19334 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 67 / Thursday, April 7, 2011 / Notices 

5The NERC Compliance Registry as of 9/28/2010 

indicated that 2079 entities were registered for 

NERC’s compliance program. Of these, 2057 were 

identified as being U.S. entities. Staff concluded 

that of the 2057 U.S. entities, only 1501 were 

registered for at least one CIP related function. 

According to an April 7, 2009 memo to industry, 

NERC’s VP and Chief Security officer noted that 

only 31% of entities responded to an earlier survey 

and reported that they had at least one Critical 

Asset, and only 23% reported having a Critical 

Cyber Asset. Staff applied the 23% reporting to the 

1501 figure to obtain an estimate. The 6 new 

entities listed here are assumed to match a similar 

set of 6 entities that would drop out in an existing 

year. Thus, the net estimate of respondents remains 

at 1501 per year. 

6This figure relates to NERC’s audit schedule 

which requires NERC to engage in a compliance 

Audit once every 3 to 5 years. For simplicity, staff 

has divided the total number of hours by 3 to reflect 

the amount of time annually spent preparing 

documents. Staff assumed that each CIP audit or 

spot check would require four individuals 6 weeks 

to prepare and demonstrate compliance with CIP 

standards for entities that have identified Critical 

Cyber Assets. Staff estimated that entities that do 

not have Critical Cyber Assets would still be 

required to demonstrate compliance with CIP–002, 

which would require one individual approximately 

three days to execute. 

7This category of respondents (with the 

corresponding burden) was not included in the 60- 

day public notice due to an oversight by 

Commission staff. 

8This cost category was not included in the 60- 

day public notice due to an oversight by 

Commission staff. 

9Bureau of Labor Statistics figures were obtained 

from http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_

22.htm, and 2009 Billing Rates figure were obtained 

from http://www.marylandlawyerblog.com/2009/ 

07/average_hourly_rate_for_lawyer.html. Legal 

services were based on the national average billing 

rate (contracting out) from the above report and BLS 

hourly earnings (in-house personnel). It is assumed 

that 25% of respondents have in-house legal 

personnel. 

10Based on the aggregate cost of an IBM advanced 

data protection server. 

estimates using data from NERC’s 

compliance registry as well as a 2009 

survey that was conducted by NERC to 

asses the number of entities reporting 

Critical Cyber Assets. 

Data collection Number of 

respondents 5

Average 

number of 

responses per 

respondent 

Average 

number of 

burden hours 

per response 6

Total annual 

hours 

(1) (2) (3) (1) x (2) x (3) 

FERC–725B: 

Estimate of U.S. Entities that have identified Critical Cyber Assets ........ 345 1 320 110,400 

Estimate of U.S. Entities that have not identified Critical Cyber Assets .. 1,156 1 8 9,248 

New U.S. Entities that have to come into compliance with the CIP 

Standards 7 ............................................................................................ *6 1 1,176 7,056 

Totals ................................................................................................. 1,501 126,704 

* not included in the 1,501 total because it is assumed that on average, six entities per year will no longer have to comply with the CIP 

standards. 

The total estimated annual cost 

burden to respondents is: 

• Entities that have identified Critical 

Assets = 110,400 hours@$96 = 

$10,598,400. 

• Entities that have not identified 

Critical Assets = 9,248 hours@$96 = 

$887,808. 

• Storage Costs for Entities that have 

identified Critical Assets 8 = 315 

Entities@$15.25 = $4,804. 

The hourly rate of $96 is the average 

cost of legal services ($230 per hour), 

technical employees ($40 per hour) and 

administrative support ($18 per hour), 

based on hourly rates from the Bureau 

of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the 2009 

Billing Rates and Practices Survey 

Report.9 The $15.25 rate for storage 

costs for each entity is an estimate based 

on the average costs to service and store 

1 GB of data to demonstrate compliance 

with the CIP standards.10

The reporting burden includes the 

total time, effort, or financial resources 

expended to generate, maintain, retain, 

disclose, or provide the information 

including: (1) Reviewing instructions; 

(2) developing, acquiring, installing, and 

utilizing technology and systems for the 

purposes of collecting, validating, 

verifying, processing, maintaining, 

disclosing and providing information; 

(3) adjusting the existing ways to 

comply with any previously applicable 

instructions and requirements; (4) 

training personnel to respond to a 

collection of information; (5) searching 

data sources; (6) completing and 

reviewing the collection of information; 

and (7) transmitting, or otherwise 

disclosing the information. 

Comments are invited on: (1) Whether 

the proposed collection of information 

is necessary for the proper performance 

of the functions of the Commission, 

including whether the information will 

have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of 

the agency’s estimates of the burden of 

the proposed collection of information, 

including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (3) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (4) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collections of information 

on those who are to respond, including 

the use of appropriate automated, 

electronic, mechanical, or other 

technological collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology, 

e.g. permitting electronic submission of 

responses. 

Dated: March 31, 2011. 

Kimberly D. Bose, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2011–8248 Filed 4–6–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Project No. 2479–011] 

Pacific Gas and Electric Company; 

Notice of Application Accepted for 

Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene 

and Protests, Ready for Environmental 

Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, 

Recommendations, and Preliminary 

Terms and Conditions 

Take notice that the following 

hydroelectric application has been filed 

with the Commission and is available 

for public inspection. 

a. Type of Application: Subsequent 

License—Transmission Line Only. 

b. Project No.: P–2479–011. 

c. Date filed: February 22, 2011. 

d. Applicant: Pacific Gas and Electric 

Company. 

e. Name of Project: French Meadows 

Transmission Line Project. 

f. Location: The French Meadows 

Transmission Line Project is located in 

Placer County, California, within the 

boundaries of the Eldorado and Tahoe 

National Forests. 

g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power 

Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)–825(r). 

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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 67 / Thursday, April 7, 2011 / Notices 19335 

h. Applicant Contact: Forrest 

Sullivan, Senior Project Manager, 

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, 5555 

Florin Perkins Road, Sacramento, CA, 

95826. Tel: (916) 386–5580. 

i. FERC Contact: Mary Greene, (202) 

502–8865 or mary.greene@ferc.gov. 

j. Deadline for filing motions to 

intervene and protests, comments, 

recommendations, preliminary terms 

and conditions, and preliminary 

prescriptions: 60 days from the issuance 

date of this notice; reply comments are 

due 105 days from the issuance date of 

this notice. 

Motions to intervene, protests, 

comments, recommendations, 

preliminary terms and conditions, and 

preliminary fishway prescriptions may 

be filed electronically via the Internet. 

See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the 

instructions on the Commission’s Web 

site http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ 

efiling.asp. Commenters can submit 

brief comments up to 6,000 characters, 

without prior registration, using the 

eComment system at http:// 

www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ 

ecomment.asp. You must include your 

name and contact information at the end 

of your comments. For assistance, 

please contact FERC Online Support at 

FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll 

free at 1–866–208–3676, or for TTY, 

(202) 502–8659. Although the 

Commission strongly encourages 

electronic filing, documents may also be 

paper-filed. To paper-file, mail an 

original and seven copies to: Kimberly 

D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission, 888 First 

Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426. 

The Commission’s Rules of Practice 

require all intervenors filing documents 

with the Commission to serve a copy of 

that document on each person on the 

official service list for the project. 

Further, if an intervenor files comments 

or documents with the Commission 

relating to the merits of an issue that 

may affect the responsibilities of a 

particular resource agency, they must 

also serve a copy of the document on 

that resource agency. 

k. This application has been accepted 

for filing and is now is ready for 

environmental analysis. 

l. The Project is connected with The 

Middle Fork American River 

Hydroelectric Project, FERC Project No. 

2079, owned and operated by the Placer 

County Water Agency (PCWA). The 

project consists of a 3-phase, 60-kilovolt 

(kV), wood-pole transmission line 

extending 13.27 miles from PCWA’s 

French Meadows powerhouse 

switchyard to PCWA’s Middle Fork 

powerhouse (feature of Project 2079). 

The project includes a 3-phase, 60-kV 

transmission line extending 

approximately 900 feet from PCWA’s 

Oxbow powerhouse (feature of project 

No. 2079) to the interconnection at 

PG&E’s Weimar #1 60-kV transmission 

line. The transmission line right-of-way 

is 40 feet in width for its entire length. 

The project also includes a 230-kV tap 

at PCWA’s Ralston powerhouse. The tap 

is wholly contained within the 

switchyard at Ralston powerhouse. 

The French Meadows 60-kV 

transmission line is entirely within the 

boundaries of the Eldorado National 

Forest, and the Oxbow 60-kV tap is 

entirely within the boundaries of the 

Tahoe National Forest. The combined 

length of the two 60-kV transmission 

lines on National Forest System lands is 

6.58 miles: 6.42 miles in the Eldorado 

National Forest and 0.16 mile in the 

Tahoe National Forest. Approximately 

6.69 miles of the French Meadows 60- 

kV transmission line are located on 

private lands within the boundary of the 

Eldorado National Forest. The Oxbow 

tap is located entirely on National 

Forest System lands. 

PG&E is not proposing to modify the 

existing project and does not plan any 

changes to the operation or maintenance 

of the transmission line. 

m. A copy of the application is 

available for review at the Commission 

in the Public Reference Room or may be 

viewed on the Commission’s Web site at 

http://www.ferc.gov using the ‘‘eLibrary’’ 

link. Enter the docket number excluding 

the last three digits in the docket 

number field to access the document. 

For assistance, contact FERC Online 

Support. A copy is also available for 

inspection and reproduction at the 

address in item h above. 

Register online at http:// 

www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ 

esubscription.asp to be notified via 

email of new filings and issuances 

related to this or other pending projects. 

For assistance, contact FERC Online 

Support. 

n. Anyone may submit comments, a 

protest, or a motion to intervene in 

accordance with the requirements of 

Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR 

385.210, .211, .214. In determining the 

appropriate action to take, the 

Commission will consider all protests or 

other comments filed, but only those 

who file a motion to intervene in 

accordance with the Commission’s 

Rules may become a party to the 

proceeding. Any comments, protests, or 

motions to intervene must be received 

on or before the specified comment date 

for the particular application. 

All filings must (1) bear in all capital 

letters the title ‘‘PROTEST’’, ‘‘MOTION 

TO INTERVENE’’, ‘‘COMMENTS,’’ 

‘‘REPLY COMMENTS,’’ 

‘‘RECOMMENDATIONS,’’ or 

‘‘PRELIMINARY TERMS AND 

CONDITIONS;’’ (2) set forth in the 

heading the name of the applicant and 

the project number of the application to 

which the filing responds; (3) furnish 

the name, address, and telephone 

number of the person protesting or 

intervening; and (4) otherwise comply 

with the requirements of 18 CFR 

385.2001 through 385.2005. All 

comments, recommendations, terms and 

conditions or prescriptions must set 

forth their evidentiary basis and 

otherwise comply with the requirements 

of 18 CFR 4.34(b). Agencies may obtain 

copies of the application directly from 

the applicant. A copy of any protest or 

motion to intervene must be served 

upon each representative of the 

applicant specified in the particular 

application. A copy of all other filings 

in reference to this application must be 

accompanied by proof of service on all 

persons listed in the service list 

prepared by the Commission in this 

proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 

4.34(b) and 385.2010. 

o. Procedural Schedule: 

The application will be processed 

according to the following revised 

Hydro Licensing Schedule. Revisions to 

the schedule may be made as 

appropriate. 

Milestone Target date 

Filing of recommendations, preliminary 

terms and conditions, and preliminary fishway prescriptions.

May 31, 2011. 

Commission issues EA September 28, 2011. 

Comments on EA or 

EIS.

November 14, 2011. 

Modified terms and 

conditions.

January 13, 2012. 

p. Final amendments to the 

application must be filed with the 

Commission no later than 30 days from 

the issuance date of this notice. 

Dated: April 1, 2011. 

Kimberly D. Bose, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2011–8301 Filed 4–6–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

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