Document ID: FERC-2018-1314-0001
Agency: ferc
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals
Posted Date: 2018-10-17T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 201 (Wednesday, October 17, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52442-52443]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-22611]

[[Page 52442]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC18-21-000]

Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-725G); Comment 
Request; Extension

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of information collection and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or 
FERC) is soliciting public comment on the currently approved 
information collection, FERC-725G (Reliability Standards for the Bulk 
Power System: PRC Reliability Standards, OMB Control No. 1902-0252).
    As part of this extension request, FERC will transfer the 
information collection requirements and burden of the FERC-725G1 (OMB 
Control No. 1902-0284) and FERC-725G4 (OMB Control No. 1902-0282) into 
FERC-725G. FERC-725G1 and FERC-725G4 information collections will 
eventually be discontinued.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due December 17, 
2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. IC18-21-
000) by either of the following methods:
     eFiling at Commission's website: http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp.
     Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First Street NE, 
Washington, DC 20426.
    Instructions: All submissions must be formatted and filed in 
accordance with submission guidelines at: http://www.ferc.gov/help/submission-guide.asp. For user assistance contact FERC Online Support 
by email at [email protected], or by phone at: (866) 208-3676 
(toll-free), or (202) 502-8659 for TTY.
    Docket: Users interested in receiving automatic notification of 
activity in this docket or in viewing/downloading comments and 
issuances in this docket may do so at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/docs-filing.asp.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by email at 
[email protected], telephone at (202) 502-8663, and fax at (202) 
273-0873.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: FERC-725G (Reliability Standards for the Bulk Power System: 
PRC Reliability Standards).\1\
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    \1\ The current information collection requirements of the FERC-
725G1 (OMB Control No. 1902-0284) and FERC-725G4 (OMB Control No. 
1902-0282) are being transferred into the FERC-725G.
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    OMB Control No.: 1902-0252.
    Type of Request: Request a three-year extension of the FERC-725G 
information collection requirements (including the information 
collection requirements transferred from the FERC-725G1 and FERC-725G4) 
with no changes to the current reporting requirements.
    Abstract: The information collected by the FERC-725G is required to 
implement the statutory provisions of section 215 of the Federal Power 
Act (FPA).\2\ Section 215 of the FPA buttresses the Commission's 
efforts to strengthen the reliability of the interstate bulk power 
grid.
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    \2\ 16 U.S.C. 824o.
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    The FERC-725G information collection currently contains the 
reporting and recordkeeping requirements for the following Reliability 
Standards:

 PRC-002-2 (Disturbance Monitoring and Reporting Requirements)
 PRC-006-2 (Automatic Underfrequency Load Shedding)
 PRC-012-2 (Remedial Action Schemes)
 PRC-019-1 (Coordination of Generating Unit or Plant 
Capabilities, Voltage Regulating Controls, and Protection)
 PRC-023-4 (Transmission Relay Loadability)
 PRC-024-1 (Generator Frequency and Voltage Protective Relay 
Settings)
 PRC-025-1 (Generator Relay Loadability)
 PRC-026-1 (Relay Performance During Stable Power Swings)
 PRC-027-1 (Coordination of Protection Systems for Performance 
During Faults)

    Additionally, the information collection requirements of the 
following Reliability Standards will be incorporated into FERC-725G:

 PRC-004-5(i) \3\ (Protection System Misoperation 
Identification and Correction) and
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    \3\ This standard is currently contained in the FERC-725G1 
information collection. FERC-725G1 will eventually be discontinued.
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 PRC-010-2 \4\ (Undervoltage Load Shedding)
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    \4\ This standard is currently contained in the FERC-725G4 
information collection. FERC-725G4 will eventually be discontinued.

    Each of these Reliability Standards has three components that 
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impose burden upon affected industry:

 Requirements (e.g., denoted in each Reliability Standard as 
R1, R2. . .)
 Measures (e.g., denoted in each Reliability Standard as M1, 
M2. . .)
 Evidence Retention

    These three components can be reviewed for the Reliability 
Standards in NERC petitions in FERC's eLibrary system (http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp) or on NERC's own website 
(www.nerc.com).
    Type of Respondents: Transmission owners, generator owners, 
distribution providers, planning coordinators and transmission 
planners.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \5\ The Commission estimates the annual 
public reporting burden and cost \6\ for the information collection as:
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    \5\ 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. For 
further explanation of what is included in the information 
collection burden, reference 5 Code of Federal Regulations 1320.3.
    \6\ The hourly cost (for salary plus benefits) uses the figures 
from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2017. Unless otherwise 
specified, this figure includes salary (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm) and benefits http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm) for an Electrical Engineer (Occupation Code: 17-2071, 
$66.90/hour) and an Information and Record Clerk (Occupation Code: 
43-4199, $39.68/hour). All of the reporting requirements use the 
electrical engineer rate for cost calculation. Similarly, all of the 
record-keeping requirements use the information and record clerk 
rate for cost calculation.

[[Page 52443]]

                                          FERC-725G--Mandatory Reliability Standards: PRC Reliability Standards
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                                                             Annual number                  Average burden & cost   Total annual burden      Cost per
       Reliability standards         Number of respondents   of responses    Total number     ($) (rounded) per     hours & total annual    respondent
                                              \7\           per respondent   of responses          response          cost ($) (rounded)    (rounded) ($)
                                     (1)..................             (2)     (1)*(2)=(3)  (4) \8\..............  (3)*(4)=(5)..........         (5)/(1)
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                                                                 Reporting Requirements
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PRC-023-4..........................  741 (TO, GO, DP, PC).               1             741  42.445 hrs.; $2,840..  31,452 hrs.;                   $2,840
                                                                                                                    $2,104,139.
PRC-002-2..........................  521 (TO, GO).........               1             521  73.729 hrs.; $4,932..  38,413 hrs.;                    4,932
                                                                                                                    $2,569,830.
PRC-006-2..........................  80 (TO, DP)..........               1              80  47 hrs.; $3,144......  3,760 hrs.; $251,544.           3,144
PRC-012-2..........................  3,291 (RC, PC, TO,                  1           3,291  23.746 hrs.; $1,589..  78,147 hrs.;                    1,589
                                      GO, DP).                                                                      $5,228,034.
PRC-019-1..........................  738 (GO, TO).........               1             738  17 hrs.; $1,137......  12,546 hrs.; $839,327           1,137
PRC-024-1..........................  738 (GO).............               1             738  17 hrs.; $1,137......  12,546 hrs.; $839,327           1,137
PRC-025-1..........................  1,019 (GO, TO, DP)...               1           1,019  6.622 hrs.; $443.....  6,748 hrs.; $451,441.             443
PRC-026-1..........................  1,092 (GO, PC, TO)...               1           1,092  7.868 hrs.; $1,092...  8,592 hrs.; $574,805.           1.092
PRC-027-1..........................  1,727 (TO, GO, DP)...               1           1,727  19.757 hrs.; $1,322..  34,120 hrs.;                    1,322
                                                                                                                    $2,282,628.
PRC-004-5(i) \9\ (formerly in FERC-  648 (TO, GO, DP).....               1             648  8 hrs.\10\; $535.....  5,184 hrs.; $346,810.             535
 725G1).
PRC-010-2 (formerly in FERC-725G4).  26 (PC, TP, DP)......               1              26  36 hrs.; $2,408......  936 hrs.; $62,618....           2,408
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                                                    Record-Keeping (Evidence Retention) Requirements
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PRC-023-4..........................  741 (TO, GO, DP, PC).               1             741  513.858 hrs.; $20,390  380,769 hrs.;                  20,390
                                                                                                                    $15,108,914.
PRC-002-2..........................  521 (TO, GO).........               1             521  31.599 hrs.; $1,254..  16,463 hrs.; $653,252           1,254
PRC-006-2..........................  80 (TO, DP)..........               1              80  5 hrs.; $198.........  400 hrs.; $15,872....             198
PRC-012-2..........................  3,291 (RC, PC, TO,                  1           3,291  11.754 hrs.; $466....  38,684 hrs.;                      466
                                      GO, DP).                                                                      $1,543,981.
PRC-019-2..........................  738 (GO, TO).........               1             738  0 hrs.; $0...........  0 hrs.; $0...........               0
PRC-024-1..........................  738 (GO).............               1             738  0 hrs.; $0...........  0 hrs.; $0...........               0
PRC-025-1..........................  1,019 (GO, TO, DP)...               1           1,019  2.044 hrs.; $81......  2,083 hrs.; $82,653..              81
PRC-026-1..........................  1,092 (GO, PC, TO)...               1           1,092  12 hrs.; $476........  13,104 hrs.; $519,967             476
PRC-027-1..........................  1,727 (TO, GO, DP)...               1           1,727  15.854 hrs.; $629....  27,380 hrs.;                      629
                                                                                                                    $1,086,438.
PRC-004-5(i) (formerly in FERC-      648 (TO, GO, DP).....               1             648  12 hrs.; $476........  7,776 hrs.; $308,552.             476
 725G1).
PRC-010-2 (formerly in FERC-725G4).  26 (PC, TP, DP)......               1              26  12 hrs.; $476........  312 hrs.; $12,380....             476
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    Subtotal for Reporting           .....................  ..............  ..............  .....................  232,444 hrs.;          ..............
     Requirements.                                                                                                  $15,550,504.
    Subtotal for Record-keeping      .....................  ..............  ..............  .....................  486,971 hrs.;          ..............
     Requirements.                                                                                                  $19,323,009.
        Total......................  .....................  ..............  ..............  .....................  719,415 hrs.;          ..............
                                                                                                                    $34,873,513.
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    Comments: Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the Commission, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden and 
cost of the collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information collection; and (4) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are 
to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
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    \7\ GO = generator owner, TO = transmission owner, DP = 
distribution planner; PC = planning coordinator and TP = 
transmission planners, RC = Reliability Coordinator.
    \8\ The average costs per response are rounded to the nearest 
dollar.
    \9\ Reliability Standard PRC-004-5(i) is an updated standard 
that neither added nor removed reporting and record keeping 
requirements (and corresponding burden) as compared to Reliability 
Standards PRC-004-3 and PRC-004-4.
    \10\ The reporting requirements for Reliability Standards PRC-
004-5(i) are reduced by 2 hours/response (annually) due to 
completion of a one-time requirement imposed by the Order in Docket 
No. RD14-14-000).

     Dated: October 12, 2018.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-22611 Filed 10-16-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P