[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 18 (Friday, January 26, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3699-3701]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-01505]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC18-7-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-725l); 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. 3506(c)(2)(A), the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission (Commission or FERC) is soliciting public comment on the 
currently approved information collection, FERC-725L, Mandatory 
Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power System: MOD Reliability 
Standards.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due March 27, 
2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. IC18-7-
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

[[Page 3700]]

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-725L, Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-
Power System: MOD Reliability Standards.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0261.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-725L information 
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting 
requirements.
    Abstract: MOD Reliability Standards ensure that generators remain 
in operation during specified voltage and frequency excursions, 
properly coordinate protective relays and generator voltage regulator 
controls, and ensure that generator models accurately reflect the 
generator's capabilities and equipment performance.
    Reliability Standards MOD-025-2, MOD-026-1, and MOD-027-1 ``address 
generator verifications needed to support Bulk-Power System reliability 
and will ensure that accurate data is verified and made available for 
planning simulations.'' NERC explains that Bulk-Power System 
reliability benefits from ``good quality simulation models of power 
system equipment,'' and that ``model validation ensures the proper 
performance of the control systems and validates the computer models 
used for stability analysis.'' \1\ NERC further states that the 
proposed Reliability Standards will enhance reliability because the 
tests performed to obtain model data may reveal latent defects that 
could cause inappropriate unit response during system disturbances.
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    \1\ NERC Petition for Approval of Five Proposed Reliability 
Standards MOD-025-2, MOD-026-1, MOD-027-1, PRC-019-1, and PRC-024-1 
issued on 5/30/2013.
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    Reliability Standards MOD-032-1 and MOD-033-2 are designed to 
replace, consolidate and improve upon'' existing MOD standards, in 
addressing system-level modeling data and validation requirements 
necessary for developing planning models and the Interconnection-wide 
cases that are integral to analyzing the reliability of the Bulk-Power 
System.
    Type of Respondents: NERC-registered entities including generator 
owners, transmission planners, planning authorities, balancing 
authorities, resource planners, transmission service providers, 
reliability coordinators, and transmission operators.\2\
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    \2\ In subsequent portions of this notice, the following 
acronyms will be used: PA = Planning Authority, GO = Generator 
Owner, TP = Transmission Planner, BA = Balancing Authority, RP = 
Resource Planner, TSP = Transmission Service Provider, RC = 
Reliability Coordinator, TOP = Transmission Operator.
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    Estimate of Annual Burden \3\: The Commission estimates the annual 
public reporting burden \4\ for the information collection as:
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    \3\ 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.
    \4\ Each of the five MOD standards in the FERC-725L information 
collection previously contained ``one-time'' components to their 
respondent burden. These one-time burden categories consisted 
primarily of activities related to establishing industry practices 
and developing data validation procedures tailored toward these 
reliability standards and their reporting requirements. None of the 
one-time burdens apply any longer, so they are being removed from 
the FERC-725L information collection.

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                                                            Annual  number
                                                             of  responses   Total number     Average burden and    Total annual burden      Cost per
                                     Number of respondents        per        of responses     cost per response       hours and total     respondent ($)
                                                              respondent                                                annual cost
                                     (1)..................             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4)..................  (3) * (4) = (5)......       (5) / (1)
                                                                                       (3)
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     MOD-025-2 (Verification and Data Reporting of Generator Real and Reactive Power Capability and Synchronous Condenser Reactive Power Capability)
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Attachment 2.......................  933 (GO).............               1             933  6 hrs.; $448.92 \5\..  5,598 hrs.; $418,842.          448.92
Evidence Retention.................  933 (GO).............               1             933  1 hr.; $32.74 \6\....  933 hrs.; $30,546....           32.74
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    Total..........................  .....................  ..............  ..............  .....................  6,531 hrs.; $449,388.  ..............
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              MOD-026-1 (Verification of Models and Data for Generator Excitation Control System or Plant Volt/Variance Control Functions)
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Instructions for obtaining           185 (TP).............               1             185  8 hrs.; $598.56 \4\..  1,480 hrs.; $110,734.          598.56
 excitation control system or plant
 voltage/variance control function
 model.
Documentation on generator           466 (GO).............               1             466  8 hrs.; $598.56 \4\..  3,728 hrs.; $278,929.          598.56
 verification.
Evidence Retention.................  651 (GO and TOP).....               1             651  1 hr.; $32.74\5\.....  651 hrs.; $21,314....           32.74
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    Total..........................  .....................  ..............  ..............  .....................  5,859 hrs.; $410,977.  ..............
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[[Page 3701]]

 
              MOD-027-1 (Verification of Models and Data for Turbine/Governor and Load Control or Active Power/Frequency Control Functions)
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Instructions for obtaining           185 (TP).............               1             185  8 hrs.; $598.56 \4\..  1,480 hrs.; $110,734.          598.56
 excitation control system or plant
 voltage/variance control function
 model.
Documentation on generator           466 (GO).............               1             466  8 hrs.; $598.56 \4\..  3,728 hrs.; $278,929.          598.56
 verification.
    Evidence Retention.............  651 (GO and TP)......               1             651  1 hr.; $32.74 \2\....  651 hrs.; $21,314....           32.74
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    Total..........................  .....................  ..............  ..............  .....................  5,859 hrs.; $410,977.  ..............
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              MOD-032-1 (Verification of Models and Data for Turbine/Governor and Load Control or Active Power/Frequency Control Functions)
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Data Submittal.....................  1,197 (BA, GO, PA,                  1           1,197  8 hrs.; $544.96\7\...  9,576 hrs.; $652,317.          544.96
                                      RP, TO, TP, and TSP).
Evidence Retention.................  1,197 (BA, GO, PA,                  1           1,197  1 hr.; $32.74\2\.....  1,197 hrs.; $39,190..           32.74
                                      RP, TO, TP, and TSP).
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    Total..........................  .....................  ..............  ..............  .....................  10,773 hrs.; $691,507  ..............
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                                              MOD-033-1 (Steady-State and Dynamics System Model Validation)
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Data Submittal.....................  188 (RC and TOP).....               1             188  8 hrs.; $544.96 \6\..  1,504 hrs.; $102,452.          544.96
Evidence Retention.................  194 (PA, RC, and TOP)               1             194  1 hr.; $32.74\2\.....  194 hrs.; $6,352.....           32.74
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    Total..........................  .....................  ..............  ..............  .....................  1,698 hrs.; $108,804.  ..............
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    The total annual estimated burden and cost for the FERC-725L 
information collection is 27,544 hours and $2,071,653 respectively.
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    \5\ This wage figure uses the weighted hourly average wage (plus 
benefits) for electrical engineers (Occupation Code: 17-2071) and 
managers (Occupation Code: 11-0000) obtained from the Bureau of 
Labor Statistics: $74.82/hour. The average used the following 
calculation: [$68.12/hour + $81.52/hour] / 2 = $74.82/hour. $68.12/
hour is the wage for engineers. $81.52 is the wage for manager.
    \6\ Uses the hourly average wage (plus benefits) for file clerks 
obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics: $32.74/hour (BLS 
Occupation Code: 43-4071).
    \7\ Uses the hourly average wage (plus benefits) for electrical 
engineers obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics: $68.12/hour 
(BLS Occupation Code: 17-2071).
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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.

    Dated: January 22, 2018.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-01505 Filed 1-25-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P