FERC-725A, [RM12-19 NOPR, Non-subst. change] Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power System

Forms and Documents

Document Name	Status
FINAL RM12-19 NOPR non-substantive change justification.docx Justification for No Material/Nonsubstantive Change	2013-06-04
FINAL Supporting Statement for RM12-4 Final Rule (4-8-13).docx Supporting Statement A	2013-04-08
RM12-4 Final Rule News Release (3-21-13).pdf Supplementary Document	2013-03-25
NERC Petition and Proposed Standard December 21 2011.pdf Supplementary Document	2012-11-01
CFR-2011-title18-vol1-part40.pdf Supplementary Document	2012-01-19
EPACT 2005 Section 215 (16 USC 824o).pdf Supplementary Document	2012-11-01

IC Document Collections

IC ID	Document Title	Status
45896	FERC-725A, Mandatory Reliability Standards for Bulk-Power System	Unchanged
204465	Reliability Standard FAC-003-2 (RM12-4) ONE-TIME burden	Unchanged
200926	Reliability Standard FAC-013-2 (Order, RD11-3, ONE-TIME)	Unchanged

ICR Details

OMB Control No: 1902-0244	ICR Reference No: 201306-1902-001
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 201303-1902-014
Agency/Subagency: FERC	Agency Tracking No: FERC-725A
Title: FERC-725A, [RM12-19 NOPR, Non-subst. change] Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power System
Type of Information Collection: No material or nonsubstantive change to a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved without change	Conclusion Date: 06/20/2013
	Date Received in OIRA: 06/04/2013
Terms of Clearance: The terms of the previous clearance remain in effect.

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	05/31/2016	05/31/2016	05/31/2016
Responses	2,370	0	2,370
Time Burden (Hours)	1,829,523	0	1,829,523
Cost Burden (Dollars)	126,725	0	126,725

---

Abstract: The RIN for the proposed rule in RM12-19 (non-substantive change) is 1902-AE65. The rule was published on March 29, 2013 (78 FR 19152). 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-013-2 (Order, RD11-3, ONE-TIME)
Reliability Standard FAC-003-2 (RM12-4) ONE-TIME burden

---

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	2,370	0	0	0	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	1,829,523	1,829,523	0	0	0	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	126,725	126,725	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: 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

---

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: 06/04/2013

---