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Please note that the OMB number and expiration date may not have been determined when this Information Collection Request and associated Information Collection forms were submitted to OMB. The approved OMB number and expiration date may be found by clicking on the Notice of Action link below.
View ICR - OIRA Conclusion
OMB Control No:
1902-0244
ICR Reference No:
201303-1902-014
Status:
Historical Active
Previous ICR Reference No:
201210-1902-001
Agency/Subagency:
FERC
Agency Tracking No:
FERC-725A
Title:
FERC-725A, [RM12-4 Final Rule] 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:
05/29/2013
Retrieve Notice of Action (NOA)
Date Received in OIRA:
04/01/2013
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
05/31/2016
36 Months From Approved
07/31/2015
Responses
2,370
0
2,040
Time Burden (Hours)
1,829,523
0
1,827,313
Cost Burden (Dollars)
126,725
0
126,725
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 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 may be enforced by the ERO, subject to Commission oversight. 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), which includes NERC's FAC-003-1 Transmission Vegetation Management Program. In approving FAC-003-1, the Commission directed the ERO to make or consider directives in the next version of the standard. The ERO was to determine the minimum clearance distance needed to prevent sustained vegetation outages, appropriate inspection cycles, applicability of sub 200kV transmission lines such as to not impose a great burden on transmission owners. On December 22, 2011, NERC submitted a petition pursuant to directives associated with Order No. 693 for FAC-003-2 Transmission Vegetation Management. NERC's petition requested the Commission approve FAC-003-2 and its implementation plan. As part of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR), building on the material filed by NERC, several actions will be needed by transmission owners. With the proposed FAC-003-2, transmission owners will need to review their existing policy/procedures to determine how they may change with the new version of the standard. Also, the applicability of FAC-003-2 will add additional sub 200kV lines that are part of an Interconnection Reliability Operating Limit (IROL) or part of a Major WECC Transfer Path. With the new applicability, transmission owners will need to add those lines to their inspection programs and record keeping obligations. The quarterly reporting on sustained vegetation transmission outage will continue under the new standard as a compliance obligation. Failure to follow requirements and compliance of proposed FAC-003-2 could lead to additional sustained outages due to tree-line contact and identification of trends through responsible reporting. These types of failures could jeopardize system reliability. Vegetation contact with transmission lines were major factors in two significant blackouts in WECC territory in 1996 and August 2003 northeast blackout.
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:
1902-AE58
Final or interim final rulemaking
78 FR 18817
03/28/2013
Federal Register Notices & Comments
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR?
Yes
Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR:
3
IC Title
Form No.
Form Name
FERC-725A, Mandatory Reliability Standards for Bulk-Power System
Reliability Standard FAC-003-2 (RM12-4) ONE-TIME burden
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
2,370
2,040
0
330
0
0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)
1,829,523
1,827,313
0
2,210
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:
The Commission adopted FAC-003-2 which will cause an increase in burden. The increase in burden is necessary to ensure that all transmission lines identified as important to system reliability are protected against encroachment of vegetation that could lead to sustained outage. The exact method of providing the protection against encroachments is left to the discretion of the transmission owners. Through the addition of new applicable transmission lines, yearly right of way inspections, and accurate recordkeeping, the occurrence of sustained outages due to vegetation will remain low and when they do occur they will be properly recorded. These tasks are deemed necessary in order to maintain the reliable operation of nation's transmission lines. Changes to the current burden hour inventory: We request to change the existing burden hour inventory based on the proposed burden hours in question 12 of the supporting statement. The one-time burden hours will be averaged over three years and removed from this collection after year three (5,280 hour/3=1,760 hours). We also added the reoccurring burden hours to the collection (550 hours annually). The total burden hour increase is 2,310 hours for each of the next three years (1,760 hours + 550 hours = 2,310).
Annual Cost to Federal Government:
$2,250
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:
David O'Conner 202 502-6695
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:
04/01/2013
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