[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 75 (Wednesday, April 21, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20684-20685]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-08125]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC21-18-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-725Y); 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 currently approved 
information collection, FERC-725Y, Mandatory Reliability Standard 
(Personnel Performance, Training, and Qualifications).

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due June 21, 2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit copies of your comments (identified by Docket 
No. IC21-18-000) by one of the following methods:
    Electronic filing through http://www.ferc.gov, is preferred.
     Electronic Filing: Documents must be filed in acceptable 
native applications and print-to-PDF, but not in scanned or picture 
format.
     For those unable to file electronically, comments may be 
filed by USPS mail or by hand (including courier) delivery:
    [cir] Mail via U.S. Postal Service Only: Addressed to: Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First 
Street NE, Washington, DC 20426.
    [cir] Hand (including courier) delivery: Deliver to: Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, MD 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-725Y, Mandatory Reliability Standard (Personnel 
Performance, Training, and Qualifications).
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0279.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-725Y information 
collection requirements with no changes to the reporting requirements.
    Abstract: The FERC-725Y information collection is intended to help 
ensure the safe and reliable operation of the interconnected grid 
through the retention of suitably trained and qualified personnel in 
positions that can impact the reliable operation of the Bulk-Power 
System. The Commission uses the FERC-725Y to implement the 
Congressional mandate of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to develop 
mandatory and enforceable Reliability Standards to better ensure the 
reliability of the nation's Bulk-Power System. FERC-725Y ensures that 
personnel performing or supporting real-time operations on the Bulk 
Electric System (BES) are trained using a systematic approach. The 
Reliability Standard requires entities to maintain records subject to 
review by the Commission and North American Electric Reliability 
Corporation (NERC) to ensure compliance with the Reliability Standard.
    Reliability Standard PER-005-2 requires entities to maintain 
records subject to review by the Commission and NERC to ensure 
compliance with the Reliability Standard. This Reliability Standard 
contains of six Requirements:

 R1 requires reliability coordinators, balancing authorities, 
and transmission operators to develop and implement a training program 
for system operators
 R2 requires transmission owners to develop and implement a 
training program for system operators
 R3 requires reliability coordinators, balancing authorities, 
transmission operators and transmission owners to verify the 
capabilities of their identified personnel
 R4 requires reliability coordinators, balancing authorities, 
transmission operators and transmission owners to provide those 
personnel with emergency operations training using simulation 
technology
 R5 requires reliability coordinators, balancing authorities, 
and transmission operators develop and implement training for system 
operators whose job functions can impact BES real-time reliability 
tasks
 R6 requires applicable generator operators to develop and 
implement training for certain of their dispatch personnel at a 
centrally located dispatch center

    Reliability Standard PER-006-1 ensures that personnel are trained 
on specific topics essential to reliability to perform or support Real-
Time operations of the Bulk Electric System.

 R1 identifies generator operator plant personnel responsible 
for Real-time control and carrying out Operating instructions are 
trained on the operational functionality of Protection Systems and 
Remedial Action Schemes that affect the output of generating 
facility(ies) it operates

    Type of Respondents: Transmission owners and generator owners.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \1\ Our estimate below regarding the 
number of respondents is based on the NERC compliance registry as of 
February 5, 2021.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ 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, reference 5 Code of Federal Regulations 1320.3.

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

[[Page 20685]]

    The Commission estimates the additional annual reporting burden and 
cost as follows:

 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Annual number                                            Total annual  burden    Cost per
                                       Number and type of      of responses    Total number    Avg. burden and cost      hours and total      respondent
                                         respondents \2\      per respondent   of responses      per response \3\        annual cost ($)         ($)
                                     (1)...................              (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4)...................  (3) * (4) = (5)......    (5) / (1)
                                                                                         (3)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          FERC-725Y in Docket No. IC21-18-000 (Reliability Standard PER-005-2)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annual Evaluation and Update of      (RC, BA, TOP, TO, GOP)                1           1,148  8 hrs.; $561.52.......  9,184 hrs.;                $561.52
 Training Program.                    1,148.                                                                           $644,624.96.
Retention of Records...............  (RC, BA, TOP, TO, GOP)                1           1,148  10 hrs.; $433.80......  11,480 hrs.;                433.80
                                      1,148.                                                                           $498,002.40.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       FERC-725Y (Reliability Standard PER-006-1)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GOP; Reporting Req. R1.............  937 \4\...............                1             937  5 hrs.; $350.95.......  4,685 hrs.;                 350.95
                                                                                                                       $328,840.15.
GOP; Recordkeeping Req.............  937...................                1             937  10 hrs.; $433.80......  9,370 hrs.;                 433.80
                                                                                                                       $406,470.60.
                                    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total..........................  ......................  ...............  ..............  ......................  34,719 hrs.;           ...........
                                                                                                                       $1,877,938.11.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

    \2\ For PER-005-2 and PER-006-1: RC=Reliability Coordinator; 
BA=Balancing Authority; TOP=Transmission Operator; TO=Transmission 
Owner; GOP=Generator Operator. To eliminate counting the same number 
multiple times the figure reflects the number of US unique entities 
(1,148) accounts for overlaps between RC, BA, TOP, TO and GOP. The 
NERC compliance registry table February 5, 2021 was used preform 
analysis.
    \3\ The estimates for cost per response are loaded hourly wage 
figure (includes benefits) is based on two occupational categories 
for 2020 found on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm):
     Electrical Engineer (Occupation Code: 17-2071): $70.19 
(to calculate the reporting requirements).
     Office and Administrative Support (Occupation Code: 43-
0000): $43.38 (to calculate the recordkeeping requirements).
    \4\ The number of US unique GOPs is 937 taken from the NERC 
compliance registry information of February 5, 2021.

    Dated: April 14, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-08125 Filed 4-20-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P