FERC-725A, [RD11-10 & RD11-3 Orders] Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power System

Forms and Documents

Document Name	Status
RD11-10_RD11-3_OMBjust_v4.doc Supporting Statement A	2012-02-09
FAC-012-1.pdf Supplementary Document	2012-02-09
FAC-009-1.pdf Supplementary Document	2012-02-08
FAC-008-1.pdf Supplementary Document	2012-02-08
FAC-013-1.pdf Supplementary Document	2012-02-08
FAC-013-2.pdf Supplementary Document	2012-02-07
RD11-10 Order (11-17-11).doc Supplementary Document	2012-01-24
CFR-2011-title18-vol1-part40.pdf Supplementary Document	2012-01-19
EPACT 2005 Section 215 (16 USC 824o).pdf Supplementary Document	2012-01-19
FAC-008-3 Standard.pdf Supplementary Document	2012-01-19

IC Document Collections

IC ID	Document Title	Status
45896	FERC-725A, Mandatory Reliability Standards for Bulk-Power System	Modified
200926	Reliability Standard FAC-013-2 (Order, RD11-3, ONE-TIME)	New

ICR Details

OMB Control No: 1902-0244	ICR Reference No: 201201-1902-003
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 201109-1902-009
Agency/Subagency: FERC	Agency Tracking No: FERC-725A
Title: FERC-725A, [RD11-10 & RD11-3 Orders] Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power System
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved with change	Conclusion Date: 03/29/2012
	Date Received in OIRA: 02/09/2012
Terms of Clearance: In accordance with 5 CFR 1320, the information collection is approved for three years.

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	03/31/2015	36 Months From Approved	12/31/2014
Responses	2,040	0	1,940
Time Burden (Hours)	1,816,027	0	1,797,530
Cost Burden (Dollars)	126,725	0	126,725

---

Abstract: The proposed information collection in Docket No. RD11-10-000 relates to a proposed Reliability Standard, FAC-008-3 -- Facility Ratings, developed by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), and submitted to the Commission for approval. NERC states that FAC-008-3 addresses the important reliability goal of improving uniformity and transparency in the facility ratings process. NERC avers that the Reliability Standard presents clear, measurable, and enforceable requirements that each transmission and generator owner develop facility ratings methodologies for its facilities, which are essential for the determination of system operating limits. NERC further states that FAC-008-3 requires transmission owners and generator owners to document underlying assumptions and methods used to determine normal and emergency facility ratings. NERC maintains that this added transparency will allow customers, regulators and other affected users, owners, and operators of the Bulk-Power System to understand how facility owners set facility ratings through differing methods that provide equivalent results. NERC notes that FAC-008-3 requires transmission owners and generator owners to make their facility ratings documentation and methodologies available for inspection and technical review, thereby contributing to the important reliability goal of improving uniformity and transparency in the facility ratings process. The order in RD11-3 deals with Reliability Standard FAC-013-2. Reliability Standard FAC-013-2 was developed in response to FERC's directives to develop a standard requiring certain transmission planning entities to examine transfer capability on the Bulk-Power System over the planning horizon for purposes of improving long-term transmission and reliability planning. The revised Reliability Standard requires planning coordinators to perform an annual assessment of transfer capability, in order to identify potential weaknesses and limitations in the Bulk-Power System that could ultimately affect reliable transfers of energy. Unlike other transmission planning criteria, it requires the planning coordinator to consider both approved and projected transmission uses, and therefore serves as a useful test of potential stresses to the system. The revised Reliability Standard allows planning coordinators and affected users and owners of the Bulk-Power System to identify potential areas of stress or weakness based on expected changes in load, demand, and generation dispatch with sufficient lead time to identify and implement improvements to the transmission grid or other appropriate responses, to improve reliability over the long-term. Both orders affect the information collection requirements in the FERC-725A.

---

Authorizing Statute(s): PL: Pub.L. 109 - 58 1211 Name of Law: Energy Policy Act of 2005
  

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

---

Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

---

Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	76 FR 65504	10/21/2011
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	77 FR 3751	01/25/2012
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? Yes

---

Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 2

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
FERC-725A, Mandatory Reliability Standards for Bulk-Power System
Reliability Standard FAC-013-2 (Order, RD11-3, ONE-TIME)

---

ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to New Statute	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses	2,040	1,940	0	100	0	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	1,816,027	1,797,530	0	18,497	0	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	126,725	126,725	0	0	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Increase Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: These orders result in ongoing and one-time program increases in the burden. Both orders affect the FERC-725A collection. Reliability Standard FAC-008-3 (RD11-10) imposes an ongoing program increase of 15,830 hours. This standard makes modifications to the FAC-008-1 Standard and subsumes Reliability Standard FAC-009-1. The changes are necessary to implement the FERC directives from Order 693, which help provide for a more transparent process for developing and documenting facility ratings. The facility ratings in turn assist system operators in determining the available capacity to ultimately meet the needs of the customers. Reliability Standard FAC-013-2 (RD11-3) is estimated to result in an 8,000 hour one-time program increase in the burden. This version of the Reliability Standard does not create entirely new obligations, rather FAC-013-2 upgrades the existing planning requirements contained in FAC-013-1 and specifically requires planning coordinators to have a methodology for and to perform an annual assessment identifying potential future transmission system weaknesses and limiting facilities that could impact the bulk electric system's ability to reliably transfer energy in the near-term transmission planning horizon.

---

Annual Cost to Federal Government: $1,588

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Is the Supporting Statement intended to be a Privacy Impact Assessment required by the E-Government Act of 2002? No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? Uncollected

---

Common Form ICR:  No

---

On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).

The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:

(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;

(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;

(c) It reduces burden on small entities;

(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;

(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;

(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;

(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:

(i) Why the information is being collected;

(ii) Use of information;

(iii) Burden estimate;

(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);

(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and

(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;

(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.

(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and

(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.

If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.

Certification Date: 02/09/2012

---