[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 223 (Wednesday, November 18, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73477-73478]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-25438]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC21-6-000]


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

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.

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 a renewal of currently approved 
information collection, FERC-725S (Emergency Preparedness and 
Operations (EOP) Reliability Standards).

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due January 19, 
2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. IC21-6-
000) by one of the following methods:
     eFiling at Commission's Website: http://www.ferc.gov.
     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.
     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 
[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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Ellen Brown may be reached by email 
at [email protected], telephone at (202) 502-8663.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: FERC-725S, Emergency Preparedness and Operations (EOP) 
Reliability Standards.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0270.
    Type of Request: Three-year approval of the FERC-725S information 
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting 
requirements.

[[Page 73478]]

    Abstract: The Electricity Modernization Act of 2005, which is Title 
XII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005), added a new section 
215 to the Federal Power Act (FPA).\1\ FPA section 215 requires a 
Commission-certified Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) to develop 
mandatory and enforceable Reliability Standards, subject to Commission 
review and approval. Once approved, the Reliability Standards may be 
enforced by the ERO, subject to Commission oversight, or by the 
Commission independently.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ 16 U.S.C. 824o. The approved Reliability Standards are 
available on the Commission's eLibrary document retrieval system on 
the NERC website, www.nerc.com.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Section 215 of the FPA requires a Commission-certified ERO to 
develop mandatory and enforceable Reliability Standards, subject to 
Commission review and approval. Once approved, the Reliability 
Standards may be enforced by the ERO subject to Commission oversight or 
by the Commission independently. In 2006, the Commission certified 
North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) as the ERO 
pursuant to section 215 of the FPA. FERC-725S consists of Emergency 
Preparedness and Operations (EOP) Reliability Standards, EOP-004-4 
(Event Reporting), EOP-005-3 (System Restoration from Blackstart 
Resources), EOP-006-3 (System Restoration Coordination), and EOP-008-2 
(Loss of Control Center Functionality), EOP-010-1 (Geomagnetic 
Disturbance Operations), and EOP-011-1 (Emergency Operations). 
Reliability standards EOP-004-4, EOP-005-3, EOP-006-3 and EOP-008-2, 
EOP-010-1, and EOP-011-1, EOP Reliability Standards will enhance 
reliability by:
    (1) Providing accurate reporting of events to NERC's event analysis 
group to analyze the impact on the reliability of the bulk electric 
system (Reliability Standard EOP-004-4).
    (2) delineating the roles and responsibilities of entities that 
support system restoration from blackstart resources which generate 
power without the support of the bulk electric system (Reliability 
Standard EOP-005-3).
    (3) clarifying the procedures and coordination requirements for 
reliability coordinator personnel to execute system restoration 
processes (Reliability Standard EOP-006-3).
    (4) refining the required elements of an operating plan used to 
continue reliable operations of the bulk electric system in the event 
that primary control center functionality is lost (Reliability Standard 
EOP-008-2).
    (5) address the effects of operating Emergencies by ensuring each 
Transmission Operator and Balancing Authority has developed Operating 
Plan(s) to mitigate operating Emergencies, and that those plans are 
coordinated within a Reliability Coordinator Area (EOP-010-1).
    (6) streamlines the requirements for Emergency operations of the 
Bulk Electric System. Attachment 1, which is incorporated into 
Requirements R2 and R6, provides the process and descriptions of the 
levels used by the Reliability Coordinator when communicating the 
condition of a Balancing Authority that is experiencing an Energy 
Emergency (EOP-011-1).
    Type of Respondents: Public utilities subject to the FPA.
    Estimate of Annual Burden \2\ and cost \3\: The Commission 
estimates there will be no changes in the annual public reporting 
burden for the FERC-735S, as follows:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ 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, refer to 5 Code of Federal Regulations 1320.3.
    \3\ Commission staff estimates that the industry's skill set and 
cost (for wages and benefits) for FERC-725S are approximately the 
same as the Commission's average cost. The FERC 2020 average salary 
plus benefits for one FERC full-time equivalent (FTE) is $172,329/
year (or $83.00/hour).
    \4\ The number of respondents is based on NERC compliance 
registration information as of October 2, 2020.

                                                               FERC-725S, Modifications Due to Final Rule in Docket No. XX-XX-XXX
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                              Number of     Annual number
   Reliability standard and associated       respondents    of responses    Total number     Average burden & cost per  response      Total  annual burden & total annual cost       Cost per
               requirement                       \4\       per respondent   of responses                                                                                          respondent ($)
                                                      (1)             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4)...................................  (3) * (4) = (5)..............................       (5) / (1)
                                                                                      (3)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                            EOP-010-1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      181               1             181  20 hrs.; $1,660.......................  3,620 hrs.; $300,460.........................          $1,660
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                            EOP-011-1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       12               1              12  1,500 hrs.; $124,500..................  18,000 hrs.; $1,494,000......................         124,500
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                             EOP-004-4,EOP-005-3,EOP-006-3,EOP-008-2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      280               1             280  250.58 hrs.; $20,798..................  70,162.4 hrs.; $5,234,440....................         $20,798
                                          ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total EOP............................             473  ..............  ..............  ......................................  91,782 hrs.; $7,028,900......................  ..............
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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: November 12, 2020.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-25438 Filed 11-17-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P