[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 13, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2665-2668]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-00513]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC21-3-000 and RD20-4-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (Ferc-725d); Comment 
Request; 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 a renewal of currently approved 
information collection, FERC-725D (Facilities Design, Connections and 
Maintenance Reliability Standards). This notice includes all modified 
standards included in FERC725D (FAC-001-3, FAC-002-3, FAC-010-2, FAC-
011-3, and FAC-014-2) in Docket no. IC21-3-000 for renewal which 
already reflect the changes mentioned in version update RD20-4-000 
published separately. All burden totals supersede previous notices for 
both dockets.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due February 12, 
2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. IC21-3-000 
and RD20-4-000) 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 Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, Office of the Secretary 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-725D ,\1\ Facilities Design, Connections and 
Maintenance Reliability Standards.
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    \1\ This renewal is being submitted to extend the OMB expiration 
date and will not have an effect on the Docket No. RD20-4 that was 
also addressed separately.
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    OMB Control No.: 1902-0247.
    Type of Request: Three-year approval of the FERC-725D information 
collection requirements, with no changes to the reporting or 
recordkeeping requirements. (There are adjustments to the estimates to 
update the totals that represent the numbers reflected in the NERC 
Compliance Registry as of July 17, 2020).
    Abstract: On August 8, 2005, The Electricity Modernization Act of 
2005, which is Title XII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005), 
was enacted into law. EPAct 2005 added a new section 215 to the Federal 
Power Act (FPA), which 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. 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

[[Page 2666]]

the Commission independently. In 2006, the Commission certified NERC 
(now called the North American Electric Reliability Corporation) as the 
ERO pursuant to section 215 of the FPA. On March 16, 2007 (pursuant to 
section 215(d) of the FPA), the Commission issued Order No. 693, 
approving 83 of the 107 initial Reliability Standards filed by NERC. In 
the intervening years, numerous changes have been made to update, 
eliminate, or establish various Reliability Standards.
    The information collected by FERC-725D is required to implement the 
statutory provisions of section 215 of the Federal Power Act (FPA) (16 
U.S.C. 824c). The following standards are included in FERC-725D.
     FAC-001-3 (Facility Interconnection Requirements) \2\ 
requires each transmission owner and applicable generator owner to 
document facility interconnection requirements, and to make them 
available upon request to entities seeking to interconnect. In 
addition, Reliability Standard FAC-001-3 requires each transmission 
owner and applicable generator owner to include procedures for 
coordinating studies to determine the impact of interconnecting 
facilities on existing interconnections as well as on affected systems.
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    \2\ FAC-001-3 is included in the OMB-approved inventory for 
FERC-725D.
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     FAC-002-3 (Facility Interconnection Studies) \3\ requires 
each transmission planner and each planning coordinator to study the 
reliability impact of interconnecting new--or materially modifying 
existing--generation, transmission, or electricity end-user facilities 
on affected systems. In particular, Reliability Standard FAC-002-3 
requires transmission planners and planning coordinators to perform 
steady-state, short-circuit, and dynamic studies to evaluate system 
performance under both normal and contingency conditions. In addition, 
Reliability Standard FAC-002-3 requires each generator owner seeking to 
interconnect, each transmission owner, each distribution provider, and 
each load-serving entity that is seeking to interconnect new--or 
materially modifying existing--transmission facilities or end-user 
facilities to coordinate and cooperate on studies with its transmission 
planner and planning coordinator.
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    \3\ The burden associated FAC-002-2 is included in the OMB-
approved inventory for FERC-725D. Reliability Standard FAC-002-3 was 
approved October 30, 2020 by order in Docket No. RD20-4-000. The net 
reduction in burden associated with FAC-002-3 is pending OMB 
approval in Docket No. RD20-4-000 and is reflected in this request 
for a three-year renewal.
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     FAC-010-3 (System Operating Limits Methodology for the 
Planning Horizon) \4\ requires the planning authority to have a 
documented methodology for use in developing system operating limits 
(SOLs) and must retain evidence that it issued its SOL methodology to 
relevant reliability coordinators, transmission operators and adjacent 
planning authorities. Likewise, the planning authority must respond to 
technical comments on the methodology within 45 days of receipt. 
Further, each planning authority must self-certify its compliance to 
the compliance monitor once every three years.
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    \4\ The burden associated with FAC-010-2 is included in the OMB-
approved inventory for FERC-725D. Reliability Standard FAC-010-2.1 
was approved April 19, 2010 by order in Docket No. RD10-9-000. FAC-
010-2.1 did not change the burden associated with FAC-010-2 because 
it included errata renumbering of specific requirements. Reliability 
Standard FAC-010-3 was approved November 19, 2015 in FERC Order No. 
818, Docket No. RM15-13-000. The only change to the standard was 
replacing the term ``special protection system'' with ``remedial 
action scheme.'' This change did not result in a change in the 
information collection.
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     FAC-011-3 (System Operating Limits Methodology for the 
Operations Horizon) \5\ requires the reliability coordinator to have a 
documented methodology for use in developing SOLs and must retain 
evidence that it issued its SOL methodology to relevant reliability 
coordinators, transmission operators and adjacent planning authorities. 
Likewise, the reliability coordinator must respond to technical 
comments on the methodology within 45 days of receipt. Further, each 
reliability coordinator must self-certify its compliance to the 
compliance monitor once every three years.
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    \5\ The burden associated with FAC-011-2 is included in the OMB-
approved inventory for FERC-725D. Reliability Standard FAC-011-3 was 
approved November 19, 2015 in FERC Order No. 818, Docket No. RM15-
13-000. The only change to the standard was replacing the term 
``special protection system'' with ``remedial action scheme.'' This 
change did not result in a change in the information collection.
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     FAC-014-2 (Establish and Communicate System Operating 
Limits) \6\ requires the reliability coordinator, planning authority, 
transmission operator, and transmission planner to verify compliance 
through self-certification submitted to the compliance monitor 
annually. These entities must also document that they have developed 
SOLs consistent with the applicable SOL methodology and that they have 
provided SOLs to entities identified in Requirement 5 of the 
Reliability Standard. Further, the planning authority must maintain a 
list of multiple contingencies and their associated stability limits.
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    \6\ The burden associated with FAC-014-2 is included in the OMB-
approved inventory for FERC-725D.
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    The associated reporting and recordkeeping requirements included in 
the Reliability Standards FAC-001-3, FAC010-3, FAC-011-3 and FAC-014-2 
above are not being revised, and the Commission requests to extend 
these requirements for three years. The Commission's request also 
reflects the following:
     Implementation of FAC-002-3 (as approved by order in 
Docket No. RD20-4-000).\7\ This includes elimination of the burden 
associated with the load-serving entity (LSE) function in Requirement 
R3 of proposed Reliability Standard FAC-002-3. The NERC petition states 
as the load-serving entity is no longer a NERC registration category, 
NERC proposed to remove this entity from the applicability section of 
proposed Reliability Standard FAC-002-3 and remove reference to this 
entity in Requirement R3.\8\
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    \7\ The burden associated with FAC-002-2 is included in the OMB-
approved inventory for FERC-725D. Reliability Standard FAC-002-3 was 
approved October 30, 2020 by order in Docket No. RD20-4-000. The 
change in burden associated with FAC-002-3 is pending OMB approval 
in Docket No. RD20-4-000 and is reflected in this request for a 
three-year renewal.
    \8\ The petition and exhibits are posted in the Commission's 
eLibrary system in Docket No. RD20-4-000 (Standards Alignment with 
Registration Petition).
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     Adjustments to the burden estimates due to changes in the 
NERC Compliance Registry for Reliability Standard FAC-002-3.\9\
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    \9\ The adjustments to burden estimates associated with FAC-002-
3 is pending OMB approval in Docket No. RD20-4-000.
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    The 60-day notice was published on November 5, 2020 (85 FR 70606), 
and no comments were received. The burden estimate in the 60-day notice 
has been updated below to correct the net decrease in burden for 
Reliability Standard FAC-002-3.
    Type of Respondents Type of Respondents: PA/PC, TP, TO, DP, & 
GO.\10\
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    \10\ PA = Planning Authority; PC = Planning Coordinator; TO = 
Transmission Owner; GO = Generator Owner; DP = Distribution 
Provider; TP = Transmission Provider.
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    Estimate of Annual Burden \11\ and Cost: \12\ Renewal Docket No. 
IC21-3.

[[Page 2667]]

The Commission estimates an increase (adjustment) in the annual public 
reporting burden for the FERC-725D that follow the standards FAC-001-3, 
FAC-002-3, FAC-010-3, FAC-011-3, and FAC-014-2. The Commission 
estimates a net decrease (adjustment) in the annual public reporting 
burden for the FERC-725D for the Reliability Standard FAC-002-3. The 
estimate for Reliability Standard FAC-002-3 decreased from 399 to 326 
responses.\13\ Burden estimates for the remaining Reliability Standards 
in FERC-725D are unchanged as follows:
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    \11\ 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.
    \12\ The estimates for cost per hour are derived as follows:
     $83.67/hour, the average of the salary plus benefits 
for a manager ($97.15/hour) and an electrical engineer ($70.19/
hour), from Bureau of Labor and Statistics at http://bls.gov/oes/current/naics3_221000.htm, as of June 2020.
     Record and Information Clerks (43-4199): $41.03/hour, 
based on a Commission staff study of record retention burden cost.
    \13\ The OMB-approved burden for FAC-002-2 of 399 responses does 
not include the responses for record retention as shown in Docket 
No. RD14-12-000. The net reduction in burden of 146 responses for 
FAC-002-3 is pending OMB approval under Docket No. RD20-4-000 and 
reflects
     an adjusted addition of 20 PCs and TPs for studies and 
evidence retention, which results in an increase of 40 responses; 
and
     a program and adjusted reduction of 63 de-registered 
load-serving entities and 30 TOs, GOs, and DPs for coordination and 
evidence retention, which results in a decrease of 186 responses.
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     FAC-001-3 remain unchanged at 498 responses.\14\
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    \14\ This is the sum of the OMB-approved burden for FAC-001-2 of 
337 responses plus the additional OMB-approved burden for FAC-001-3 
of 161 responses. These burden estimates do not include the 
responses for record retention as shown in Docket No. RD14-12-000.
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     FAC-010-3, FAC-011-3 and FAC-014-2 remains unchanged at 
470 responses.\15\
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    \15\ The OMB-approved burden for FAC-010-3, FAC-011-3 and FAC-
014-2 is a joint burden estimate of 470 responses as shown in the 
2011 supporting statement for FERC-725D.
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    The following table shows the previous figures from the 60-day 
renewal notice in Docket No. IC21-3, the program changes and 
adjustments from Docket No. RD20-4, and the resulting totals. RD20-4 
version update); Version Update RD20-4 has a net decrease (-146) in 
responses for FAC002-3 (previously FAC002-2) which created a total of 
1,957 responses (net change was already calculated in the renewal but 
omitted the retention totals in prior renewals. For this notice and 
moving forward, Record Retention will be included in the burden 
estimates for all standards), as shown below in the table:

         Proposed Changes to Burden Due to Docket No. RD20-4-000 and Adjustments and Clarifications \16\
                               [Version update for FAC-002-3 (formerly FAC-002-2)]
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                                                                                 Average burden    Total annual
                               Number and type   Annual number  Total number of   per response    burden (hours)
                                of respondent    of responses      responses     (hours) & cost   & total annual
                                                per respondent                    per response       cost ($)
                               (1)............             (2)  (1) * (2) = (3)             (4)  (3) * (4) = (5)
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                                      FERC-725D, OMB Control No. 1902-0247
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FAC-002-3 (Facility            +20 (PC & TP)..               1  +20............              32  640.
 Interconnection Studies) R1
 Record Retention--adjustment.
FAC-002-3 (Facility            +20 (PC & TP)..               1  +20............               1  20.
 Interconnection Studies) R1
 Record Retention--adjustment.
FAC-002-3 (Facility            -93 (TO, GO &                 1   93............              16   1,488.
 Interconnection Studies) R2-   DP) \18\.
 R5 Coordination--(program
 decrease & adjustment
 decrease) \17\.
FAC-002-3 (Facility            -93 (TO, GO &                 1  -93............               1  -93.
 Interconnection Studies) R2-   DP).
 R5 Record Retention--
 (program decrease &
 adjustment decrease) \19\.
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    Net Total for FERC-725D..  ...............  ..............  -146 (net        ..............  -921 (net
                                                                 reduction).                      reduction).
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    (Renewal for Docket No. IC21-3-000) FERC-725D: (Mandatory Reliability Standards: FAC (Facilities, Design,
                                        Connections, and Maintenance) **
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                                                                                 Average burden
                               Number and type   Annual number                    per response     Total annual
                                of respondent    of responses    Total number    (hours) \21\ &   burden (hours)
                                     \20\       per respondent   of responses       cost per      & total annual
                                                                                    response      cost \22\ ($)
                               (1)............             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4)............  (3) * (4) = (5)
                                                                           (3)
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                            FAC-001-3, FAC-002-3, FAC-010-3, FAC-011-3, and FAC-014-2
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FAC-001-3 (Documentation &     GO/TO 498......               1             498  34 hrs.;         16,932 hrs.;
 Updates).                                                                       $1,338.72.       $1,416,700.44.
Record Retention.............  GO 5...........               1               5  1 hr.; $41.03..  5 hrs.;
                                                                                                  $205.15.
                               TO 332.........               1             332  1 hr.; $41.03..  332 hrs.;
                                                                                                  $13,621.96.
                               GO/TO 161......               1             161  1 hr.; \23\      161 hrs.; \23\
                                                                                 $41.03.          $6,605.83.
FAC-002-3 (Study &             PC, TP 399.....               1             399  32 hrs.;         12,768 hrs.;
 Coordination).                                                                  $2008.08.        \24\
                                                                                                  $1,068,298.56.
Record Retention.............  PC, TP 183.....               1             183  1 hr.; $41.03..  183 hrs.;
                                                                                                  $7,325.49.
                               TO, DP, LSE, GO               1             216  1 hr.; $41.03..  216 hrs.;
                                216.                                                              $8,862.48.
FAC-010-2, FAC-011-3, FAC-014- PA/RC/TP/TO 470               1             470  295.7 hrs.;      138,979 hrs.;
 2 (Transmission & Planning).   \25\.                                            $24,741.219.     $11,628,372.93
                                                                                                  .
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    Sub-Totals for FERC-725D.  1,367..........               1           1,367  361.7 hrs......  168,679 hrs.;
                                                                                                  $14,113,371.93
                                                                                                  .
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[[Page 2668]]

 
        FAC-001-3, FAC-002-3,  1,957..........               1           1,957  366.7 hrs......  168,655 hrs.;
         FAC-010-3, FAC-011-                                                                      \26\
         3, and FAC-014-2                                                                         $14,079,040.68
         Totals including                                                                         .
         Record Retention.
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    \16\ The adjustments, due to normal industry fluctuations, are 
based on figures in the NERC registry as of April 10, 2020.
    \17\ The reduction of 93 respondents and corresponding burden 
hours include 63 LSEs that were de-registered (program decrease of 
1,008 hrs.) and an adjustment decrease of 30 respondents (480 hrs.) 
due to normal industry fluctuations.
    Out of the total decrease of 1,488 hours, the program decrease 
of 1,008 hours [corresponding decrease of 63 responses] is due to 
Docket No. RD20-4-000. The reduction of 480 hours is due to normal 
adjustments.
    \18\ Although 1,232 entities are registered as TO, DP, or GO, we 
expect at the most 123 entities (ten percent) will seek to 
interconnect and go through the study phase that may require 
coordination in any given year.
    \19\ For Record retention--The reduction of 93 respondents and 
corresponding burden hours include 63 LSEs that were de-registered 
(program decrease of 63 hrs., due to Docket No. RD20-4-000) and an 
adjustment decrease of 30 respondents (30 hrs.) due to normal 
industry fluctuations--this results in doubling of decrease in 93 
respondents and increase of 20 additional respondents.
    \20\ The number of respondents is based on the NERC Compliance 
Registry as of September 24, 2014. Although 2,163 entities are 
registered as TO, DP, LSE, or GO, as relates to Docket RD14-12, we 
expect at the most 216 entities (ten percent) will seek to 
interconnect and go through the study phase that may require 
coordination in any given year.
    \21\ Of the average estimated 295.702 hours per response, 210 
hours are for recordkeeping, and 85.702 hours are for reporting.
    \22\ The estimates for cost per hour are derived as follows:
     $83.67/hour, the average of the salary plus benefits 
for a manager ($97.15/hour) and an electrical engineer ($70.19/
hour), from Bureau of Labor and Statistics at http://bls.gov/oes/current/naics3_221000.htm, as of June 2020.
     Record and Information Clerks (43-4199): $41.03/hour, 
based on a Commission staff study of record retention burden cost.
    \23\ The average burden hours per response related to FAC-001-3 
was listed as 2 hours in the RM16-13 Final Rule, resulting in an 
annual burden related to FAC-001-3 is 322 hours (from 161 hours in 
the issued Final Rule).
    \24\ The Previous burden in 60-day notice published on 11/5/2020 
was modified to reflect the net changes in burden mention in RD20-4 
and incorporated previously omitted record retention burden.
    \25\ The total number of Planning Authorities, Reliability 
Coordinators, Transmission Planners and Transmission Operators 
equals 470 (taken from the October 2020, version of NERC's 
compliance registry).
    \26\ Deducts net proposed changes (-921 hours) totals with 
retention.
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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: January 7, 2021.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-00513 Filed 1-12-21; 8:45 am]
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