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OMB Control No: 1902-0259	ICR Reference No: 201605-1902-001
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 201404-1902-004
Agency/Subagency: FERC	Agency Tracking No: FERC-725J
Title: FERC-725J, Definition of the Bulk Electric System
Type of Information Collection: Extension without change of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR: No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved with change	Conclusion Date: 10/06/2016
	Date Received in OIRA: 05/18/2016
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	10/31/2019	36 Months From Approved	10/31/2016
Responses	214	0	2,193
Time Burden (Hours)	67,716	0	154,073
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

Abstract: On December 20, 2012, the Commission issued Order No. 773, a Final Rule approving NERC’s modifications to the definition of “bulk electric system” (i.e. BES) and the Rules of Procedure exception process to be effective July 1, 2013. On April 18, 2013, in Order No. 773-A, the Commission largely affirmed its findings in Order No. 773. In Order Nos. 773 and 773-A, the Commission directed NERC to modify the definition of bulk electric system in two respects: (1) modify the local network exclusion (exclusion E3) to remove the 100 kV minimum operating voltage to allow systems that include one or more looped configurations connected below 100 kV to be eligible for the local network exclusion; and (2) modify the exclusions to ensure that generator interconnection facilities at or above 100 kV connected to bulk electric system generators identified in inclusion I2 are not excluded from the bulk electric system. Both orders recognized that the first two years of implementation would include a higher burden associated with the work all the Registered Entities would need to accomplish. Those orders also illustrated that a reduction would occur by the third year since at that point the ongoing burden would be an amount dependent on exception requests and implementation of newly identified bulk electric system elements. These reductions also included the harmonization of all the register entities following the same definition for BES .

Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 16 USC 824o 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:
	Not associated with rulemaking

Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	81 FR 9179	02/24/2016
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	81 FR 29561	05/12/2016
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate
Annual Number of Responses	214	2,193	-1,739	-240
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	67,716	154,073	-26,350	-60,007
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Increase Due to:

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Reduction Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Short Statement: The reduction in both the annual number of responses and the total annual hourly burden is based on the understanding that Orders 773 and 773-A have greater than three years of active status but will both have less ongoing burden than in Years 1 and 2. Order 773 and 773-A recognized that for the first two years of implementation, the total annual hourly burden would be higher since every Registered Entity would need to accomplish tasks associated with the FERC-725J (e.g. exception requests, implementation plans, local distribution determination). Another reason the burden is higher in the first two years is that NPCC entities used to be impacted more. New exclusions to the BES definition lowering the regional threshold from 200Kv to 100Kv will exclude some of the entities previously affected by Orders 773 and 773-A. However, after the third year, a reduced ongoing burden is present as described in this supporting statement. This is because the amount of entities that need to reapply the definition (due to new assets introduced to their system or changes to their current system) will be only a small fraction in comparison to the amount of entities responding in the first two years. Therefore, the burden associated with year three and beyond will be a fraction of the front loaded burden associated with year one and two.

Annual Cost to Federal Government: $160,151

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: Andres Lopez 202 502-6128

View ICR - OIRA Conclusion