View Information Collection Request (ICR) Package

OMB Control No: 1902-0096	ICR Reference No: 201207-1902-001
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 201110-1902-006
Agency/Subagency: FERC	Agency Tracking No: FERC-516
Title: FERC-516, (VERs, Final Rule in RM10-11) Electric Rate Schedules and Tariff Filings
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: 11/27/2012
Retrieve Notice of Action (NOA)	Date Received in OIRA: 07/19/2012
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	11/30/2015	36 Months From Approved	01/31/2015
Responses	5,403	0	4,723
Time Burden (Hours)	497,398	0	472,134
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	143,556

Abstract: The Commission has a statutory obligation under Sections 205 and 206 of the Federal Power Act (FPA) to prevent unduly discriminatory practices in transmission access. FPA section 205 specifies that all rates and charges, and related contracts and service conditions, for wholesale sales and transmission of energy in interstate commerce must be filed with the Commission and must be "just and reasonable". In addition, FPA section 206 requires the Commission, upon complaint or its own motion, to modify existing rates or services that are found to be unjust, unreasonable, unduly discriminatory or preferential. FPA section 207 further requires the Commission, upon complaint by a state commission and a finding of insufficient interstate service, to order the rendering of adequate interstate service by public utilities, the rates for which would be filed in accordance with FPA sections 205 and 206. Through this Final Rule in RM10-11, we conclude that the practice of hourly scheduling and the lack of VER power production forecasting are contributing to undue discrimination and unjust and unreasonable rates in light of the entry and increasing presence of VERs on the transmission grid. Specifically, we find that requiring transmission customers to adhere to hourly schedules is unduly discriminatory and theoretically results in the inefficient use of transmission and generation resources to the detriment of consumers. We further find that a lack of VER power production forecasts theoretically increases the volume of regulation reserves held by public utility transmission providers, resulting in rates that are unjust and unreasonable. Moreover, public utility transmission providers that wish to engage in power production forecasting currently lack the means by which to require VERs to provide basic information on meteorological and operational conditions for use in developing power production forecasts. We correct these deficiencies by implementing the following two reforms: (1) amend the pro forma OATT to require intra-hourly transmission scheduling; and (2) amend the pro forma LGIA to incorporate provisions requiring interconnection customers whose generating facilities are VERs to provide meteorological and operational data to public utility transmission providers for the purpose of improved power production forecasting. These reforms are intended to protect against unjust and unreasonable rates, terms, and conditions, and undue discrimination in the provision of Commission-jurisdictional services. Without this information, the Commission would be unable to discharge its responsibility to approve or modify electric utility tariff filings and ensure that all rates charged for the transmission or sale of electric energy in interstate commerce are just, reasonable, and not unduly discriminatory or preferential.

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

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
1902-AE16	Final or interim final rulemaking	77 FR 41482	07/13/2012

Federal Register Notices & Comments
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? Yes

ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to Agency Discretion
Annual Number of Responses	5,403	4,723	680
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	497,398	472,134	25,264
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	143,556	-143,556

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: Yes

Burden Reduction Due to: Changing Regulations

Short Statement: The proposed reforms will remove barriers to the integration of VERs. The Commission deems it necessary to require the information collection requirement described above in order to remove unduly discriminatory practices and to ensure just and reasonable rates for Commission-jurisdictional services and to remove barriers to the integration of VERs. The Commission estimates that total average increase in burden to be 26,356 hours. After the first year this figure should be reduced to 22,380 hours. FERC is also removing 1,092 hours associated with one-time information collection requirements, in other unrelated Dockets RM05-5-013 and RM05-5-017, that have been completed.

Annual Cost to Federal Government: $172,401

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

Agency Contact: Arnie Quinn 2025028693 arnie.quinn@ferc.gov

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