FERC-516A, (NOPR in RM16-8) Standardization of Small Generator Interconnection Agreements and Procedures,

Forms and Documents

Document Name	Status
FERC-516A Supporting Statement_NOPR_RM16-8.doc Supporting Statement A	2016-03-17
Order 792_RM13-2_20131122-3037.docx Supplementary Document	2016-03-17
RM16-8_News Release20160317-3071.pdf Supplementary Document	2016-03-17
Order 2006 (May 2005).pdf Supplementary Document	2014-09-09
USCODE-2012-title16-chap12-subchapII-sec824e.pdf Supplementary Document	2014-07-30
USCODE-2012-title16-chap12-subchapII-sec824d.pdf Supplementary Document	2014-07-30

IC Document Collections

IC ID	Document Title	Status
23246	Standardization of Small Generator Interconnection Agreements and Procedures Instruction	Unchanged
220594	RM16-8 NOPR, One-Time burden in Year 1, averaged over Years 1-3	New
205613	Ongoing Voluntary Pre-Application Report, Supplemental Review, and Review of Required Upgrades (RM13-2)	Unchanged
205612	Ongoing Mandatory Pre-Application Report, Supplemental Review, and Review of Required Upgrades (RM13-2)	Unchanged

ICR Details

OMB Control No: 1902-0203	ICR Reference No: 201603-1902-005
Status: Historical Inactive	Previous ICR Reference No: 201407-1902-011
Agency/Subagency: FERC	Agency Tracking No: FERC-516A
Title: FERC-516A, (NOPR in RM16-8) Standardization of Small Generator Interconnection Agreements and Procedures,
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Comment filed on proposed rule and continue	Conclusion Date: 05/17/2016
	Date Received in OIRA: 03/23/2016
Terms of Clearance: 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
Expiration Date	10/31/2017	36 Months From Approved	10/31/2017
Responses	3,241	0	3,241
Time Burden (Hours)	16,221	0	16,221
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

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Abstract: Under sections 205 and 206 of the Federal Power Act (FPA) the Commission is charged with ensuring just and reasonable electric transmission rates and charges as well as ensuring that jurisdictional providers do not subject any person to any undue prejudice or disadvantage. The lack of consistent and readily accessible terms and conditions for connecting resources to the grid led to a large number of disputes between jurisdictional transmission providers and small generators in the late 1990's and early 2000's. In response, the Commission directed transmission providers to include Commission-approved, standard, pro-forma interconnection procedures (small generator interconnection procedures or SGIP) and a single uniformly applicable interconnection agreement (small generator interconnection agreement or SGIA) in their open-access transmission tariffs (OATTs). The requirement to create and file these documents was instituted August 12, 2005, by Commission Order 2006 and is codified in 18 CFR 35.28(f). This collection is necessary because it sets and maintains a standard in OATTs for consistent consideration and processing of interconnection requests by transmission providers. NOPR in Docket RM16-8. :FERC proposes to revise the pro forma Small Generator Interconnection Agreement (SGIA). The pro forma SGIA establishes the terms and conditions under which public utilities must provide interconnection service to small generating facilities of no larger than 20 megawatts. In this NOPR, FERC proposes to modify the pro forma SGIA to require newly interconnecting small generating facilities to ride through abnormal frequency and voltage events and not disconnect during such events. FERC already requires generators interconnecting under the Large Generator Interconnection Agreement to have this capability, and it would be unduly discriminatory not to also impose these requirements on small generating facilities. FERC believes that small generating facilities should now have ride through requirements comparable to large generating facilities.

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Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 16 USC 824d, 824e Name of Law: Federal Power Act
  

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

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Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
1902-AF19	Proposed rulemaking	81 FR 15481	03/23/2016

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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: 4

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
Ongoing Voluntary Pre-Application Report, Supplemental Review, and Review of Required Upgrades (RM13-2)
Ongoing Mandatory Pre-Application Report, Supplemental Review, and Review of Required Upgrades (RM13-2)
Standardization of Small Generator Interconnection Agreements and Procedures	516A	Small Generator Interconnection Agreement
RM16-8 NOPR, One-Time burden in Year 1, averaged over Years 1-3

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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: Following the Commission’s previous evaluations of the need for ride through requirements for small generating facilities, the impact of small generating facilities on the grid has changed, and the amount has increased. For example, NERC has noted in multiple reports, the mix of generation resources is changing and the high penetration of distributed energy resources will impact the reliability of the electric grid if sufficient care is not taken to mitigate potential adverse impacts. NERC also has found that a lack of coordination between small generating facilities and NERC Reliability Standards can lead to events where system load imbalance may increase during frequency excursions or voltage deviations due to the disconnection of distributed energy resources, which may exacerbate a disturbance on the Bulk-Power System. In addition, the Commission has observed the growth in grid-connected solar photovoltaic generation since the issuance of Order No. 2006 and the growth in small generator interconnection requests driven by state renewable portfolio standards. Moreover, technology now available to newly interconnecting small generating facilities, such as smart inverters, permits the capability to ride through frequency and voltage disturbances. FERC proposes to require each public utility transmission provider that has an SGIA within its OATT to submit a compliance filing within 90 days of the effective date of the final rule in this proceeding revising the SGIA within its OATT subject to the Commission’s jurisdiction to demonstrate that it meets the requirements set forth in this proposal. This will be a one-time filing in Year 1, but, for purposes of ROCIS and reginfo.gov, the additional burden is being averaged over Years 1-3, in a new IC.

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $290,970

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: 03/23/2016

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