[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 50 (Tuesday, March 15, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13784-13786]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-05775]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. RD16-2-000]


Proposed Agency Information Collection

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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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 (OMB Control No. 1902-0269) and 
FERC-725P1 (OMB Control No. 1902-0280) that the Commission is 
submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) pursuant to the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The Commission previously issued a 
Notice in the Federal Register (81 FR 230, January 5, 2016) requesting 
public comments. The Commission received no comments and is making this 
notation in the submittals to OMB.

DATES: Comments regarding the proposed information collections must be 
received on or before April 14, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by the OMB Control Nos. 
1902-0269 (FERC-725P) and 1902-0280 (FERC-725P1), should be sent via 
email to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at: 
[email protected], Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission Desk Officer. The Desk Officer may also be reached via 
telephone at 202-395-0710.
    A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Commission, in 
Docket No. RD16-2-000, 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: 
    Titles: FERC-725P (Mandatory Reliability Standards: Reliability 
Standard PRC-005-3) and FERC-725P1 (Mandatory Reliability Standards: 
PRC-005 Reliability Standard)
    OMB Control Nos.: 1902-0269 (FERC-725P) and 1902-0280 (FERC-725P1)
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-725P1 information 
collection requirements with the stated

[[Page 13785]]

changes to the current reporting and record retention requirements, and 
elimination of the requirements of FERC-725P.
    Abstract: Reliability Standard PRC-005-6 (Protection System, 
Automatic Reclosing, and Sudden Pressure Relaying Maintenance) replaces 
or supplements requirements from previous versions of the PRC-005 
Reliability Standard, which are approved under FERC-725P and FERC-
725P1. The requirements and associated burden of Reliability Standard 
PRC-005-6 will be included in FERC-725P1.\1\
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    \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 to remove it from FERC-725P1. 
Note that, if approved by OMB, the FERC-725P (a temporary collection 
number) will have a 0 burden and will be eliminated by this action 
and the changes in Docket No. RD16-2.
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    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\
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    \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).
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    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. On November 13, 2015, 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.
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    \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).
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    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\
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    \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.
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    Type of Respondents: Transmission Owners (TO), Generator Owners 
(GO), and Distribution Providers (DP).
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \9\ Estimates for the changes to burden 
and cost due to Docket No. RD16-2-000 follow.
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    \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. For further information, refer to 5 CFR 1320.3.

[[Page 13786]]



                                                               Changes Made in RD16-2-000
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                                                        Annual number                                                                      Total annual
 Requirements in reliability standard     Number of     of responses    Total number    Average burden and cost    Total annual burden       cost per
                                         respondents   per respondent   of responses         per response            (hours) and cost       respondent
                                                  (1)             (2)   (1)*(2) = (3)  (4).....................  (3)*(4) = (5)..........             ($)
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                                             FERC-725P (Reduction due to Replacement of PRC-005-3) \10\ \11\
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One-time review of existing plant and        \12\ 937              -1            -937  2 hrs.; $146............  -1,874 hrs.; -$136,802.            -146
 substation sites to determine which
 ones fall under PRC-005-3
 [reduction].
One-time review and adjustment of            \13\ 288              -1            -288  8 hrs.; $584............  -2,304 hrs.; -$168,192.            -584
 existing program [reduction].
                                                                      ----------------                          -------------------------
    Total Net Decrease to FERC-725P..  ..............  ..............          -1,225  ........................  -4,178 hrs.; -$304,994.  ..............
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                                                                       FERC-725P1
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Replacement of PRC-005-4 14 15--One-            1,287              -1          -1,287  8 hrs.; $522.72.........  -10,296 hrs.; -                 -522.72
 time review of sudden pressure relay                                                                             $672,740.64.
 maintenance program and adjustment
 (Burden Reduction).
Implementation of PRC-005-6--One-time        \17\ 937               1             937  2 hrs.; $145............  1,874 hrs.; $135,396.50          144.50
 review of existing plant and
 substation sites to determine which
 ones fall under PRC-005-6 \16\
 (Burden Increase).
Implementation of PRC-005-6--One-time             288               1             288  8.5 hrs.; $614..........  2,448 hrs.; $176,868...             614
 review and adjustment of existing
 program for reclosing relays and
 associated equipment \18\ (Burden
 Increase).
Implementation of PRC-005-6--One-time           1,287               1           1,287  8 hrs.; $531.60.........  10,296 hrs.;                     531.60
 review and adjustment of existing                                                                                $684,169.20.
 program for sudden pressure relays
 \19\ (Burden Increase).
                                                                      ----------------                          -------------------------
    Total Net Increase to FERC-725P1.  ..............  ..............          +1,225  ........................  4,322 hrs.; $323,693.06  ..............
    Total Net Change, due to RD16-2..  ..............  ..............               0  ........................  144 hrs.; $18,699.06...  ..............
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    Comments: Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the collections of 
information are 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 estimates of the 
burden and cost of the collections of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance 
the quality, utility and clarity of the information collections; and 
(4) ways to minimize the burden of the collections 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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    \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 [BLS] at (http://bls.gov/oes/current/naics3_221000.htm).
    \11\ Implemented in Docket No. 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 No. 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 wages plus benefits for an engineer (rounded to 
the nearest dollar). The figures are based on information from the 
Bureau of Labor Statistics (at http://bls.gov/oes/current/naics3_221000.htm).
    \16\ The average hourly cost (wages plus benefits) is estimated 
to be $72.25 (and is based on BLS May 2014 Data, updated 8/2015). It 
is based on the average of the hourly wages plus benefits of:
     Management (occupation code 11-0000, $78.04 per hour) 
and
     electrical engineer (occupation code 17-2071, $66.45 
per hour).
    \17\ This figure reflects the generator owners and transmission 
owners identified in the NERC Compliance Registry as of May 28, 
2014.
    \18\ The average hourly cost (wages plus benefits) is estimated 
to be $72.25 (and is based on BLS May 2014 Data, updated 8/2015). It 
is based on the average of the hourly wages plus benefits of:
     Management (occupation code 11-0000, $78.04 per hour) 
and
     electrical engineer (occupation code 17-2071, $66.45 
per hour).
    \19\ The average hourly cost (wages plus benefits) is estimated 
to be $66.45, based on BLS estimates for an electrical engineer.

    Dated: March 9, 2016.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-05775 Filed 3-14-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P