[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 187 (Wednesday, September 26, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 59151-59156]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-23647]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
18 CFR Part 40
[Docket No. RM12-12-000]
Regional Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-1--Automatic
Underfrequency Load Shedding
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.
ACTION: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.
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SUMMARY: Under section 215 of the Federal Power Act (FPA),\1\ the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) proposes to approve
regional Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-1 (Automatic Underfrequency
Load Shedding). The North American Electric Reliability Corporation
(NERC) submitted the proposed regional Reliability Standard to the
Commission for approval. The proposed regional Reliability Standard
applies to generator owners, planning coordinators, distribution
providers, and transmission owners in the Northeast Power Coordinating
Council Region and is designed to ensure the development of an
effective automatic underfrequency load shedding (UFLS) program to
preserve the security and integrity of the Bulk-Power System during
declining system frequency events, in coordination with the NERC
continent-wide UFLS Reliability Standard PRC-006-1. The Commission also
proposes to approve the associated violation risk factors and violation
severity levels, implementation plan, and effective dates proposed by
NERC.
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\1\ 16 U.S.C. 824(o) (2006).
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DATES: Comments are due November 26, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Comments, identified by docket number, may be filed in the
following ways:
Electronic Filing through http://www.ferc.gov. Documents
created electronically using word processing software should be filed
in native applications or print-to-PDF format and not in a scanned
format.
Mail/Hand Delivery: Those unable to file electronically
may mail or hand-deliver comments to: Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First Street NE.,
Washington, DC 20426.
Instructions: For detailed instructions on submitting comments and
additional information on the rulemaking process, see the Comment
Procedures Section of this document
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Enakpodia Agbedia (Technical Information), Office of Electric
Reliability, Division of Reliability Standards, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426,
Telephone: (202) 502-6750, [email protected].
Matthew Vlissides (Legal Information), Office of the General Counsel,
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE., Washington,
DC 20426, Telephone: (202) 502-8408, [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
Issued September 20, 2012
1. Under section 215 of the Federal Power Act (FPA), the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) proposes to approve regional
Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-1 (Automatic Underfrequency Load
Shedding). The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC)
submitted the proposed regional Reliability Standard to the Commission
for approval. The proposed regional Reliability Standard applies to
generator owners, planning coordinators, distribution providers, and
transmission owners in the Northeast Power Coordinating Council (NPCC)
Region and is designed to ensure the development of an effective
automatic underfrequency load shedding (UFLS) program to preserve the
security and integrity of the Bulk-Power System during declining system
frequency events, in coordination with NERC's continent-wide UFLS
Reliability Standard PRC-006-1.
2. The Commission also proposes to approve the associated violation
risk factors (VRF) and violation severity levels (VSL), implementation
plan, and effective dates proposed by NERC.
I. Background
A. Mandatory Reliability Standards
3. Section 215 of the FPA requires a Commission-certified Electric
Reliability Organization (ERO) to develop mandatory and enforceable
Reliability Standards that are subject to Commission review and
approval. Once approved, the Reliability Standards may be enforced by
NERC, subject to Commission oversight, or by the Commission
independently.\2\
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\2\ See 16 U.S.C. 824o(e) (2006).
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4. A Regional Entity may develop a Reliability Standard for
Commission approval to be effective in that region
[[Page 59152]]
only.\3\ In Order No. 672, the Commission stated that:
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\3\ 16 U.S.C. 824o(e)(4). A Regional Entity is an entity
approved by the Commission to enforce Reliability Standards under
delegated authority from the ERO. See 16 U.S.C. 824o(a)(7) and
(e)(4).
As a general matter, we will accept the following two types of
regional differences, provided they are otherwise just, reasonable,
not unduly discriminatory or preferential and in the public
interest, as required under the statute: (1) a regional difference
that is more stringent than the continent-wide Reliability Standard,
including a regional difference that addresses matters that the
continent-wide Reliability Standard does not; and (2) a regional
Reliability Standard that is necessitated by a physical difference
in the Bulk-Power System.\4\
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\4\ Rules Concerning Certification of the Electric Reliability
Organization; and Procedures for the Establishment, Approval, and
Enforcement of Electric Reliability Standards, Order No. 672, FERC
Stats. & Regs. ] 31,204, at P 291, order on reh'g, Order No. 672-A,
FERC Stats. & Regs. ] 31,212 (2006)).
5. On April 19, 2007, the Commission accepted delegation agreements
between NERC and each of the eight Regional Entities.\5\ In the order,
the Commission accepted NPCC as a Regional Entity.
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\5\ North American Electric Reliability Corp., 119 FERC ]
61,060, order on reh'g, 120 FERC ] 61,239 (2007).
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6. NERC Reliability Standard PRC-006-1 establishes continent-wide
design and documentation requirements for UFLS programs that arrest
declining frequency and assist recovery of frequency following system
events leading to frequency degradation.
B. Proposed Regional Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-1
7. On May 4, 2012, NERC petitioned the Commission to approve
proposed regional Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-1 and the
associated VRFs and VSLs, effective dates, and implementation plan.\6\
NERC states that the proposed regional Reliability Standard is just,
reasonable, not unduly discriminatory or preferential, and in the
public interest because it satisfies the factors set forth in Order No.
672, which the Commission applies when reviewing a proposed Reliability
Standard.\7\ NERC states that PRC-006-NPCC-1 also satisfies the
additional criteria required for approval of regional Reliability
Standards because it adds specificity not contained in the NERC
continent-wide UFLS Reliability Standard PRC-006-1.\8\
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\6\ Proposed regional Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-1 is
available on the Commission's eLibrary document retrieval system in
Docket No. RM12-12-000 and on the NERC Web site, www.nerc.com. On
August 3, 2012, NERC filed an errata attaching the proposed
implementation plan.
\7\ NERC Petition at 9-29 (citing Order No. 672, FERC Stats. &
Regs. ] 31,204 at PP 323-335, 444).
\8\ NERC Petition at 29-30.
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8. Proposed regional Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-1 has 23
requirements, each having an associated measure of compliance. The
proposed standard also includes Figure 1, which includes a curve that
establishes a threshold for setting underfrequency trip protection for
generators in the portion of the NPCC Region in the Eastern
Interconnection. NERC explains that the proposed regional Reliability
Standard is based on the program characteristics defined within NPCC
Directory 12 Underfrequency Load Shedding Program
Requirements, which contains the criteria that govern the NPCC
Automatic UFLS program that have been in place since June 26, 2009.\9\
NERC states that the proposed regional Reliability Standard will
achieve a coordinated, comprehensive UFLS region-wide consistent
program within the NPCC Region and provides the regional requirements
necessary to achieve and facilitate the broader program characteristics
contained in the requirements of the NERC Reliability Standard PRC-006-
1.\10\ NERC states that the proposed regional Reliability Standard is
designed to work in conjunction with and augment Reliability Standard
PRC-006-1 by mitigating the consequences of an underfrequency event,
while accommodating differences in system transmission and distribution
topology among NPCC planning coordinators due to historical design
criteria, makeup of load demands, and generation resources.\11\ NERC
further states that the proposed regional Reliability Standard also
facilitates uniformity, compliance, and clearly delineates what the
applicable entities' requirements are within the NPCC Region to achieve
a robust, reliable and effective UFLS program.\12\
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\9\ Id. at 11.
\10\ Id. at 29-30.
\11\ Id. at 30.
\12\ Id.
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9. NERC also proposes VRFs and VSLs for each requirement of the
proposed regional Reliability Standard and an implementation plan and
effective dates. NERC states that these proposals were developed and
reviewed for consistency with NERC and Commission guidelines.
10. NERC proposes two effective dates for the proposed regional
Reliability Standard. NERC states that Requirements R1 through R7 would
become effective on the first day of the first calendar quarter
following applicable regulatory approval but no earlier than January 1,
2016. The implementation plan states that the January 1, 2016 effective
date for Requirements R1 through R7 is meant to allow for completion of
the on-going six-year implementation period for NPCC Directory
12 Underfrequency Load Shedding Program Requirements.\13\ The
implementation plan provides that the plan for ``this standard is
based, in part, on the timelines reflected in the existing and ongoing
Implementation Plan for NPCC Directory 12 absent the annual
milestones required by Directory 12.'' \14\ With respect to
Requirements R8 through R23, NERC proposes that they become effective
the first day of the first calendar quarter two years following
applicable regulatory approval.
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\13\ NPCC Directory 12 Underfrequency Load Shedding
Program Requirements contains the pre-existing criteria that govern
the NPCC Automatic UFLS program developed by the NPCC Working Group
on Inter-Area Dynamic Analysis. NERC Petition at 11. The
implementation plan was submitted as an exhibit to the August 3,
2012 NERC errata filing. As found on the Commission's eLibrary
system in Docket No. RM12-12-000, the implementation plan is located
in Exhibit A (PRC-006-NPCC-1--Automatic Underfrequency Load Shedding
Regional Reliability Standard Proposed and Implementation Plan for
Approval) of the errata filing beginning at page 29 of the PDF
electronic file submitted by NERC.
\14\ Id.
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II. Discussion
A. PRC-006-NPCC-1
11. Pursuant to FPA section 215(d)(2), we propose to approve
regional Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-1 as just, reasonable, not
unduly discriminatory or preferential, and in the public interest.
Proposed regional Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-1 is designed to
operate in conjunction with the NERC continent-wide UFLS Reliability
Standard PRC-006-1 by mitigating the consequences of underfrequency
events, while accommodating differences in system transmission and
distribution topology among NPCC planning coordinators due to
historical design criteria, makeup of load demands, and generation
resources.
12. The proposed regional Reliability Standard includes
requirements not found in the corresponding NERC continent-wide UFLS
Reliability Standard PRC-006-1 that are more stringent than Reliability
Standard PRC-006-1 and accommodate differences in system transmission
and distribution topology among NPCC planning coordinators due to
historical design criteria, makeup of load demands, and generation
resources.\15\
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\15\ NERC Petition at 29-30.
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13. For example, the generator underfrequency trip threshold in
PRC-
[[Page 59153]]
006-NPCC-1, Requirement R13 is more stringent than the threshold
specified in the continent-wide Reliability Standard PRC-006-1.
Requirement R13 of the proposed regional Reliability Standard requires
generator owners to set their generator underfrequency trip relay
setting below the generator underfrequency trip protection settings
threshold shown in Figure 1, except as otherwise provided in
Requirements R16 and R19. This requirement is more stringent than the
corresponding requirement in Reliability Standard PRC-006-1,
Requirement R4, because the continent-wide Reliability Standard
requires a higher generator underfrequency trip setting.\16\ In
addition, the continent-wide Reliability Standard PRC-006-1 does not
require generator owners to have compensatory load shedding provisions
if their units trip above the underfrequency tripping threshold
requirements specified in PRC-006-1, Attachment 1. By contrast,
proposed regional Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-1, Requirement
R16.3, requires that each generator owner of existing non-nuclear units
``[h]ave compensatory load shedding, as provided by a Distribution
Provider or Transmission Owner that is adequate to compensate for the
loss of their generator due to early tripping.'' \17\ The proposed
regional Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-1 is therefore more
stringent, while also accommodating NPCC's generation resource mix,
because it requires compensatory load shedding by existing non-nuclear
units, but not existing nuclear units, to make up for the loss of
generation due to early tripping of the generators.\18\
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\16\ Higher underfrequency trip settings result in generators
tripping offline sooner than lower underfrequency trip settings.
\17\ Attachment B to proposed regional Reliability Standard PRC-
006-NPCC-1 establishes the compensatory load shedding criteria for
the portion of NPCC located in the United States for existing non-
nuclear units.
\18\ Compare proposed regional Reliability Standard PRC-006-
NPCC-1, Requirement R16, with proposed regional Reliability Standard
PRC-006-NPCC-1, Requirement R19.
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14. While we propose to approve regional Reliability Standard PRC-
006-NPCC-1, the Commission seeks comment on: (1) the technical basis
for the 57.8 Hz maximum tripping limit for existing nuclear units
established in Requirement R19; and (2) the time-frames for actions
that result in changes to the NPCC UFLS program.
15. First, Requirement R19 of the proposed regional Reliability
Standard for existing nuclear generating plants provides that:
R19 Each Generator Owner of existing nuclear generating plants with
units that have underfrequency relay threshold settings above the
Eastern Interconnection generator tripping curve in Figure 1, based on
their licensing design basis, shall: [Violation Risk Factor: High]
[Time Horizon: Long Term Planning]
19.1 Set the underfrequency protection to operate at as low a frequency
as possible in accordance with the plant design licensing limitations
but not greater than 57.8Hz
19.2 Set the frequency trip setting upper tolerance to no greater than
+ 0.1 Hz
19.3 Transmit the initial frequency trip setting and any changes to the
setting and the technical basis for the settings to the Planning
Coordinator
16. The NERC petition does not explain the technical basis for
establishing 57.8 Hz as the maximum frequency at which existing nuclear
units may trip pursuant to Requirement R19.1. The NERC petition states
that the proposed regional Reliability Standard was based on the work
of an NPCC working group.\19\ However, the NERC petition and its
attachments do not provide any information as to how the 57.8 Hz figure
was developed. We seek comment from NPCC, NERC, and other interested
entities explaining the technical basis for the 57.8 Hz limit
established in Requirement R19.1.
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\19\ NERC Petition at 11.
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17. Second, Requirement R3 of NERC's Reliability Standard PRC-006-1
requires the planning coordinator to set the schedule for the
distribution providers and transmission owners to implement the UFLS
program. The regional Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-1, Requirements
R5, R16.2, and R19.3, require distribution providers, transmission
owners, and generator owners to provide, inform, and transmit
exceptions to the UFLS program and justifications for the exceptions to
the planning coordinator. The requirements, however, do not specify a
time-frame for the completion of these actions. Requirements R5, R16.2,
and R19.3 address actions that can result in changes to the UFLS
program and should occur before the UFLS program is implemented, thus
making it necessary for entities to provide the required information to
the planning coordinator within a specified period of time. We note
there are other requirements in the proposed regional Reliability
Standard that also require actions of distribution providers,
transmission owners, and generator owners that should occur before the
UFLS program is implemented that include specific time-frames.\20\ The
Commission seeks comment on whether Requirements R5, R16.2, and R19.3
should also specify time-frames for completion of the required actions
and, if so, the appropriate time-frames for each.
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\20\ See, e.g., Requirements R11, R14, and R23 of proposed
regional Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-1.
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B. Violation Risk Factors and Violation Severity Levels
18. NERC states that each Requirement of the proposed regional
Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-1 includes one VRF and one VSL and
that the ranges of penalties for violations will be based on the
sanctions table and supporting penalty determination process described
in the Commission-approved NERC Sanctions Guideline. The Commission
proposes to approve the VRFs and VSLs for regional Reliability Standard
PRC-006-NPCC-1 proposed by NERC as consistent with the Commission's
established guidelines.\21\
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\21\ North American Electric Reliability Corp., 135 FERC ]
61,166 (2011).
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C. Implementation Plan and Effective Dates
19. NERC proposes that Requirements R1 through R7 become effective
on the first day of the first calendar quarter following applicable
regulatory approval but no earlier than January 1, 2016 while
Requirements R8 through R23 become effective the first day of the first
calendar quarter two years following applicable regulatory approval.
NERC states that the implementation plan provides that ``this standard
is based, in part, on the timelines reflected in the existing and
ongoing Implementation Plan for NPCC Directory 12 absent the
annual milestones required by Directory 12.'' \22\ The
Commission proposes to accept the implementation plan and effective
dates proposed by NERC for regional Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-
1.
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\22\ NERC August 3, 2012 Errata at 29 of PDF electronic file.
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III. Information Collection Statement
20. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations require
that OMB approve certain reporting and recordkeeping (collections of
information) imposed by an agency.\23\ Upon approval of a collection(s)
of information, OMB will assign an OMB control number and expiration
date. Respondents subject to the filing
[[Page 59154]]
requirements of this rule will not be penalized for failing to respond
to these collections of information unless the collections of
information display a valid OMB control number.
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\23\ 5 CFR 1320.11.
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21. The Commission is submitting these reporting and recordkeeping
requirements to OMB for its review and approval under section 3507(d)
of the PRA. Comments are solicited on the Commission's need for this
information, whether the information will have practical utility, the
accuracy of the provided burden estimate, ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected, and any
suggested methods for minimizing the respondent's burden, including the
use of automated information techniques.
22. This Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposes to approve regional
Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-1. This is the first time NERC has
requested Commission approval of the proposed regional Reliability
Standard. NERC states in its petition that UFLS requirements have been
in place at a continent-wide level and within NPCC for many years prior
to implementation of the Commission-approved Reliability Standards in
2007. Because the UFLS requirements have been in place prior to the
development of PRC-006-NPCC-1, the proposed regional Reliability
Standard is largely associated with requirements that applicable
entities are already following.\24\ The proposed regional Reliability
Standard PRC-006-NPCC-1 is designed to work in conjunction with and
augment the NERC continent-wide UFLS Reliability Standard PRC-006-1 by
mitigating the consequences of underfrequency events, while
accommodating differences in system transmission and distribution
topology among NPCC planning coordinators due to historical design
criteria, makeup of load demands, and generation resources. The
proposed regional Reliability Standard is only applicable to generator
owners, planning coordinators, distribution providers, and transmission
owners in the NPCC Region. The reporting requirements in proposed
regional Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-1 only pertain to entities
within the NPCC Region.
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\24\ See 5 CFR 1320.3(b)(2) (``The time, effort, and financial
resources necessary to comply with a collection of information that
would be incurred by persons in the normal course of their
activities (e.g., in compiling and maintaining business records)
will be excluded from the `burden' if the agency demonstrates that
the reporting, recordkeeping, or disclosure activities needed to
comply are usual and customary.'').
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23. Public Reporting Burden: Our estimate below regarding the
number of respondents is based on the NERC Compliance Registry as of
July 24, 2012. According to the NERC Compliance Registry, there are 2
planning coordinators and 135 generator owners within the United States
portion of the NPCC Region. The Commission bases individual burden
estimates on the time needed for planning coordinators to incrementally
gather data, run studies, and analyze study results to design or update
the UFLS programs that are required in the regional Reliability
Standard in addition to the requirements of the NERC Reliability
Standard PRC-006-1.\25\ Additionally, generator owners must set each
underfrequency trip relay below the appropriate generator
underfrequency trip protection settings threshold curve in PRC-006-
NPCC-1, Figure 1 and provide the generator underfrequency trip setting
and time delay to its planning coordinator within 45 days of the
planning coordinator's request. These burden estimates are consistent
with estimates for similar tasks in other Commission-approved
Reliability Standards. The following estimates relate to the
requirements for this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in Docket No. RM12-
12-000 (For Planning Coordinators) and are in addition to the burden
for the continent-wide Reliability Standard PRC-006-1, which was
approved in Order No. 763 (approved by OMB Control No. 1902-0244 on 7/
9/2012).
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\25\ The burden estimates for Reliability Standard PRC-006-1 are
included in Order No. 763 and are not repeated here.
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Number of Number of Average
PRC-006-NPCC-1 (FERC-725L) (automatic respondents responses per burden hours Total annual
underfrequency load shedding) \26\ annually respondent per response burden hours
(1) (2) (3) (1) x (2) x
(3)
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PCs*: Design and document Automatic UFLS Program 2 1 8 16
PCs: Update and Maintain UFLS Program Database.. .............. .............. 16 32
GOs*: Provide Documentation and Data to the 135 1 16 2160
Planning Coordinator...........................
GOs: Record Retention........................... .............. .............. 4 540
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Total....................................... .............. .............. .............. 2748
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* PC=planning coordinator; GO=generator owner.
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\26\ Proposed regional Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-1
applies to planning coordinators, transmission owners, distribution
providers and generator owners. However, the burden associated with
the transmission owners and distribution providers is not included
within this table because the Commission accounted for it under
Commission-approved Reliability Standards PRC-006-1, PRC-007-0 and
PRC-009-0.
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Total Annual Hours for Collection: (Compliance/Documentation) =
2,748 hours.
Total Reporting Cost for planning coordinators: = 48 hours @ $120/
hour = $5,760.
Total Reporting Cost for generator owners: = 2,160 hours @ $120/
hour = $259,200.
Total Record Retention Cost for generator owners: 540 hours @ $28/
hour = $15,120.
Total Annual Cost (Reporting + Record Retention) \27\: = $5760 +
$259,200 +$15,120 = $280,080.
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\27\ The Commission bases the hourly reporting cost on the cost
of an engineer to implement the requirements of the rule. The record
retention cost comes from Commission staff research on record
retention requirements.
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Title: Mandatory Reliability Standards for the NPCC Region.
Action: Proposed Collection FERC-725L.
OMB Control No.: To be determined.
Respondents: Businesses or other for-profit institutions; not-for-
profit institutions.
Frequency of Responses: On Occasion.
Necessity of the Information: This proposed rule proposes to
approve the regional Reliability Standard pertaining to automatic
underfrequency load shedding. The proposed regional Reliability
Standard helps ensure the
[[Page 59155]]
development of an effective UFLS program that preserves the security
and integrity of the Bulk-Power System during declining system
frequency events in coordination with the continent-wide Reliability
Standard PRC-006-1 requirements.
Internal Review: The Commission reviewed the proposed regional
Reliability Standard and made a determination that its action is
necessary to implement section 215 of the FPA. These requirements, if
accepted, should conform to the Commission's expectation for UFLS
programs as well as procedures within the NPCC Region.
24. Interested persons may obtain information on the reporting
requirements by contacting the following: Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426 [Attention:
Ellen Brown, Office of the Executive Director, email:
[email protected], phone: (202) 502-8663, fax: (202) 273-0873].
25. For submitting comments concerning the collection(s) of
information and the associated burden estimate(s), please send your
comments to the Commission and to the Office of Management and Budget,
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Washington, DC 20503
[Attention: Desk Officer for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
phone: (202) 395-4638, fax: (202) 395-7285]. For security reasons,
comments to OMB should be submitted by email to: [email protected]. Comments submitted to OMB should include FERC-
725L and Docket Number RM12-12-000.
IV. Environmental Analysis
26. The Commission is required to prepare an Environmental
Assessment or an Environmental Impact Statement for any action that may
have a significant adverse effect on the human environment.\28\ The
Commission has categorically excluded certain actions from this
requirement as not having a significant effect on the human
environment. Included in the exclusion are rules that are clarifying,
corrective, or procedural or that do not substantially change the
effect of the regulations being amended.\29\ The actions proposed here
fall within this categorical exclusion in the Commission's regulations.
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\28\ Regulations Implementing the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969, Order No. 486, FERC Stats. & Regs., Regulations
Preambles 1986-1990 ] 30,783 (1987).
\29\ 18 CFR 380.4(a)(2)(ii).
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V. Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification
27. The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (RFA) \30\ generally
requires a description and analysis of any rules that will have
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
The RFA mandates consideration of regulatory alternatives that
accomplish the stated objectives of a proposed rule and that minimize
any significant economic impact on a substantial number of small
entities. The Small Business Administration's (SBA) Office of Size
Standards develops the numerical definition of a small business.\31\
The SBA has established a size standard for electric utilities, stating
that a firm is small if, including its affiliates, it is primarily
engaged in the transmission, generation and/or distribution of electric
energy for sale and its total electric output for the preceding twelve
months did not exceed four million megawatt hours.\32\
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\30\ 5 U.S.C. 601-612.
\31\ 13 CFR 121.101.
\32\ 13 CFR 121.201, Sector 22, Utilities & n.1.
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28. Proposed regional Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-1 proposes
to achieve a coordinated, comprehensive UFLS region-wide consistent
program within the NPCC Region to achieve and facilitate the broader
program characteristics contained in the requirements of the continent-
wide Reliability Standard PRC-006-1.\33\ It will be applicable to
planning coordinators, generator owners, transmission owners and
distribution providers. Comparison of the NERC Compliance Registry with
data submitted to the Energy Information Administration on Form EIA-861
indicates that 5 small entities are registered as generator owners in
the United States portion of the NPCC Region.\34\ The Commission
estimates that the small generator owners to whom the proposed regional
Reliability Standard applies will incur compliance and record keeping
costs of $10,160 ($2,032 per generator owner). Accordingly, proposed
regional Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-1 should not impose a
significant operating cost increase or decrease on the affected small
entities.
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\33\ NERC Petition at 29-30
\34\ The two planning coordinators in the United States portion
of the NPCC Region are not considered small entities.
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29. Further, NERC explains that the cost for smaller entities to
implement regional Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-1 was considered
during the development process. NERC states that proposed regional
Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-1 provides an opportunity for smaller
entities to aggregate their load with other such entities in the same
electrical island. This allows each smaller entity's respective
planning coordinator to achieve the desired aggregate outcome within
that island according to program characteristics.\35\
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\35\ NERC Petition at 25.
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30. Based on this understanding, the Commission certifies that the
regional Reliability Standard will not have a significant economic
impact on a substantial number of small entities. Accordingly, no
regulatory flexibility analysis is required.
VI. Comment Procedures
31. The Commission invites interested persons to submit comments on
the matters and issues proposed in this notice to be adopted, including
any related matters or alternative proposals that commenters may wish
to discuss. Comments are due November 26, 2012. Comments must refer to
Docket No. RM12-12-000, and must include the commenter's name, the
organization they represent, if applicable, and their address in their
comments.
32. The Commission encourages comments to be filed electronically
via the eFiling link on the Commission's web site at http://www.ferc.gov. The Commission accepts most standard word processing
formats. Documents created electronically using word processing
software should be filed in native applications or print-to-PDF format
and not in a scanned format. Commenters filing electronically do not
need to make a paper filing.
33. Commenters that are not able to file comments electronically
must send an original of their comments to: Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First Street NE.,
Washington, DC 20426.
34. All comments will be placed in the Commission's public files
and may be viewed, printed, or downloaded remotely as described in the
Document Availability section below. Commenters on this proposal are
not required to serve copies of their comments on other commenters.
VII. Document Availability
35. In addition to publishing the full text of this document in the
Federal Register, the Commission provides all interested persons an
opportunity to view and/or print the contents of this document via the
Internet through the Commission's Home Page (http://www.ferc.gov) and
in the Commission's Public Reference Room during normal
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business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern time) at 888 First
Street NE., Room 2A, Washington DC 20426.
36. From the Commission's Home Page on the Internet, this
information is available on eLibrary. The full text of this document is
available on eLibrary in PDF and Microsoft Word format for viewing,
printing, and/or downloading. To access this document in eLibrary, type
the docket number excluding the last three digits of this document in
the docket number field.
37. User assistance is available for eLibrary and the Commission's
Web site during normal business hours from the Commission's Online
Support at (202) 502-6652 (toll free at 1-866-208-3676) or email at
[email protected], or the Public Reference Room at (202) 502-
8371, TTY (202) 502-8659. Email the Public Reference Room at
[email protected].
By direction of the Commission.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-23647 Filed 9-25-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P