154 FERC ¶ 61,192

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION

18 CFR Part 40

[Docket No. RM15-8-000; Order No. 823]

Relay Performance During Stable Power Swings Reliability Standard 

 

(Issued March 17, 2016)

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. 

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approves Reliability 

Standard PRC-026-1 (Relay Performance During Stable Power Swings), submitted by the 

North American Electric Reliability Corporation. Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 is 

designed to ensure that applicable entities use protective relay systems that can 

differentiate between faults and stable power swings.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This rule will become effective [INSERT DATE 60 days after 

publication in the FEDERAL REGISTER]. 
Docket No. RM15

-8-000 ii

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kenneth Hubona (Technical Information)

Office of Electric Reliability

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

888 First Street, NE

Washington, DC 20426

(301) 665-1608

kenneth.hubona@ferc.gov

Kevin Ryan (Legal Information)

Office of the General Counsel

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

888 First Street, NE

Washington, DC 20426

(202) 502-6840

kevin.ryan@ferc.gov

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
154 FERC ¶ 61,192

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION

Before Commissioners: Norman C. Bay, Chairman;

 Cheryl A. LaFleur, Tony Clark,

and Colette D. Honorable.

Relay Performance During Stable Power Swings

Reliability Standard 

Docket No. RM15-8-000

ORDER NO. 823

FINAL RULE

(Issued March 17, 2016)

1. Pursuant to section 215 of the Federal Power Act (FPA), the Commission 

approves Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 (Relay Performance During Stable Power 

Swings).

1

 The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), the 

Commission-certified Electric Reliability Organization (ERO), developed and submitted 

Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 for Commission approval. Reliability Standard PRC026-1 applies to planning coordinators and to generator owners and transmission owners 

that apply certain load-responsive protective relays in specific, identified circumstances.

Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 is designed to ensure the use of protective relay systems 

that can differentiate between faults and stable power swings. 

 1 16 U.S.C. 824o. 
Docket No. RM15-8-000 - 2 -

2. The Commission determines that Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 satisfies the 

directive in Order No. 733 concerning undesirable relay operation due to power swings.

2

The Commission concludes that Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 provides an equally 

effective and efficient alternative to the Order No. 733 directive requiring the use of 

protective relay systems that can differentiate between faults and stable power swings

and, when necessary, retirement of protective relay systems that cannot meet this 

requirement.

3

 

3. The Commission approves NERC’s assigned violation risk factors, violation 

severity levels and implementation plan. 

I. Background

A. Mandatory Reliability Standards and Order No. 733 Directives

4. Section 215 of the FPA requires a Commission-certified ERO to develop 

mandatory and enforceable Reliability Standards, subject to Commission review and 

 2 Transmission Relay Loadability Reliability Standard, Order No. 733, 130 FERC 

¶ 61,221, at P 153 (2010), order on reh’g and clarification, Order No. 733-A, 134 FERC 

¶ 61,127, order on reh’g and clarification, Order No. 733-B, 136 FERC ¶ 61,185 (2011).

3 Id. P 150.
Docket No. RM15-8-000 - 3 -

approval.4

 Pursuant to section 215 of the FPA, the Commission established a process to 

select and certify an ERO,5 and subsequently certified NERC.6

 

5. On March 18, 2010, the Commission approved Reliability Standard PRC-023-1 

(Transmission Relay Loadability) in Order No. 733. The Commission also directed 

NERC to develop a new Reliability Standard that required the use of protective relay 

systems that can differentiate between faults and stable power swings and, when 

necessary, the retirement of protective relay systems that cannot meet this requirement.

7

 

In Order No. 733, the Commission cited the findings of both NERC and the U.S.-Canada 

Power System Outage Task Force on the causes of the 2003 Northeast Blackout, 

explaining that the cascade during this event was accelerated by zone 2 and zone 3 relays 

that tripped facilities out of service because these devices could not distinguish between a 

dynamic, but stable, power swing and an actual fault.8

 While the Commission

recognized that addressing stable power swings is a complex issue, Order No. 733 

 4 16 U.S.C. 824(d) and (e).

5 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).

6 North American Electric Reliability Corp., 116 FERC ¶ 61,062, order on reh’g 

and compliance, 117 FERC ¶ 61,126 (2006), aff’d sub nom. Alcoa, Inc. v. FERC, 

564 F.3d 1342 (D.C. Cir. 2009).

7 Order No. 733, 130 FERC ¶ 61,221 at P 150.

8 Id. PP 3-4, 130 (citing U.S.-Canada Power System Outage Task Force, Final 

Report on the August 14, 2003 Blackout in the United States and Canada: Causes and 

Recommendations, at 80 (2004); and August 14, 2003 Blackout: NERC Actions to 

Prevent and Mitigate the Impacts of Future Cascading Blackouts, at 13 (2004)).
Docket No. RM15-8-000 - 4 -

observed that there was no Reliability Standard to address relays tripping for stable 

power swings despite their contribution to the 2003 Northeast Blackout. Accordingly,

the Commission directed NERC to develop a Reliability Standard to address undesirable 

relay operation due to stable power swings.9

6. On February 17, 2011, the Commission denied rehearing in Order No. 733-A, 

stating that “[w]e continue to believe that not addressing stable power swings constitutes 

a gap in the current Reliability Standards and must be addressed.”10 Accordingly, the 

Commission affirmed the directive in Order No. 733 that NERC develop a Reliability 

Standard addressing stable power swings.11 The Commission clarified that it did not 

require a Reliability Standard containing an absolute obligation to prevent protection 

relays from operating unnecessarily during stable power swings or an across-the-board 

elimination of all zone 3 relays; the Commission only required the development of a 

Reliability Standard that addresses protection systems that are vulnerable to stable power 

swings (resulting from Category B and Category C contingencies from the NERC 

Planning Standards in place at that time) that result in inappropriate tripping.

12 In Order 

No. 733-B, the Commission denied further clarification on this issue.

 9 Id. P 153.

10 Order No. 733-A, 134 FERC ¶ 61,127 at P 104.

11 Id.

12 Id. P 107.
Docket No. RM15-8-000 - 5 -

B. NERC Petition and Reliability Standard PRC-026-1

7. On December 31, 2014, NERC submitted a petition seeking approval of 

Reliability Standard PRC-026-1, as well as the associated violation risk factors, violation 

severity levels and implementation plan.

13 NERC avers that Reliability Standard PRC026-1 satisfies the Order No. 733 directive to develop a new Reliability Standard that 

requires the use of protective relay systems that can differentiate between faults and 

stable power swings. According to NERC, Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 sets forth 

requirements that prevent the unnecessary tripping of bulk electric system elements in 

response to stable power swings.14 NERC further explains that the identification of bulk 

electric system elements with protection systems at-risk of operating as a result of a 

stable or unstable power swing and the subsequent review by the applicable generator 

owner or transmission owner “provides assurance that relays will continue to be secure 

for stable power swings if any changes in system impedance occur.”15

8. According to NERC, Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 is “directly responsive” to 

the Order No. 733 directive that NERC develop a Reliability Standard addressing 

undesirable relay operation due to stable power swings.16 However, NERC explains that 

 13 Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 is available on the Commission’s eLibrary 

document retrieval system in Docket No. RM15-8-000 and on the NERC website, 

www.nerc.com.

14 See NERC Petition at 4.

15 Id.

16 Id. at 23 (citing Order No. 733, 130 FERC ¶ 61,221 at P 153).
Docket No. RM15-8-000 - 6 -

the Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 “includes an alternative to the Commission’s 

approach to require ‘the use of protective relay systems that can differentiate between 

faults and stable power swings and, when necessary, phases out protective relay systems 

that cannot meet this requirement.’”17 NERC notes that in Order No. 733-A, the 

Commission clarified that it had not intended “to prohibit NERC from exercising its 

technical expertise to develop a solution to an identified reliability concern that is equally 

effective and efficient as the one proposed in Order No. 733.”18 In support of its 

alternative solution, NERC states that “it is generally preferable to emphasize 

dependability over security when it is not possible to ensure both for all possible system 

conditions.”19 NERC also avers that “[p]rohibiting use of certain types of relays, such as 

those protective relay systems that cannot differentiate between faults and stable power 

swings, may have unintended negative outcomes for Bulk-Power System reliability.”20

9. Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 has four requirements and two attachments. 

NERC explains that Attachment A “provides clarity on which load-responsive protective 

relay functions are applicable” under the standard.21 Specifically, Attachment A provides 

that Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 applies to:

 17 Id. (quoting Order No. 733, 130 FERC ¶ 61,221 at P 162).

18 Id. at 11 (citing Order No. 733-A, 134 FERC ¶ 61,127 at P 11).

19 Id. at 24.

20 Id.

21 Id. at 31.
Docket No. RM15-8-000 - 7 -

any protective functions which could trip instantaneously 

or with a time delay of less than 15 cycles on load current 

(i.e., “load-responsive”) ....

According to NERC, the 15 cycle time delay “is representative of an expected power 

swing having a slow slip rate of 0.67 Hertz (Hz) and is the average time that a stable 

power swing with that slip rate would enter the relay’s characteristic, reverse direction, 

and then exit the characteristic before the time delay expired.”22 NERC states that the 

proposed standard does not apply to “functions that are either immune to power swings, 

block power swings, or prevent non-immune protection function operation due to 

supervision of the function.”23 Attachment B contains the criteria for the evaluation of 

load-responsive protective relays that are within the scope of Reliability Standard PRC026-1.24 

10. Under NERC’s proposed implementation plan for Reliability Standard PRC-026-

1, Requirement R1 would become effective 12 months after Commission approval, and 

Requirements R2, R3 and R4 become effective 36 months after Commission approval.

C. Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

11. On September 17, 2015, the Commission issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 

(NOPR) proposing to approve Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 as just, reasonable, not 

 22 Id. at 30.

23 Id. at 31.

24 See id. at 35-38.
Docket No. RM15-8-000 - 8 -

unduly discriminatory or preferential and in the public interest.

25 The NOPR stated that 

Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 appears to adequately address the Commission’s 

directive in Order No. 733 by helping to prevent the unnecessary tripping of bulk electric 

system elements in response to stable power swings. The NOPR also proposed to accept 

NERC’s proposed approach as an equally effective and efficient method to achieve the 

reliability goal underlying the Commission’s Order No. 733 directive. 

12. In the NOPR, the Commission also expressed concern that NERC’s exclusion of 

load responsive relays with a time delay of 15 cycles or greater, as proposed in 

Attachment A to Reliability Standard PRC-026-1, could result in a gap in reliability. The 

Commission explained that, pursuant to Attachment A, Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 

applies to “any protective functions which could trip instantaneously or with a time delay 

of less than 15 cycles on load current (i.e., “load-responsive”)....” The Commission 

further explained that, although NERC offered a technical rationale for the less than 

15 cycle threshold, explaining that load-responsive relays set to trip instantaneously or 

with a “slight time delay” are most susceptible to power swings, NERC did not supply

information on the burden of including relays with a time delay of 15 cycles or greater 

under Reliability Standard PRC-026-1.26 The Commission stated that the lack of this 

information is significant in light of the fact that an entity would not be required under 

 25 Relay Performance During Stable Power Swings Reliability Standard, Notice of 

Proposed Rulemaking, 80 Fed. Reg. 57,549 (Sept. 24, 2015), 152 FERC ¶ 61,200 (2015).

26 See NOPR, 152 FERC ¶ 61,200 at P 14 (citing NERC Petition at 29-30).
Docket No. RM15-8-000 - 9 -

Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 to investigate an element identified by a planning 

coordinator as potentially susceptible to power swings or investigate an element 

following a known power swing trip if the relay(s) involved have a time delay of 

15 cycles or greater.27

13. The NOPR requested comments on the potential burden of modifying the 

applicability of Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 to include relays with a time delay of 

15 cycles or greater in instances where either: (1) an element has been identified by a 

planning coordinator as potentially susceptible to power swings; or (2) an entity becomes 

aware of a bulk electric system element that tripped in response to a stable or unstable 

power swing due to the operation of its protective relay(s), even if the element was not 

previously identified by the planning coordinator. The Commission stated that it may 

direct NERC to develop modifications to Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 depending on 

the response to the questions on the applicability of Reliability Standard PRC-026-1.

14. In response to the NOPR, seven entities submitted comments. A list of 

commenters appears in Appendix A. The comments have informed our decision making 

in this Final Rule. 

II. Discussion

15. Pursuant to section 215(d)(2) of the FPA, we approve Reliability Standard PRC026-1 as just, reasonable, not unduly discriminatory or preferential, and in the public 

interest. We also approve NERC’s proposed violation risk factors, violation severity 

 27 Id.
Docket No. RM15-8-000 - 10 -

levels and implementation plan. While Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 does not prohibit 

the use of relays that cannot differentiate between faults and stable power swings, 

Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 addresses the prevention of unnecessary tripping of bulk 

electric system elements in response to stable power swings. Accordingly, we approve 

NERC’s approach as an equally effective and efficient method to achieve the reliability 

goal underlying the Commission’s directive in Order No. 733. 

16. As discussed below, based on the NOPR comments, we conclude that the potential 

reliability gap identified in the NOPR, resulting from the exclusion of load responsive 

relays with a time delay of 15 cycles or greater as proposed in Attachment A to 

Reliability Standard PRC-026-1, is adequately addressed by the provisions of Reliability 

Standards TPL-001-4 and PRC-004-4.28 

Load Responsive Relays With a Delay of 15 Cycles or Greater

Comments

17. NERC, Luminant, NAGF, Tri-State, Idaho Power and EEI support the 

Commission’s proposal to approve Reliability Standard PRC-026-1. In response to the 

NOPR’s question regarding the burden of expanding the applicability of Reliability 

Standard PRC-026-1 to include load responsive relays with a time delay of 15 cycles or 

greater, NERC and other commenters offer two responses. First, commenters maintain 

 28 As of January 1, 2016, all requirements of Reliability Standard TPL-001-4 are 

subject to enforcement. Reliability Standard PRC-004-4 was approved May 29, 2015 and 

will be subject to enforcement July 1, 2016. 
Docket No. RM15-8-000 - 11 -

that the 15 cycle limitation in Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 does not result in a 

reliability gap because of how Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 interacts with other 

Reliability Standards to address the Commission’s concern. Second, commenters assert

that expanding the applicability of Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 would result in an 

unnecessary, significant burden or risk to reliability. 

18. NERC, EEI, Tri-State and Luminant claim that no reliability gap results from the 

15 cycle limitation in Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 because planning assessments

required by Reliability Standard TPL-001-4 already address the Commission’s concerns 

regarding relays with a time delay of 15 cycles or greater in instances where an element 

has been identified by a planning coordinator as potentially susceptible to power 

swings.

29 Specifically, NERC explains that a planning assessment conducted pursuant to

Reliability Standard TPL-001-4 “will reveal Elements with load-responsive protective 

relays having time delays of 15 cycles or greater that trip due to power swings.”30 NERC 

further contends that, where an element that trips causes a violation of Reliability 

Standard TPL-001-4 performance criteria, “the Planning Coordinator is required to 

mitigate these conditions through a Corrective Action Plan.”31 EEI agrees with NERC’s 

 29 NERC Comments at 5-6. See also Tri-State Comments at 4; Luminant 

Comments at 3.

30 NERC Comments at 6.

31 Id.
Docket No. RM15-8-000 - 12 -

assessment and identifies Reliability Standard TPL-001-4, Requirement R4, Subpart 

4.1.2 and Requirement R2, Subpart 2.7 as the corresponding requirements.32

19. In addition, NERC and industry commenters state that Reliability Standard PRC004-4 addresses the Commission’s concern regarding situations where a bulk electric 

system element trips in response to a stable or unstable power swing due to the operation 

of its protective relay(s).

33 Specifically, NERC explains that tripping unnecessarily “due 

to an actual stable power swing would be classified as a Misoperation under PRC-004-4 

(Protection System Misoperation Identification and Correction).”34 NERC explains that 

a “Generator Owner and Transmission Owner are required to develop a corrective action 

plan to address the cause(s) of the Misoperation, for example, tripping due to a loadresponsive protective relay set with a time delay of 15 cycles or greater, unless reliability 

would not be improved.”35 

20. Regarding the potential burden of expanding the applicability of Reliability 

Standard PRC-026-1 to cover relays with a time delay of 15 cycles or greater, NERC and 

industry commenters state that expanding the applicability of Requirement R1, Criteria 4 

(element has been identified by a planning coordinator) would increase the burden on 

 32 EEI Comments at 7.

33 NERC Comments at 9-10. See also EEI Comments at 8; Tri-State Comments at 

5.

34 NERC Comments at 9.

35Id.
Docket No. RM15-8-000 - 13 -

transmission owners and generator owners.36 NERC states that there would be no 

increase in burden for the planning coordinator because the planning coordinator is 

required by Reliability Standard TPL-001-4, Requirement R4 “to perform contingency 

analyses based on computer simulation models for the Stability portion of the annual 

Planning Assessment.”37 As noted above, NERC explains that where an element that 

trips during the annual planning assessment causes a violation of Reliability Standard 

TPL-001-4 performance criteria, “the Planning Coordinator is required to mitigate these 

conditions through a Corrective Action Plan.”38

21. NERC, however, states that expanding the applicability of Reliability Standard 

PRC-026-1 to cover relays with a time delay of 15 cycles or greater would “place 

additional burden on the Generator Owner and Transmission Owner for any Elements 

that are identified using Requirement R1, Criteria 4.”39 NERC explains that the 

additional burden “would be determined by the increase in the quantity of loadresponsive protective relays applied to that Element beyond what is proposed in PRC026-1 (i.e. load-responsive protective relays with time delays of 15 cycles or greater).” 

NERC continues that the “increase in burden could be on the order of two to three times 

 36 See id. at 7, 9. See also EEI Comments at 6; Luminant Comments at 4; Idaho 

Power Comments at 2. 

37 NERC Comments at 5.

38 Id.

39 Id. at 6.
Docket No. RM15-8-000 - 14 -

in magnitude to address zone 2 (not communication-aided) and application of reverse 

zone and/or forward zone 4 remote back-up time delayed elements.”40

22. EEI contends that the additional burden would “vary greatly by entity size and 

asset configuration, however, the work associated with this effort would not be 

inconsequential and would consume significant dollars for large entities while tying up 

critical and often scarce engineering resources across the industry.”41 EEI explains that 

even though the Commission proposes to limit the analysis to the two scenarios identified 

in the NOPR, the proposal would increase the number of relay elements evaluated by 

100 to 200 percent at impacted transmission lines, generators and transformer terminals.

42

23. ITC, while not taking a position on the merits of the particular requirements of 

Reliability Standard PRC-026-1, argues “that studies and information now available 

concerning relay performance during stable power swings controvert the Commission’s 

at-the-time reasonable determination in Order No. 733 that a Standard to address relay 

performance during stable power swings was warranted.”43 In particular, ITC “urge[s] 

the Commission to consider the [NERC System Protection and Control Subcommittee] 

Report findings in issuing its final rule in this proceeding.”44 ITC asserts that the SPSC 

 40 Id. at 7.

41 EEI Comments at 6.

42 Id.

43 ITC Comments at 3.

44 Id. (referencing NERC System Protection and Control Subcommittee, 

“Protection System Response to Power Swings” (2013) (SPSC Report)).
Docket No. RM15-8-000 - 15 -

Report undercuts the rationale for promulgating Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 and 

argues that “the Commission should reconsider the necessity of PRC-026-1, particularly 

in light of the burden NERC has determined the new Standard would impose.”45

Commission Determination

24. We find that Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 addresses the Commission’s

directive in Order No. 733 by providing measures to mitigate the unnecessary tripping of 

bulk electric system elements in response to stable power swings. While it does not 

prohibit the use of relays that cannot differentiate between faults and stable power 

swings, we conclude that Reliability Standard PRC-026-1’s approach is an equally 

effective and efficient method to achieve the reliability goal underlying the 

Commission’s directive in Order No. 733.

25. While ITC asks that the Commission reconsider the necessity of PRC-026-1 in 

light of the SPSC Report, the Commission continues to believe in the necessity of a 

Reliability Standard that addresses the performance of relays during stable power swings. 

In response to ITC’s comments, the recommendations from the 2013 SPSC Report were 

used in the development of Reliability Standard PRC-026-1. As noted by NERC, 

Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 “is based on and is consistent with the recommendations 

 45 Id. at 4.
Docket No. RM15-8-000 - 16 -

found in the [SPSC] Report.”46 Accordingly, we conclude that Reliability Standard PRC026-1 reflects the recommendations outlined in the SPSC Report. 

26. Based on the NOPR comments, we are persuaded that the potential reliability gap 

identified in the NOPR, resulting from the exclusion of load responsive relays with a time 

delay of 15 cycles or greater as proposed in Attachment A to Reliability Standard PRC026-1, is adequately addressed by requirements of Reliability Standards TPL-001-4 

(Transmission System Planning Performance Standards) and PRC-004-4 (Protection 

System Misoperation Identification and Correction). We agree with commenters that 

these Reliability Standards adequately address the risk posed by load responsive relays 

with a time delay of 15 cycles or greater in the two cases identified in the NOPR. 

Accordingly, we do not direct any modifications to Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 at 

this time. 

27. First, where an element has been identified by a planning coordinator as 

potentially susceptible to power swings, Reliability Standard TPL-001-4 addresses the 

NOPR’s concern by requiring applicable entities to both (1) identify elements with loadresponsive protective relays having time delays of 15 cycles or greater that trip due to 

power swings and (2) mitigate through a corrective action plan where Reliability 

Standard TPL-001-4 performance criteria are not met. Specifically, Reliability Standard 

TPL-001-4 sets forth the parameters for certain studies associated with the annual 

 46 NERC Petition at 15-16. 
Docket No. RM15-8-000 - 17 -

planning assessment that are intended to identify, among other things, situations where a 

transmission system element trips due to an impedance swing resulting from a generator 

pulling out of synchronization.47 An element that trips due to the criteria in Requirement 

R4, Subpart 4.1.2 fails to meet the performance requirements in Table 1 of Reliability 

Standard TPL-001-4. When an element fails to meet the performance requirements in 

Table 1, the planning coordinator is required to develop a “Corrective Action Plan(s) 

addressing how the performance requirements will be met.”48 Therefore, Reliability 

Standard TPL-001-4 addresses the concerns raised in the NOPR regarding the exclusion 

of load responsive relays with a time delay of 15 cycles or greater from Requirement R1 

of Reliability Standard PRC-026-1. 

28. Second, where an entity becomes aware of a bulk electric system element that 

tripped in response to a stable or unstable power swing due to the operation of its 

protective relay(s), we agree with commenters that the tripping would be classified as a 

misoperation under Reliability Standard PRC-004-4.

49 Therefore, the generator owner or

transmission owner would be required to develop a corrective action plan to address the 

cause(s) of the misoperation, which in this case would be tripping due to a loadresponsive protective relay set with a time delay of 15 cycles or greater, unless the 

transmission owner or generation owner “explains in a declaration why corrective action 

 47 See Reliability Standard TPL-001-4 (Transmission System Planning 

Performance Requirements), Requirement R4, Subpart 4.1.2. 

48 Id., Requirement R2, Subpart 2.7.

49 See, e.g., NERC Comments at 9-10, EEI Comments at 8.
Docket No. RM15-8-000 - 18 -

plans are beyond the entity’s control or would not improve BES reliability.”50 

Specifically, Reliability Standard PRC-004-4 requires entities to investigate and mitigate, 

through a corrective action plan, any misoperation.51 A misoperation under Reliability 

Standard PRC-004-4 includes, in pertinent part, unnecessary trips for non-fault conditions 

resulting from power swings.52 Therefore, Reliability Standard PRC-004-4 addresses the 

concerns raised in the NOPR regarding the exclusion of load responsive relays with a 

time delay of 15 cycles or greater from Requirement R2, Part 2.2 of Reliability Standard 

PRC-026-1. 

29. Finally, concerns with the potential burden of expanding the applicability of 

Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 to cover relays with a time delay of 15 cycles or greater

in order to address the potential reliability gap identified in the NOPR are moot given our 

determination above that the potential reliability gap identified in the NOPR is adequately 

addressed by existing Reliability Standard requirements.

III. Information Collection Statement 

30. The FERC-725G53 information collection requirements contained in this Final 

Rule are subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations 

 50 Reliability Standard PRC-004-4 (Protection System Misoperation and 

Correction), Requirement R5.

51 See id.

52 Id., Application Guidelines at 22.

53 The requirements in the RM15-8-000 NOPR were submitted to OMB within 

FERC-725G3 (OMB Control Number 1902-0285). FERC-725G3 is a temporary 

collection that enabled timely submission to OMB. The requirements are now being 

 (continued...)
Docket No. RM15-8-000 - 19 -

under section 3507(d) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).54 OMB’s 

regulations require approval of certain informational collection requirements imposed by 

agency rules.55 Upon approval of a collection(s) of information, OMB will assign an 

OMB control number and an expiration date. Respondents subject to the filing 

requirements of a 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. 

31. The Commission solicited comments on the need for this information, whether the 

information will have practical utility, the accuracy of the burden estimates, ways to 

enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected or retained, and 

any suggested methods for minimizing respondents’ burden, including the use of 

automated information techniques. Specifically, the Commission asked that any revised 

burden or cost estimates submitted by commenters be supported by sufficient detail to 

understand how the estimates are generated. The Commission did not receive any 

comments on the estimates in the NOPR.

Public Reporting Burden: The Commission approves Reliability Standard PRC-026-1. 

Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 will impose new requirements for the notification of 

particular bulk electric system elements from planning coordinator to generator owners 

and transmissions owners based on given criteria. Generator owners and transmissions 

 

submitted to the information collection intended for these requirements, specifically 

FERC-725G (OMB Control No. 1902-0252).

54 44 U.S.C. 3507(d).

55 5 CFR § 1320.11.
Docket No. RM15-8-000 - 20 -

owner will evaluate those bulk electric system elements and load-responsive protective 

relay(s) according to Attachment B criteria and, if a load-responsive protective relay does 

not meet the Attachment B criteria, the generator owner/transmission owner must 

develop a corrective action plan. Our estimate below regarding the number of 

respondents is based on the NERC Compliance Registry as of June 26, 2015. According 

to the NERC Compliance Registry, NERC has registered 318 transmission owners, 884

generator owners, and 68 planning coordinators. However, under NERC’s compliance 

registration program, entities may be registered for multiple functions, so these numbers 

incorporate some double counting. The total number of unique entities that may be 

identified as a notification provider (e.g. applicable entity) in accordance with proposed 

Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 will be approximately 1,074 entities registered in the 

United States as a transmission owner and/or generator owner. The total number of 

unique entities that may be identified as evidence retention entities (e.g. applicable entity) 

in accordance with proposed Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 will be approximately 

1,092 entities registered in the United States as a transmission owner, generator owner 

and/or planning coordinator. The Commission estimates the annual reporting burden and 

cost as follows: 
Docket No. RM15-8-000 - 21 -

RM15-8-000 (Mandatory Reliability Standards: Reliability Standard PRC-026-1)

Number of 

Respondents

(1)

Annual 

Number of 

Responses 

per 

Respondent

(2)

Total 

Number of 

Responses 

(1)*(2)=(3)

Average 

Burden & 

Cost Per 

Response

(4)

Total 

Annual 

Burden 

Hours & 

Total 

Annual Cost

(3)*(4)=(5)

Cost per

Responde

nt

($)

(5)÷(1)

Notifications to 

GO/TO per

Requirement R1

1,074 1 1,074 8

$485.2856

8,592

$521,191

$485.28

Evidence Retention 

GO/TO/PC

1,092 1 1,092 12

$450.0057

13,104

$491,400

$450.00

TOTAL 2,166 21,696

$1,012,591

Title: FERC-725G, Mandatory Reliability Standards: Reliability Standard PRC-026-1.

Action: Collection of Information.

OMB Control No: 1902-0252.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit and not-for-profit institutions.

Frequency of Responses: One time and on-going. 

 56 The estimates for cost per response are derived using the following formula: 

Average Burden Hours per Response * $60.66 per Hour = Average Cost per 

Response. The hourly average of $60.66 assumes equal time is spent by the manager, 

electrical engineer, and information and record clerk. The average hourly cost (salary 

plus benefits) is: $37.50 for information and record clerks (occupation code 43-4199), 

$78.04 for a manager (occupation code 11-0000), and $66.45 for an electrical engineer 

(occupation code 17-2071). (The figures are taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 

May 2014 figures at http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm).

57 The average hourly cost (salary plus benefits) is $37.50. The BLS wage 

category code is 34-4199. This figure is also taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 

May 2014 figures at http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm.
Docket No. RM15-8-000 - 22 -

Necessity of the Information: Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 will implement the 

Congressional mandate of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to develop mandatory and 

enforceable Reliability Standards to better ensure the reliability of the nation’s BulkPower System. Specifically, the Reliability Standard will address undesirable relay 

operation due to power swings.

32. Internal review: The Commission has reviewed the requirements pertaining to the 

Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 and made a determination that the requirements of this 

standard are necessary to implement section 215 of the FPA. These requirements 

conform to the Commission’s plan for efficient information collection, communication 

and management within the energy industry. The Commission has assured itself, by 

means of its internal review, that there is specific, objective support for the burden 

estimates associated with the information requirements.

33. Interested persons may obtain information on the reporting requirements by 

contacting the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Office of the Executive Director, 

888 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20426 [Attention: Ellen Brown, e-mail: 

DataClearance@ferc.gov, phone: (202) 502-8663, fax: (202) 273-0873]. 

34. Comments concerning the information collections approved in this Final Rule and 

the associated burden estimates, should be sent to the Commission in this docket and may 

also be sent to the Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and 

Regulatory Affairs [Attention: Desk Officer for the Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission, phone: (202) 395-0710, fax: (202) 395-7285]. For security reasons, 

comments should be sent by e-mail to OMB at the following e-mail address: 
Docket No. RM15-8-000 - 23 -

oira_submission@omb.eop.gov. Please reference the docket number of this Final Rule 

(Docket No. RM15-8-000) in your submission.

IV. Regulatory Flexibility Act Analysis 

35. The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (RFA)58 generally requires a description 

and analysis of this Final Rule that will have significant economic impact on a substantial 

number of small entities. Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 sets forth requirements that 

prevent the unnecessary tripping of bulk electric system elements in response to stable 

power swings. As shown in the information collection section, an estimated 

1,092 entities are expected to evaluate bulk electric system elements and load-responsive 

protective relay(s) according to Attachment B criteria of PRC-026-1. Comparison of the 

applicable entities with the Commission’s small business data indicates that 

approximately 661 are small entities59 or 60.53 percent of the respondents affected by 

Reliability Standard PRC-026-1.

36. As discussed above, Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 will serve to enhance

reliability by imposing mandatory requirements governing generator relay loadability, 

thereby reducing the likelihood of premature or unnecessary tripping of generators during 

 58 5 U.S.C. 601-12.

59 The Small Business Administration sets the threshold for what constitutes a 

small business. Public utilities may fall under one of several different categories, each 

with a size threshold based on the company’s number of employees, including affiliates, 

the parent company, and subsidiaries. For the analysis in this NOPR, we apply a 

500 employee threshold for each affected entity. Each entity is classified as Electric Bulk 

Power Transmission and Control (NAICS code 221121).
Docket No. RM15-8-000 - 24 -

system disturbances. The Commission estimates that each of the small entities to whom 

the Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 applies will incur paperwork and record retention 

costs of $935.28 per entity (annual ongoing). 

37. The Commission does not consider the estimated costs per small entity to have a 

significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. Accordingly, the 

Commission certifies that Reliability Standard PRC-026-1 will not have a significant 

economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. Accordingly, no regulatory 

flexibility analysis is required.

V. Environmental Analysis

38. 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.60 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.61 The actions 

herein fall within this categorical exclusion in the Commission’s regulations.

 60 Regulations Implementing the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 

Order No. 486, FERC Stats. & Regs. ¶ 30,783 (1987).

61 18 CFR 380.4(a)(2)(ii) (2015).
Docket No. RM15-8-000 - 25 -

VI. Effective Date and Congressional Notification

39. This Final Rule is effective [insert date 60 days after publication in the Federal 

Register]. The Commission has determined, with the concurrence of the Administrator 

of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB, that this rule is not a “major 

rule” as defined in section 351 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness 

Act of 1996. This Final Rule is being submitted to the Senate, House, and Government 

Accountability Office.

VII. Document Availability

40. 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 

business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern time) at 888 First Street, NE, Room 2A, 

Washington, DC 20426.

41. 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 of this document, excluding the last 

three digits, in the docket number field.

42. User assistance is available for eLibrary and the Commission’s website during 

normal business hours from the Commission’s Online Support at 202-502-6652 (toll free 

at 1-866-208-3676) or email at ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, or the Public Reference 
Docket No. RM15-8-000 - 26 -

Room at (202) 502-8371, TTY (202) 502-8659. E-mail the Public Reference Room at 

public.referenceroom@ferc.gov.

By the Commission. 

( S E A L )

Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,

Deputy Secretary.
Docket No. RM15-8-000 - 27 -

Note: the following Appendix will not appear in the Code of Federal Regulations.

Appendix

Commenters

Abbreviation Commenter

EEI Edison Electric Institute

Idaho Power Idaho Power Company

ITC International Transmission Company

Luminant Luminant Generation Company LLC

NERC North American Electric Reliability Corporation

NAGF North American Generator Forum

Tri-State Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc.