Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-725F); Comment Request; Extension, 67158-67160 [2011-28087]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
67158
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 210 / Monday, October 31, 2011 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Dated: October 26, 2011.
Darrin King,
Director, Information Collection Clearance
Division, Privacy, Information and Records
Management Services, Office of Management.
jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
(3) is the estimate of burden accurate;
(4) how might the Department enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (5) how
might the Department minimize the
burden of this collection on the
respondents, including through the use
of information technology.
SUMMARY:
Office of Innovation and Improvement
Type of Review: New.
Title of Collection: Magnet Schools
Assistance Program Government
Performance and Results Act (GPRA)
Table Forms.
OMB Control Number: Pending.
Agency Form Number(s): N/A.
Frequency of Responses: Annually.
Affected Public: State, Local or Tribal
Government.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Responses: 153.
Total Estimated Annual Burden
Hours: 77.
Abstract: The Magnet Schools
Assistance Program makes grants to
Local Educational Agencies to establish
and operate magnet schools projects that
are part of approved desegregation
plans. The collection of this information
is necessary for providing (1) data to the
Department of Education (ED) and
Congress on the progress of Government
Performance and Results Act (GPRA)
program indicators and ED goals; (2) a
standard format for grantees to report to
ED and Congress on GPRA measures;
and (3) a consistent format to calculate
these data in the aggregate with the
same mathematical procedures.
Copies of the proposed information
collection request may be accessed from
https://edicsweb.ed.gov, by selecting the
‘‘Browse Pending Collections’’ link and
by clicking on link number 4740. When
you access the information collection,
click on ‘‘Download Attachments’’ to
view. Written requests for information
should be addressed to U.S. Department
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue
SW., LBJ, Washington, DC 20202–4537.
Requests may also be electronically
mailed to ICDocketMgr@ed.gov or faxed
to (202) 401–0920. Please specify the
complete title of the information
collection and OMB Control Number
when making your request.
Individuals who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Information
Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–(800) 877–
8339.
[FR Doc. 2011–28139 Filed 10–28–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:21 Oct 28, 2011
Jkt 226001
Secretary of Energy Advisory Board
Natural Gas Subcommittee
Department of Energy.
Notice of Cancellation of Open
Meeting.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
This notice announces the
cancellation of the November 1, 2011,
meeting of the Secretary of Energy
Advisory Board (SEAB) Natural Gas
Subcommittee. The public meeting was
scheduled to be held at the U.S.
Department of Energy, 1000
Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20585. The Federal
Register notice announcing this meeting
was published on Thursday, October 13,
2011, (76 FR 63613). Please note, the
October 31, 2011, meeting will continue
as scheduled. The Federal Advisory
Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–463, 86 Stat.
770) requires that public notice of this
meeting cancellation be announced in
the Federal Register.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Renee Stone by email at:
shalegas@hq.doe.gov.
Issued at Washington, DC, on October 25,
2011.
LaTanya R. Butler,
Acting Deputy Committee Management
Officer.
[FR Doc. 2011–28058 Filed 10–28–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. IC12–1–000]
Commission Information Collection
Activities (FERC–725F); Comment
Request; Extension
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of proposed information
collection and request for comments.
AGENCY:
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), (Pub. L.
No. 104–13), the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (Commission or
FERC) is soliciting public comment on
the proposed information collection
described below.
DATES: Comments in consideration of
the collection of information are due
December 30, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be filed
either electronically (eFiled) or in paper
format, and should refer to Docket No.
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00031
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
IC12–1–000. Documents must be
prepared in an acceptable filing format
and in compliance with Commission
submission guidelines at: https://
www.ferc.gov/help/submissionguide.asp. eFiling instructions are
available at: https://www.ferc.gov/docsfiling/efiling.asp. First-time users must
follow eRegister instructions at: https://
www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
eregistration.asp, to establish a user
name and password before eFiling. The
Commission will send an automatic
acknowledgement to the sender’s email
address upon receipt of eFiled
comments. Commenters making an
eFiling should not make a paper filing.
Commenters that are not able to file
electronically must send an original of
their comments to: Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the
Commission, 888 First Street NE.,
Washington, DC 20426.
Users interested in receiving
automatic notification of activity in this
docket may do so through eSubscription
at: https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
esubscription.asp. All comments and
FERC issuances may be viewed, printed
or downloaded remotely through
FERC’s eLibrary at: https://www.ferc.gov/
docs-filing/elibrary.asp, by searching on
Docket No. IC12–1. 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Ellen Brown
may be reached by email at:
DataClearance@FERC.gov, telephone at:
(202) 502–8663, and fax at: (202) 273–
0873.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
information collected by the FERC–
725F, ‘‘Mandatory Reliability Standard
for Nuclear Plant Interface
Coordination’’ (OMB Control No. 1902–
0249), is required to implement the
statutory provisions of section 215 of
the Federal Power Act (FPA) (16 U.S.C.
824o). On August 8, 2005, the Electricity
Modernization Act of 2005, which is
Title XII, Subtitle A, of the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005), was
enacted into law.1 EPAct 2005 added a
new section 215 to the FPA, which
required a Commission-certified Electric
Reliability Organization (ERO) to
develop mandatory and enforceable
Reliability Standards, which are subject
to Commission review and approval.
Once approved, the Reliability
Standards may be enforced by the ERO
subject to Commission oversight, or the
1 Energy Policy Act of 2005, Public Law 109–58,
Title XII, Subtitle A, 119 Stat. 594, 941 (2005), 16
U.S.C. 824o.
E:\FR\FM\31OCN1.SGM
31OCN1
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 210 / Monday, October 31, 2011 / Notices
Commission can independently enforce
Reliability Standards.2
On February 3, 2006, the Commission
issued Order No. 672, implementing
section 215 of the FPA.3 Pursuant to
Order No. 672, the Commission certified
one organization, North American
Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC),
as the ERO. The Reliability Standards
developed by the ERO and approved by
the Commission apply to users, owners
and operators of the Bulk-Power
System, as set forth in each Reliability
Standard.
On November 19, 2007, NERC filed its
petition for FERC approval of the
Nuclear Plant Interface Coordination
Reliability Standard, designated NUC–
001–1. In Order No. 716, issued October
16, 2008, the Commission approved the
standard while also directing certain
revisions.4 Revised Reliability Standard,
NUC–001–2, was filed with the
Commission by NERC in August 2009
and subsequently approved by the
Commission January 21, 2010.5
The purpose of Reliability Standard
NUC–001–2 is to require ‘‘coordination
between nuclear plant generator
operators and transmission entities for
the purpose of ensuring nuclear plant
safe operation and shutdown.’’ 6 The
Nuclear Reliability Standard applies to
nuclear plant generator operators
(generally nuclear power plant owners
and operators, including licensees) and
‘‘transmission entities,’’ defined in the
Reliability Standard as including a
Modifications to
agreements.
Total ....................
Burden Statement 8
The Commission estimates that the
total universe of respondents for this
collection is 143 unique entities. This
includes 26 unique owners of nuclear
facilities and 117 transmission entities
that provide services related to NPIRs.
FERC also estimated that there are 65
unique nuclear plant sites involved in
this collection. In order to estimate the
burden the Commission considered two
categories: Establishing new agreements;
and making modifications to existing
agreements.
The Commission assumes there may
be as many as 10 new agreements
established each year. Because
applicable entities should already be in
compliance with NUC–001–2 (meaning
that all nuclear sites should already
have agreements in place), new
agreements would only come about due
to company mergers or new
interconnections between nuclear plant
sites and other entities. FERC further
assumes that each agreement involves
one nuclear plant site and an average of
two transmission entities.
For modifications to existing
agreements the Commission assumes
that each nuclear plant site will be
required to make up to two
modifications a year to existing
agreements. Because the Commission
assumes that each agreement involves
an average of two transmission entities,
the burden for this category also
includes two transmission entities per
nuclear plant site (or 130 in total). FERC
estimates that some of these
transmission entities are involved in
multiple agreements (as stated above,
the number of unique transmission
entities is estimated at 117).
The burden information is
summarized in the following table.
Number of respondents
annually
(1)
Number of responses
(documents)
(2)
Average burden hours per
response
(3)
Total annual burden hours
(1) × (2) × (3)
10 nuclear operators + 20
transmission entities.
65 nuclear plants + 130
transmission entities.9
1 ........................................
2 ........................................
Reporting: 1,080 ...............
Recordkeeping: 108 ..........
Reporting: 67 (rounded) ....
Recordkeeping: 7 (rounded).
Reporting: 32,400.
Recordkeeping: 3,240.
Reporting: 26,000.
Recordkeeping: 2,600.
Not applicable (see text for
discussion).
Not applicable ...................
Not applicable ...................
64,240.
Data collection
FERC–725F:
New agreements ........
nuclear plant’s suppliers of off-site
power and related transmission and
distribution services. To account for the
variations in nuclear plant design and
grid interconnection characteristics, the
Reliability Standard defines
transmission entities as ‘‘all entities that
are responsible for providing services
related to Nuclear Plant Interface
Requirements (NPIRs),’’ and lists eleven
types of functional entities (heretofore
described as ‘‘transmission entities’’)
that could provide services related to
NPIRs.7
Reliability Standard NUC–001–2
requires a nuclear power plant operator
and its suppliers of back-up power and
related transmission and distribution
services to coordinate concerning
nuclear licensing requirements for safe
nuclear plant operation and shutdown
and system operating limits.
Information collection requirements
include establishing and maintaining
interface agreements, including record
retention requirements.
ACTION: The Commission is requesting
a three-year extension of the FERC–725F
reporting requirements, with no changes
to the requirements.
67159
The average annualized cost is
estimated to be the total annual hours
2 16
U.S.C. 824o(e)(3).
Concerning Certification of the Electric
Reliability Organization; and Procedures for the
Establishment, Approval, and Enforcement of
Electric Reliability Standards, Order No. 672, FERC
Stats. & Regs. ¶ 31,204, order on reh’g, Order No.
672–A, FERC Stats. & Regs. ¶ 31,212 (2006).
4 Mandatory Reliability Standard for Nuclear
Plant Interface Coordination, Order No. 716, 125
FERC ¶ 61,065, at P 189 & n.90 (2008), order on
reh’g, Order No. 716–A, 126 FERC ¶ 61,122 (2009).
5 North American Electric Reliability Corporation,
130 FERC ¶ 61,051 (2010). When the revised
Reliability Standard was approved the Commission
did not go to OMB for approval. It is assumed that
jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
3 Rules
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:21 Oct 28, 2011
Jkt 226001
the changes made did not substantively affect the
information collection and therefore a formal
submission to OMB was not needed.
6 See Reliability Standard NUC–001–2 at https://
www.nerc.com/files/NUC-001-2.pdf.
7 The list of functional entities consists of
transmission operators, transmission owners,
transmission planners, transmission service
providers, balancing authorities, reliability
coordinators, planning authorities, distribution
providers, load-serving entities, generator owners
and generator operators.
8 The burden estimates for this renewal have been
generated based on actual FERC staff experience in
developing and modifying agreements pursuant to
PO 00000
Frm 00032
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
NUC–001–2. The Commission considers this
burden estimate more accurate than was previously
approved by OMB.
9 This figure of 130 transmission entities is based
on the assumption that each agreement will be
between 1 nuclear plant and 2 transmission entities
(65 times 2 = 130). However, there is some double
counting in this figure because some transmission
entities may be party to multiple agreements with
multiple nuclear plants. The double counting does
not affect the burden estimate and the correct
number of unique respondents will be reported to
OMB.
E:\FR\FM\31OCN1.SGM
31OCN1
67160
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 210 / Monday, October 31, 2011 / Notices
(Reporting) 10—58,400 hours times
$120/hour = $7,008,000, plus the total
annual hours (Recordkeeping) 11—5,840
times $28/hour = $163,520, plus the
record storage cost 12—143 entities
times $15.25 per year per entity =
$2,181 (rounded), which is $7,173,701.
The Commission believes that this
estimate is conservative because
multiple plants are located on certain
sites, and one entity may operate
multiple plants, providing for potential
economies in updating, drafting and
executing the interface agreements.
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.
Comments are invited on: (1) Whether
the proposed 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 of
the proposed collection of information,
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (3)
ways to enhance the quality, utility and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and (4) ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on those who are to respond, including
the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology
(e.g. permitting electronic submission of
responses).
Dated: October 25, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011–28087 Filed 10–28–11; 8:45 am]
jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
10 The $120/hour figure is a combined average of
legal, technical and administrative staff.
11 The $28/hour figure is based on a FERC staff
study that included estimating public utility
recordkeeping costs.
12 This is based on the estimated cost to service
and store 1 GB of data (based on the aggregated cost
of an IBM advanced data protection server).
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:21 Oct 28, 2011
Jkt 226001
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. CP11–481–001]
Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline,
Inc.; Notice of Application
On October 19, 2011, Southern Star
Central Gas Pipeline, Inc. (Southern
Star) filed with the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (Commission)
an amendment to their May 13, 2011
abbreviated application under section
7(c) of the Natural Gas Act and the
Rules and Regulations of the
Commission’s Regulations for authority
to expand the existing certificated
storage boundary zone not only
horizontally but also vertically at
Southern Star’s existing Alden Gas
Storage Field located in Rice County,
Kansas. Subsequent to the filing of the
original application, Southern Star’s
technical experts reported that storage
gas had migrated vertically into the
Simpson zone in portions of its existing
field and in portions of the area
originally identified for horizontal
storage field expansion.
The expansion would further the
integrity and protection of the gas
storage field. The current operational
parameters and capabilities of the Alden
Gas Storage Field will be unchanged
and current certificated service levels to
customers will not be affected by
boundary expansions sought by the
amended Application.
Questions concerning this application
may be directed to David N. Roberts,
Staff Analyst, Regulatory Affairs, 4700
Highway 56, Owensboro, Kentucky
42301, by calling (270) 852–4654 or by
emailing david.n.roberts@sscgp.com.
Pursuant to section 157.9 of the
Commission’s rules, 18 CFR 157.9,
within 90 days of this Notice the
Commission staff will either: complete
its environmental assessment (EA) and
place it into the Commission’s public
record (eLibrary) for this proceeding; or
issue a Notice of Schedule for
Environmental Review. If a Notice of
Schedule for Environmental Review is
issued, it will indicate, among other
milestones, the anticipated date for the
Commission staff’s issuance of the final
environmental impact statement (FEIS)
or EA for this proposal. The filing of the
EA in the Commission’s public record
for this proceeding or the issuance of a
Notice of Schedule for Environmental
Review will serve to notify Federal and
State agencies of the timing for the
completion of all necessary reviews, and
the subsequent need to complete all
Federal authorizations within 90 days of
PO 00000
Frm 00033
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
the date of issuance of the Commission
staff’s FEIS or EA.
There are two ways to become
involved in the Commission’s review of
this project. First, any person wishing to
obtain legal status by becoming a party
to the proceedings for this project
should, on or before the comment date
stated below, file with the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426,
a motion to intervene in accordance
with the requirements of the
Commission’s Rules of Practice and
Procedure (18 CFR 385.214 or 385.211)
and the Regulations under the NGA (18
CFR 157.10). A person obtaining party
status will be placed on the service list
maintained by the Secretary of the
Commission and will receive copies of
all documents filed by the applicant and
by all other parties. A party must submit
seven copies of filings made with the
Commission and must mail a copy to
the applicant and to every other party in
the proceeding. Only parties to the
proceeding can ask for court review of
Commission orders in the proceeding.
However, a person does not have to
intervene in order to have comments
considered. The second way to
participate is by filing with the
Secretary of the Commission, as soon as
possible, an original and two copies of
comments in support of or in opposition
to this project. The Commission will
consider these comments in
determining the appropriate action to be
taken, but the filing of a comment alone
will not serve to make the filer a party
to the proceeding. The Commission’s
rules require that persons filing
comments in opposition to the project
provide copies of their protests only to
the party or parties directly involved in
the protest.
The Commission encourages
electronic submission of protests and
interventions in lieu of paper using the
‘‘eFiling’’ link at https://www.fere.gov.
Persons unable to file electronically
should submit an original and seven
copies of the protest or intervention to
the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First Street, NE.,
Washington, DC 20426. This filing is
accessible on-line at https://
www.ferc.gov.using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link
and is available for review in the
Commission’s Public Reference Room in
Washington, DC. There is an
‘‘eSubscription’’ link on the Web site
that enables subscribers to receive email
notification when a document is added
to a subscribed docket(s). For assistance
with any FERC Online service, please
email FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, or
call (866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY,
call (202) 502–8659.
E:\FR\FM\31OCN1.SGM
31OCN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 210 (Monday, October 31, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67158-67160]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-28087]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC12-1-000]
Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-725F); Comment
Request; Extension
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.
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),
(Pub. L. No. 104-13), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(Commission or FERC) is soliciting public comment on the proposed
information collection described below.
DATES: Comments in consideration of the collection of information are
due December 30, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be filed either electronically (eFiled) or in
paper format, and should refer to Docket No. IC12-1-000. 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. eFiling instructions are available at: https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp. First-time users must follow
eRegister instructions at: https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/eregistration.asp, to establish a user name and password before
eFiling. The Commission will send an automatic acknowledgement to the
sender's email address upon receipt of eFiled comments. Commenters
making an eFiling should not make a paper filing. Commenters that are
not able to file electronically must send an original of their comments
to: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission,
888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426.
Users interested in receiving automatic notification of activity in
this docket may do so through eSubscription at: https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp. All comments and FERC issuances may be
viewed, printed or downloaded remotely through FERC's eLibrary at:
https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp, by searching on Docket
No. IC12-1. 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Ellen Brown may be reached by email at:
DataClearance@FERC.gov, telephone at: (202) 502-8663, and fax at: (202)
273-0873.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information collected by the FERC-725F,
``Mandatory Reliability Standard for Nuclear Plant Interface
Coordination'' (OMB Control No. 1902-0249), is required to implement
the statutory provisions of section 215 of the Federal Power Act (FPA)
(16 U.S.C. 824o). On August 8, 2005, the Electricity Modernization Act
of 2005, which is Title XII, Subtitle A, of the Energy Policy Act of
2005 (EPAct 2005), was enacted into law.\1\ EPAct 2005 added a new
section 215 to the FPA, which required a Commission-certified Electric
Reliability Organization (ERO) to develop mandatory and enforceable
Reliability Standards, which are subject to Commission review and
approval. Once approved, the Reliability Standards may be enforced by
the ERO subject to Commission oversight, or the
[[Page 67159]]
Commission can independently enforce Reliability Standards.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Energy Policy Act of 2005, Public Law 109-58, Title XII,
Subtitle A, 119 Stat. 594, 941 (2005), 16 U.S.C. 824o.
\2\ 16 U.S.C. 824o(e)(3).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
On February 3, 2006, the Commission issued Order No. 672,
implementing section 215 of the FPA.\3\ Pursuant to Order No. 672, the
Commission certified one organization, North American Electric
Reliability Corporation (NERC), as the ERO. The Reliability Standards
developed by the ERO and approved by the Commission apply to users,
owners and operators of the Bulk-Power System, as set forth in each
Reliability Standard.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Rules Concerning Certification of the Electric Reliability
Organization; and Procedures for the Establishment, Approval, and
Enforcement of Electric Reliability Standards, Order No. 672, FERC
Stats. & Regs. ] 31,204, order on reh'g, Order No. 672-A, FERC
Stats. & Regs. ] 31,212 (2006).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
On November 19, 2007, NERC filed its petition for FERC approval of
the Nuclear Plant Interface Coordination Reliability Standard,
designated NUC-001-1. In Order No. 716, issued October 16, 2008, the
Commission approved the standard while also directing certain
revisions.\4\ Revised Reliability Standard, NUC-001-2, was filed with
the Commission by NERC in August 2009 and subsequently approved by the
Commission January 21, 2010.\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Mandatory Reliability Standard for Nuclear Plant Interface
Coordination, Order No. 716, 125 FERC ] 61,065, at P 189 & n.90
(2008), order on reh'g, Order No. 716-A, 126 FERC ] 61,122 (2009).
\5\ North American Electric Reliability Corporation, 130 FERC ]
61,051 (2010). When the revised Reliability Standard was approved
the Commission did not go to OMB for approval. It is assumed that
the changes made did not substantively affect the information
collection and therefore a formal submission to OMB was not needed.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The purpose of Reliability Standard NUC-001-2 is to require
``coordination between nuclear plant generator operators and
transmission entities for the purpose of ensuring nuclear plant safe
operation and shutdown.'' \6\ The Nuclear Reliability Standard applies
to nuclear plant generator operators (generally nuclear power plant
owners and operators, including licensees) and ``transmission
entities,'' defined in the Reliability Standard as including a nuclear
plant's suppliers of off-site power and related transmission and
distribution services. To account for the variations in nuclear plant
design and grid interconnection characteristics, the Reliability
Standard defines transmission entities as ``all entities that are
responsible for providing services related to Nuclear Plant Interface
Requirements (NPIRs),'' and lists eleven types of functional entities
(heretofore described as ``transmission entities'') that could provide
services related to NPIRs.\7\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ See Reliability Standard NUC-001-2 at https://www.nerc.com/files/NUC-001-2.pdf.
\7\ The list of functional entities consists of transmission
operators, transmission owners, transmission planners, transmission
service providers, balancing authorities, reliability coordinators,
planning authorities, distribution providers, load-serving entities,
generator owners and generator operators.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reliability Standard NUC-001-2 requires a nuclear power plant
operator and its suppliers of back-up power and related transmission
and distribution services to coordinate concerning nuclear licensing
requirements for safe nuclear plant operation and shutdown and system
operating limits. Information collection requirements include
establishing and maintaining interface agreements, including record
retention requirements.
ACTION: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the
FERC-725F reporting requirements, with no changes to the requirements.
Burden Statement \8\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ The burden estimates for this renewal have been generated
based on actual FERC staff experience in developing and modifying
agreements pursuant to NUC-001-2. The Commission considers this
burden estimate more accurate than was previously approved by OMB.
\9\ This figure of 130 transmission entities is based on the
assumption that each agreement will be between 1 nuclear plant and 2
transmission entities (65 times 2 = 130). However, there is some
double counting in this figure because some transmission entities
may be party to multiple agreements with multiple nuclear plants.
The double counting does not affect the burden estimate and the
correct number of unique respondents will be reported to OMB.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Commission estimates that the total universe of respondents for
this collection is 143 unique entities. This includes 26 unique owners
of nuclear facilities and 117 transmission entities that provide
services related to NPIRs. FERC also estimated that there are 65 unique
nuclear plant sites involved in this collection. In order to estimate
the burden the Commission considered two categories: Establishing new
agreements; and making modifications to existing agreements.
The Commission assumes there may be as many as 10 new agreements
established each year. Because applicable entities should already be in
compliance with NUC-001-2 (meaning that all nuclear sites should
already have agreements in place), new agreements would only come about
due to company mergers or new interconnections between nuclear plant
sites and other entities. FERC further assumes that each agreement
involves one nuclear plant site and an average of two transmission
entities.
For modifications to existing agreements the Commission assumes
that each nuclear plant site will be required to make up to two
modifications a year to existing agreements. Because the Commission
assumes that each agreement involves an average of two transmission
entities, the burden for this category also includes two transmission
entities per nuclear plant site (or 130 in total). FERC estimates that
some of these transmission entities are involved in multiple agreements
(as stated above, the number of unique transmission entities is
estimated at 117).
The burden information is summarized in the following table.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Number of Average burden Total annual
Data collection respondents responses hours per response burden hours (1) x
annually (1) (documents) (2) (3) (2) x (3)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FERC-725F:
New agreements.............. 10 nuclear 1................. Reporting: 1,080.. Reporting: 32,400.
operators + 20 Recordkeeping: 108 Recordkeeping:
transmission 3,240.
entities.
Modifications to agreements. 65 nuclear plants 2................. Reporting: 67 Reporting: 26,000.
+ 130 (rounded). Recordkeeping:
transmission Recordkeeping: 7 2,600.
entities.\9\ (rounded).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total................... Not applicable Not applicable.... Not applicable.... 64,240.
(see text for
discussion).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The average annualized cost is estimated to be the total annual
hours
[[Page 67160]]
(Reporting) \10\--58,400 hours times $120/hour = $7,008,000, plus the
total annual hours (Recordkeeping) \11\--5,840 times $28/hour =
$163,520, plus the record storage cost \12\--143 entities times $15.25
per year per entity = $2,181 (rounded), which is $7,173,701.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\10\ The $120/hour figure is a combined average of legal,
technical and administrative staff.
\11\ The $28/hour figure is based on a FERC staff study that
included estimating public utility recordkeeping costs.
\12\ This is based on the estimated cost to service and store 1
GB of data (based on the aggregated cost of an IBM advanced data
protection server).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Commission believes that this estimate is conservative because
multiple plants are located on certain sites, and one entity may
operate multiple plants, providing for potential economies in updating,
drafting and executing the interface agreements.
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.
Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the proposed 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 of the
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are
to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms
of information technology (e.g. permitting electronic submission of
responses).
Dated: October 25, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-28087 Filed 10-28-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
