[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 235 (Monday, December 7, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78846-78847]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-26823]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC21-5-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-725HH); 
Comment Request; Revision and Extension

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of information collection and request for comments.

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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 soliciting public comment on the currently approved 
information collection FERC-725HH (RF Reliability Standards).

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due February 5, 
2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. IC21-5-
000) by any 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.
     Effective July 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/docs-filing/docs-filing.asp.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by email at 
[email protected], telephone at (202) 502-8663, and fax at (202) 
273-0873.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: FERC-725HH, RF Reliability Standards.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0256.
    Type of Request: Three-year renewal of FERC-725HH.
    Abstract: This collection of information pertains to the

[[Page 78847]]

Commission's compliance with section 215 of the Federal Power Act (FPA) 
(16 U.S.C. 824o), which enables the Commission to strengthen the 
reliability of the bulk-power system.\1\ The Commission's 
implementation of FPA section 215 involves review and approval of a 
system of mandatory Reliability Standards that are established and 
enforced by an Electric Reliability Organization (ERO).\2\ The 
Commission has certified the North American Electric Reliability 
Corporation (NERC) as the ERO.\3\
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    \1\ FPA section 251(a)(1) defines bulk-power system as follows: 
(A) facilities and control systems necessary for operating an 
interconnected electric energy transmission network (or any portion 
thereof); and (B) electric energy from generation facilities needed 
to maintain transmission system reliability. The term does not 
include facilities used in the local distribution of electric 
energy.
    \2\ FPA section 215(a)(2) defines ``Electric Reliability 
Organization'' as ``the organization certified by the Commission 
under subsection (c) the purpose of which is to establish and 
enforce reliability standards for the bulk-power system, subject to 
Commission review.''
    \3\ North American Electric Reliability Corp., 116 FERC 61,062 
(ERO Certification Order), order on reh'g & compliance, 117 FERC 
61,126 (2006), aff'd sub nom. Alcoa, Inc. v. FERC, 564 F.3d 1342 (DC 
Cir. 2009).
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    Reliability Standards that the ERO proposes to the Commission may 
include Reliability Standards that are proposed to the ERO by a 
Regional Entity.\4\ A Regional Entity is an entity that has been 
approved by the Commission to enforce Reliability Standards under 
delegated authority from the ERO.\5\ On March 17, 2011, the Commission 
approved a regional Reliability Standard submitted by the ERO that was 
developed by the ReliabilityFirst Corporation (RF).\6\
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    \4\ 16 U.S.C. 824o(e)(4).
    \5\ 16 U.S.C. 824o(a)(7) and (e)(4).
    \6\ Planning Resource Adequacy Assessment Reliability Standard, 
Order No. 747, 134 FERC 61,212 (2011).
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    RF promotes bulk electric system reliability in the Eastern 
Interconnection. RF is the Regional Entity responsible for compliance 
monitoring and enforcement in the RF region. In addition, RF provides 
an environment for the development of Reliability Standards and the 
coordination of the operating and planning activities of its members as 
set forth in the RF bylaws.
    There is one regional Reliability Standard in the RF region. The 
Commission requests renewal of OMB clearance for that regional 
Reliability Standard, known as BAL-502-RF-03 (Planning Resource 
Adequacy Analysis, Assessment and Documentation).
    Type of Respondents: Planning coordinators.
    Estimate of Annual Burden \7\: The estimated burden and cost \8\ 
are as follows:
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    \7\ 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 CFR 1320.3.
    \8\ For BAL-502-RF-03, the hourly cost (for salary plus 
benefits) uses the figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for 
three positions involved in the reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements. These figures include salary (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm) and benefits (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm) and are:
     Manager (Occupation Code 11-0000): $94.84/hour
     Engineer (Occupation Code 17-2071): $85.71/hour
     File Clerk (Occupation Code 43-4071): $52.60/hour
    The hourly cost for the reporting requirements ($77.72) is an 
average of the cost of a manager, an engineer, and a file clerk.

                                                          FERC-725HH, RF Reliability Standards
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                                                        Annual number
                                          Number of     of responses    Annual number  Average burden hours and    Total annual burden       Cost per
                Entity                   respondents         per        of responses     cost per response ($)    hours and total annual  respondent ($)
                                             \9\         respondent                                                      cost ($)
                                                  (1)             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4).....................  (3) * (4) = (5)........     (5) / (1) =
                                                                                  (3)                                                                (6)
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                                                  Proposed Regional Reliability Standard BAL-502-RF-03
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Planning Coordinators................               2               1               2  16 hrs.; $1,243.52......  32 hrs.; $2487.04......       $1,243.52
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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.
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    \9\ The number of respondents is derived from the NERC 
Compliance Registry as of October 2, 2020 for the burden associated 
with the proposed regional Reliability Standard BAL-502-RF-03.

    Dated: December 1, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-26823 Filed 12-4-20; 8:45 am]
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