[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 25, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18019-18020]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-08670]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC18-9-000]


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

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Comment request.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or 
FERC) is submitting its information collection FERC-725X (Mandatory 
Reliability Standards: Voltage and Reactive (VAR) 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-725X and is making this 
notation in its submittal to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by May 25, 
2018.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by the OMB Control No. 
1902-0278, 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. IC18-9-000, 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 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-725X, Mandatory Reliability Standards: Voltage and 
Reactive (VAR) Standards.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0278.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-725X information 
collection requirements with no changes to the reporting requirements.
    Abstract: Pursuant to Section 215 of the Federal Power Act (FPA), 
NERC established the Voltage and Reactive (VAR) group of Reliability 
Standards, which consists of two continent-wide Reliability Standards, 
VAR-001-4 and VAR-002-3.\1\ These two standards were designed to 
maintain voltage stability on the Bulk-Power System, protect 
transmission, generation, distribution, and customer equipment, and 
support the reliable operation of the Bulk-Power System. Voltage 
stability is the ability of a power system to maintain acceptable 
voltage levels throughout the system under normal operating conditions 
and following a disturbance. Failure to maintain acceptable voltage 
levels (i.e., voltage levels become too high or too low) may cause 
violations of System Operating Limits (SOLs) and Interconnection 
Reliability Operating Limits (IROLs), resulting in damage to Bulk-Power 
System equipment, and thereby threaten the reliable operation of the 
Bulk-Power System.
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    \1\ FERC approved these standards in the Order in Docket No. 
RD14-11-000 (issued on 8/1/2014).
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Reliability Standard VAR-001-4 \2\
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    \2\ Applies to generation operators only.
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    Reliability Standard VAR-001-4 contains the following requirements:
     Specify a system-wide voltage schedule (which is either a 
range or a target value with an associated tolerance band) as part of 
its plan to operate within SOLs and IROLs, and to provide the voltage 
schedule to its Reliability Coordinator and adjacent Transmission 
Operators upon request (Requirement R1);

[[Page 18020]]

     Schedule sufficient reactive resources to regulate voltage 
levels (Requirement R2);
     Operate or direct the operation of devices to regulate 
transmission voltage and reactive flows (Requirement R3);
     Develop a set of criteria to exempt generators from 
certain requirements under Reliability Standard VAR-002-3 related to 
voltage or Reactive Power schedules, automatic voltage regulations, and 
notification (Requirement R4);
     Specify a voltage or Reactive Power schedule (which is 
either a range or a target value with an associated tolerance band) for 
generators at either the high or low voltage side of the generator 
step-up transformer, provide the schedule to the associated Generator 
Operator, direct the Generator Operator to comply with that schedule in 
automatic voltage control mode, provide the Generator Operator the 
notification requirements for deviating from the schedule, and, if 
requested, provide the Generator Operator the criteria used to develop 
the schedule (Requirement R5); and
     Communicate step-up transformer tap changes, the time 
frame for completion, and the justification for these changes to 
Generator Owners (Requirement R6).

Reliability Standard VAR-002-3 \3\
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    \3\ Applies to transmission operators only.
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    Reliability Standard VAR-002-3 contains the following requirements:
     Operate each of its generators connected to the 
interconnected transmission system in automatic voltage control mode or 
in a different control mode as instructed by the Transmission Operator, 
unless the Generator Operator (1) is exempted pursuant to the criteria 
developed under VAR-001-4, Requirement R4, or (2) makes certain 
notifications to the Transmission Operator specifying the reasons it 
cannot so operate (Requirement R1);
     Maintain the Transmission Operator's generator voltage or 
Reactive Power schedule, unless the Generator Operator (1) is exempted 
pursuant to the criteria developed under VAR-001-4, Requirement R4, or 
(2) complies with the notification requirements for deviations as 
established by the Transmission Owner pursuant to Requirement R5 in 
VAR-001-4 (Requirement R2);
     Notify the Transmission Operator of a change in status of 
its voltage controlling device within 30 minutes, unless the status is 
restored within that time period (Requirement R3);
     Notify the Transmission Operator of a change in reactive 
capability due to factors other than those described in VAR-002-3, 
Requirement R3 within 30 minutes unless the capability has been 
restored during that time period (Requirement R4).
     Provide information on its step-up transformers and 
auxiliary transformers within 30 days of a request from the 
Transmission Operator or Transmission Planner (Requirement R5); and
     Comply with the Transmission Operator's step-up 
transformer tap change directives unless compliance would violate 
safety, an equipment rating, or applicable laws, rules or regulations 
(Requirement R6).
    Type of Respondents: Generator operators and transmission 
operators.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \4\ The Commission estimates the annual 
public reporting burden for the information collection as:
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    \4\ 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.
    \5\ TOP = transmission operator; GOP = generator operators.
    \6\ The estimate for hourly cost is $68.12/hour. This figure is 
the average salary plus benefits for an electrical engineer 
(Occupation Code: 17-2071) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics at 
https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm.

                                    FERC-725X, Mandatory Reliability Standards: Voltage and Reactive (VAR) Standards
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                                                              Annual  number
                                     Number of  respondents    of  responses   Total number     Average  Burden &   Total annual  burden     Cost per
                                               \5\                  per        of responses    Cost per  response      hours  & total     respondent ($)
                                                                respondent                             \6\               annual Cost
                                    (1).....................             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4).................  (3) * (4) = (5).....       (5) / (1)
                                                                                         (3)
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VAR-001-4 (Requirement R1-R6).....  181 (TOP)...............               1             181  160 hrs.; $10,899.20  28,960 hrs.;              $10,899.20
                                                                                                                     $1,972,755.
VAR-002-3 (Requirement R1)........  944 (GOP)...............               1             944  80 hrs.; 5,449.60...  75,520 hrs.;                5,449.60
                                                                                                                     $5,144,422.
VAR-002-3 (Requirement R2-R6).....  944 (GOP)...............               1             944  120 hrs.; $8,174.40.  113,280 hrs.;               8,174.40
                                                                                                                     $7,716,634.
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    Total.........................  ........................  ..............           2,069  ....................  217,760 hrs.;         ..............
                                                                                                                     $14,833,811.
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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: April 19, 2018.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-08670 Filed 4-24-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P