[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 75 (Wednesday, April 18, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17171-17173]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-08057]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC18-7-000]


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

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.

ACTION: Comment request.

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

SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or 
FERC) is submitting the FERC-725L (Mandatory Reliability Standards for 
the Bulk-Power System: MOD Reliability Standards) to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review of the information collection 
requirements. Any interested person may file comments directly with OMB 
and should address a copy of those comments to the Commission as 
explained below. The Commission previously issued a Notice in the 
Federal Register requesting public comments. The Commission received no 
comments on the FERC-725L and is making this notation in its submittal 
to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by May 18, 
2018.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by the OMB Control No. 
1902-0261, should be sent via email to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs: [email protected]. Attention: Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission Desk Officer. The Desk Officer may also be 
reached via telephone at 202-395-8528.
    A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Commission, in 
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 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

[[Page 17172]]

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], by telephone at (202) 502-8663, and by 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 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.
    On 5/30/2013, NERC filed a petition explaining that the reliability 
of the Bulk-Power System benefits from ``good quality simulation models 
of power system equipment,\2\ '' and that ``model validation ensures 
the proper performance of the control systems and validates the 
computer models used for stability analysis.'' NERC further stated that 
the 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,\2\ '' 
Subsequently, on 3/20/2014,\1\ the Commission approved Reliability 
Standards MOD-025-2, MOD-026-1, and MOD-027-1. These Standards were 
intended to address generator verifications needed to support Bulk-
Power System reliability that would also ensure that accurate data is 
verified and made available for planning simulations.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Final Rule in Docket No. RM13-16-000.
    \2\ 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 
submitted to FERC on 5/30/2013.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On 5/1/2014,\3\ the Commission approved Reliability Standards MOD-
032-1 and MOD-033-2. These Standards were to address ``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.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ Order in Docket No. RD14-5-000.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    MOD-025-2, MOD-026-1, MOD-027-1, MOD-032-1 and MOD-033-2 are all 
currently approved within the FERC-725L information collection. The 
reporting requirements associated with each standard will not change as 
a result of this extension request.
    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.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimate of Annual Burden: \5\ The Commission estimates the annual 
public reporting burden \6\ and cost for the information collection as:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \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\ 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.

                                                                                            MOD-025-2
                              [Verification and data reporting of generator real and reactive power capability and synchronous condenser reactive power capability]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Annual number
                                           Number of respondents     of responses    Total number       Average burden and cost per        Total annual burden hours and total       Cost per
                                                                    per respondent   of responses                 response                             annual cost                respondent ($)
                                        (1).......................             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4)................................  (3) * (4) = (5)........................       (5) / (1)
                                                                                               (3)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Attachment 2..........................  933 (GO)..................               1             933  6 hrs.; $448.92 \7\................  5,598 hrs.; $418,842...................         $448.92
Evidence Retention....................  933 (GO)..................               1             933  1 hr.; $32.74 \8\..................  933 hrs.; $30,546......................           32.74
                                       ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.............................  ..........................  ..............  ..............  ...................................  6,531 hrs.; $449,388...................  ..............
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                                                                        MOD-026-1
                   [Verification of models and data for generator excitation control system or plant volt/variance control functions]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                          Annual number
                                 Number of respondents    of responses    Total number    Average burden and   Total annual burden hours     Cost per
                                                         per respondent   of responses     cost per response     and total annual cost    respondent ($)
                               (1).....................             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4).................  (3) * (4) = (5)..........       (5) / (1)
                                                                                    (3)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Instructions for obtaining     185 (TP)................               1             185  8 hrs.; $598.56 \7\.  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 \7\.  3,728 hrs.; $278,929.....          598.56
 verification.
Evidence Retention...........  651 (GO and TOP)........               1             651  1 hr.; $32.74 \8\...  651 hrs.; $21,314........           32.74
                              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total....................  ........................  ..............  ..............  ....................  5,859 hrs.; $410,977.....  ..............
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 17173]]


                                                                        MOD-027-1
                   [Verification of models and data for turbine/governor and load control or active power/frequency control functions]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                          Annual number
                                 Number of respondents    of responses    Total number    Average burden and   Total annual burden hours     Cost per
                                                         per respondent   of responses     cost per response     and total annual cost    respondent ($)
                               (1).....................             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4).................  (3) * (4) = (5)..........       (5) / (1)
                                                                                    (3)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Instructions for obtaining     185 (TP)................               1             185  8 hrs.; $598.56 \7\.  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 \7\.  3,728 hrs.;..............          598.56
 verification.                                                                                                 $278,929.................
Evidence Retention...........  651 (GO and TP).........               1             651  1 hr.; $32.74 \8\...  651 hrs.; $21,314........           32.74
                              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total....................  ........................  ..............  ..............  ....................  5,859 hrs.; $410,977.....  ..............
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                                                                        MOD-032-1
                   [Verification of models and data for turbine/governor and load control or active power/frequency control functions]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    Annual number
                                   Number of        of responses    Total number    Average burden and cost   Total annual burden hours      Cost per
                                  respondents      per respondent   of responses         per response           and total annual cost     respondent ($)
                              (1)................             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4).....................  (3) * (4) = (5)............       (5) / (1)
                                                                              (3)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Data Submittal..............  1,197 (BA, GO, PA,                1           1,197  8 hrs.; $544.96 \9\.....  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 \8\.......  1,197 hrs.; $39,190........           32.74
                               RP, TO, TP, and
                               TSP).
                             ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total...................  ...................  ..............  ..............  ........................  10,773 hrs.; $691,507......  ..............
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                                                                        MOD-033-1
                                                   [Steady-state and dynamics system model validation]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      Annual number
                                      Number of       of responses    Total number   Average burden and cost   Total annual burden hours     Cost per
                                     respondents     per respondent   of responses         per response          and total annual cost    respondent ($)
                                 (1)...............             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4)....................  (3) * (4) = (5)...........       (5) / (1)
                                                                                (3)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Data Submittal.................  188 (RC and TOP)..               1             188  8 hrs.; $544.96 \9\....  1,504 hrs.; $102,452......         $544.96
Evidence Retention.............  194 (PA, RC, and                 1             194  1 hr.; $32.74 \8\......  194 hrs.; $6,352..........           32.74
                                  TOP).
                                ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total......................  ..................  ..............  ..............  .......................  1,698 hrs.; $108,804......  ..............
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The total annual estimated burden and cost for the FERC-725L 
information collection is 30,720 hours and $2,071,653 respectively.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \7\ This wage figure uses the average hourly wage (plus 
benefits) for electrical engineers (Occupation Code: 17-2071, 
$68.12/hour) and managers (Occupation Code: 11-0000, $81.52/hour) 
obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The average used 
the following calculation: [$68.12/hour + $81.52/hour] / 2 = $74.82/
hour.
    \8\ The estimate 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).
    \9\ This 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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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: April 11, 2018.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-08057 Filed 4-17-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P