162 FERC ¶ 61,020

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION

18 CFR Part 40

[Docket No. RM17-12-000; Order No. 840]

Emergency Preparedness and Operations Reliability Standards

(Issued January 18, 2018)

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approves Emergency 

Preparedness and Operations (EOP) Reliability Standards EOP-004-4 

(Event Reporting), EOP-005-3 (System Restoration from Blackstart Resources), 

EOP-006-3 (System Restoration Coordination), and EOP-008-2 (Loss of Control Center 

Functionality). 

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

publication in the FEDERAL REGISTER].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

E. Nick Henery (Technical Information)

Office of Electric Reliability, Division of Reliability Standards and Security

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 

888 First Street, NE 

Washington, DC 20426 

Telephone: (202) 502-8636

Nick.Henery@ferc.gov
Docket No. RM17

-12-000 ii

Bob Stroh (Legal Information)

Office of the General Counsel

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

888 First Street, NE 

Washington, DC 20426

Telephone: (202) 502-8473

Robert.Stroh@ferc.gov

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
162 FERC ¶ 61,020

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION

Before Commissioners: Kevin J. McIntyre, Chairman;

 Cheryl A. LaFleur, Neil Chatterjee,

Robert F. Powelson, and Richard Glick.

Emergency Preparedness and Operations Reliability

Standards

Docket No. RM17-12-000

ORDER NO. 840

FINAL RULE

(Issued January 18, 2018)

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

1

the Commission 

approves Emergency Preparedness and Operations (EOP) Reliability Standards 

EOP-004-4 (Event Reporting), EOP-005-3 (System Restoration from Blackstart 

Resources), EOP-006-3 (System Restoration Coordination), and EOP-008-2 (Loss of 

Control Center Functionality), submitted by the North American Electric Reliability 

Corporation (NERC), the Commission-certified Electric Reliability Organization (ERO). 

The Commission also approves the associated violation risk factors, violation severity 

levels, implementation plans, and effective dates. In addition, the Commission approves 

the retirement of currently-effective Reliability Standards EOP-004-3, EOP-005-2, 

EOP-006-2, and EOP-008-1 immediately prior to the effective dates of the EOP 

Reliability Standards. 

 

1 16 U.S.C. 824(o). The approved Reliability Standards are available on the 

Commission’s eLibrary document retrieval system in Docket No. RM17-12-000 and on 

the NERC website, www.nerc.com. 
Docket No. RM17-12-000 - 2 -

2. The Commission determines that the approved EOP Reliability Standards will 

enhance reliability by: (1) providing accurate reporting of events to NERC’s event 

analysis group to analyze the impact on the reliability of the bulk electric system

(Reliability Standard EOP-004-4); (2) delineating the roles and responsibilities of entities 

that support system restoration from blackstart resources which generate power without 

the support of the bulk electric system (Reliability Standard EOP-005-3); (3) clarifying 

the procedures and coordination requirements for reliability coordinator personnel to 

execute system restoration processes (Reliability Standard EOP-006-3); and (4) refining

the required elements of an operating plan used to continue reliable operations of the bulk 

electric system in the event that primary control center functionality is lost (Reliability 

Standard EOP-008-2). 

I. Background

A. Regulatory Background 

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

mandatory and enforceable Reliability Standards that are subject to Commission review 

and approval. The Commission may approve, by rule or order, a proposed Reliability 

Standard or modification to a Reliability Standard if it determines that the Reliability 

Standard is just, reasonable, not unduly discriminatory or preferential and in the public
Docket No. RM17-12-000 - 3 -

interest.2 Once approved, the Reliability Standards may be enforced by the ERO, subject 

to Commission oversight, or by the Commission independently.3 

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

and certify an ERO,4and subsequently certified NERC.5 On March 16, 2007, the 

Commission issued Order No. 693, approving 83 of the 107 Reliability Standards filed by 

NERC, including the initial EOP Reliability Standards.6 

B. NERC Petition

5. On March 27, 2017, NERC filed a petition seeking approval of the proposed 

EOP Reliability Standards and retirement of currently-effective Reliability Standards

EOP-004-3, EOP-005-2, EOP-006-2, and EOP-008-1. NERC indicated that the revisions 

were intended to: (1) streamline the currently-effective EOP Reliability Standards; 

(2) remove redundancies and other unnecessary language while making the Reliability 

 

2

Id. 824o(d)(2).

3

Id. 824o(e).

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), aff’d sub nom. Alcoa, Inc. v. FERC, 564 

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

6 Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power System, Order No. 693, 

72 FR 16416 (Apr. 4, 2007), FERC Stats. & Regs. ¶ 31,242, at P 297, order on reh’g, 

Order No. 693-A, 120 FERC ¶ 61,053 (2007).
Docket No. RM17-12-000 - 4 -

Standards more results-based;7and (3) address the Commission’s concern articulated in 

Order No. 749 regarding system restoration training.8 

C. Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Comments

6. On September 20, 2017, the Commission issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 

proposing to approve the EOP Reliability Standards submitted by NERC.

9

 In the NOPR 

the Commission indicated that Reliability Standard EOP-004-4 will enhance reliability by 

assigning reporting responsibilities to appropriate entities and clarifying the threshold 

reporting for a given event. In addition, the Commission proposed to find that Reliability 

Standard EOP-004-4 promotes efficiency and clarity by eliminating redundant reporting 

of a single event by multiple entities. The Commission also proposed to determine that 

Reliability Standards EOP-005-3, EOP-006-3, and EOP-008-2 will enhance reliability by 

delineating the roles and responsibilities of entities that support system restoration from 

blackstart resources; clarifying the procedures and coordination requirements for 

reliability coordinator personnel to execute system restoration processes; and refining the 

contents of an operating plan used by reliability coordinators, balancing authorities, and 

 

7 North American Electric Reliability Corp., 138 FERC ¶ 61,193, at P 81 

(March 2012 Order), order on reh’g and clarification, 139 FERC ¶ 61,168 (2012). The 

March 2012 Order approved a NERC process to identify requirements that could be 

removed from Reliability Standards without impacting the reliability of the 

interconnected transmission network.

8 System Restoration Reliability Standards, Order No. 749, 134 FERC ¶ 61,215, 

at PP 18, 24 (2011).

9 Emergency Preparedness and Operations Reliability Standards, Notice of 

Proposed Rulemaking, 82 FR 44,746 (Sept. 26, 2017), 160 FERC ¶ 61,072 (2017) 

(NOPR).
Docket No. RM17-12-000 - 5 -

transmission operators to maintain the reliability of the bulk electric system in the event

that primary control center functionality is lost. 

7. NERC, Edison Electric Institute (EEI), and Magnum CAES, LLC (Magnum) filed 

comments in response to the NOPR either supporting or taking no position on the NOPR 

proposal. NERC and EEI request that the Commission adopt the NOPR proposal to 

approve the EOP Reliability Standards. Magnum states that it does not take a specific 

position on the EOP Reliability Standards but believes that they are important tools in 

maintaining grid safety and reliability. 

II. Discussion

8. Pursuant to FPA section 215(d)(2), the Commission approves Reliability 

Standards EOP-004-4, EOP-005-3, EOP-006-3, and EOP-008-2 as just, reasonable, not 

unduly discriminatory or preferential, and in the public interest. The Commission also 

approves the associated violation risk factors, violation severity levels, implementation 

plans, and effective dates. Further, the Commission approves the retirement of currentlyeffective Reliability Standards EOP-004-3, EOP-005-2, EOP-006-2, and EOP-008-1 

immediately prior to the effective dates of the approved EOP Reliability Standards.

9. The Commission determines that Reliability Standard EOP-004-4 will enhance 

reliability by assigning reporting responsibilities to appropriate entities and clarifying the 

threshold reporting for a given event. In addition, aligning the reportable events and 

thresholds, where appropriate, identified in Attachments 1 and 2 of the Reliability 

Standard with the Department of Energy’s Form OE-417 will improve the quality of 

information received by NERC and, as a result, the quality of analysis that NERC 
Docket No. RM17-12-000 - 6 -

produces to assess the greatest risks to the bulk electric system. Further, Reliability 

Standard EOP-004-4 promotes efficiency and clarity by eliminating redundant reporting 

of a single event by multiple entities. The Commission determines that Reliability 

Standards EOP-005-3, EOP-006-3, and EOP-008-2 will enhance reliability by delineating

the roles and responsibilities of entities that support system restoration from blackstart 

resources; clarifying the procedures and coordination requirements for reliability 

coordinator personnel to execute system restoration processes; and refining the contents 

of an operating plan used by reliability coordinators, balancing authorities, and 

transmission operators to maintain the reliability of the BES in the event that primary 

control center functionality is lost. 

10. As discussed in the NOPR, under currently-effective Reliability Standard 

EOP-004-3, Attachment 1, reliability coordinators must report to NERC when they 

operate outside of their interconnection reliability operating limit (IROL) for greater than 

“Tv” (defined as less than or equal to 30 minutes). NERC proposed to eliminate the IROL 

violation reporting requirement in Attachment 1 of Reliability Standard EOP-004-4 

because, according to NERC, Reliability Standard EOP-004 is primarily a tool for 

trending analysis and developing lessons learned and not designed to be a real-time tool. 

NERC stated that any real-time reporting to NERC or Regional Entities (i.e., 

contemporaneous with the transmission operator’s notification of the IROL to the 

reliability coordinator) should be addressed in the Transmission Operations Reliability 

Standards, which deal with the real-time operations time horizon. NERC identified in its 

petition three Reliability Standards that, NERC asserted, require the reporting of such 
Docket No. RM17-12-000 - 7 -

information.10 However, in the NOPR, the Commission indicated that it did not appear 

that these Reliability Standards require the reporting of IROL Tv exceedance information; 

instead, the Commission observed that currently NERC voluntarily shares IROL Tv 

exceedance information, collected pursuant to Reliability Standard EOP-004-3, with 

Commission staff so that Commission staff can monitor the transmission system and 

identify reliability trends.

11

 In the NOPR, the Commission stated that it understands that 

NERC will continue to receive IROL Tv exceedance information and share it with 

Commission staff even after the retirement of Reliability Standard EOP-004-3. NERC 

did not dispute or otherwise take issue with the Commission’s understanding in NERC’s 

comments.12 The Commission approves the retirement of currently-effective Reliability 

Standard EOP-004-3. 

III. Information Collection Statement 

11. The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)13 requires each federal agency to seek and 

obtain Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval before undertaking a 

collection of information directed to ten or more persons, or contained in a rule of general 

 

10 NERC cited Reliability Standards TOP-001-3 (Transmission Operations) and 

TOP-007-0 (Reporting System Operating Limit (SOL) and IROL Violations), and 

Reliability Standard IRO-009-2 (Reliability Coordinator Actions to Operate within 

IROLs). 

11 NOPR, 160 FERC ¶ 61,072 at P 15.

12 None of the commenters disagreed with the Commission’s understanding

regarding IROL Tv exceedance information sharing.

13 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520. 
Docket No. RM17-12-000 - 8 -

applicability. The OMB regulations require that OMB approve certain reporting and 

recordkeeping (collections of information) imposed by an agency.14 Upon approval of a 

collection(s) of information, OMB will assign an OMB control number and expiration 

date. Respondents subject to the filing 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.

12. In this Final Rule the Commission is approving the following Reliability 

Standards: EOP-004-4 (Event Reporting), EOP-005-3 (System Restoration from 

Blackstart Resources), EOP-006-3 (System Restoration Coordination), and EOP-008-2 

(Loss of Control Center Functionality), associated with information collections 

FERC-725A and FERC-725S. The Commission also approves the associated violation 

risk factors, violation severity levels, implementation plans, and effective dates. 

13. Public Reporting Burden: The changes reflected in these Reliability Standards are 

not expected to result in a net increase in the annual record-keeping and reporting 

requirements on applicable entities (GO, DP, RC, TO, TOP, and GOP).

15

 Our estimate in 

the tables below regarding the number of respondents is based on the NERC Compliance 

Registry as of September 15, 2017. Reliability Standards EOP-004-4, EOP-005-3, 

EOP-006-3, and EOP-008-2 will replace the paperwork burden approved in FERC-725A 

 

14 5 CFR 1320.11.

15 Generator Operator (GOP); Generator Owner (GO); Transmission Operators 

(TOP); Transmission Owners (TO); Reliability Coordinator (RC); Distribution Provider 

(DP).
Docket No. RM17-12-000 - 9 -

(OMB Control. No. 1902-0244) and be added to FERC-725S. That burden reflects an 

increase in total burden hours and cost based on adjustments in the number of entities and 

cost per hour applicable under the EOP Reliability Standards approved in this Final Rule. 

However, analysis comparing both previous burden approved in FERC-725A and burden 

for FERC-725S show an increase in total burden but no increase in burden hours per 

response. 

14. The first table for FERC-725A addresses the burden reduction for a total of 

59,591.5 hours and $3,744,990 (55,929.5 hours and $3,595,708 from reporting 

requirement; and 3,662 hours and $149,282 from record keeping). The second table: 

(a) moves burden from the old version in the Reliability Standards approved in FERC725A to FERC-725S; (b) shows no net change in burden per entity between the new and 

old versions of the Reliability Standards; and (c) updates applicable entities and cost per 

hour figure.

Reductions to FERC-725A, from the Final Rule in Docket No. RM17-12

Reliability 

Standard and 

Associated 

Requirement

Number of 

Respondents

(1)

Annual 

Number of 

Responses 

per 

Respondent

(2)

Total 

Number of 

Responses 

(1)*(2)=(3)

Average 

Burden & 

Cost Per 

Response16

(4)

Total 

Annual 

Burden & 

Total 

Annual 

Cost17

(3)*(4)=(5)

Cost 

per 

Respon

dent

($)

(5)÷(1)

 

16 In the burden table, reporting requirements (engineering) is abbreviated as 

“Eng.” and record keeping is abbreviated as “R.K.”

17 The estimates for cost per hour are based on 2015 wage figures. The table uses

2015 wage figures because 2015 wage figures were used when the requirements listed in 

the table were implemented. The wage figures were derived as follows: 
Docket No. RM17-12-000 - 10 -

EOP-008-2

One-time 

Review and 

Revision of 

Plan

(affected 

entities)

215 1 215 20 hrs. 

(Eng.);

($1,286)

(Reduction)

4,300 hrs. 

(Eng.);

($276,447)(

Reduction) 

($1,286) 

(Eng.) 

(Reducti

on)

Updating, 

Approving, 

and 

Maintaining 

Records

(affected 

entities)

215 1 215 6 hrs. 

(Eng.);

($386)

2 hrs. 

(R.K.);

($76)

(Reduction)

1,290 hrs. 

(Eng.);

($82,934)

430 hrs. 

(R.K.);

($16,233)

(Reduction)

($386) 

(Eng.);

($76) 

(R.K.)

(Reducti

on)

One-time 

Contracting

(affected 

entities)

27 1 27 120 hrs. 

(Eng.)

($7,715)

(Reduction)

3,240 hrs.

($208,300) 

(Eng.) 

(Reduction)

($7,715) 

(Eng.)

(Reducti

on)

EOP-005-3 & 

EOP-006-3

RC Data 

Retention

26 2 52 8 hrs. (R.K.)

($514)

(Reduction)

416 hrs. 

(R.K.);

($26,745) 

(Reduction)

($514) 

(R.K.) 

(Reducti

on)

TOP Reporting 

Data

176 1 176 116 hrs. 

(Eng.);

($7,458)

16 hrs. 

(R.K.);

($604)

(Reduction)

20,416 hrs. 

(Eng.);

($1,312,545

)

2,816 hrs. 

(R.K.);

($106,304)

($7,458) 

(Eng.);

($604) 

(R.K.) 

(Reducti

on)

GOP Testing 230 1 230 80 hrs. 

(Eng.);

($5,143)

(Reduction)

18,400 hrs. 

(Eng.);

($1,182,936

)

(Reduction)

($5,143) 

(Eng.)

(Reducti

on)

 

$64.29/hour, the average salary plus benefits per electrical engineer, Occupation 

Code 17-2071 (from Bureau of Labor Statistics at 

https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm)

$37.75/hour, the average salary plus benefits for information and record clerks, 

Occupation Code 43-4071 (from Bureau of Labor Statistics at 

https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm)

The results of calculations are rounded to the nearest dollar in the burden table.
Docket No. RM17-12-000 - 11 -

TO and DP 

Training

678 1 678 8 hrs. 

(Eng.);

($514) 

(Reduction)

5,424 hrs. 

(Eng.);

($348,709) 

(Reduction)

($514) 

(Eng.)

(Reducti

on)

EOP-004-4

One-Time 

Review and 

Revision of 

Plan

(affected 

entities)

1,400 1 1,400 2 hrs. 

(Eng.);

($129) 

(Reduction)

2,800 hrs. 

(Eng.)

($180,012)

(Reduction)

($129)

(Reducti

on)

Reporting 

Events

(affected 

entities)

350 1 350 0.17 hrs. 

(Eng.);

($11)

(Reduction)

59.5 hrs. 

(Eng.);

($3,825) 

(Reduction)

($11) 

(Reducti

on)

Total, 

Reductions to 

FERC-725A

3,343

(Reduction

)

59,591.5 

hrs;

($3,744,990

)

(Eng.)55,92

9.5 

hrs.;($3,595,

708); (R.K.)

3,662 hrs.;

($149,282)

(Reduction)

In the table below Reliability Standards EOP-004-4, EOP-005-3, EOP-006-3, and EOP008-2 will result in paperwork burden being added to FERC-725S (OMB Control No. 

1902-0270). These Reliability Standards will replace previous versions whose 

paperwork burden was previously approved in FERC-725A (OMB Control. No. 1902-

0244). The burden being added to FERC-725S reflects an increase from the previous 

versions of the Reliability Standards in total burden hours and cost based on adjustments 

in the one additional entities and changes to hourly cost. 
Docket No. RM17-12-000 - 12 -

FERC-725S, modifications due to Final Rule in Docket No. RM17-12

Reliability 

Standard and 

Associated 

Requirement Number of 

Respondent

s

(1)

Annual 

Number of 

Responses 

per 

Respondent

(2)

Total 

Number of 

Responses 

(1)*(2)=(3)

Average 

Burden & 

Cost Per 

Response

18

(4)

Total 

Annual 

Burden & 

Total 

Annual 

Cost19

(3)*(4)=(5)

Cost per 

Responde

nt

($)

(5)÷(1)

EOP-008-2

One-time 

Review in 

Year 1 

216 1 216 20 hrs. 

(Eng.);

$1,362

4,320 hrs. 

(Eng.);

$294,192 

$1,362 

(Eng.) 

Updating, 

Approving, and 

Maintaining 

Records

216 1 216 6 hrs. 

(Eng.);

$409

2 hrs. 

(R.K.);

$78

1728 hrs., 

$105,092 

(1,296 hrs. 

(Eng.);

$88,244

(R.K.);

432 hrs;

$16,848)

$487 

($409 

(Eng.);

$78 

(R.K.))

One-time 

Contracting in 

Year 1

27 1 27 120 hrs. 

(Eng.)

$8174

3,240 hrs.

$220,698 

(Eng.)

$8174 

(Eng.)

EOP-005-3 & 

EOP-006-3

RC Data 

Retention

11 2 22 8 hrs. 

(R.K.)

$313

176 hrs. 

(R.K.);

$6,886

$626 

(R.K.)

 

18 In the burden table, reporting requirement (engineering) is abbreviated as “Eng.” 

and record keeping is abbreviated as “R.K.”

19 The estimates for cost per hour are based on May 2016 wage figures and derived 

as follows: 

$68.12/hour, the average salary plus benefits per electric engineer, Occupation 

Code 17-2071, (from Bureau of Labor Statistics at 

https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm)

$39.14/hour, the average salary plus benefits per information and record clerks 

Occupation Code 43-4071, (from Bureau of Labor Statistics at 

https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm)

The results of calculations are rounded to the nearest dollar within the burden table.
Docket No. RM17

-12-000- 13-

TOP Reporting 

Data

1771 177 132 hrs.,

$8528 

(116 hrs. 

(Eng.);

$7,902

16 hrs. 

(R.K.);

$626)

23,364 

hrs., 

$1,209,456(

20,532 hrs. 

(Eng.);

$1,398,654

2,832 hrs. 

(R.K.);

$110,802)

$8528

($7,902 

(Eng.);

$626 

(R.K.)

GOP Testing 2641 264 80 hrs. 

(Eng.);

$5450

21,120 hrs. 

(Eng.);

$1,438,800

$5,450 

(Eng.)

TO and DP 

Training

5241 524 8 hrs. 

(Eng.);

$545

4,192 hrs. 

(Eng.);

$285,580

$545 

(Eng.)

EOP-004-4

One-Time 

Review and 

Revision in 

Year 1 

(affected 

entities)

1,4751 1,475 2 hrs. 

(Eng.);

$136

2,950 hrs. 

(Eng.)

$200,600

$136(Eng.)

Reporting 

Events

(affected 

entities)

3681 368 0.17 hrs. 

(Eng.);

$12

63 hrs. 

(Eng.);

$4,416

$12 

(Eng.)

Total Year 1 3,289 61,090 

hrs.; 

$4,036,100

((Eng.)

57,650 

hrs., 

$3,901,204;

(R.K)

3440 hrs., 

$134,896)

Total Year 2 1,571 50,643 

hrs.,

$3,350,230

Total Year 3 1,571 50,643 

hrs.,

$3,350,230 
Docket No. RM17-12-000 - 14 -

In the table above, we indicate the annual total burden for years 1, 2 and 3 for FERC725S (OMB Control No. 1902-0270). The average annual burden for years 1, 2, and 3 is 

(61,090 hours + 50,643 hours + 50,643 / 3 = 54,125. The average annual cost is 

$3,578,853.

Title: FERC-725A, Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power System and 

FERC-725S Mandatory Reliability Standards: Emergency Preparedness and Operations 

(EOP)

Action: Revision to existing collections.

OMB Control Nos.: 1902-0244 (FERC-725A); 1902-0270 (FERC-725S)

Respondents: Businesses or other for-profit institutions; not-for-profit institutions.

Frequency of Responses: One-Time and Annually.

Necessity of the Information: Reliability Standards EOP-008-1, EOP-005-3, EOP-006-3,

and EOP-004-4 provide accurate reporting of events to NERC’s event analysis group to 

analyze the impact on the reliability of the bulk electric system (Reliability Standard 

EOP-004-4); delineate the roles and responsibilities of entities that support system 

restoration from blackstart resources (Reliability Standard EOP-005-3); clarify the 

procedures and coordination requirements for reliability coordinator personnel to execute 

system restoration processes (Reliability Standard EOP-006-3); and, refine the required 

elements of an operating plan used to continue reliable operations of the bulk electric 

system if that primary control functionality is lost (Reliability Standard EOP-008-2). 

These Reliability Standards modifications are designed to eliminate redundant reporting 
Docket No. RM17-12-000 - 15 -

of a single event by multiple entities, assign reporting requirements to appropriate 

entities, and clarify the threshold reporting for a given event.

Internal Review: The Commission reviewed the revised Reliability Standards and made a 

determination that its action is necessary to implement section 215 of the FPA. 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.

15. 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, 

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

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) 395-0710, fax: (202) 395-7285]. For security reasons, comments to OMB should 

be submitted by e-mail to: oira_submission@omb.eop.gov. Comments submitted to 

OMB should include 1902-0244 and 1902-0270 and Docket Number RM17-12-000.

IV. Environmental Analysis

16. The Commission is required to prepare an Environmental Assessment or an 

Environmental Impact Statement for any action that may have a significant adverse effect 
Docket No. RM17-12-000 - 16 -

on the human environment.20 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.21 The actions taken 

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

V. Regulatory Flexibility Act 

17. The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (RFA)22 generally requires a description 

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

number of small entities. The RFA does not mandate any particular outcome in a 

rulemaking. It only requires consideration of alternatives that are less burdensome to 

small entities and an agency explanation of why alternatives were rejected. 

18. In this Final Rule, the Commission estimates a one-time cost of compliance for 

administering the changes in the approved Reliability Standards versus their prior 

versions but no ongoing net burden change. The total average annual burden and cost to 

industry over years 1, 2 and 3 is 54,125 hours and $3,578,853. Therefore, the average 

annual cost per entity is $16,569. Comparison of the applicable entities with the 

Commission’s small business data indicates that approximately 45 (or 21 percent) of 

applicable entities are small entities. Accordingly, the Commission certifies that the 

 

20 Regulations Implementing the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 

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

21 18 CFR 380.4(a)(2)(ii).

22 5 U.S.C. 601-612.
Docket No. RM17-12-000 - 17 -

Final Rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 

entities. 

VI. Effective Date and Congressional Notification 

19. These regulations are 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.

VII. Document Availability

20. 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.

21. 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.

22. 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 
Docket No. RM17-12-000 - 18 -

(toll free at 1-866-208-3676) or e-mail at ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, or the 

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

Public Reference Room at public.referenceroom@ferc.gov.

VIII. Effective Date and Congressional Notification

23. These regulations are 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. The Commission will submit the Final Rule to both 

houses of Congress and to the General Accountability Office.

By the Commission.

( S E A L )

Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,

Deputy Secretary.