Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-516); Comment Request; Extension, 22402-22405 [2021-08828]
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 80 / Wednesday, April 28, 2021 / Notices
appropriate. Such notices, motions, or
protests must be filed on or before the
comment date. Anyone filing a motion
to intervene or protest must serve a copy
of that document on the Petitioner.
The Commission encourages
electronic submission of protests and
interventions in lieu of paper using the
‘‘eFiling’’ link at https://www.ferc.gov.
Persons unable to file electronically may
mail similar pleadings to the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426.
Hand delivered submissions in
docketed proceedings should be
delivered to Health and Human
Services, 12225 Wilkins Avenue,
Rockville, Maryland 20852.
In addition to publishing the full text
of this document in the Federal
Register, the Commission provides all
interested persons an opportunity to
view and/or print the contents of this
document via the internet through the
Commission’s Home Page (https://
ferc.gov) using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ link.
Enter the docket number excluding the
last three digits in the docket number
field to access the document. At this
time, the Commission has suspended
access to the Commission’s Public
Reference Room, due to the
proclamation declaring a National
Emergency concerning the Novel
Coronavirus Disease (COVID–19), issued
by the President on March 13, 2020. For
assistance, contact the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission at
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or call
toll-free, (886) 208–3676 or TYY, (202)
502–8659.
Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern time
on May 24, 2021.
Dated: April 22, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021–08827 Filed 4–27–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. IC21–21–000]
Commission Information Collection
Activities (FERC–516); Comment
Request; Extension
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: Notice of information collection
and request for comments.
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AGENCY:
In compliance with the
requirements of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, the Federal
SUMMARY:
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Energy Regulatory Commission
(Commission or FERC) is soliciting
public comment on the currently
approved information collection, FERC–
516 (Electric Rate Schedules and Tariff
Filings).
DATES: Comments on the collection of
information are due June 28, 2021.
ADDRESSES: You may submit copies of
your comments (identified by Docket
No. IC21–21–000) by one of the
following methods:
Electronic filing through https://
www.ferc.gov, is preferred.
• Electronic Filing: Documents must
be filed in acceptable native
applications and print-to-PDF, but not
in scanned or picture format.
• For those unable to file
electronically, comments may be filed
by USPS mail or by hand (including
courier) delivery:
Æ Mail via U.S. Postal Service Only:
Addressed to: Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the
Commission, 888 First Street NE,
Washington, DC 20426.
Æ Hand (including courier) delivery:
Deliver to: Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue,
Rockville, MD 20852.
Instructions: All submissions must be
formatted and filed in accordance with
submission guidelines at: https://
www.ferc.gov. For user assistance,
contact FERC Online Support by email
at ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, or by
phone at (866) 208–3676 (toll-free).
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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ellen Brown may be reached by email
at DataClearance@FERC.gov, telephone
at (202) 502–8663.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: FERC–516, Electric Rate
Schedules and Tariff Filings.
OMB Control No.: 1902–0096.
Type of Request: Three-year extension
of the FERC–516 information collection
requirements with no changes to the
current reporting requirements.
Abstract: This notice for FERC–516
includes 11 components listed in the
table below.1 Section 205(c) of the
Federal Power Act (FPA) requires that
every public utility have all its
jurisdictional rates and tariffs on file
with the Commission and make them
1 This notice does not address the requirements
in the Supplementary Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking (NOPR) in Docket No. RM20–10. The
Supplementary NOPR is available on FERC’s
eLibrary system (https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/
search) by searching Docket No. RM20–10.
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available for public inspection, within
such time and in such form as the
Commission may designate. Section
205(d) of the FPA requires that every
public utility must provide notice to
FERC and the public of any changes to
its jurisdictional rates and tariffs, file
such changes with FERC, and make
them available for public inspection, in
such manner as directed by the
Commission. FPA section 205 specifies
that all rates and charges, and related
contracts and service conditions, for
wholesale sales and transmission of
energy in interstate commerce must be
filed with the Commission and must be
‘‘just and reasonable’’. In addition, FPA
section 206 requires the Commission,
upon complaint or its own motion, to
modify existing rates or services that are
found to be unjust, unreasonable,
unduly discriminatory or preferential.
Several rulemakings related to this
information collection and its
components have been summarized
below.
In Order No. 745 (in Docket No.
RM10–17), the Commission amended its
regulations under the Federal Power Act
(FPA). That amendment sought to
ensure that when a demand response
resource participating in an organized
wholesale energy market administered
by a Regional Transmission
Organization (RTO) or Independent
System Operator (ISO) has to
demonstrate by a compliance filing that
it has the capability to balance supply
and demand as an alternative to a
generation resource, and when dispatch
of that demand response resource is
cost-effective as determined by the net
benefits test described in the final rule,
that demand response resource must be
compensated for the service it provides
to the energy market at the market price
for energy, referred to as the locational
marginal price (LMP).2 This approach
for compensating demand response
resources helps to ensure the
competitiveness of organized wholesale
energy markets and remove barriers to
the participation of demand response
resources, thus ensuring just and
reasonable wholesale rates.
In Order 845 (in Docket No. RM11–7),
the Commission revised its regulations
to remedy undue discrimination in the
procurement of frequency regulation in
the organized wholesale electric markets
and ensure that providers of frequency
regulation receive just and reasonable
and not unduly discriminatory or
preferential rates. To remedy this undue
discrimination, the Commission found
2 The full text of the Final Rule is available on
FERC’s eLibrary system (https://elibrary.ferc.gov/
eLibrary/search) by searching Docket No. RM10–17.
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that it is just and reasonable to require
all RTOs and ISOs to modify their tariffs
to provide for a two-part payment to
frequency regulation resources.3 The
compensation methods for regulation
service in RTO and ISO markets failed
to acknowledge the inherently greater
amount of frequency regulation service
being provided by faster-ramping
resources. In addition, certain practices
of some RTOs and ISOs resulted in
economically inefficient economic
dispatch of frequency regulation
resources. By remedying these issues,
the Commission removed unduly
discriminatory and preferential
practices from RTO and ISO tariffs and
required the setting of just and
reasonable rates. It specifically required
RTOs and ISOs to compensate
frequency regulation resources based on
the actual service provided, including a
capacity payment that includes the
marginal unit’s opportunity costs and a
payment for performance that reflects
the quantity of frequency regulation
service provided by a resource when the
resource is accurately following the
dispatch signal.
Order No. 764 (in Docket No. RM10–
11), the Commission amended the pro
forma Open Access Transmission Tariff
(OATT) to remove unduly
discriminatory practices and to ensure
just and reasonable rates for
Commission-jurisdictional services.
Specifically, the Commission removed
barriers to the integration of variable
energy resources by requiring each
public utility transmission provider to:
(1) Offer intra-hourly transmission
scheduling; and, (2) incorporate
provisions into the pro forma Large
Generator Interconnection Agreement
requiring interconnection customers
whose generating facilities are variable
energy resources to provide
meteorological and forced outage data to
the public utility transmission provider
for the purpose of power production
forecasting.
In Order 676–G (in Docket No. RM05–
5–020), the Commission amended its
regulations at 18 CFR 38.2 (which
establish standards for business
practices and electronic
communications for public utilities) to
incorporate by reference updated
business practice standards adopted by
the Wholesale Electric Quadrant (WEQ)
of the North American Energy Standards
Board (NAESB) to categorize various
products and services for demand
response and energy efficiency and to
support the measurement and
3 The full text of the Final Rule is available on
FERC’s eLibrary system (https://elibrary.ferc.gov/
eLibrary/search) by searching Docket No. RM11–7.
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verification of these products and
services in organized wholesale electric
markets. These standards provided
common definitions and processes
regarding demand response and energy
efficiency products in organized
wholesale electric markets where such
products are offered. The standards also
required each RTO and ISO to address
in the RTO or ISO’s governing
documents the performance evaluation
methods to be used for demand
response and energy efficiency
products. The standards facilitated the
ability of demand response and energy
efficiency providers to participate in
organized wholesale electric markets,
reducing transaction costs and
providing an opportunity for more
customers to participate in these
programs, especially for customers that
operate in more than one organized
market.
In Order No. 676–H (in Docket No.
RM05–5–022), the Commission revised
its regulations to incorporate by
reference, with certain enumerated
exceptions, Version 003 of the
Standards for Business Practices and
Communication Protocols for Public
Utilities adopted by the WEQ of NAESB
as mandatory enforceable requirements.
These standards updated NAESB’s WEQ
Version 002 and Version 002.1
Standards to reflect policy
determinations made by the
Commission in the Order Nos. 890, 890–
A, 890–B and 890–C.4 In addition, the
Commission listed informationally, as
guidance, NAESB’s Smart Grid
Standards (WEQ–016 through WEQ–
020) in Part 2 of the Commission’s
regulations. The Commission required
public utilities and those entities with
reciprocity tariffs to modify their open
access transmission tariffs (OATTs) to
include the WEQ standards that were
incorporated by making a compliance
filing.
In Order No. 819 (in Docket No.
RM15–2), the Commission revised its
regulations to foster competition in the
sale of primary frequency response
service. Specifically, the Commission
amended its regulations governing
market-based rates for public utilities
pursuant to the FPA to permit the sale
of primary frequency response service at
market-based rates by sellers with
market-based rate authority for sales of
4 Preventing Undue Discrimination and
Preference in Transmission Service, Order No. 890,
FERC Stats. & Regs. ¶ 31,241 (2007), order on reh’g,
Order No. 890–A, FERC Stats. & Regs. ¶ 31,261
(2007), order on reh’g, Order No. 890–B, 123 FERC
¶ 61,299 (2008), order on reh’g and clarification,
Order No. 890–C, 126 FERC ¶ 61,228 (2009) (Order
No. 890–C). The Version 002 standards also
included revisions made in response to Order No.
890.
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energy and capacity. The Commission
found that a seller that already has
market-based rate authority as of the
effective date of the Final Rule is
authorized as of that date to make sales
of primary frequency response service at
market-based rates.5 Such a seller was
required to revise the third-party
provider ancillary services provision of
its market-based rate tariff to reflect that
it wished to make sales of primary
frequency response service at marketbased rates. In order to reduce their
administrative burden, the Commission
permitted such sellers to wait to file this
tariff revision until the next time they
made a market-based rate filing with the
Commission, such as a notice of change
in status filing or a triennial update.
In Order No. 842 (in Docket No.
RM16–6–000), the Commission revised
its regulations to require newly
interconnecting large and small
generating facilities, both synchronous
and non-synchronous, to install,
maintain, and operate equipment
capable of providing primary frequency
response as a condition of
interconnection. To implement these
requirements, the Commission modified
the pro forma Large Generator
Interconnection Agreement (LGIA) and
the pro forma Small Generator
Interconnection Agreement (SGIA).
These changes were designed to address
the potential reliability impact of the
evolving generation resource mix, and
to ensure that the relevant provisions of
the pro forma LGIA and pro forma SGIA
are just, reasonable, and not unduly
discriminatory or preferential. Section
35.28(f)(1) of the Commission’s
regulations requires every public utility
with a non-discriminatory OATT on file
to also have a pro forma LGIA and pro
forma SGIA on file with the
Commission. Each public utility
transmission provider that has a pro
forma LGIA and/or pro forma SGIA
within its OATT was required to submit
a compliance filing that demonstrates
that it meets the requirements set forth
in the Final Rule within Docket No.
RM16–6–000.
In Order 845 (in Docket No. RM17–8),
the Commission amended the pro forma
Large Generator Interconnection
Procedures and the pro forma LGIA to
improve certainty, promote more
informed interconnection, and enhance
interconnection processes. The reforms
were intended to ensure that the
generator interconnection process is just
and reasonable and not unduly
discriminatory or preferential. The
5 The full text of the Final Rule is available on
FERC’s eLibrary system (https://elibrary.ferc.gov/
eLibrary/search) by searching Docket No. RM15–2.
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(ADIT) from or add any deficient ADIT
to their rate bases. Public utilities with
transmission formula rates were also
required to incorporate a mechanism to
decrease or increase their income tax
allowances by any amortized excess or
deficient ADIT, respectively. Finally,
the Commission required public utilities
with transmission to update their
formula rates through a compliance
filing to incorporate a new permanent
worksheet into their transmission
formula rates that will annually track
information related to excess or
deficient ADIT.
Estimate of Annual Burden: 6 The
Commission estimates the average
annual burden and cost 7 for FERC–516
as follows.8 The ‘annual no. of
responses per respondent’ have been
Commission required all public utility
transmission providers to submit
compliance filings to adopt the
requirements of the Final Rule (in
Docket No. RM17–8), as revisions to the
LGIP and LGIA in their OATTs.
In Order 864 (in Docket No. RM19–5),
the Commission required public utility
transmission providers with
transmission formula rates under an
OATT, a transmission owner tariff, or a
rate schedule to revise those
transmission formula rates to account
for changes caused by the Tax Cuts and
Jobs Act of 2017. The Commission
required public utilities with
transmission formula rates to include a
mechanism in those transmission
formula rates to deduct any excess
accumulated deferred income taxes
rounded. The estimated total annual
burden for this information collection
has decreased due to the completion of
several one-time filings. The one-time
filings required in Order 845 (in Docket
No. RM17–8), Order 755 (in Docket No.
RM11–7), and Order 676–G (in Docket
No. RM05–05–020) are complete.
Because Order Nos. 845, 755, 676–G
remain a one-time filing requirement for
transmission organizations, the burden
associated with this data collections
will result only if a new transmission
organization enters FERC jurisdiction.
One response for one new transmission
organization is being used as a
placeholder for a possible application
from such a new transmission
organization with an organized
electricity market.9
FERC–516, ELECTRIC RATE SCHEDULES AND TARIFF FILINGS
Requirements
Number of
respondents
Annual
number of
responses
per
respondent
Total
number of
responses
Average burden &
cost per response
Total annual burden
hours & cost
Cost per
respondent
(1)
(2)
(1) x (2) = (3)
(4)
(3) * (4) = (5)
(5) / (1) = (5)
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Electric Rates Schedules and
Tariff Filings 10.
Demand Response, RM10–17
(one-time and monthly filings).
Frequency Regulation, RM11–7
(one-time tariff filing and system modification) 9.
Variable Energy Resource Integration Rule (RM10–11), Voluntary Burden.
Variable Energy Resource Integration Rule, (RM10–11) Mandatory Burden.
Tariff Filings in RM05–5–020
(one-time) 9.
Tariff Filings in RM05–5–022
(one-time).
Tariff Filings to Reflect Primary
Frequency Response Services
in MBR (Final Rule in RM15–
2).
Electric Rate Schedules and
Tariffs in RM16–6.
Electric Rate Schedules and
Tariffs in RM17–8 (ongoing).
Electric Rate Schedules and
Tariffs in RM17–8 (one-time) 9.
RM19–5, one-time and ongoing
1,230
3.63
4,469
103.27 hrs.;
$8,571.41.
114.71 hrs.;
$9,520.93.
366.66 hrs.;
$30,432.78.
461,514 hrs.;
$38,305,631.29.
7,800.28 hrs.;
$647,423.24.
366.66 hrs.; $30,432.78 ..
6
11.33
68
1
1
1
142
2.113
294
107,903.87
300
29.95 hrs.;
$2,485.85.
8,985 hrs.; $745,755 .......
5,251.80
1.9116
562
30.91 hrs.;
$2,565.53.
17,371.42 hrs.;
$1,441,827.86.
4,904.18
1
1
1
5 hrs.; $415 ...........
5 hrs.; $415 .....................
415
132
3.63
132
6 hrs.; $498 ...........
792 hrs.; $65,736 ............
498
1,585
0.1634
259
6 hrs.; $498 ...........
1,554 hrs.; $128,982 .......
81.38
74
1
74
10 hrs.; $830 .........
740 hrs.; $61,420 ............
830
132
2.66
352
4 hrs.; $322 ...........
1,408 hrs.; $116,864 .......
885.33
1
1
1
49.41 hrs.; $4,101.03 ......
4,101.03
106
1.66
177
49.41 hrs.;
$4,101.03.
13.57 hrs.;
$1,126.31.
2,401.89 hrs.;
$199,356.87.
1,880.73
6 Burden is defined as the total time, effort, or
financial resources expended by persons to
generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or provide
information to or for a Federal agency. For further
explanation of what is included in the information
collection burden, refer to 5 CFR part 1320.
7 The Commission staff estimates that the average
respondent for this collection is similarly situated
to the Commission, in terms of salary plus benefits.
Based on FERC’s 2020 annual average of $172,329
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(for salary plus benefits), the average hourly cost is
$83/hour.
8 The following currently approved one-time
filings for FERC–516 are complete.
• The one-time total burden for Electric Rate
Schedules and Tariffs in Docket No. RM17–8 was
a total of 65,220 hours that was averaged over three
years (65,220 ÷ 3 = 21,740 hours/year over three
years).
• The one-time total burden for Electric Rate
Schedules and Tariffs in Docket No. RM11–7 was
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31,142.79
30,432.78
a total of 5,500 hours that was averaged over three
years (5,500 ÷ 3 = 1,833 hours/year over three
years).
• The one-time total burden for Electric Rate
Schedules and Tariffs in Docket No. RM05–05–020
was a total of 60 hours.
9 If a new RTO/ISO is formed, their tariff filings
would be required by Order 845 (in Docket No.
RM17–8), Order 755 (in Docket No. RM11–7), and
Order 676–G (in Docket No. RM05–05–020).
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22405
FERC–516, ELECTRIC RATE SCHEDULES AND TARIFF FILINGS—Continued
Requirements
Total Burden for FERC–516
Number of
respondents
Annual
number of
responses
per
respondent
Total
number of
responses
Average burden &
cost per response
Total annual burden
hours & cost
Cost per
respondent
(1)
(2)
(1) x (2) = (3)
(4)
(3) * (4) = (5)
(5) / (1) = (5)
....................
....................
Comments: Comments are invited on:
(1) Whether the collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
Commission, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
(2) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate
of the burden and cost of the collection
of information, including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used;
(3) ways to enhance the quality, utility
and clarity of the information collection;
and (4) ways to minimize the burden of
the collection of information on those
who are to respond, including the use
of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
Dated: April 22, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
6,396
does not anticipate that licensing the
project would constitute a major federal
action significantly affecting the quality
of the human environment. Therefore,
staff intends to prepare an
Environmental Assessment (EA) on the
application to license the Lower Great
Falls Project.
The EA will be issued and circulated
for review by all interested parties. All
comments filed on the EA will be
analyzed by staff and considered in the
Commission’s final licensing decision.
The application will be processed
according to the following schedule.
Revisions to the schedule may be made
as appropriate.
Milestone
Target date
August 2021. 1
September 2021.
Commission issues EA
Comments on EA .........
[FR Doc. 2021–08828 Filed 4–27–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
...............................
Any questions regarding this notice
may be directed to Amanda Gill at (202)
502–6773 or amanda.gill@ferc.gov.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
Dated: April 22, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[Project No. 4451–024]
[FR Doc. 2021–08830 Filed 4–27–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
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Green Mountain Power Corporation,
City of Somersworth, New Hampshire;
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment
On April 30, 2020, Green Mountain
Power Corporation and the City of
Somersworth, New Hampshire filed an
application for a subsequent license to
continue operating the existing 1.28megawatt Lower Great Falls
Hydroelectric Project No. 4451 (Lower
Great Falls Project or project). The
project is located on the Salmon Falls
River in Strafford County, New
Hampshire and York County, Maine.
The project does not occupy federal
land.
In accordance with the Commission’s
regulations, on February 10, 2021,
Commission staff issued a notice that
the project was ready for environmental
analysis (REA notice). Based on the
information in the record, including
comments filed on the REA notice, staff
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. AD21–10–000]
Modernizing Electricity Market Design
Notice of Technical Conference on
Resource Adequacy in the Evolving
Electricity Sector: ISO New England
Inc
Take notice that the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (Commission)
will convene a Commissioner-led
1 The
Council on Environmental Quality’s (CEQ)
regulations under 40 CFR 1501.10(b)(1) require that
EAs be completed within 1 year of the federal
action agency’s decision to prepare an EA. This
notice establishes the Commission’s intent to
prepare an EA for the Lower Great Falls Project.
Therefore, in accordance with CEQ’s regulations,
the EA must be issued within 1 year of the issuance
date of this notice.
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502,987.66 hrs.;
$41,747,945.07.
188,326.88
technical conference regarding
wholesale markets administered by ISO
New England Inc. in the abovereferenced proceeding on Tuesday, May
25, 2021, from approximately 9:00 a.m.
to 5:00 p.m. Eastern time. The
conference will be held remotely. The
Commission will issue a supplemental
notice providing the agenda for the
technical conference.
The conference will be open for the
public to attend remotely. There is no
fee for attendance. Information on this
event will be posted on the Calendar of
Events on the Commission’s website,
www.ferc.gov, prior to the event.
The conference will be transcribed.
Transcripts will be available for a fee
from Ace Reporting at (202) 347–3700.
Commission conferences are
accessible under section 508 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973. For
accessibility accommodations, please
send an email to accessibility@ferc.gov
or call toll free (866) 208–3372 (voice)
or (202) 208–8659 (TTY), or send a fax
to (202) 208–2106 with the required
accommodations.
For more information about this
technical conference, please contact
David Rosner at david.rosner@ferc.gov
or (202) 502–8479, or Emma Nicholson
at emma.nicholson@ferc.gov or (202)
502–8741. For legal information, please
contact Meghan O’Brien at
meghan.o’brien@ferc.gov or (202) 502–
6137. For information related to
logistics, please contact Sarah McKinley
at sarah.mckinley@ferc.gov or (202)
502–8368.
Dated: April 22, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021–08831 Filed 4–27–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 28, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22402-22405]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-08828]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC21-21-000]
Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-516); Comment
Request; Extension
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of information collection and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or
FERC) is soliciting public comment on the currently approved
information collection, FERC-516 (Electric Rate Schedules and Tariff
Filings).
DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due June 28, 2021.
ADDRESSES: You may submit copies of your comments (identified by Docket
No. IC21-21-000) by one of the following methods:
Electronic filing through https://www.ferc.gov, is preferred.
Electronic Filing: Documents must be filed in acceptable
native applications and print-to-PDF, but not in scanned or picture
format.
For those unable to file electronically, comments may be
filed by USPS mail or by hand (including courier) delivery:
[cir] Mail via U.S. Postal Service Only: Addressed to: Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First
Street NE, Washington, DC 20426.
[cir] Hand (including courier) delivery: Deliver to: Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, MD 20852.
Instructions: All submissions must be formatted and filed in
accordance with submission guidelines at: https://www.ferc.gov. For user
assistance, contact FERC Online Support by email at
[email protected], or by phone at (866) 208-3676 (toll-free).
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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by email
at [email protected], telephone at (202) 502-8663.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: FERC-516, Electric Rate Schedules and Tariff Filings.
OMB Control No.: 1902-0096.
Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-516 information
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting
requirements.
Abstract: This notice for FERC-516 includes 11 components listed in
the table below.\1\ Section 205(c) of the Federal Power Act (FPA)
requires that every public utility have all its jurisdictional rates
and tariffs on file with the Commission and make them available for
public inspection, within such time and in such form as the Commission
may designate. Section 205(d) of the FPA requires that every public
utility must provide notice to FERC and the public of any changes to
its jurisdictional rates and tariffs, file such changes with FERC, and
make them available for public inspection, in such manner as directed
by the Commission. FPA section 205 specifies that all rates and
charges, and related contracts and service conditions, for wholesale
sales and transmission of energy in interstate commerce must be filed
with the Commission and must be ``just and reasonable''. In addition,
FPA section 206 requires the Commission, upon complaint or its own
motion, to modify existing rates or services that are found to be
unjust, unreasonable, unduly discriminatory or preferential.
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\1\ This notice does not address the requirements in the
Supplementary Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) in Docket No.
RM20-10. The Supplementary NOPR is available on FERC's eLibrary
system (https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/search) by searching
Docket No. RM20-10.
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Several rulemakings related to this information collection and its
components have been summarized below.
In Order No. 745 (in Docket No. RM10-17), the Commission amended
its regulations under the Federal Power Act (FPA). That amendment
sought to ensure that when a demand response resource participating in
an organized wholesale energy market administered by a Regional
Transmission Organization (RTO) or Independent System Operator (ISO)
has to demonstrate by a compliance filing that it has the capability to
balance supply and demand as an alternative to a generation resource,
and when dispatch of that demand response resource is cost-effective as
determined by the net benefits test described in the final rule, that
demand response resource must be compensated for the service it
provides to the energy market at the market price for energy, referred
to as the locational marginal price (LMP).\2\ This approach for
compensating demand response resources helps to ensure the
competitiveness of organized wholesale energy markets and remove
barriers to the participation of demand response resources, thus
ensuring just and reasonable wholesale rates.
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\2\ The full text of the Final Rule is available on FERC's
eLibrary system (https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/search) by
searching Docket No. RM10-17.
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In Order 845 (in Docket No. RM11-7), the Commission revised its
regulations to remedy undue discrimination in the procurement of
frequency regulation in the organized wholesale electric markets and
ensure that providers of frequency regulation receive just and
reasonable and not unduly discriminatory or preferential rates. To
remedy this undue discrimination, the Commission found
[[Page 22403]]
that it is just and reasonable to require all RTOs and ISOs to modify
their tariffs to provide for a two-part payment to frequency regulation
resources.\3\ The compensation methods for regulation service in RTO
and ISO markets failed to acknowledge the inherently greater amount of
frequency regulation service being provided by faster-ramping
resources. In addition, certain practices of some RTOs and ISOs
resulted in economically inefficient economic dispatch of frequency
regulation resources. By remedying these issues, the Commission removed
unduly discriminatory and preferential practices from RTO and ISO
tariffs and required the setting of just and reasonable rates. It
specifically required RTOs and ISOs to compensate frequency regulation
resources based on the actual service provided, including a capacity
payment that includes the marginal unit's opportunity costs and a
payment for performance that reflects the quantity of frequency
regulation service provided by a resource when the resource is
accurately following the dispatch signal.
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\3\ The full text of the Final Rule is available on FERC's
eLibrary system (https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/search) by
searching Docket No. RM11-7.
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Order No. 764 (in Docket No. RM10-11), the Commission amended the
pro forma Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT) to remove unduly
discriminatory practices and to ensure just and reasonable rates for
Commission-jurisdictional services. Specifically, the Commission
removed barriers to the integration of variable energy resources by
requiring each public utility transmission provider to: (1) Offer
intra-hourly transmission scheduling; and, (2) incorporate provisions
into the pro forma Large Generator Interconnection Agreement requiring
interconnection customers whose generating facilities are variable
energy resources to provide meteorological and forced outage data to
the public utility transmission provider for the purpose of power
production forecasting.
In Order 676-G (in Docket No. RM05-5-020), the Commission amended
its regulations at 18 CFR 38.2 (which establish standards for business
practices and electronic communications for public utilities) to
incorporate by reference updated business practice standards adopted by
the Wholesale Electric Quadrant (WEQ) of the North American Energy
Standards Board (NAESB) to categorize various products and services for
demand response and energy efficiency and to support the measurement
and verification of these products and services in organized wholesale
electric markets. These standards provided common definitions and
processes regarding demand response and energy efficiency products in
organized wholesale electric markets where such products are offered.
The standards also required each RTO and ISO to address in the RTO or
ISO's governing documents the performance evaluation methods to be used
for demand response and energy efficiency products. The standards
facilitated the ability of demand response and energy efficiency
providers to participate in organized wholesale electric markets,
reducing transaction costs and providing an opportunity for more
customers to participate in these programs, especially for customers
that operate in more than one organized market.
In Order No. 676-H (in Docket No. RM05-5-022), the Commission
revised its regulations to incorporate by reference, with certain
enumerated exceptions, Version 003 of the Standards for Business
Practices and Communication Protocols for Public Utilities adopted by
the WEQ of NAESB as mandatory enforceable requirements. These standards
updated NAESB's WEQ Version 002 and Version 002.1 Standards to reflect
policy determinations made by the Commission in the Order Nos. 890,
890-A, 890-B and 890-C.\4\ In addition, the Commission listed
informationally, as guidance, NAESB's Smart Grid Standards (WEQ-016
through WEQ-020) in Part 2 of the Commission's regulations. The
Commission required public utilities and those entities with
reciprocity tariffs to modify their open access transmission tariffs
(OATTs) to include the WEQ standards that were incorporated by making a
compliance filing.
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\4\ Preventing Undue Discrimination and Preference in
Transmission Service, Order No. 890, FERC Stats. & Regs. ] 31,241
(2007), order on reh'g, Order No. 890-A, FERC Stats. & Regs. ]
31,261 (2007), order on reh'g, Order No. 890-B, 123 FERC ] 61,299
(2008), order on reh'g and clarification, Order No. 890-C, 126 FERC
] 61,228 (2009) (Order No. 890-C). The Version 002 standards also
included revisions made in response to Order No. 890.
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In Order No. 819 (in Docket No. RM15-2), the Commission revised its
regulations to foster competition in the sale of primary frequency
response service. Specifically, the Commission amended its regulations
governing market-based rates for public utilities pursuant to the FPA
to permit the sale of primary frequency response service at market-
based rates by sellers with market-based rate authority for sales of
energy and capacity. The Commission found that a seller that already
has market-based rate authority as of the effective date of the Final
Rule is authorized as of that date to make sales of primary frequency
response service at market-based rates.\5\ Such a seller was required
to revise the third-party provider ancillary services provision of its
market-based rate tariff to reflect that it wished to make sales of
primary frequency response service at market-based rates. In order to
reduce their administrative burden, the Commission permitted such
sellers to wait to file this tariff revision until the next time they
made a market-based rate filing with the Commission, such as a notice
of change in status filing or a triennial update.
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\5\ The full text of the Final Rule is available on FERC's
eLibrary system (https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/search) by
searching Docket No. RM15-2.
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In Order No. 842 (in Docket No. RM16-6-000), the Commission revised
its regulations to require newly interconnecting large and small
generating facilities, both synchronous and non-synchronous, to
install, maintain, and operate equipment capable of providing primary
frequency response as a condition of interconnection. To implement
these requirements, the Commission modified the pro forma Large
Generator Interconnection Agreement (LGIA) and the pro forma Small
Generator Interconnection Agreement (SGIA). These changes were designed
to address the potential reliability impact of the evolving generation
resource mix, and to ensure that the relevant provisions of the pro
forma LGIA and pro forma SGIA are just, reasonable, and not unduly
discriminatory or preferential. Section 35.28(f)(1) of the Commission's
regulations requires every public utility with a non-discriminatory
OATT on file to also have a pro forma LGIA and pro forma SGIA on file
with the Commission. Each public utility transmission provider that has
a pro forma LGIA and/or pro forma SGIA within its OATT was required to
submit a compliance filing that demonstrates that it meets the
requirements set forth in the Final Rule within Docket No. RM16-6-000.
In Order 845 (in Docket No. RM17-8), the Commission amended the pro
forma Large Generator Interconnection Procedures and the pro forma LGIA
to improve certainty, promote more informed interconnection, and
enhance interconnection processes. The reforms were intended to ensure
that the generator interconnection process is just and reasonable and
not unduly discriminatory or preferential. The
[[Page 22404]]
Commission required all public utility transmission providers to submit
compliance filings to adopt the requirements of the Final Rule (in
Docket No. RM17-8), as revisions to the LGIP and LGIA in their OATTs.
In Order 864 (in Docket No. RM19-5), the Commission required public
utility transmission providers with transmission formula rates under an
OATT, a transmission owner tariff, or a rate schedule to revise those
transmission formula rates to account for changes caused by the Tax
Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The Commission required public utilities
with transmission formula rates to include a mechanism in those
transmission formula rates to deduct any excess accumulated deferred
income taxes (ADIT) from or add any deficient ADIT to their rate bases.
Public utilities with transmission formula rates were also required to
incorporate a mechanism to decrease or increase their income tax
allowances by any amortized excess or deficient ADIT, respectively.
Finally, the Commission required public utilities with transmission to
update their formula rates through a compliance filing to incorporate a
new permanent worksheet into their transmission formula rates that will
annually track information related to excess or deficient ADIT.
Estimate of Annual Burden: \6\ The Commission estimates the average
annual burden and cost \7\ for FERC-516 as follows.\8\ The `annual no.
of responses per respondent' have been rounded. The estimated total
annual burden for this information collection has decreased due to the
completion of several one-time filings. The one-time filings required
in Order 845 (in Docket No. RM17-8), Order 755 (in Docket No. RM11-7),
and Order 676-G (in Docket No. RM05-05-020) are complete. Because Order
Nos. 845, 755, 676-G remain a one-time filing requirement for
transmission organizations, the burden associated with this data
collections will result only if a new transmission organization enters
FERC jurisdiction. One response for one new transmission organization
is being used as a placeholder for a possible application from such a
new transmission organization with an organized electricity market.\9\
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\6\ Burden is defined as the total time, effort, or financial
resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or
disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency. For
further explanation of what is included in the information
collection burden, refer to 5 CFR part 1320.
\7\ The Commission staff estimates that the average respondent
for this collection is similarly situated to the Commission, in
terms of salary plus benefits. Based on FERC's 2020 annual average
of $172,329 (for salary plus benefits), the average hourly cost is
$83/hour.
\8\ The following currently approved one-time filings for FERC-
516 are complete.
The one-time total burden for Electric Rate Schedules
and Tariffs in Docket No. RM17-8 was a total of 65,220 hours that
was averaged over three years (65,220 / 3 = 21,740 hours/year over
three years).
The one-time total burden for Electric Rate Schedules
and Tariffs in Docket No. RM11-7 was a total of 5,500 hours that was
averaged over three years (5,500 / 3 = 1,833 hours/year over three
years).
The one-time total burden for Electric Rate Schedules
and Tariffs in Docket No. RM05-05-020 was a total of 60 hours.
\9\ If a new RTO/ISO is formed, their tariff filings would be
required by Order 845 (in Docket No. RM17-8), Order 755 (in Docket
No. RM11-7), and Order 676-G (in Docket No. RM05-05-020).
FERC-516, Electric Rate Schedules and Tariff Filings
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Annual
number of Total
Requirements Number of responses number of Average burden & cost per Total annual burden hours & Cost per
respondents per responses response cost respondent
respondent
(1) (2) (1) x (2) = (4)........................ (3) * (4) = (5)............ (5) / (1) =
(3) (5)
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Electric Rates Schedules and Tariff 1,230 3.63 4,469 103.27 hrs.; $8,571.41..... 461,514 hrs.; 31,142.79
Filings \10\. $38,305,631.29.
Demand Response, RM10-17 (one-time and 6 11.33 68 114.71 hrs.; $9,520.93..... 7,800.28 hrs.; $647,423.24. 107,903.87
monthly filings).
Frequency Regulation, RM11-7 (one-time 1 1 1 366.66 hrs.; $30,432.78.... 366.66 hrs.; $30,432.78.... 30,432.78
tariff filing and system modification)
\9\.
Variable Energy Resource Integration 142 2.113 300 29.95 hrs.; $2,485.85...... 8,985 hrs.; $745,755....... 5,251.80
Rule (RM10-11), Voluntary Burden.
Variable Energy Resource Integration 294 1.9116 562 30.91 hrs.; $2,565.53...... 17,371.42 hrs.; 4,904.18
Rule, (RM10-11) Mandatory Burden. $1,441,827.86.
Tariff Filings in RM05-5-020 (one-time) 1 1 1 5 hrs.; $415............... 5 hrs.; $415............... 415
\9\.
Tariff Filings in RM05-5-022 (one-time). 132 3.63 132 6 hrs.; $498............... 792 hrs.; $65,736.......... 498
Tariff Filings to Reflect Primary 1,585 0.1634 259 6 hrs.; $498............... 1,554 hrs.; $128,982....... 81.38
Frequency Response Services in MBR
(Final Rule in RM15-2).
Electric Rate Schedules and Tariffs in 74 1 74 10 hrs.; $830.............. 740 hrs.; $61,420.......... 830
RM16-6.
Electric Rate Schedules and Tariffs in 132 2.66 352 4 hrs.; $322............... 1,408 hrs.; $116,864....... 885.33
RM17-8 (ongoing).
Electric Rate Schedules and Tariffs in 1 1 1 49.41 hrs.; $4,101.03...... 49.41 hrs.; $4,101.03...... 4,101.03
RM17-8 (one-time) \9\.
RM19-5, one-time and ongoing............ 106 1.66 177 13.57 hrs.; $1,126.31...... 2,401.89 hrs.; $199,356.87. 1,880.73
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[[Page 22405]]
Total Burden for FERC-516........... ........... ........... 6,396 ........................... 502,987.66 hrs.; 188,326.88
$41,747,945.07.
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Comments: Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of
the Commission, including whether the information will have practical
utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden and
cost of the collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information collection; and (4) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are
to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
Dated: April 22, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-08828 Filed 4-27-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
