Commission Information Collection Activities; (FERC-917 & FERC-918) Comment Request; Extension, 5255-5257 [2018-02323]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 25 / Tuesday, February 6, 2018 / Notices verbal public comments. Members of the public who have requested to make a verbal comment and whose comments have been deemed relevant under the process described above, will be allotted no more than three (3) minutes during this period, and will be invited to speak in the order in which their requests were received by the DFO and ADFO. Brenda S. Bowen, Army Federal Register Liaison Officer. [FR Doc. 2018–02298 Filed 2–5–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3720–58–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket Nos. IC18–5–000] Commission Information Collection Activities; (FERC–917 & FERC–918) Comment Request; Extension Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE. ACTION: Notice of information collections and request for comments. AGENCY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) is soliciting public comment on the information collections, FERC–917 (Electric Transmission Facilities) and FERC–918 (Standards for Business Practices and Communication Protocols for Public Utilities, both under OMB Control No. 1902–0233. DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due April 9, 2018. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. IC18–5–000) by either of the following methods: • eFiling at Commission’s website: https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ efiling.asp. • Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426. Instructions: All submissions must be formatted and filed in accordance with submission guidelines at: https:// www.ferc.gov/help/submissionguide.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 https://www.ferc.gov/docsfiling/docs-filing.asp. daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:02 Feb 05, 2018 Jkt 244001 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by email at DataClearance@FERC.gov, telephone at (202) 502–8663, and fax at (202) 273– 0873. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: FERC–917 (Electric Transmission Facilities) and FERC–918 (Standards for Business Practices and Communication Protocols for Public Utilities. OMB Control No.: 1902–0233. Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC–917 and FERC–918 information collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting requirements. Abstract: On February 17, 2007, the Commission issued Order No. 890 to address and remedy opportunities for undue discrimination under the pro forma Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT) adopted in 1996 by Order No. 888.1 Through Order No. 890, the Commission: (1) Adopted pro forma OATT provisions necessary to keep imbalance charges closely related to incremental costs; (2) Increased nondiscriminatory access to the grid by requiring public utilities, working through the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), to develop consistent methodologies for available transfer capability (ATC) calculation and to publish those methodologies to increase transparency. (3) Required an open, transparent, and coordinated transmission planning process thereby increasing the ability of customers to access new generating resources and promote efficient utilization of transmission. (4) Gave the right to customers to request from transmission providers, studies addressing congestion and/or integration of new resource loads in areas of the transmission system where they have encountered transmission problems due to congestion or where they believe upgrades and other investments may be necessary to reduce congestion and to integrate new resources. (5) Required both the transmission provider’s merchant function and 1 Promoting Wholesale Competition Through Open Access Non-discriminatory Transmission Services by Public Utilities; Recovery of Stranded Costs by Public Utilities and Transmitting Utilities, Order No. 888, 61 FR 21540 (May 10, 1996), FERC Stats. & Regs. ¶ 31,036 (1996), order on reh’g, Order No. 888–A, 62 FR 12274 (Mar. 14, 1997), FERC Stats. & Regs. ¶ 31,048 (1997), order on reh’g, Order No. 888–B, 81 FERC ¶ 61,248 (1997), order on reh’g, Order No. 888–C, 82 FERC ¶ 61,046 (1998), aff’d in relevant part sub nom. Transmission Access Policy Study Group v. FERC, 225 F.3d 667 (DC Cir. 2000), aff’d sub nom. New York v. FERC, 535 U.S. 1 (2002). PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 5255 network customers to include a statement with each application for network service or to designate a new network resource that attests, for each network resource identified, that the transmission customer owns or has committed to purchase the designated network resource and the designated network resource comports with the requirements for designated network resources. The network customer includes this attestation in the customer’s comment section of the request when it confirms the request on the Open Access Same-Time Information System (OASIS). (6) Required with regard to capacity reassignment that: (a) All sales or assignments of capacity be conducted through or otherwise posted on the transmission provider’s OASIS on or before the date the reassigned service commences; (b) assignees of transmission capacity execute a service agreement prior to the date on which the reassigned service commences; and (c) transmission providers aggregate and summarize in an electric quarterly report the data contained in these service agreements. (7) Adopted an operational penalties annual filing that provides information regarding the penalty revenue the transmission provider has received and distributed. (8) Required creditworthiness information to be included in a transmission provider’s OATT. Attachment L must specify the qualitative and quantitative criteria that the transmission provider uses to determine the level of secured and unsecured credit required. The Commission required a NERC/ NAESB 2 team to draft and review Order No. 890 reliability standards and business practices. The team was to solicit comment from each utility on developed standards and practices and utilities were to implement each, after Commission approval. Public utilities, working through NERC, were to revise reliability standards to require the exchange of data and coordination among transmission providers and, working through NAESB, were to develop complementary business practices. Required OASIS postings included: (1) Explanations for changes in ATC values; (2) Capacity benefit margin (CBM) reevaluations and quarterly postings; (3) OASIS metrics and accepted/ denied requests; 2 NAESB is the North American Energy Standards Board. E:\FR\FM\06FEN1.SGM 06FEN1 5256 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 25 / Tuesday, February 6, 2018 / Notices (4) Planning redispatch offers and reliability redispatch data; (5) Curtailment data; (6) Planning and system impact studies; (7) Metrics for system impact studies; (8) All rules. Incorporating the Order No. 890 standards into the Commission’s regulations benefits wholesale electric customers by streamlining utility business practices, transactional processes, and OASIS procedures, and by adopting a formal ongoing process for reviewing and upgrading the Commission’s OASIS standards and other electric industry business practices. These practices and procedures benefit from the implementation of generic industry standards. The Commission’s Order No. 890 regulations can be found in 18 CFR 35.28 (pro forma tariff requirements), and 37.6 and 37.7 (OASIS requirements). Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the current FERC–917 and FERC–918 (Order No. 890) reporting requirements, with no change to the existing requirements. Burden Statement: The FERC–917 and FERC–918 information collections are both approved under the OMB Control Number 1902–0233. The estimated annual public reporting burdens for FERC–917 (requirements in 18 CFR 35.28) and FERC–918 (requirements in 18 CFR 37.6 and 37.7) are reduced from the original estimates made three years ago. The reductions are due to the incorporation and completion of: (1) One-time pro forma tariff and standards changes by utilities in existence at that time, which would not be needed unless the tariff and/or standards are changed again; and (2) completed development and comment solicitation of the required NERC/ NAESB reliability standards and business practices. The other activities are annual ongoing requirements. The estimated annual figures follow. Annual Number of respondents Average Number of reponses per respondent Average burden 3 hours per response Total annual burden hours (1) FERC information collection (2) (3) (1) × (2) × (3) 18 CFR 35.28 (FERC–917) Conforming tariff changes ............................................................................... Revision of Imbalance Charges ....................................................................... ATC revisions .................................................................................................. Planning (Attachment K) .................................................................................. Congestion studies .......................................................................................... Attestation of network resource commitment .................................................. Capacity reassignment .................................................................................... Operational Penalty annual filing ..................................................................... Creditworthiness—include criteria in the tariff ................................................. 0 0 0 134 134 134 134 134 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 100 300 1 100 10 0 0 0 0 13,400 40,200 134 13,400 1,340 0 FERC–917—Sub Total Part 35 ................................................................ ........................ ........................ ........................ 68,474 18 CFR 37.6 & 37.7 (FERC–918) 0 0 0 134 134 134 134 134 134 134 134 134 134 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 80 100 20 90 20 10 5 100 5 40 0 0 0 10,720 13,400 2,680 12,060 2,680 1,340 670 13,400 670 5,360 FERC–918 -Sub Total of Part 37 Reporting Requirements ..................... ........................ ........................ ........................ 57,620 FERC–918—Sub Total of Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements ............................................................................................. ........................ ........................ ........................ 62,980 Total FERC–917 and FERC–918 (Part 35 + Part 37, Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements) ............................................................. daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES ATC-related standards: NERC/NAESB Team to develop .............................................................. Review and comment by utility ................................................................. Implementation by each utility .................................................................. Mandatory data exchanges ............................................................................. Explanation of change of ATC values ............................................................. Reevaluate CBM and post quarterly ............................................................... Post OASIS metrics; requests accepted/denied ............................................. Post planning redispatch offers and reliability redispatch data ....................... Post curtailment data ....................................................................................... Post Planning and System Impact Studies ..................................................... Posting of metrics for System Impact Studies ................................................ Post all rules to OASIS .................................................................................... FERC–918—Recordkeeping Requirements .................................................... ........................ ........................ ........................ 131,454 Total combined annual burden for FERC–917 and FERC–918 is 131,454 hours (126,094 reporting hours + 5,360 recordkeeping hours). This is a reduction of 28,300 hours from the combined FERC–917 and FERC–918 burden OMB previously approved. 3 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 VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:02 Feb 05, 2018 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 collection burden, refer to 5 Code of Federal Regulations 1320.3. E:\FR\FM\06FEN1.SGM 06FEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 25 / Tuesday, February 6, 2018 / Notices Total combined estimated annual cost for FERC–917 and FERC–918 is $131,454 4. This includes: (1) Reporting costs of $10,339,708; 5 (126,094 hours @$82.00 an hour (average cost of attorney ($143.68 per hour), consulting ($89.00), management Analyst ($63.49), and administrative support ($40.89)) and (2) Recordkeeping (labor and storage) costs of $7,575,486.40; (labor = $175,486.40; 5,360 hours × $32.74/hour 7 (file/record clerk @ $32.74 an hour) and off-site storage costs = $7,400,000; (8,000 sq. ft. × $925/sq. ft.). daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES 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 the collections of information; (5) searching data sources; (6) completing and reviewing the collections of information; and (7) transmitting or otherwise disclosing the information. The estimate of cost for respondents is based upon 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) Whether the proposed collections of information are 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 4 The Commission staff thinks that the average respondent for this collection is similarly situated to the Commission, in terms of salary plus benefits. Based upon FERC’s 2017 annual average of $158,754 (for salary plus benefits), the average hourly cost is $76.50/hour. 6 This wage figure uses the weighted hourly average wage (plus benefits) for Legal (Occupation Code: 23–0000), management, scientific, and consulting (Occupation Code: 11–0000), management analyst (Occupation Code: 13–1111), Administrative Support (43–0000) and File Clerk (Occupation Code: 43–4071) obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Uses the hourly average wage (plus benefits) for file clerks obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics: $32.74/hour (BLS Occupation Code: 43–4071). VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:02 Feb 05, 2018 Jkt 244001 collections 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 collections 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: January 31, 2018. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2018–02323 Filed 2–5–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA–HQ–OPPT–2017–0320; FRL–9970–37] Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Renewal of an Existing Collection (EPA ICR No. 1741.08); Comment Request Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), this document announces that EPA is planning to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The ICR, entitled: ‘‘Correction of Misreported Chemical Substances on the TSCA Inventory’’ and identified by EPA ICR No. 1741.08 and OMB Control No. 2070–0145, represents the renewal of an existing ICR that is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2018. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection that is summarized in this document. The ICR and accompanying material are available in the docket for public review and comment. DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 9, 2018. ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by docket identification (ID) number EPA–HQ–OPPT–2017–0320, by one of the following methods: • Federal eRulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Do not submit electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 5257 • Mail: Document Control Office (7407M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460–0001. • Hand Delivery: To make special arrangements for hand delivery or delivery of boxed information, please follow the instructions at https:// www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html. Additional instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along with more information about dockets generally, is available at https:// www.epa.gov/dockets. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical information contact: Ron Carlson, Information Management Division (7407M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460–0001; telephone number: (202) 564–8631; email address: carlson.ron@epa.gov. For general information contact: The TSCA-Hotline, ABVI-Goodwill, 422 South Clinton Ave., Rochester, NY 14620; telephone number: (202) 554– 1404; email address: TSCA-Hotline@ epa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. What information is EPA particularly interested in? Pursuant to PRA section 3506(c)(2)(A) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), EPA specifically solicits comments and information to enable it to: 1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, including whether the information will have practical utility. 2. Evaluate the accuracy of the Agency’s estimates of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used. 3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected. 4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through 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. In particular, EPA is requesting comments from very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples of specific additional efforts that EPA could make to reduce the paperwork burden for very small businesses affected by this collection. E:\FR\FM\06FEN1.SGM 06FEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 25 (Tuesday, February 6, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5255-5257]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-02323]


=======================================================================
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. IC18-5-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities; (FERC-917 & FERC-
918) Comment Request; Extension

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of information collections and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) is soliciting 
public comment on the information collections, FERC-917 (Electric 
Transmission Facilities) and FERC-918 (Standards for Business Practices 
and Communication Protocols for Public Utilities, both under OMB 
Control No. 1902-0233.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due April 9, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. IC18-5-
000) by either of the following methods:
     eFiling at Commission's website: https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp.
     Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First Street NE, 
Washington, DC 20426.
    Instructions: All submissions must be formatted and filed in 
accordance with submission guidelines at: https://www.ferc.gov/help/submission-guide.asp. For user assistance contact FERC Online Support 
by email at [email protected], or by phone at: (866) 208-3676 
(toll-free), or (202) 502-8659 for TTY.
    Docket: Users interested in receiving automatic notification of 
activity in this docket or in viewing/downloading comments and 
issuances in this docket may do so at https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/docs-filing.asp.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by email at 
[email protected], telephone at (202) 502-8663, and fax at (202) 
273-0873.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: FERC-917 (Electric Transmission Facilities) and FERC-918 
(Standards for Business Practices and Communication Protocols for 
Public Utilities.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0233.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-917 and FERC-918 
information collection requirements with no changes to the current 
reporting requirements.
    Abstract: On February 17, 2007, the Commission issued Order No. 890 
to address and remedy opportunities for undue discrimination under the 
pro forma Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT) adopted in 1996 by 
Order No. 888.\1\ Through Order No. 890, the Commission:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Promoting Wholesale Competition Through Open Access Non-
discriminatory Transmission Services by Public Utilities; Recovery 
of Stranded Costs by Public Utilities and Transmitting Utilities, 
Order No. 888, 61 FR 21540 (May 10, 1996), FERC Stats. & Regs. ] 
31,036 (1996), order on reh'g, Order No. 888-A, 62 FR 12274 (Mar. 
14, 1997), FERC Stats. & Regs. ] 31,048 (1997), order on reh'g, 
Order No. 888-B, 81 FERC ] 61,248 (1997), order on reh'g, Order No. 
888-C, 82 FERC ] 61,046 (1998), aff'd in relevant part sub nom. 
Transmission Access Policy Study Group v. FERC, 225 F.3d 667 (DC 
Cir. 2000), aff'd sub nom. New York v. FERC, 535 U.S. 1 (2002).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (1) Adopted pro forma OATT provisions necessary to keep imbalance 
charges closely related to incremental costs;
    (2) Increased nondiscriminatory access to the grid by requiring 
public utilities, working through the North American Electric 
Reliability Corporation (NERC), to develop consistent methodologies for 
available transfer capability (ATC) calculation and to publish those 
methodologies to increase transparency.
    (3) Required an open, transparent, and coordinated transmission 
planning process thereby increasing the ability of customers to access 
new generating resources and promote efficient utilization of 
transmission.
    (4) Gave the right to customers to request from transmission 
providers, studies addressing congestion and/or integration of new 
resource loads in areas of the transmission system where they have 
encountered transmission problems due to congestion or where they 
believe upgrades and other investments may be necessary to reduce 
congestion and to integrate new resources.
    (5) Required both the transmission provider's merchant function and 
network customers to include a statement with each application for 
network service or to designate a new network resource that attests, 
for each network resource identified, that the transmission customer 
owns or has committed to purchase the designated network resource and 
the designated network resource comports with the requirements for 
designated network resources. The network customer includes this 
attestation in the customer's comment section of the request when it 
confirms the request on the Open Access Same-Time Information System 
(OASIS).
    (6) Required with regard to capacity reassignment that: (a) All 
sales or assignments of capacity be conducted through or otherwise 
posted on the transmission provider's OASIS on or before the date the 
reassigned service commences; (b) assignees of transmission capacity 
execute a service agreement prior to the date on which the reassigned 
service commences; and (c) transmission providers aggregate and 
summarize in an electric quarterly report the data contained in these 
service agreements.
    (7) Adopted an operational penalties annual filing that provides 
information regarding the penalty revenue the transmission provider has 
received and distributed.
    (8) Required creditworthiness information to be included in a 
transmission provider's OATT. Attachment L must specify the qualitative 
and quantitative criteria that the transmission provider uses to 
determine the level of secured and unsecured credit required.
    The Commission required a NERC/NAESB \2\ team to draft and review 
Order No. 890 reliability standards and business practices. The team 
was to solicit comment from each utility on developed standards and 
practices and utilities were to implement each, after Commission 
approval. Public utilities, working through NERC, were to revise 
reliability standards to require the exchange of data and coordination 
among transmission providers and, working through NAESB, were to 
develop complementary business practices.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ NAESB is the North American Energy Standards Board.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Required OASIS postings included:
    (1) Explanations for changes in ATC values;
    (2) Capacity benefit margin (CBM) reevaluations and quarterly 
postings;
    (3) OASIS metrics and accepted/denied requests;

[[Page 5256]]

    (4) Planning redispatch offers and reliability redispatch data;
    (5) Curtailment data;
    (6) Planning and system impact studies;
    (7) Metrics for system impact studies;
    (8) All rules.
    Incorporating the Order No. 890 standards into the Commission's 
regulations benefits wholesale electric customers by streamlining 
utility business practices, transactional processes, and OASIS 
procedures, and by adopting a formal ongoing process for reviewing and 
upgrading the Commission's OASIS standards and other electric industry 
business practices. These practices and procedures benefit from the 
implementation of generic industry standards.
    The Commission's Order No. 890 regulations can be found in 18 CFR 
35.28 (pro forma tariff requirements), and 37.6 and 37.7 (OASIS 
requirements).
    Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the 
current FERC-917 and FERC-918 (Order No. 890) reporting requirements, 
with no change to the existing requirements.
    Burden Statement: The FERC-917 and FERC-918 information collections 
are both approved under the OMB Control Number 1902-0233. The estimated 
annual public reporting burdens for FERC-917 (requirements in 18 CFR 
35.28) and FERC-918 (requirements in 18 CFR 37.6 and 37.7) are reduced 
from the original estimates made three years ago. The reductions are 
due to the incorporation and completion of: (1) One-time pro forma 
tariff and standards changes by utilities in existence at that time, 
which would not be needed unless the tariff and/or standards are 
changed again; and (2) completed development and comment solicitation 
of the required NERC/NAESB reliability standards and business 
practices. The other activities are annual ongoing requirements. The 
estimated annual figures follow.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ 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 Code of Federal Regulations 1320.3.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Average         Average
                                                  Annual  Number     Number of      burden \3\     Total annual
          FERC information  collection                  of         reponses per      hours per     burden hours
                                                    respondents     respondent       response
                                                             (1)             (2)             (3)     (1) x (2) x
                                                                                                             (3)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             18 CFR 35.28 (FERC-917)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conforming tariff changes.......................               0               0               0               0
Revision of Imbalance Charges...................               0               0               0               0
ATC revisions...................................               0               0               0               0
Planning (Attachment K).........................             134               1             100          13,400
Congestion studies..............................             134               1             300          40,200
Attestation of network resource commitment......             134               1               1             134
Capacity reassignment...........................             134               1             100          13,400
Operational Penalty annual filing...............             134               1              10           1,340
Creditworthiness--include criteria in the tariff               0               0               0               0
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    FERC-917--Sub Total Part 35.................  ..............  ..............  ..............          68,474
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          18 CFR 37.6 & 37.7 (FERC-918)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ATC-related standards:
    NERC/NAESB Team to develop..................               0               0               0               0
    Review and comment by utility...............               0               0               0               0
    Implementation by each utility..............               0               0               0               0
Mandatory data exchanges........................             134               1              80          10,720
Explanation of change of ATC values.............             134               1             100          13,400
Reevaluate CBM and post quarterly...............             134               1              20           2,680
Post OASIS metrics; requests accepted/denied....             134               1              90          12,060
Post planning redispatch offers and reliability              134               1              20           2,680
 redispatch data................................
Post curtailment data...........................             134               1              10           1,340
Post Planning and System Impact Studies.........             134               1               5             670
Posting of metrics for System Impact Studies....             134               1             100          13,400
Post all rules to OASIS.........................             134               1               5             670
FERC-918--Recordkeeping Requirements............             134               1              40           5,360
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    FERC-918 -Sub Total of Part 37 Reporting      ..............  ..............  ..............          57,620
     Requirements...............................
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
        FERC-918--Sub Total of Reporting and      ..............  ..............  ..............          62,980
         Recordkeeping Requirements.............
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total FERC-917 and FERC-918 (Part 35 + Part   ..............  ..............  ..............         131,454
     37, Reporting and Recordkeeping
     Requirements)..............................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Total combined annual burden for FERC-917 and FERC-918 is 131,454 
hours (126,094 reporting hours + 5,360 recordkeeping hours). This is a 
reduction of 28,300 hours from the combined FERC-917 and FERC-918 
burden OMB previously approved.

[[Page 5257]]

    Total combined estimated annual cost for FERC-917 and FERC-918 is 
$131,454 \4\. This includes:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ The Commission staff thinks that the average respondent for 
this collection is similarly situated to the Commission, in terms of 
salary plus benefits. Based upon FERC's 2017 annual average of 
$158,754 (for salary plus benefits), the average hourly cost is 
$76.50/hour.

    (1) Reporting costs of $10,339,708; \5\ (126,094 hours @$82.00 
an hour (average cost of attorney ($143.68 per hour), consulting 
($89.00), management Analyst ($63.49), and administrative support 
($40.89)) and
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \6\ This wage figure uses the weighted hourly average wage (plus 
benefits) for Legal (Occupation Code: 23-0000), management, 
scientific, and consulting (Occupation Code: 11-0000), management 
analyst (Occupation Code: 13-1111), Administrative Support (43-0000) 
and File Clerk (Occupation Code: 43-4071) obtained from the Bureau 
of Labor Statistics. Uses the hourly average wage (plus benefits) 
for file clerks obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics: 
$32.74/hour (BLS Occupation Code: 43-4071).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (2) Recordkeeping (labor and storage) costs of $7,575,486.40; 
(labor = $175,486.40; 5,360 hours x $32.74/hour \7\ (file/record 
clerk @$32.74 an hour) and off-site storage costs = $7,400,000; 
(8,000 sq. ft. x $925/sq. ft.).

    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 the collections of information; 
(5) searching data sources; (6) completing and reviewing the 
collections of information; and (7) transmitting or otherwise 
disclosing the information.
    The estimate of cost for respondents is based upon 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) Whether the proposed collections of 
information are 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 collections 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 collections 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: January 31, 2018.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-02323 Filed 2-5-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


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