Department of Energy July 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Energy (DOE) is submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance a proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The proposed collection will support a National Evaluation of DOE's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funded Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program. A 60-day notice and request for comments was published in the Federal Register on February 15, 2012 (77 FR 8852). No comments were received in response to this Notice. This subsequent 30-day notice allows public comment on the final version of the information collection request. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) 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; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Information about the outcomes of the program, including energy and cost savings, the net number of jobs created or retained, and gross reductions in carbon emissions, is needed for a comprehensive evaluation of the program.

In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) is submitting the information collection FERC Form 552 (Annual Report of Natural Gas Transactions) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review of the information collection requirements. Any interested person may file comments directly with OMB and should address a copy of those comments to the Commission as explained below. The Commission issued a Notice in the Federal Register (77 FR 19009, 3/29/2012) requesting public comments. FERC received no comments on the FERC-552 and is making this notation in its submittal to OMB.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) proposes to revise certain aspects of its current market-based rate regulations, ancillary services requirements under the pro forma open-access transmission tariff (OATT), and accounting and reporting requirements. Specifically, the Commission proposes to revise its Avista Corp.\1\ policy governing the sale of ancillary services at market-based rates to public utility transmission providers and reflect such reforms in Parts 35 and 37 of the Commission's regulations. The Commission also proposes to require each public utility transmission provider to include provisions in its OATT explaining how it will determine Regulation and Frequency Response reserve requirements in a manner that takes into account the speed and accuracy of resources used. Finally, the Commission proposes to revise the accounting and reporting requirements under its Uniform System of Accounts for public utilities and licensees and its forms, statements, and reports, contained in FERC Form No. 1, Annual Report of Major Electric Utilities, Licensees and Others, FERC Form No. 1-F, Annual Report for Nonmajor Public Utilities and Licensees, and FERC Form No. 3-Q, Quarterly Financial Report of Electric Utilities, Licensees, and Natural Gas Companies, to better account for and report transactions associated with the use of energy storage devices in public utility operations.

IPR-GDF SUEZ Energy Marketing North America, Inc. (GSEMNA) has applied for authority to transmit electric energy from the United States to Mexico pursuant to section 202(e) of the Federal Power Act (FPA).

The Department of Energy has submitted to the OMB for clearance, a proposal for collection of information pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The collection would be used to develop a scorecard that would assist DOE's Clean Cities Coalitions and stakeholders in assessing the level of readiness of their communities for plug-in electric vehicles. Information collected would allow DOE to provide respondents with an objective assessment of their communities' readiness for PEV adoption and an understanding of their commitment to successful deployment of PEVs, and is needed to ensure appropriate evaluation of progress in deploying PEVS.

In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) is submitting the information collection FERC-725, Certification of Electric Reliability Organization; Procedures for Electric Reliability Standards, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review of the information collection requirements. Any interested person may file comments directly with OMB and should address a copy of those comments to the Commission as explained below. The Commission issued a Notice in the Federal Register (77 FR 24189, 04/23/2012) requesting public comments. FERC received no comments on the FERC-725 and is noting this in its submittal to OMB.

Under section 215 of the Federal Power Act, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) proposes to approve a modification to the currently-effective definition of ``bulk electric system'' developed by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), the Commission-certified Electric Reliability Organization. The revised definition of ``bulk electric system'' removes language allowing for regional discretion in the currently-effective bulk electric system definition. The revised definition establishes a bright-line threshold that includes all facilities operated at or above 100 kV. The modified definition also identifies specific categories of facilities and configurations as inclusions and exclusions to provide clarity in the definition of ``bulk electric system.'' The Commission also proposes to approve: (1) NERC's contemporaneously filed revisions to its Rules of Procedure, which creates an exception procedure to add elements to, or remove elements from, the definition of ``bulk electric system'' on a case-by-case basis; (2) NERC's proposed form entitled ``Detailed Information To Support an Exception Request'' that entities will use to support requests for exception from the ``bulk electric system'' definition; and (3) NERC's proposed implementation plan for the revised ``bulk electric system'' definition.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) proposes to amend a Rule which governs the filing of Electric Quarterly Reports (EQRs), to change the process for filing EQRs. Currently, EQRs are filed by downloading EQR software from the Commission's Web site, installing it on the filer's Microsoft Windows-based computer, entering the EQR data into the software, and then submitting the EQR data to the Commission. The EQR software is designed in Microsoft Visual FoxPro. Technological changes and limitations will render the current filing process outmoded, ineffective, and unsustainable. Microsoft has discontinued Visual FoxPro and will not support the software after 2015. Visual FoxPro also is constrained by data size limitations that will soon restrict the Commission's ability to add data fields in the EQR. Therefore, the Commission proposes a new filing system that will provide EQR filers with two new options for filing EQRs. One option would allow an EQR filer to use a web interface on the Commission's Web site to file its EQR. This web interface would look and operate like the current EQR software that uses Visual FoxPro. However, an EQR filer would not need to download and install software from the Commission's Web site to file because the data would be filed directly with the Commission through the web interface. The other option would allow an EQR filer to file its EQR in an Extensible Mark- Up Language (XML) format via the Commission's Web site. By proposing a process with two options for filing EQRs, the Commission seeks to provide the flexibility needed to accommodate EQR filers' technical preferences. Under both options, the Commission proposes to require EQR filers to use the company identification number (Company Identifier) assigned through the Commission's Company Registration System, which was developed for the Commission's eTariff system. The Company Identifier would replace the personal identification numbers that are currently used and that are unique to the existing EQR filing process. The Commission also proposes that implementation of any changes to the process for filing EQRs will apply to EQR filings beginning with the third quarter 2013 EQR, providing data for July through September 2013. The Commission will convene a staff-led public conference on Wednesday, July 11, 2012 to demonstrate the two new options for filing EQRs to industry participants and assist participants in preparing their comments to this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.

This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Northern New Mexico. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.