[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 41 (Thursday, March 2, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13111-13112]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-04314]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC23-8-000]


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

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of information collection and request for comments.

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[[Page 13112]]

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-725T, Mandatory Reliability Standards for 
the Bulk-Power System: Texas Reliability Entity (TRE) Reliability 
Standards.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due May 1, 2023.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. IC23-8-
000) by either of the following methods:
     eFiling at Commission's Website: https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp.
     Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, Secretary of the Commission, at Health and Human Services, 
12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
    Instructions: All submissions must be formatted and filed in 
accordance with submission guidelines at: https://www.ferc.gov/help/submission-guide.asp. 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 https://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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: FERC-725T, Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-
Power System: TRE Reliability Standards BAL-001-TRE-2 (Primary 
Frequency Response in the ERCOT Region).
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0273.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-725T information 
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting 
requirements.
    Abstract: TRE Reliability Standards apply to entities registered as 
Generator Owners (GOs), Generator Operators (GOPs), and Balancing 
Authorities (BAs) within the Texas Reliability Entity region.
    The information collection requirements entail the setting or 
configuration of the Control System software, identification and 
recording of events, data retention, and submitting frequency 
measurable events to the compliance enforcement authority (Regional 
Entity or NERC).
    Submitting frequency measurable events--The BA is required to 
identify and post information regarding Frequency Measurable Events 
(FME). Further, the BA must calculate and report to the Compliance 
Enforcement Authority data related to Primary Frequency Response (PFR) 
performance of each generating unit/generating facility.
    Data retention--The BA, GO, and GOP shall keep data or evidence to 
show compliance, as identified below, unless directed by its Compliance 
Enforcement Authority to retain specific evidence for a longer period 
of time as part of an investigation. Compliance audits are generally 
about three years apart.
     The BA shall retain a list of identified Frequency 
Measurable Events and shall retain FME information since its last 
compliance audit.
     The BA shall retain all monthly PFR performance reports 
since its last compliance audit.
     The BA shall retain all annual Interconnection minimum 
Frequency Response calculations, and related methodology and criteria 
documents, relating to time periods since its last compliance audit.
     The BA shall retain all data and calculations relating to 
the Interconnection's Frequency Response, and all evidence of actions 
taken to increase the Interconnection's Frequency Response, since its 
last compliance audit.
     Each GOP and GO shall retain evidence since its last 
compliance audit.
    Type of Respondents: NERC Registered entities: Balancing 
Authorities, Generator Owners, Generator Operators.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \1\ The Commission estimates the annual 
public reporting burden for the information collection as:
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    \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.

                            FERC-725T (Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power System: TRE Reliability Standards)
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                                                        Annual number                                              Total annual burden
                                          Number of     of responses    Total number     Average burden & cost     hours & total annual      Cost per
                                         respondents   per respondent   of responses       per response \2\                cost           respondent ($)
                                                  (1)             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4).....................  (3) * (4) = (5)........       (5) / (1)
                                                                                  (3)
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Maintenance and submission of event             \3\ 1               1               1  16 hrs.; $891.20........  16 hrs.; $891.20.......         $891.20
 log data.
Evidence Retention...................         \4\ 420               1             420  2 hrs.; 111.40..........  840 hrs.; 46,788.......          111.40
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    Total............................  ..............  ..............             421  ........................  856 hrs.; $47,679.20...  ..............
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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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    \2\ The figures for May 2022 posted by the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics for the Utilities sector (available at http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm) and updated May 2022 for 
benefits information (at http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm). The hourly estimates for salary plus benefits are:
    --File Clerks (code 43-4071), $34.38.
    --Electrical Engineer (code 17-2071), $77.02.
    The average hourly burden cost for this collection is $55.70 
[($34.38 + $77.02)/2 = 55.70].
    \3\ BA (balancing authority).
    \4\ BA (balancing authority) (1), GO (generator owner) (233), 
and GOP (generator operator) (186) = 420 functional entities numbers 
based on NERC Compliance Registry November 4, 2022. The large 
increase is due to counting each entity function separately instead 
of considering overlap. Also, there has been an increase in number 
of renewable energy entities in the Texas region.

    Dated: February 24, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-04314 Filed 3-1-23; 8:45 am]
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