Document ID: FERC-2020-0646-0001
Agency: ferc
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals
Posted Date: 2020-05-26T04:00Z

[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]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 
ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, 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 
DataClearance@FERC.gov, 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Effective date of the standard is 4/1/2020.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \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)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                  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)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
                              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total....................  ................  ................                217  ........................  5,208 hrs.: $416,640.......  ...........
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \8\ Generator Owner.
    \9\ Planning Coordinator.
    \10\ Distribution Provide.
    \11\ Transmission Owner.

[[Page 31493]]

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Dated: May 19, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-11240 Filed 5-22-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P