[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 2 (Tuesday, January 5, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 230-231]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-33125]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. RD16-2-000]


Proposed Agency Information Collection

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Energy.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) invites 
public comment in Docket No. RD16-2-000 on a proposed change to 
collections of information (FERC-725P and FERC-725P1) that the 
Commission is developing for submission to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Comments 
are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the 
accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed 
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize 
the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including 
through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology.

DATES: Comments regarding this proposed information collection must be 
received on or before March 7, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Comments, identified by docket number, may be filed in the 
following ways:
     Electronic Filing through http://www.ferc.gov. Documents 
created electronically using word processing software should be filed 
in native applications or print-to-PDF format and not in a scanned 
format.
     Mail/Hand Delivery: Those unable to file electronically 
may mail or hand-deliver an original of their comments to: Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First 
Street NE., Washington, DC 20426.

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: The Commission will submit the reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements of Reliability Standard PRC-005-6 to OMB for 
review. Reliability Standard PRC-005-6 replaces or supplements 
requirements from previous versions of the PRC-005 Reliability 
Standard, which are approved under FERC-725P (Mandatory Reliability 
Standards: Reliability Standard PRC-005-3, OMB Control No. 1902-0269) 
and FERC-725P1 (Mandatory Reliability Standards, PRC-005-4 Reliability 
Standard, OMB Control No. 1902-0280). The requirements and associated 
burden of Reliability Standard PRC-005-6 will be included in FERC-
725P1.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ In the future, to consolidate reporting requirements 
associated with the PRC Standards, the Commission plans to transfer 
the burden associated with Reliability Standard PRC-005-6 to FERC-
725G (OMB Control No. 1902-0252) and removed from FERC-725P and 
FERC-725P1.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-725P1 information 
collection requirements with the stated changes to the current 
reporting and record retention requirements, and reduction to the 
requirements of FERC-725P.
    Abstract: The Commission requires the information collected by the 
FERC-725P1 to implement the statutory provisions of section 215 of the 
Federal Power Act (FPA).\2\ 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 (EPAct 2005).\3\ 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.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ 16 U.S.C. 824o (2012).
    \3\ Energy Policy Act of 2005, Public Law 109-58, Title XII, 
Subtitle A, 119 Stat. 594, 941 (codified at 16 U.S.C. 824o).
    \4\ 16 U.S.C. 824o(e)(3).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On February 3, 2006, the Commission issued Order No. 672, 
implementing section 215 of the FPA.\5\ Pursuant to Order No. 672, the 
Commission certified one organization, North American Electric 
Reliability Corporation (NERC), as the ERO.\6\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \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), 
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 November 13, 2015, the North American Electric Reliability 
Corporation (NERC) filed a petition for Commission approval of proposed 
Reliability Standard PRC-005-6 (Protection System, Automatic Reclosing, 
and Sudden Pressure Relaying Maintenance). NERC also requested approval 
of the proposed implementation plan for PRC-005-6, and the retirement 
of previous versions of Reliability Standard PRC-005. NERC explained in 
its petition that Reliability Standard PRC-005-6 represents an 
improvement upon the most recently-approved version of the standard, 
PRC-005-4.\7\ FERC approved the proposed Reliability Standard PRC-005-6 
on December 18, 2015.\8\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \7\ As noted in NERC's petition, NERC filed a separate motion to 
delay implementation of the approved, but not yet effective, 
versions of the PRC-005 Reliability Standard in Docket Nos. RM14-8-
000 (PRC-005-3), RD15-3-000 (PRC-005-3(i)), and RM15-9-000 (PRC-005-
4) until after the Commission issues an order or rule regarding 
proposed PRC-005-6. NERC's motion was granted in a delegated letter 
order issued December 4, 2015. See North American Elec. Reliability 
Corp., Docket Nos. RM14-8-000 et al. (Dec. 4, 2015) (delegated 
letter order).
    \8\ The Delegated Letter Order is available in FERC's eLibrary 
at http://elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/common/opennat.asp?fileID=14076238.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Type of Respondents: Transmission Owners (TO), Generator Owners 
(GO), and Distribution Providers.
    Estimate of Annual Burden.\9\ Estimates for the changes to burden 
and cost due to Docket No. RD16-2-000 follow.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \9\ 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).

[[Page 231]]



                                                               Changes Made in RD16-2-000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                   Annual
                                                  number of                                                                                 Total annual
      Reliability standard          Number of     responses   Total number   Average burden and cost  Total annual burden (hours) and cost    cost per
                                   respondents       per      of responses        per  response                                              respondent
                                                 respondent
                                           (1)           (2)   (1) * (2) =  (4).....................  (3) * (4) = (5).....................           ($)
                                                                       (3)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                               FERC-725P (Reduction due to Replacement of PRC-005-3) 10 11
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One-time review of existing           \12\ 937            -1          -937  2 hrs.; $146............  -1,874 hrs.; -$136,802..............       -146.00
 plant and substation sites to
 determine which ones fall under
 PRC-005-3.
One-time review and adjustment        \13\ 288            -1          -288  8 hrs.; $584............  -2,304 hrs.; -$168,192..............       -584.00
 of existing program.
                                 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total Reduction to FERC-725P  ............  ............        -1,225  ........................  -4,178 hrs.; -$304,994..............
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                       FERC-725P1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Replacement of PRC-005-4 14 15--         1,287            -1        -1,287  8 hrs.; $522.72.........  -10,296 hrs.; -$672,740.64..........       -522.72
 One-time review of sudden
 pressure relay maintenance
 program and adjustment (Burden
 Reduction).
Implementation of PRC-005-6--One-     \16\ 937             1           937  2 hrs.; $145............  1,874 hrs.; $135,397................        144.50
 time review of existing plant
 and substation sites to
 determine which ones fall under
 PRC-005-6 (Burden Increase).
Implementation of PRC-005-6--One-          288             1           288  8.5 hrs.; $614..........  2,448 hrs.; $176,868................        614.00
 time review and adjustment of
 existing program for reclosing
 relays and associated equipment
 (Burden Increase).
Implementation of PRC-005-6--One-        1,287             1         1,287  8 hrs.; $531.60.........  10,296 hrs.; $684,169.20............        531.60
 time review and adjustment of
 existing program for sudden
 pressure relays (Burden
 Increase).
                                 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total Net Increase to FERC-   ............  ............         2,512  ........................  4,332 hrs.; $323,693.56.............  ............
     725P1.
                                 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total Net Change, due to      ............  ............             0  ........................  144 hrs.; $18,699...................  ............
     RD16-2.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

    \10\ The estimates for cost per response are derived using the 
following formula: Average Burden Hours per Response * $73 per Hour 
= Average Cost per Response. The hourly cost figure comes from the 
average of the salary plus benefits for a manager and an engineer 
(rounded to the nearest dollar). The figures are taken from the 
Bureau of Labor Statistics at (http://bls.gov/oes/current/naics3_221000.htm).
    \11\ Implemented in Docket RM14-8.
    \12\ This figure reflects the generator owners and transmission 
owners identified in the NERC Compliance Registry as of May 28, 
2014.
    \13\ This figure is a subset of GOs and TOs, as discussed in 
Order 803 (Docket No. RM14-8), P 41.
    \14\ Implemented in Docket RM15-9.
    \15\ The estimates for cost per response are derived using the 
following formula: Average Burden Hours per Response * $65.34 per 
Hour = Average Cost per Response. The hourly cost figure comes from 
the average of the salary plus benefits for an engineer (rounded to 
the nearest dollar). The figures are taken from the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics at (http://bls.gov/oes/current/naics3_221000.htm).
    \16\ This figure reflects the generator owners and transmission 
owners identified in the NERC Compliance Registry as of May 28, 
2014.

    Dated: December 29, 2015.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-33125 Filed 1-4-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P