[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 166 (Wednesday, August 26, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52584-52585]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-18735]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. RD20-9-000]
Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-725R); Comment
Request; Revision
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of revision of information collection and request for
comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) is soliciting public
comment on revisions of the information collection FERC-725R (Mandatory
Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power System: BAL Reliability
Standards), and will be submitting the information collection to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review.
DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due October 26,
2020.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be submitted to the Commission, in Docket
No. RD20-9-000, by one of the following methods:
eFiling at Commission's Website: http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp;
U.S. Postal Service Mail: Persons unable to file
electronically may mail similar pleadings to the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426; or
Effective 7/1/2020, delivery of filings other than by
eFiling or the U.S. Postal Service should be delivered to Health and
Human Services, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
Instructions: All submissions must be formatted and filed in
accordance with submission guidelines at http://www.ferc.gov. For user
assistance, contact FERC Online Support by email at
ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, 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
DataClearance@FERC.gov, and telephone at (202) 502-8663.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: FERC-725R, Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-
Power System: BAL Reliability Standards.
OMB Control No.: 1902-0268.
Type of Request: Revisions to FERC-725R information collection
requirements, as discussed in Docket No. RD20-9-000.
Abstract: Reliability Standard BAL-003-2 (Frequency Response and
Frequency Bias Setting) will enhance reliability and improve upon the
currently effective version of the Standard by refining and clarifying
the process and methods for calculating the amount of Frequency
Response that must be provided in a given operating year to support the
reliable operation of the Bulk Power System.
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 Federal Power Act (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, any Reliability Standard
may be enforced by the ERO subject to Commission oversight, or the
Commission may 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 December 19, 2019, NERC submitted for approval proposed
Reliability Standard BAL-003-2, as well as a proposed implementation
plan, Violation Risk Factors, and Violation Severity Levels. The
revisions in proposed Reliability Standard BAL-003-2 are concentrated
in Attachment A of the revised Standard, ``BAL-003-2 Frequency Response
and Frequency
[[Page 52585]]
Bias Setting Standard Supporting Document,'' referenced in Requirements
R1 and R2. Revisions are also proposed for FRS (Frequency Response
Survey) Form 1, referenced in Requirement R4 and Attachment A of the
revised Standard; and for the Procedure document, referenced in
Attachment A of the revised Standard.
NERC's filed petition was noticed on May 28, 2020, with
interventions, comments and protests due on or before June 29, 2020. No
interventions or comments were received. Reliability Standard BAL-003-2
was approved by FERC on 7/15/2020 in a Delegated Letter Order (DLO).\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ The DLO is posted in eLibrary at https://elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/common/OpenNat.asp?fileID=15585069.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Types of Respondents: Balancing authorities and a Frequency
Response Sharing Group (FRSG).
Estimate of Annual Burden: \6\ The estimated burdens of Reliability
Standard BAL-003-2 will be the same as the estimated burdens of the
currently effective Reliability Standard. The estimated burden and cost
estimates shown below are based on the collection of certain
information to establish the Interconnection Frequency Response
Obligation and the Frequency Bias Setting for each balancing authority.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Balancing authorities and the FRSG report their previous-year
Frequency Response Measure and Frequency Bias Setting to NERC, and
revised Frequency Bias Settings are based on data from events the
balancing authorities and FRSG report on FRS Form 1, as revised by
RD20-9-000. The information provided on the FRS Form 1 is based on
events which qualify for analyses, and NERC states that it will
identify between 20 to 35 events in each Interconnection for
calculating the Frequency Response Measure and Frequency Bias Setting.
FRS Form 1 will automatically calculate the balancing authority's
frequency response measure (FRM) for the past 12 months as the median
of the Single Event Frequency Response Data (SEFRD) values.\7\
Allotting 8 hours for balancing authorities and the FRSG to compile the
information on candidate events,\8\ multiplied by 28 events per
balancing authority per year yields 224 hours per year per balancing
authority as the regulatory burden for compliance.\9\ Our estimates are
based on the NERC Compliance Registry as of July 17, 2020, which
indicates that there are 97 registered balancing authorities and 1
frequency response sharing group.\10\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ NERC Petition, Exh. A1 at 11.
\8\ The information is automatically generated from computer
data bases. However, time is allotted to compile, verify, and review
the information.
\9\ Assuming an average of between 20 and 35 events per year.
\10\ NERC Compliance Registry (July 17, 2020), available at
https://www.nerc.com/pa/comp/Registration%20and%20Certification%20DL/NERC_Compliance_Registry_Matrix_Excel.xlsx.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In order to comply with Reliability Standard BAL-003-2, the
balancing authority will be required to retain data or evidence to show
compliance with Requirements R1, R2, R3 and R4 and Measures M1, M2, M3
and M4 for the current year plus the previous three calendar years
unless directed by its Compliance Enforcement Authority to retain
specific evidence for a longer period of time as part of an
investigation. The frequency response sharing group will be required to
retain data or evidence to show compliance with Requirement R1 and
Measure M1 for the current year plus the previous three calendar years,
unless directed by its Compliance Enforcement Authority to retain
specific evidence for a longer period of time as part of an
investigation.
Estimates for the additional average annual burden and cost \11\
due to Docket No. RD20-9-000 follow. These estimates are the same as
for the currently effective Standard.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ The hourly cost estimates are based on wage data from the
Bureau of Labor Statistics for May 2019 (at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm) and benefits data for Dec. 2019 (issued March
2020, at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm). The hourly
costs (for wages and benefits) for reporting are: Electrical
Engineer (Occupation code 17-2071), $70.19. The hourly costs (for
wages and benefits) for evidence retention are: Information and
Record Clerk (Occupation code 43-4199), $41.03.
FERC-725R, Modifications Due to Docket No. RD20-9
[& Bal-003-2 (Frequency response and frequency bias setting)]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Total annual
Number of annual Total number Average burden burden hours &
Function respondents responses per of annual hours & cost ($) total annual
respondent responses per response cost ($)
(1) (2) (1) x (2) = (4)............. (3) x (4) = (5)
(3)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BA & FRSG Annual Reporting 98 28 2,744 8 hrs.; $561.52. 21,952 hrs.;
(ongoing) \12\. $1,540,810.88.
Evidence Retention (ongoing) 98 1 98 2 hr.; $82.06... 196 hrs.;
\13\. $8,041.88.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total.................... .............. .............. .............. ................ 22,148 hrs;
$1,548,852.76.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\ The average hourly cost (for wages plus benefits) is $70.19
for an Electrical Engineer.
\13\ The average hourly cost (for wages plus benefits) is $41.03
for an Information and Record Clerk.
Dated: August 20, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-18735 Filed 8-25-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P