[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 130 (Tuesday, July 7, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40637-40638]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-14533]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. RD20-3-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities FERC-725N Comment 
Request; Extension

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of information collection and request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or 
FERC) is soliciting public comment on the proposedinformation 
collection FERC-725N (Mandatory Reliability TPL Standards: TPL-007-4, 
(Transmission System Planned Performance for Geomagnetic Disturbance 
Events)) and submitting the information collection to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review. Any interested person may file 
comments directly with OMB and should address a copy of those comments 
to the Commission as explained below.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due August 6, 
2020.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by OMB Control No. 1902-
0264. Send written comments on FERC-725N to OMB thru www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Attention Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Desk 
Officer. Please identify the OMB control Number (1902-0264) in the 
submect line of your comments should be sent within 30 days of 
publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Using 
the search function under the Currently Under Review field select 
comment to the right of the subject collection. A copy of the comments 
should also be sent to the Commission, in Docket No. RD20-3-000) by 
either of the following methods:
     eFiling at Commission's Website: http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp.
     Mail/Express Services: Persons unable to file 
electronically may mail similar pleadings to the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426. Hand 
delivered submissions in docketed proceedings should be delivered to 
Health and Human Services, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 
20852.
    Instructions: OMB submissions must be formatted and filed in 
accordance with submission guidelines at: www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain; using the search function under the Currently Under Review 
field select Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; click submit and 
select comment to the right of the subject collection. FERC 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).
    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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: FERC-725N, Mandatory Reliability 
Standards TPL-007-4, Transmission System Planned Performance for 
Geomagnetic Disturbance Events.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0264.
    Type of Request: Revisions to the information collection, as 
discussed in Docket No. RD20-3-000.
    Abstract: The proposed Reliability Standard TPL-007-4 requires 
owners and operators of the Bulk-Power System to conduct initial and 
on-going vulnerability assessments of the potential impact of defined 
geomagnetic disturbance events on Bulk- Power System equipment and the 
Bulk-Power System as a whole. Specifically, the Reliability Standard 
requires entities to develop corrective action plans for 
vulnerabilities identified through supplemental geomagnetic disturbance 
vulnerability assessments and requires entities to seek approval from 
the Electric Reliability Organization of any extensions of time for the 
completion of corrective action plan items.
    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).\1\ 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

[[Page 40638]]

subject to Commission oversight, or the Commission can independently 
enforce Reliability Standards.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Energy Policy Act of 2005, Public Law 109-58, Title XII, 
Subtitle A, 119 Stat. 594, 941 (codified at 16 U.S.C. 824o).
    \2\ 16 U.S.C. 824o(e)(3).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On February 3, 2006, the Commission issued Order No. 672, 
implementing section 215 of the FPA.\3\ Pursuant to Order No. 672, the 
Commission certified one organization, North American Electric 
Reliability Corporation (NERC), as the ERO.\4\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ 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).
    \4\ 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 February 7, 2020, the North American Electric Reliability 
Corporation filed a petition seeking approval of proposed Reliability 
Standard TPL-007-4 (Transmission System Planned Performance for 
Geomagnetic Disturbance Events).
    NERC's filed petition was noticed on February 11, 2020, with 
interventions, comments and protests due on or before March 9, 2020. No 
interventions or comments were received.
    The DLO was issued on March 19, 2020. The standard goes in effect 
at NERC on October 1, 2020.
    On April 16, 2020, the Commission published a Notice in the Federal 
Register in Docket No. RD20-3-000 requesting public comments. The 
Commission received no public comment(s) which is addressed here and in 
the related submittal to OMB.
    Type of Respondents: Generator Owner, Planning Coordinator, 
Distribution Provider and Transmission Owners.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \5\ Our estimates are based on the NERC 
Compliance Registry Summary of Entities as of January 31, 2020.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \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. See 5 
CFR 1320 for additional information on the definition of information 
collection burden.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The individual burden estimates include the time needed to gather 
data, run studies, and analyze study results. These are consistent with 
estimates for similar tasks in other Commission-approved standards. 
Estimates for the additional average annual burden and cost \6\ as 
proposed in Docket No. RD20-3-000 follow:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \6\ Commission staff estimates that the industry's skill set and 
cost (for wages and benefits) for FERC-725N(1) are approximately the 
same as the Commission's average cost. The FERC 2019 average salary 
plus benefits for one FERC full-time equivalent (FTE) is $167,091/
year (or $80.00/hour).

                                                                               FERC-725N in Docket No. RD20-3-000
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                            Annual number   Annual number of                                                                                                           Cost per
                                               \1\ of         responses per    Total number of    Average burden hrs. & Cost ($) per       Total annual burden hours & cost ($)       respondent
                                             respondents       respondent         responses                    response                                 (rounded)                        ($)
                                                       (1)               (2)    (1) * (2) = (3)  (4)................................  (3) * (4) = (5)..............................    (5) / (1)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GO \7\..................................               969                 1                969  40 hours; $3,200...................  38,760 hours; $3,100,800.....................       $3,200
PC \8\..................................                71                 1                 71  40 hours; $3,200...................  2,840 hours; $ 227,200.......................        3,200
DP \9\..................................               318                 1                318  40 hours & $3,200..................  12,720 hours; $1,017,600.....................        3,200
TO \10\.................................               321                 1                321  40 hours & $3,200..................  12,840 hours; $1,027,200.....................        3,200
                                         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total...............................  ................  ................              1,679  ...................................  67,160 hours; $5,372,800.....................  ...........
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \7\ Generator Owner.
    \8\ Planning Coordinator.
    \9\ Distribution Provider.
    \10\ Transmission Owner.

    Dated: June 30, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-14533 Filed 7-6-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P