[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 101 (Tuesday, May 26, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31491-31493]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-11240]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. RD20-1-000]
Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-725G); Comment
Request; Extension
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of information collection and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or
FERC) is soliciting public comment on the currently approved
information collection FERC-725G (Mandatory Reliability Standards for
the Bulk-Power System: PRC Standards: Regional Reliability Standard
PRC-006-NPCC-2 Automatic Underfrequency Load-Shedding (UFLS)) and
submitting the information collection to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for review. Any interested person may file comments
directly with OMB and should address a copy of those comments to the
Commission as explained below.
DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due June 25, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by OMB Control No. 1902-
0252. Send written comments on FERC-725G to OMB thru www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Desk
Officer. Please identify the OMB Control Number (1902-0252) in the
subject line of your comments and should be sent within 30 days of
publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Using
the search function under the Currently Under Review field select
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; click submit and select comment
to the right of the subject collection.
A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Commission, in
Docket No. RD20-1-000, by either of the following methods:
eFiling at Commission's Website: http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp.
Mail/Express Services: Persons unable to file
electronically may mail similar pleadings to the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426. Hand
delivered submissions in docketed proceedings should be delivered to
Health and Human Services, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland
20852.
Instructions
OMB submissions: Must be formatted and filed in accordance with
submission guidelines at www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain; Using the
search function under the Currently Under Review field select Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission; click ``submit'' and select comment to
the right of the subject collection.
FERC submissions: Must be formatted and filed in accordance with
submission guidelines at: http://www.ferc.gov/help/submission-guide.asp. For user assistance, contact FERC Online Support by email at
[email protected], or by phone at: (866) 208-3676 (toll-free).
Docket: Users interested in receiving automatic notification of
activity in this docket or in viewing/downloading comments and
issuances in this docket may do so at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/docs-filing.asp.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by email at
[email protected], telephone at (202) 502-8663.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: FERC-725G (Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-
Power System: Regional Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-2, Automatic
Underfrequency Load-Shedding (UFLS).
OMB Control No.: 1902-0252.
Type of Request: Revisions to the information collection, as
discussed in Docket No. RD20-1-000.
Abstract: 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.\1\ The Commission also proposes to
approve the related violation risk factors, violation severity levels,
implementation plan, and effective date proposed by NERC.
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\1\ Effective date of the standard is 4/1/2020.
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On August 8, 2005, Congress enacted into law the Electricity
Modernization Act of 2005, which is Title XII, Subtitle A, of the
Energy Policy Act of 2005
[[Page 31492]]
(EPAct 2005).\2\ EPAct 2005 added a new section 215 to the FPA, which
required 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, or the Commission can independently enforce Reliability
Standards.\3\
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\2\ Energy Policy Act of 2005, Public Law 109-58, Title XII,
Subtitle A, 119 Stat. 594, 941 (codified at 16 U.S.C. 824o).
\3\ 16 U.S.C. 824o(e)(3).
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On February 3, 2006, the Commission issued Order No. 672,
implementing section 215 of the FPA.\4\ Pursuant to Order No. 672, the
Commission certified one organization, North American Electric
Reliability Corporation (NERC), as the ERO.\5\ The Reliability
Standards developed by the ERO and approved by the Commission apply to
users, owners and operators of the Bulk-Power System as set forth in
each Reliability Standard.
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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, order on reh'g, Order No. 672-A, FERC Stats.
& Regs. 31,212 (2006).
\5\ North American Electric Reliability Corp., 116 FERC 61,062,
order on reh'g and compliance, 117 FERC 61,126 (2006), order on
compliance, 118 FERC 61,190, order on reh'g, 119 FERC 61,046 (2007),
aff'd sub nom. Alcoa Inc. v. FERC, 564 F.3d 1342 (D.C. Cir. 2009).
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On December 23, 2019, the North American Electric Reliability
Corporation (NERC) and Northeast Power Coordinating Council, Inc.
(NPCC) filed a joint petition seeking approval of proposed regional
Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-2 (NPCC Automatic Underfrequency Load
Shedding). NERC and NPCC state that regional Reliability Standard PRC-
006-NPCC-2 establishes consistent and coordinated requirements for the
design, implementation, and analysis of automatic underfrequency load
shedding (UFLS) programs among all NPCC applicable entities. These
requirements are more stringent and specific than the NERC continent-
wide UFLS Reliability Standard, PRC-006-3, and were established such
that the declining frequency is arrested and recovered in accordance
with NPCC performance requirements. NPCC revised currently effective
Regional Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-1 to remove redundancies
with the Reliability Standard PRC-006-3, clarify obligations for
registered entities, improve communication of island boundaries to
affected registered entities, and provide entities with the flexibility
to calculate net load shed for UFLS in certain situations.
On February 19, 2020, the Commission issued a Delegated Letter
Order, Docket No. RD20-1-000, approving proposed Reliability Standard
PRC-006-NPCC-2, the associated VRFs and VSLs, the Effective Date, and
the retirement of the currently effective Regional Reliability Standard
PRC-006-NPCC-1. The effective date for Reliability Standard PRC-006-
NPCC-2 is as of the date of this order, January 18, 2020.
Type of Respondents: Generator owners, planning coordinators,
distribution providers, and transmission owners in the Northeast Power
Coordinating Council (NPCC) Region.
Estimate of Annual Burden: \6\ Our estimates are based on the NERC
Compliance Registry Summary of Entities as of January 31, 2019.
According to the NERC compliance registry, and Functions as of, which
indicates there are registered as GO, PC, DP and TO entities.
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\6\ Burden is defined as the total time, effort, or financial
resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or
disclose or provide information to or for a federal agency. See 5
CFR 1320 for additional information on the definition of information
collection burden.
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The individual burden estimates are based on the time needed to
gather data, run studies, and analyze study results to design or update
the underfrequency load shedding programs. Additionally, documentation
and the review of underfrequency load shedding program results by
supervisors and management is included in the administrative
estimations. These are consistent with estimates for similar tasks in
other Commission approved standards.
Estimates for the additional burden and cost imposed by the order
in Docket No. RD20-1-000 follow:
Commission estimates the annual burden and cost \7\ as follows.
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\7\ The Commission staff estimates that industry is similarly
situated in terms of hourly cost (for wages plus benefits). Based on
the Commission's FY (Fiscal Year) 2019 average cost (for wages plus
benefits), $80.00/hour is used.
RD20-1-000--Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power System: Regional Reliability Standard PRC-006-NPCC-2 Automatic Underfrequency Load
Shedding (UFLS)
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Average annual
Reliability standard & Average annual number of Average annual Average burden hours & Total annual burden hours & Cost per
requirement number of responses per total number of cost ($) per response cost ($) (rounded) respondent
respondents respondent responses ($)
(1) (2) (1) * (2) = (3) (4)..................... (3) * (4) = (5)............ (5) / (1)
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GO \8\....................... 125 1 125 24 hrs.; $1,920......... 3,000 hrs.; $240,000....... $1,920
PC \9\....................... 2 1 2 24 hrs.; $1,920......... 48 hrs.; $3,840............ 1,920
DP \10\...................... 51 1 51 24 hrs.; $1,920......... 1,224 hrs.; $97,920........ 1,920
TO \11\...................... 39 1 39 24 hrs.; $1,920......... 936 hrs.; $74,880.......... 1,920
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Total.................... ................ ................ 217 ........................ 5,208 hrs.: $416,640....... ...........
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Comments: Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the 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 estimate of the burden and
cost of the collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information collection; and (4) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are
to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
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\8\ Generator Owner.
\9\ Planning Coordinator.
\10\ Distribution Provide.
\11\ Transmission Owner.
[[Page 31493]]
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Dated: May 19, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-11240 Filed 5-22-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P