[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 17, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8299-8301]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-03106]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. RD14-13-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-725F); 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, 44 U.S.C.

[[Page 8300]]

3507(a)(1)(D), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or 
FERC) is soliciting public comment on the currently approved 
information collection, FERC-725F (Mandatory Reliability Standard for 
Nuclear Plant Interface Coordination: Reliability Standard NUC-001-3), 
as modified in this docket. The Commission previously published a 
notice in the Federal Register (79 FR 69450, 11/21/2014) requesting 
public comments. The Commission received no comments and is making this 
notation in its submittal to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due March 19, 
2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. RD14-13-
000) by either of the following methods:
     eFiling at Commission's Web site: 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-725F (Mandatory Reliability Standard for Nuclear Plant 
Interface Coordination: Reliability Standard NUC-001-3).
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0249.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-725F information 
collection requirements.
    Abstract: The Commission requires the information collected by the 
FERC-725F to implement the statutory provisions of section 215 of the 
Federal Power Act (FPA).\1\ On August 8, 2005, the Electricity 
Modernization Act of 2005, which is Title XII, Subtitle A, of the 
Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005), was enacted into law.\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\
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    \1\ 16 U.S.C. 824o (2012).
    \2\ Energy Policy Act of 2005, Pub. L. 109-58, Title XII, 
Subtitle A, 119 Stat. 594, 941 (2005), 16 U.S.C. 824o.
    \3\ 16 U.S.C. 824o(e)(3).
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    On February 3, 2006, the Commission issued Order No. 672, 
implementing section 215 of the FPA.\4\ Pursuant to Order No. 672, the 
Commission certified one organization, the North American Electric 
Reliability Corporation (NERC), as the ERO. The Reliability Standards 
developed by the ERO and approved by the Commission apply to users, 
owners and operators of the Bulk-Power System as set forth in each 
Reliability Standard.
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    \4\ Rules Concerning Certification of the Electric Reliability 
Organization; and Procedures for the Establishment, Approval, and 
Enforcement of Electric Reliability Standards, Order No. 672, FERC 
Stats. & Regs. ] 31,204, order on reh'g, Order No. 672-A, FERC 
Stats. & Regs. ] 31,212 (2006).
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    On November 19, 2007, NERC filed its petition for Commission 
approval of the Nuclear Plant Interface Coordination Reliability 
Standard, designated NUC-001-1. In Order No. 716 the Commission 
approved the standard while also directing certain revisions.\5\ 
Reliability Standard, NUC-001-2, was approved by the Commission on 
January 21, 2010.\6\ Revised Reliability Standard NUC-001-3 was filed 
with the Commission by NERC on September 15, 2014.
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    \5\ Mandatory Reliability Standard for Nuclear Plant Interface 
Coordination, Order No. 716, 125 FERC ] 61,065, at P 189 & n.90 
(2008), order on reh'g, Order No. 716-A, 126 FERC ] 61,122 (2009).
    \6\ North American Electric Reliability Corporation, 130 FERC ] 
61,051 (2010). When the revised Reliability Standard was approved 
the Commission, it did not go to OMB for approval. It is assumed 
that the changes made did not substantively affect the information 
collection, and therefore a formal submission to OMB was not needed.
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    The purpose of Reliability Standard NUC-001-3 is to require 
``coordination between nuclear plant generator operators and 
transmission entities for the purpose of ensuring nuclear plant safe 
operation and shutdown.'' \7\ Reliability Standard NUC-001-3 applies to 
nuclear plant generator operators (generally nuclear power plant owners 
and operators, including licensees of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission) and ``transmission entities,'' defined in the Reliability 
Standard as including a nuclear plant's suppliers of off-site power and 
related transmission and distribution services. Reliability Standard 
NUC-001-3 requires a nuclear power plant operator and its suppliers of 
back-up power and related transmission and distribution services to 
coordinate concerning nuclear licensing requirements for safe nuclear 
plant operation and shutdown and system operating limits. Information 
collection requirements include establishing and maintaining interface 
agreements, including record retention requirements.
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    \7\ See Reliability Standard NUC-001-3, available at http://www.nerc.com/files/NUC-001-3.pdf.
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    Type of Respondents: Nuclear power plant owners, operators, and 
transmission entities
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \8\ The Commission estimates for the 
annual public reporting burden for the Reliability Standard NUC-001-3 
are unchanged from the estimates in the public notices issued for 
Reliability Standard NUC-001-2 on 10/30/2014 \9\ and 1/28/2015 \10\ in 
Docket No. IC14-16-000.
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    \8\ The Commission defines burden 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. 5 CFR 1320.3 (2014) (explaining what is included in the 
information collection burden).
    \9\ 79 FR 61068 (10/9/2014).
    \10\ 80 FR 6067 (2/4/2015).
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    Reliability Standard NUC-001-3 represents the implementation of 
recommendations made by the NERC Five Year Review Team to revise 
Reliability Standard NUC-001-2. These recommendations include 
clarifying and conforming changes to update the standard for current 
use of terminology implemented in other areas of the Reliability 
Standards, as well as updated violation risk factors and violation 
severity levels for the evaluation of violations of the Reliability 
Standard. The burden of complying with the requirements under 
Reliability Standard NUC-001-3 will not change because the changes from 
the previous Reliability Standard NUC-001-2 are substantially 
administrative in nature.
    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

[[Page 8301]]

the collection of information on those who are to respond, including 
the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology.

    Dated: February 9, 2015.
 Kimberly D. Bose,
 Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-03106 Filed 2-13-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P