[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 148 (Friday, July 31, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46080-46082]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-16679]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. RD20-7-000]
Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-725G); Comment
Request; Revision
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of revision 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 proposed changes to the
information collection FERC-725G (Mandatory Reliability Standards for
the Bulk-Power System: PRC Reliability Standards) and will be
submitting the information collection to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for review.
DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due September 29,
2020.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be submitted to the Commission, in Docket
No. RD20-7-000, by one of the following methods:
eFiling at Commission's Website: http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp.
U.S. Postal Service Mail: Persons unable to file
electronically may mail similar pleadings to the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426.
Effective 7/1/2020, delivery of filings other than by
eFiling or the U.S. Postal Service should be delivered to Health and
Human Services, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
Instructions: All submissions must be formatted and filed in
accordance with submission guidelines at http://www.ferc.gov. 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], and telephone at (202) 502-8663.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: FERC-725G, Mandatory Reliability
Standards for the Bulk-Power System: PRC Reliability Standards.
OMB Control No.: 1902-0252.
Type of Request: Revisions to FERC-725G information collection
requirements, as discussed in Docket No. RD20-7.\1\
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\1\ Note that Docket No. RD20-4 is pending and proposes changes
to FERC-725G. Those proposed changes in Docket No. RD20-4 are
separate and not addressed in this notice.
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Abstract: The proposed Reliability Standard PRC-024-3 improves upon
Reliability Standard PRC-024-2 by clarifying the voltage and frequency
protection settings requirements, so that generating resources
including inverter-based resources (IBR) continue to
[[Page 46081]]
support grid stability during defined system voltage and frequency
excursions. The proposed Reliability Standard PRC-024-3 includes
modifications to the applicability including two new facilities:
generator step-up transformer (GSU)/main power transformer (MPT for
IBR) and unit auxiliary transformer (UAT).
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 (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 Standard 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 (DC Cir. 2009).
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On March 20, 2020, North American Electric Reliability Corporation
(NERC) submitted for approval proposed Reliability Standard PRC-024-3
(Frequency and Voltage Protection Settings for Generating Resources.),
as well as the proposed implementation plan, Violation Risk Factors,
and Violation Severity Levels. NERC asserts that PRC-024-3 improves
upon currently effective Reliability Standard PRC-024-2 by clarifying
the voltage and frequency protection settings requirements so that
generating resources including inverter-based resources (IBR) continue
to support grid stability during defined system voltage and frequency
excursions.
NERC's filed petition was noticed on March 26, 2020, with
interventions, comments and protests due on or before April 20, 2020.
This due date was extended to May 1, 2020, due to the COVID-19
pandemic. One motion to intervene and comment was filed by California
Independent System Operator supporting approval of proposed Reliability
Standard PRC-024-3 under Docket No. RD20-7.
Reliability Standard PRC-024-3 was approved by FERC on 7/9/2020 in
a Delegated Letter Order (DLO).\6\
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\6\ The DLO is posted in eLibrary at https://elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/common/OpenNat.asp?fileID=15579259.
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Type of Respondent: Generator Owner.
Estimate of Annual Burden: \7\ Our estimate of the number of
respondents affected is based on the NERC Compliance Registry as of
June 1, 2020.\8\ According to the Compliance Registry, NERC has
registered 975 generator owners within the United States.
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\7\ 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.
\8\ NERC Compliance Registry (June 1, 2020), available at
https://www.nerc.com/pa/comp/Registration%20and%20Certification%20DL/NERC_Compliance_Registry_Matrix_Excel.xlsx.
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The burden estimates reflect the standards and the number of
affected entities.
Estimates for the additional average annual burden and cost \9\ due
to Docket No. RD20-7-000 follow.
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\9\ The hourly cost estimates are based on wage data from the
Bureau of Labor Statistics for May 2019 (at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm) and benefits data for Dec. 2019 (issued March
2020, at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm). The hourly
costs (for wages and benefits) are for: Electrical Engineer
(Occupation code 17-2071), $70.91; Manager (Occupation code 11-
0000), $97.15; and Information and Record Clerk (Occupation code 43-
4199), $41.03.
FERC-725G, Modifications Due to Docket No. RD20-7
[& PRC-024-3 (Generator Frequency and Voltage Protective Relay Settings)] \10\
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Number of Average burden Total annual
Number of annual Total number of hours & cost burden hours &
Function respondents responses per annual ($) per total annual
respondent responses response cost ($)
(1) (2) (1) x (2) = (3) (4)............ (3) x (4) = (5)
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Develop coordination and 975 (GO) 1 975 (one-time). 8 hrs.; $669.36 7,800 hrs. (one-
relay settings procedures time);
(one-time implementation in $652,626.00.
Year 1) \11\.
Implement Relay Settings (one- 975 (GO) 1 975 (one-time). 8 hrs.; $561.52 7,800 hrs. (one-
time implementation in Year time);
1)\12\. $547,482.00.
Evidence Retention (ongoing, 975 (GO) 1 975............ 1 hr.; $41.03.. 975 hrs.;
starting in Year 1)\13\. $40,004.25.
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Total.................... .............. .............. ............... ............... 16,575 hrs.;
$1,240,112.25.
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\10\ The Generator Owners will have one-time burden (e.g., to
develop setting procedures, a coordination process, and a process
for implementing relay settings) as well as ongoing records
retention requirements. The one-time burden is in Year 1; annual
ongoing burden starts in Year 1.
\11\ The hourly cost (for wages plus benefits) assumes equal
amounts of time spent by the Electrical Engineer and Manager. The
average hourly cost is $83.67 (($70.19 + $97.15)/2).
\12\ The hourly cost (for wages plus benefits) is $70.19 for the
Electrical Engineer.
\13\ The hourly cost (for wages plus benefits) is $41.03 for the
Information and Record Clerk.
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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.
[[Page 46082]]
Dated: July 27, 2020.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-16679 Filed 7-30-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P