FERC-725Z, (Final Rule in RM15-16) Mandatory Reliability Standards: IRO Reliability Standards

Forms and Documents

Document Name	Status
RM15-16_NERC Petition AttachmentB ImplementPlan_20150318-5202.pdf Supplementary Document	2015-12-01
RM15-16NERC PetitionAttachment A_20150318-5202.pdf Supplementary Document	2015-12-01
RM15-16NERC Petition20150318-5202.pdf Supplementary Document	2015-12-01
RM15-16 supporting statement FINAL RULE_12-1-15correction725Z.docx Supporting Statement A	2015-12-01
EPACT 2005 Section 215 (16 USC 824o).pdf Supplementary Document	2014-09-08
CFR-2011-title18-vol1-part40 (2011).pdf Supplementary Document	2014-09-08

IC Document Collections

IC ID	Document Title	Status
219122	(Final Rule in RM15-16) Rel. Stds. IRO-001-4, -002-4, -008-2, -010-2, -014-3, and -017-1	New
213024	IRO-008-1 Reliability Standard	Unchanged

ICR Details

OMB Control No: 1902-0276	ICR Reference No: 201511-1902-008
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 201409-1902-003
Agency/Subagency: FERC	Agency Tracking No: FERC-725Z
Title: FERC-725Z, (Final Rule in RM15-16) Mandatory Reliability Standards: IRO Reliability Standards
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved without change	Conclusion Date: 01/21/2016
	Date Received in OIRA: 12/01/2015
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	01/31/2019	36 Months From Approved	11/30/2017
Responses	6,661	0	6,315
Time Burden (Hours)	48,855	0	6,315
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

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Abstract: On August 8, 2005, The Electricity Modernization Act of 2005, which is Title XII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005), was enacted into law. EPAct 2005 added a new section 215 to the Federal Power Act (FPA), which requires a Commission-certified Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) to develop mandatory and enforceable Reliability Standards, which are subject to Commission review and approval. Once approved, the Reliability Standards must be enforced by the ERO, subject to Commission oversight. In 2006, the Commission certified the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) as the ERO pursuant to FPA section 215. On March 16, 2007, in Order No. 693, pursuant to section 215(d) of the FPA, the Commission approved 83 of 107 proposed Reliability Standards, six of the eight proposed regional differences, and the NERC Glossary of Terms Used in Reliability Standards (NERC Glossary), including initial versions of the existing INT Reliability Standards. In NERC’s Petition for approval of the INT Reliability Standards NERC states that the purpose of the proposed Reliability Standards is to improve reliability by making transactions more apparent for reliability assessments and by clarifying which functional entities perform interchange authority tasks. The Petition further states that the interchange authority is the responsible entity that authorizes implementation of valid and balanced interchange schedules between balancing authority areas and ensures communication of interchange information for reliability assessment purposes. In Docket RD14-4, the burden related to Reliability Standard IRO-008-1 was included in new collection FERC-725Z. In this Final Rule in Docket RM15-16, burden is being added related to Reliability Standards IRO-001-4, IRO-002-4, IRO-008-2, IRO-010-2, IRO-014-3, and IRO-017-1.

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Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 16 USC 825o Name of Law: Energy Policy Act of 2005
  

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

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Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
1902-AF05	Final or interim final rulemaking	80 FR 73977	11/27/2015

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Federal Register Notices & Comments

Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

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

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
IRO-008-1 Reliability Standard
(Final Rule in RM15-16) Rel. Stds. IRO-001-4, -002-4, -008-2, -010-2, -014-3, and -017-1

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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	6,661	6,315	0	346	0	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	48,855	6,315	0	42,540	0	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	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: In the Final Rule in RM15-16, FERC approves revisions to the Transmission Operations (TOP) and Interconnection Reliability Operations and Coordination (IRO) Reliability Standards, developed by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), the Commission-certified Electric Reliability Organization (ERO). The TOP and IRO Reliability Standards improve on the currently-effective standards by providing a more precise set of Reliability Standards addressing operating responsibilities and improving the delineation of responsibilities between applicable entities. The revised TOP Reliability Standards eliminate gaps and ambiguities in the currently-effective TOP requirements and improve efficiency by incorporating the necessary requirements from the eight currently-effective TOP Reliability Standards into three comprehensive Reliability Standards. Further, the standards clarify and improve upon the currently-effective TOP and IRO Reliability Standards by designating requirements in the proposed standards that apply to transmission operators for the TOP standards and reliability coordinators for the IRO standards. Thus, we conclude that there are benefits to clarifying and bringing efficiencies to the TOP and IRO Reliability Standards, consistent with the Commission’s policy promoting increased efficiencies in Reliability Standards and reducing requirements that are either redundant with other currently-effective requirements or have little reliability benefit.

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $5,193

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

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Common Form ICR:  No

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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: 12/01/2015

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