OMB files this
comment in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.11(c) of the Paperwork
Reduction Act and is withholding approval of this collection at
this time. This OMB action is not an approval to conduct or sponsor
an information collection under the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995. The agency shall examine public comment in response to the
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and will include in the supporting
statement of the next ICR, to be submitted to OMB at the final rule
stage, a description of how the agency has responded to any public
comments on the ICR. This action has no effect on any current
approvals.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
36 Months From Approved
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Transmission providers require
reactive power to control system voltage for efficient and reliable
operation of an alternating current transmission system. At times,
transmission providers need generators to either supply or consume
reactive power. Starting with Order No. 888, which included
provisions regarding reactive power from generators as an ancillary
service in Schedule 2 of the pro forma Open Access Transmission
Tariff (OATT), the Commission issued a series of orders intended to
ensure that sufficient reactive power is available to maintain the
reliability of the electric grid. Starting with Order No. 2003, the
Commission adopted standard procedures and a standard agreement for
the interconnection of large generation facilities, the pro forma
Large Generator Interconnection Agreement (LGIA), which included
the reactive power requirement. The Commission recognized in Order
No. 2003-A that the pro forma LGIA was “designed around the needs
of large synchronous generators and that generators relying on
newer technologies may find that either a specific requirement is
inapplicable or that it calls for a slightly different approach”
because such generators “may have unique electrical
characteristics.” Therefore, the Commission exempted wind
generators from the reactive power requirement and added a blank
Appendix G to the pro forma LGIA as a placeholder for future
interconnection requirements for newer technologies. In June 2005,
the Commission issued Order No. 661, establishing interconnection
requirements in Appendix G to the pro forma LGIA for large wind
generators. Recognizing that, unlike traditional synchronous
generators, wind generators had to “install costly equipment” in
order to maintain reactive power capability, the Commission in
Order No. 661 preserved the exemption for large wind generators
from the reactive power requirement unless the transmission
provider shows, through a System Impact Study, that reactive power
capability is required to ensure safety or reliability. The
Commission explained that this qualified exemption from the
reactive power requirement for large wind generators would provide
certainty to the industry and “remove unnecessary obstacles to the
increased growth of wind generation.” In May 2005, the Commission
issued Order No. 2006, in which it adopted standard procedures and
a standard agreement for the interconnection of small generation
facilities, the pro forma Small Generator Interconnection Agreement
(SGIA). In Order No. 2006, the Commission completely exempted small
wind generators from the reactive power requirement. The Commission
reasoned that, similar to large wind generators, small wind
generators would face increased costs to provide reactive power
that could create an obstacle to the development of small wind
generators. Additionally, the Commission reasoned that small wind
generators would “have minimal impact on the Transmission
Provider’s electric system” and therefore the reliability
requirements for large wind generators that were eventually imposed
in Order No. 661 were not needed for small wind generators. The
reforms proposed in this NOPR in Docket RM16-1 would amend the
Commission’s standard generator interconnection agreements in
accordance with section 35.28(f)(1) of the Commission’s regulations
to require that each public utility transmission provider amend its
pro forma LGIA and pro forma SGIA to: (1) eliminate the exemptions
for wind generators from the requirement to provide reactive power;
and (2) require that all newly interconnecting non-synchronous
generators, as well as all existing non-synchronous generators
making upgrades to their generation facilities that require new
interconnection requests, provide reactive power as a condition of
interconnection, as of the effective date of the final
revision.
The proposed revisions in
RM16-1-000 would require filings of pro forma LGIAs and pro forma
SGIAs with the Commission. Commission staff anticipates the reforms
proposed here, once implemented, would not significantly change
currently existing burdens on an ongoing basis. The FERC-516B is a
temporary information collection number. It was created to
facilitate a quicker submission to OMB. The FERC-516 is currently
occupied by the submission contained in the ICR Reference Number
201511-1902-005 submitted on 12/1/2015.
$79,938
No
No
No
No
No
Uncollected
Brian Bak 202 502-6574
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:
(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;
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.
RM16-1-000 NOPR supporting statement3-24-2016.docx
Large Generator Interconnection Agreement.pdf
NOPR in RM16-1-000 (One-time)