michael.miller@ferc.gov.
In order to
meet the requirements of Section
1252(e)(3) of the Energy Policy Act of
2005, the Commission proposes to
conduct a survey with a response
deadline of April 30, 2010, and publish
a report on the results in 2010. The
proposed survey is necessary to update
the 2006 and 2008 advanced metering
and demand response information
collected on previous Commission
surveys. A copy of the survey,
instructions, and glossary are attached
and part of this document, but they are
not being printed in the Federal
Register. The Attachments are available
on the FERC’s eLibrary (https://
www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp)
by searching Docket No. IC09–731–000,
and through the FERC Public Reference
Room. Interested parties may also
request paper copies of the survey,
instructions, and glossary by contacting
Michael Miller by telephone at (202)
502–8415, by fax at (202) 273–0873, or
by e-mail at michael.miller@ferc.gov.
Section 1252(e)(3) of the Energy
Policy Act of 2005,1 requires the
Commission to prepare and publish an
annual report, by appropriate region,
that assesses demand response
resources, including those available
from all consumer classes. Specifically,
EPAct 2005 Section 1252(e)(3) requires
that the Commission identify and
review:
(A) Saturation and penetration rate of
advanced meters and communications
technologies, devices and systems;
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1 Pub. L. 109–58, § 1252(e)(3), 119 Stat. 594, 966
(2005) (EPAct 2005).
PO 00000
Frm 00078
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
(B) Existing demand response
programs and time-based rate programs;
(C) The annual resource contribution
of demand resources;
(D) The potential for demand
response as a quantifiable, reliable
resource for regional planning purposes;
(E) Steps taken to ensure that, in
regional transmission planning and
operations, demand resources are
provided equitable treatment as a
quantifiable, reliable resource relative to
the resource obligations of any loadserving entity, transmission provider, or
transmitting party; and
(F) Regulatory barriers to improved
customer participation in demand
response, peak reduction and critical
period pricing programs.
In 2006 and 2008, the Commission
designed and used Office of
Management and Budget (OMB)
approved collections FERC–727,
Demand Response and Time Based Rate
Programs Survey (OMB Control No.
1902–0214), and FERC–728, Advanced
Metering Survey (OMB Control No.
1902–0213), to collect and convey to
Congress the requested demand
response and advanced metering
information. The collection proposed
herein will update the information filed
previously in the FERC–727 and 728
surveys. The Commission investigated
alternatives, including using data from
the North American Electric Reliability
Corporation (NERC) and the Energy
Information Administration (EIA), to
fielding and collecting data using a
FERC designed survey. However, as
explained below, the data cannot be
obtained by the Commission in time to
complete the 2010 report to Congress.
In addition to creating the demand
response and advanced metering
requirements, EPAct 2005 enacted
section 215 of the Federal Power Act
(FPA) titled ‘‘Electric Reliability,’’
authorizing the Commission to approve
and enforce reliability standards for the
reliability of the interstate grid.2 Section
215 of the FPA authorized FERC to
certify an Electric Reliability
Organization (ERO) to develop the
reliability standards for the Nation’s
bulk power system, subject to
Commission review and approval.
NERC has been certified by the
Commission as the ERO for the United
States.3 Among many other things,
NERC has begun to collect demand
response data on dispatchable and non2 Pub. L. 109–58, § 1211(a), 119 Stat. 594, 941
(codified at 16 U.S.C. 824o (2006)).
3 North American Electric Reliability Corp., 116
FERC ¶ 61,062, order on reh’g & compliance, 117
FERC ¶ 61,126 (2006), appeal docketed sub nom.
Alcoa, Inc. v. FERC, No. 06–1426 (D.C. Cir. Dec. 29,
2006).
E:\FR\FM\07AUN1.SGM
07AUN1
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 151 / Friday, August 7, 2009 / Notices
dispatchable resources that it needs to
conduct its reliability work. The
Demand Response Data Task Force at
NERC is in the process of developing a
Demand Response Availability Data
System (DADS) to collect demand
response program information. NERC is
planning a limited trial run of DADS in
2010 followed by a full-scale version,
with disaggregated information on
utility/load serving entity demand
response programs, in 2011. NERC will
not be collecting the 2009 data that the
Commission plans to collect in its
proposed survey. Moreover, NERC
proposes to collect detailed demand
response data on a quarterly basis for
the year 2010, beginning in June 2010
and plans to publish the annual data for
2010 by May 1, 2011 Thus, the
Commission will not be able to use the
2010 data that NERC proposes to collect
for the FERC’s 2010 report to Congress.
The Energy Information
Administration (EIA) collects aggregated
information on energy efficiency and
load management as well as advanced
metering data in its EIA–861, ‘‘Annual
Electric Power Industry Report.’’ The
data collected in this survey does not
identify existing demand response
programs or time-based rate programs,
but it does support the Commission’s
advanced metering data needs.
Unfortunately, the finalized advanced
metering data for 2009 will not be
available until the fourth quarter of 2010
39683
entities that serve wholesale and retail
customers. The information will be used
to draft and file the report that is
required by Congress. Industry
cooperation is important for us to obtain
as accurate and up-to-date information
as possible to respond to Congress, as
well as to provide information to states
and other market participants. We,
therefore, strongly encourage all
potential survey respondents to
complete the survey.
In summary, the Commission seeks
public comment on the proposed survey
(FERC–731, ‘‘Demand Response/TimeBased Rate Programs and Advanced
Metering’’) and the related estimated
burden. FERC also requests OMB
approval to administer the survey and to
collect the information on demand
response and advanced metering.
Action: The Commission is requesting
comments on the proposed survey and
related burden estimate. The
Commission is also requesting OMB
approval for the collection of
information on demand response and
advanced metering.
Burden Statement: The proposed
survey targets respondents who directly
serve wholesale and retail customers.
The Commission estimates the public
reporting burden for this information
collection will be 13,600 hours and will
affect 3,400 respondents. The burden for
the collection is:
under EIA’s proposed schedule.
Therefore, the EIA data will not be
available to the Commission in time to
use in its 2010 report to Congress.
Therefore, because the alternatives
will not provide data in a timely manner
for the 2010 report, the Commission
proposes to conduct a survey (attached)
with a response deadline of April 30,
2010. This survey has been designed to
be consistent with the NERC’s data
collection such that, in future years, the
Commission may be able to use the
NERC data when it becomes available,
phase-out the FERC demand response
survey and still comply with EPAct
2005 Section 1252(e)(3).
FERC staff has designed a survey that
will impose minimal burden on
respondents by providing respondents
with an easy-to-complete, fillable form
that will include such user friendly
features as pre-populated fields and
drop-down menus, make use of the data
that is becoming available from reliable
sources, and provide it with the
information necessary to draft and file
the report that is required by Congress.
It is a streamlined and simplified
version of past surveys and can be
electronically filed. A paper version of
the survey will be available for those
who are unable to file electronically.
The Commission is proposing to
collect the demand response and
advanced metering information via a
voluntary survey from the nation’s
Number of
respondents
annually
Number of
responses per
respondent
Average
burden hours
per response
Total annual
burden hours
(1)
(2)
(3)
(1) × (2) × (3)
3,400
1
4
13,600
pwalker on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with NOTICES
FERC–731 Demand Response/Time-Based Rate Programs and
Advanced Metering Survey ..........................................................
The estimated total cost to
respondents is $838,865.00 [13,600
hours divided by 2,080 hours 4 per year,
times $128,297 5 equals $838,865.00].
The cost per respondent is $246.73.
The reporting burden includes the
total time, effort, or financial resources
expended to generate, maintain, retain,
disclose, or provide the information
including: (1) Reviewing instructions;
(2) developing, acquiring, installing, and
utilizing technology and systems for the
purposes of collecting, validating,
verifying, processing, maintaining,
disclosing and providing information;
(3) adjusting the existing ways to
comply with any previously applicable
instructions and requirements; (4)
training personnel to respond to a
4 Number
of hours an employee works each year.
5 Average annual salary per employee.
VerDate Nov<24>2008
17:09 Aug 06, 2009
Jkt 217001
collection of information; (5) searching
data sources; (6) completing and
reviewing the collection of information;
and (7) transmitting, or otherwise
disclosing the information.
The respondent’s cost estimate is
based on salaries for professional and
clerical support, as well as direct and
indirect overhead costs. Direct costs
include all costs directly attributable to
providing this information, such as
administrative costs and the cost for
information technology. Indirect or
overhead costs are costs incurred by an
organization in support of its mission.
These costs apply to activities which
benefit the whole organization rather
than any one particular function or
activity.
Comments are invited on: (1)
Problems in measuring data elements
PO 00000
Frm 00079
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
collected; (2) regulatory or other barriers
to gathering the information; (3) terms
and definitions in the survey and
glossary; (4) other sources of
information on advanced metering and
demand response programs; (5) the
accuracy of the agency’s burden
estimate of the proposed collection of
information, including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used;
(6) ways to enhance the quality, utility
and clarity of the information to be
collected; and, (7) ways to minimize
respondent information collection
burden.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
Note: The Attachments (survey,
instructions, and glossary) will not be printed
in the Federal Register. The Attachments are
E:\FR\FM\07AUN1.SGM
07AUN1
39684
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 151 / Friday, August 7, 2009 / Notices
available on the FERC’s eLibrary (https://
www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp) by
searching Docket No. IC09–731–000, and
through the FERC Public Reference Room.
[FR Doc. E9–18914 Filed 8–6–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Project No. P–516–459]
South Carolina Electric & Gas
Company; Notice of Application Ready
for Environmental Analysis and
Soliciting Comments,
Recommendations, Terms and
Conditions, and Prescriptions
pwalker on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with NOTICES
July 31, 2009.
Take notice that the following
hydroelectric application has been filed
with the Commission and is available
for public inspection.
a. Type of Application: New Major
License.
b. Project No.: P–516–459.
c. Date filed: August 28, 2008.
d. Applicant: South Carolina Electric
& Gas Company.
e. Name of Project: Saluda
Hydroelectric Project.
f. Location: On the Saluda River in
Richland, Lexington, Saluda, and
Newberry counties, South Carolina. The
project does not occupy any federal
lands.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power
Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)–825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Mr. James M.
Landreth, Vice President, Fossil/Hydro
Operations South Carolina Electric &
Gas Company, 111 Research Drive,
Columbia, South Carolina 29203; or Mr.
William R. Argentieri, Manager-Civil
Engineering, South Carolina Electric &
Gas Company, 111 Research Drive,
Columbia, South Carolina 29203, (803)
217–9162.
i. FERC Contact: Lee Emery at (202)
502–8379, or e-mail at
lee.emery@ferc.gov.
j. The deadline for filing comments,
recommendations, terms and
conditions, and prescriptions is 60 days
from the issuance of this notice and
reply comments are due 105 days from
the issuance date of this notice.
All documents (original and eight
copies) should be filed with: Kimberly
D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First
Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.
The Commission’s Rules of Practice
require all intervenors filing documents
with the Commission to serve a copy of
that document on each person on the
VerDate Nov<24>2008
17:09 Aug 06, 2009
Jkt 217001
official service list for the project.
Further, if an intervenor files comments
or documents with the Commission
relating to the merits of an issue that
may affect the responsibilities of a
particular resource agency, they must
also serve a copy of the document on
that resource agency.
Comments, recommendations, terms
and conditions, and prescriptions may
be filed electronically via the Internet in
lieu of paper. The Commission strongly
encourages electronic filings. See 18
CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the
instructions on the Commission’s Web
site (https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
ferconline.asp) under the ‘‘e-filing’’ link.
For a simpler method of submitting text
only comments, click on ‘‘Quick
Comment.’’
k. This application has been accepted
and is ready for environmental analysis
at this time.
l. Project description: The existing
207.3-megawatt (MW) Saluda Project
consists of a single development with
the following features: (1) A 7,800-footlong, 213-foot-high earth-fill dam
(Saluda dam), with South Carolina State
Highway 6 (Highway 6) running along
the top of the dam; (2) a dike that
extends 2,550 feet from the north end of
the dam, running parallel with Highway
6; (3) a 2,900-foot-long emergency
spillway, with six steel Tainter gates,
that is located 500 feet from the south
end of Saluda dam, and a spillway
channel that reconnects with the Saluda
River about 0.75 miles downstream from
the Saluda powerhouse; (4) a 2,300-footlong, 213-foot-high roller compacted
concrete backup dam located along the
downstream toe of the Saluda dam, with
(i) a crest elevation of 372.0 feet North
American Vertical Datum of 1988
(NAVD88),1 and (ii) rock fill
embankment sections on the north and
south ends of the backup dam, having
a combined length of 5,700 feet; (5) a 41mile-long, 50,900-acre reservoir (Lake
Murray) at a full pool elevation of 358.5
feet NAVD88, with a total usable storage
of approximately 635,000 acre-feet; (6)
five 223-foot-high intake towers and
associated penstocks; (7) a concrete and
brick powerhouse containing four
vertical Francis turbine generating units
(three at 32.5 MW and one at 42.3 MW),
and a fifth vertical Francis turbine
generating unit (67.5 MW), which is
enclosed in a weather-tight housing
located on a concrete deck attached to
the south end of the main powerhouse;
(8) a 150-foot-long tailrace; and (9)
1 The
license application contains documents that
provide elevations based on NAVD88 datum or
based on Plant Datum. To convert from Plant Datum
to NAVD88 datum, subtract 1.5 feet.
PO 00000
Frm 00080
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
appurtenant facilities. There is no
transmission line or bypassed reach
associated with the project.
m. A copy of the application is
available for review at the Commission
in the Public Reference Room or may be
viewed on the Commission’s Web site at
https://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
Online Support at
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or tollfree at 1–866–208–3676, or for TTY,
(202) 502–8659. A copy is also available
for inspection and reproduction at the
address in item h above.
All filings must: (1) Bear in all capital
letters the title ‘‘COMMENTS’’, ‘‘REPLY
COMMENTS,’’
‘‘RECOMMENDATIONS,’’ ‘‘TERMS
AND CONDITIONS,’’ or
‘‘PRESCRIPTIONS’’; (2) set forth in the
heading the name of the applicant and
the project number of the application to
which the filing responds; (3) furnish
the name, address, and telephone
number of the person submitting the
filing; and (4) otherwise comply with
the requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001
through 385.2005. All comments,
recommendations, terms and
conditions, or prescriptions must set
forth their evidentiary basis and
otherwise comply with the requirements
of 18 CFR 4.34(b). Agencies may obtain
copies of the application directly from
the applicant. Each filing must be
accompanied by proof of service on all
persons listed on the service list
prepared by the Commission in this
proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR
4.34(b), and 385.2010.
You may also register online at
https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filings and issuances
related to this or other pending projects.
For assistance, contact FERC Online
Support.
n. A license applicant must file no
later than 60 days following the date of
issuance of this notice: (1) A copy of the
water quality certification; (2) a copy of
the request for certification, including
proof of the date on which the certifying
agency received the request; or (3)
evidence of waiver of water quality
certification.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9–18916 Filed 8–6–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
E:\FR\FM\07AUN1.SGM
07AUN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 151 (Friday, August 7, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39682-39684]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-18914]
[[Page 39682]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC09-731-000]
Commission Information Collection Activities, Proposed
Collection; Comment Request
July 31, 2009.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of proposed information collection and request for
comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(A)
of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A) (2006),
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) is
soliciting public comment on the proposed information collection
described below.
DATES: Comments on the proposed collection of information are due 60
days after publication in the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be filed either electronically (e-Filed) or in
paper format, and should refer to Docket No. IC09-731-000. Documents
must be prepared in an acceptable filing format and in compliance with
Commission submission guidelines at https://www.ferc.gov/help/submission-guide.asp.
Comments may be eFiled. The eFiling option under the Documents &
Filings tab on the Commission's home Web page (https://www.ferc.gov)
directs users to the eFiling Web page. First-time users should follow
the eRegister instructions on the eFiling Web page to establish a user
name and password before eFiling. Filers will receive an e-mailed
confirmation of their eFiled comments.
Commentors filing electronically should not make a paper filing.
Commentors that are not able to file electronically must send an
original and 14 paper copies of the filing to: Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First Street,
NE., Washington, DC 20426.
Parties interested in receiving automatic notification of activity
in this docket may do so through eSubscription. The eSubscription
option under the Documents & Filings tab on the Commission's home Web
page directs users to the eSubscription Web page. Users submit the
docket numbers of the filings they wish to track and will subsequently
receive an e-mail notification each time a filing is made under the
submitted docket numbers. First-time users will need to establish a
user name and password before eSubscribing.
Filed comments and FERC issuances may be viewed, printed and
downloaded remotely from the Commission's Web site. The eLibrary link
found at the top of most of the Commission's Web pages directs users to
FERC's eLibrary. From the eLibrary Web page, choose General Search, and
in the Docket Number space provided, enter IC09-731, then click the
Submit button at the bottom of the page. For help with any of the
Commission's electronic submission or retrieval systems, contact FERC
Online Support via e-mail at: ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, or telephone
toll-free: (866) 208-3676 (TTY (202) 502-8659).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Miller may be reached by
telephone at (202) 502-8415, by fax at (202) 273-0873, and by e-mail at
michael.miller@ferc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In order to meet the requirements of Section
1252(e)(3) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the Commission proposes to
conduct a survey with a response deadline of April 30, 2010, and
publish a report on the results in 2010. The proposed survey is
necessary to update the 2006 and 2008 advanced metering and demand
response information collected on previous Commission surveys. A copy
of the survey, instructions, and glossary are attached and part of this
document, but they are not being printed in the Federal Register. The
Attachments are available on the FERC's eLibrary (https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp) by searching Docket No. IC09-731-000, and
through the FERC Public Reference Room. Interested parties may also
request paper copies of the survey, instructions, and glossary by
contacting Michael Miller by telephone at (202) 502-8415, by fax at
(202) 273-0873, or by e-mail at michael.miller@ferc.gov.
Section 1252(e)(3) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005,\1\ requires
the Commission to prepare and publish an annual report, by appropriate
region, that assesses demand response resources, including those
available from all consumer classes. Specifically, EPAct 2005 Section
1252(e)(3) requires that the Commission identify and review:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Pub. L. 109-58, Sec. 1252(e)(3), 119 Stat. 594, 966 (2005)
(EPAct 2005).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(A) Saturation and penetration rate of advanced meters and
communications technologies, devices and systems;
(B) Existing demand response programs and time-based rate programs;
(C) The annual resource contribution of demand resources;
(D) The potential for demand response as a quantifiable, reliable
resource for regional planning purposes;
(E) Steps taken to ensure that, in regional transmission planning
and operations, demand resources are provided equitable treatment as a
quantifiable, reliable resource relative to the resource obligations of
any load-serving entity, transmission provider, or transmitting party;
and
(F) Regulatory barriers to improved customer participation in
demand response, peak reduction and critical period pricing programs.
In 2006 and 2008, the Commission designed and used Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) approved collections FERC-727, Demand
Response and Time Based Rate Programs Survey (OMB Control No. 1902-
0214), and FERC-728, Advanced Metering Survey (OMB Control No. 1902-
0213), to collect and convey to Congress the requested demand response
and advanced metering information. The collection proposed herein will
update the information filed previously in the FERC-727 and 728
surveys. The Commission investigated alternatives, including using data
from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and the
Energy Information Administration (EIA), to fielding and collecting
data using a FERC designed survey. However, as explained below, the
data cannot be obtained by the Commission in time to complete the 2010
report to Congress.
In addition to creating the demand response and advanced metering
requirements, EPAct 2005 enacted section 215 of the Federal Power Act
(FPA) titled ``Electric Reliability,'' authorizing the Commission to
approve and enforce reliability standards for the reliability of the
interstate grid.\2\ Section 215 of the FPA authorized FERC to certify
an Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) to develop the reliability
standards for the Nation's bulk power system, subject to Commission
review and approval. NERC has been certified by the Commission as the
ERO for the United States.\3\ Among many other things, NERC has begun
to collect demand response data on dispatchable and non-
[[Page 39683]]
dispatchable resources that it needs to conduct its reliability work.
The Demand Response Data Task Force at NERC is in the process of
developing a Demand Response Availability Data System (DADS) to collect
demand response program information. NERC is planning a limited trial
run of DADS in 2010 followed by a full-scale version, with
disaggregated information on utility/load serving entity demand
response programs, in 2011. NERC will not be collecting the 2009 data
that the Commission plans to collect in its proposed survey. Moreover,
NERC proposes to collect detailed demand response data on a quarterly
basis for the year 2010, beginning in June 2010 and plans to publish
the annual data for 2010 by May 1, 2011 Thus, the Commission will not
be able to use the 2010 data that NERC proposes to collect for the
FERC's 2010 report to Congress.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Pub. L. 109-58, Sec. 1211(a), 119 Stat. 594, 941 (codified
at 16 U.S.C. 824o (2006)).
\3\ North American Electric Reliability Corp., 116 FERC ]
61,062, order on reh'g & compliance, 117 FERC ] 61,126 (2006),
appeal docketed sub nom. Alcoa, Inc. v. FERC, No. 06-1426 (D.C. Cir.
Dec. 29, 2006).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) collects aggregated
information on energy efficiency and load management as well as
advanced metering data in its EIA-861, ``Annual Electric Power Industry
Report.'' The data collected in this survey does not identify existing
demand response programs or time-based rate programs, but it does
support the Commission's advanced metering data needs. Unfortunately,
the finalized advanced metering data for 2009 will not be available
until the fourth quarter of 2010 under EIA's proposed schedule.
Therefore, the EIA data will not be available to the Commission in time
to use in its 2010 report to Congress.
Therefore, because the alternatives will not provide data in a
timely manner for the 2010 report, the Commission proposes to conduct a
survey (attached) with a response deadline of April 30, 2010. This
survey has been designed to be consistent with the NERC's data
collection such that, in future years, the Commission may be able to
use the NERC data when it becomes available, phase-out the FERC demand
response survey and still comply with EPAct 2005 Section 1252(e)(3).
FERC staff has designed a survey that will impose minimal burden on
respondents by providing respondents with an easy-to-complete, fillable
form that will include such user friendly features as pre-populated
fields and drop-down menus, make use of the data that is becoming
available from reliable sources, and provide it with the information
necessary to draft and file the report that is required by Congress. It
is a streamlined and simplified version of past surveys and can be
electronically filed. A paper version of the survey will be available
for those who are unable to file electronically.
The Commission is proposing to collect the demand response and
advanced metering information via a voluntary survey from the nation's
entities that serve wholesale and retail customers. The information
will be used to draft and file the report that is required by Congress.
Industry cooperation is important for us to obtain as accurate and up-
to-date information as possible to respond to Congress, as well as to
provide information to states and other market participants. We,
therefore, strongly encourage all potential survey respondents to
complete the survey.
In summary, the Commission seeks public comment on the proposed
survey (FERC-731, ``Demand Response/Time-Based Rate Programs and
Advanced Metering'') and the related estimated burden. FERC also
requests OMB approval to administer the survey and to collect the
information on demand response and advanced metering.
Action: The Commission is requesting comments on the proposed
survey and related burden estimate. The Commission is also requesting
OMB approval for the collection of information on demand response and
advanced metering.
Burden Statement: The proposed survey targets respondents who
directly serve wholesale and retail customers. The Commission estimates
the public reporting burden for this information collection will be
13,600 hours and will affect 3,400 respondents. The burden for the
collection is:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Number of Average burden
respondents responses per hours per Total annual
annually respondent response burden hours
(1) (2) (3) (1) x (2) x (3)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FERC-731 Demand Response/Time-Based 3,400 1 4 13,600
Rate Programs and Advanced Metering
Survey.............................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The estimated total cost to respondents is $838,865.00 [13,600
hours divided by 2,080 hours \4\ per year, times $128,297 \5\ equals
$838,865.00]. The cost per respondent is $246.73.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Number of hours an employee works each year.
\5\ Average annual salary per employee.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The reporting burden includes the total time, effort, or financial
resources expended to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide
the information including: (1) Reviewing instructions; (2) developing,
acquiring, installing, and utilizing technology and systems for the
purposes of collecting, validating, verifying, processing, maintaining,
disclosing and providing information; (3) adjusting the existing ways
to comply with any previously applicable instructions and requirements;
(4) training personnel to respond to a collection of information; (5)
searching data sources; (6) completing and reviewing the collection of
information; and (7) transmitting, or otherwise disclosing the
information.
The respondent's cost estimate is based on salaries for
professional and clerical support, as well as direct and indirect
overhead costs. Direct costs include all costs directly attributable to
providing this information, such as administrative costs and the cost
for information technology. Indirect or overhead costs are costs
incurred by an organization in support of its mission. These costs
apply to activities which benefit the whole organization rather than
any one particular function or activity.
Comments are invited on: (1) Problems in measuring data elements
collected; (2) regulatory or other barriers to gathering the
information; (3) terms and definitions in the survey and glossary; (4)
other sources of information on advanced metering and demand response
programs; (5) the accuracy of the agency's burden estimate of the
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (6) ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and, (7) ways
to minimize respondent information collection burden.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
Note: The Attachments (survey, instructions, and glossary) will
not be printed in the Federal Register. The Attachments are
[[Page 39684]]
available on the FERC's eLibrary (https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp) by searching Docket No. IC09-731-000, and through the
FERC Public Reference Room.
[FR Doc. E9-18914 Filed 8-6-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
