[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 25 (Tuesday, February 6, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8186-8188]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-02377]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. RD24-2-000]


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

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice for revision and extension 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 revision and extension to the 
information collection, FERC-725E (Mandatory Reliability Standards for 
the Western Electric Coordinating Council).

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due April 8, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit your comments (identified by Docket No. RD24-
2-000) on FERC-725E by one of the following methods:
    Electronic filing through https://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: https://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 https://www.ferc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jean Sonneman may be reached by email 
at [email protected], telephone at (202) 502-6362.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: FERC-725E, Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Western 
Electric Coordinating Council (WECC).
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0246.
    Type of Request: Revision and extension to the FERC-725E 
information collection requirements.
    Abstract: FERC-725E is the information collection that is required 
to implement the statutory provisions of section 215 of the Federal 
Power Act (FPA) (16 U.S.C. 824o). Section 215 of the FPA buttresses the 
Commission's efforts to strengthen the reliability of the interstate 
grid through the grant of new authority by providing for a system of 
mandatory Reliability Standards developed by the Electric Reliability 
Organization (ERO). Reliability Standards that the ERO proposes to the 
Commission may include Reliability Standards that are proposed to the 
ERO by a Regional Entity.\1\ A Regional Entity is an entity that has 
been approved by the Commission to enforce Reliability Standards under 
delegated authority from the ERO.\2\ On June 8, 2008, the Commission 
approved eight regional

[[Page 8187]]

Reliability Standards submitted by the ERO that were proposed by 
WECC.\3\
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    \1\ 16 U.S.C. 824o(e)(4).
    \2\ 16 U.S.C. 824o(a)(7) and (e)(4).
    \3\ N. Am. Electric Reliability Corp., 119 FERC ] 61,260 (2007).
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    WECC promotes bulk electric system reliability in the Western 
Interconnection. WECC is the Regional Entity responsible for compliance 
monitoring and enforcement. In addition, WECC 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 WECC Bylaws.
    There are several regional Reliability Standards in the WECC 
region. These regional Reliability Standards generally require entities 
to document compliance with substantive requirements, retain 
documentation, and submit reports to WECC.
    In RD24-2-000, standard VAR-501-WECC-3.1 is being updated for 
syntax and the proposed changes have been deemed non-substantive. The 
currently approved VAR-501-WECC-3.1 is being replaced by VAR-501-WECC-
4. The changes include updates to document numbering, the removal and 
replacement of obsolete language, and removal of redundant language.
    For the purposes of the extension, the following standards will 
remain unchanged:
     BAL-002-WECC-3 (Contingency Reserve) \4\ requires 
balancing authorities and reserve sharing groups to document compliance 
with the contingency reserve requirements described in the standard.
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    \4\ BAL-002-WECC-2 is included in the OMB-approved inventory for 
FERC-725E. On November 9, 2016, NERC and WECC submitted a joint 
petition for approval of an interpretation of BAL-002-WECC-2, to be 
designated BAL-002-WECC-2a. BAL-002-WECC-2a was approved by order in 
Docket No. RD17-3-000 on January 24, 2017. The Order determined: 
``The proposed interpretation provides clarification regarding the 
types of resources that may be used to satisfy Contingency Reserve 
requirements in regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2.'' BAL-
002-WECC-2a did not trigger the Paperwork Reduction Act and did not 
affect the burden estimate. BAL-002-WECC-2a is being included in 
this Notice and the Commission's submittal to OMB as part of the 
FERC-725E. BAL-002-WECC-3 became effective June 28, 2021, under 
docket RM19-20-000 in Order No. 876, replacing BAL-002-WECC-2a.
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     BAL-004-WECC-3 (Automatic Time Error Correction) \5\ 
requires balancing authorities to document that time error corrections 
and primary inadvertent interchange payback were conducted according to 
the requirements in the standard.
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    \5\ BAL-004-WECC-3 was approved under docket RD18-2-000 on May 
30, 2018.
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     FAC-501-WECC-2 (Transmission Maintenance) \6\ requires 
transmission owners with certain transmission paths to have a 
transmission maintenance and inspection plan and to document 
maintenance and inspection activities according to the plan.
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    \6\ FAC-501-WECC-2 was approved under docket RD18-5-000 on May 
30, 2018.
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     IRO-006-WECC-3 (Qualified Transfer Path Unscheduled Flow 
(USF) Relief) \7\ requires balancing authorities and reliability 
coordinators to document actions taken to mitigate unscheduled flow.
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    \7\ On December 20, 2013, NERC and WECC submitted a joint 
petition for approval of IRO-006-WECC-2 and retirement of IRO-006-
WECC-1. IRO-006-WECC-2 was approved by order in Docket No. RD14-9-
000 on May 13, 2014. IRO-006-WECC-3 was approved by order in Docket 
No. RD19-4-000 on May 10, 2019. Because the reporting burden for 
IRO-006-WECC-3 did not increase for entities that operate within the 
Western Interconnection, FERC submitted the order to OMB for 
information only. The burden related to IRO-006-WECC-3 does not 
differ from the burden of IRO-006-WECC-2, which is included in the 
OMB-approved inventory. IRO-006-WECC-3 is being included in this 
Notice and the Commission's submittal to OMB as part of FERC-725E.
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     VAR-501-WECC-4 (Power System Stabilizers (PSS)) requires 
the Western Interconnection is operated in a coordinated manner under 
normal and abnormal conditions by establishing the performance criteria 
for WECC power system stabilizers.
    Type of Respondents: Balancing authorities, reserve sharing groups, 
transmission owners, reliability coordinators, transmission operators, 
generator operators and generator owners.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \8\ We provide the tables below with 
burden estimates which show the current burden estimates which include 
the ongoing burden associated with reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements, which are not changing in RD24-2-000. Further, the change 
in RD24-2-000 is considered non-substantive, therefore, the Commission 
is estimating that there is no change in the burden estimates from the 
currently approved estimates.
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    \8\ 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.
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    In Table 1, the Commission highlights the burden estimates for the 
VAR-501-WECC-4 (updated in Docket no. RD24-2-000). In Table 2, the 
Commission estimates the total estimated burden for the entirety of the 
FERC 725E collection.
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    \9\ The number of respondents is derived from the NERC 
Compliance Registry as of December 15, 2023.
    \10\ For VAR-501-WECC-4, the 2023 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 (http://bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm) and benefits (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm) and are:
    1. Manager: $106.33/hour
    2. Engineer: $77.29/hour
    3. Information and Record Clerk: $56.14/hour
    The hourly cost for the reporting requirements ($91.81) is an 
average of the cost of a manager and engineer. The hourly cost for 
recordkeeping requirements uses the cost of an Information and 
Record Clerk ($56.14/hour).

               FERC-725E, Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Western Electric Coordinating Council, Changes in Docket No. RD24-2-000
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                                                    Number of     Annual number                    Average burden    Total annual burden     Cost per
                     Entity                        respondents    of responses    Annual number   hrs. & cost \10\  hours & total annual    respondent
                                                       \9\       per respondent   of responses   per response  ($)        cost  ($)             ($)
                                                            (1)             (2)     (1) * (2) =                (4)       (3) * (4) = (5)     (5) / (1) =
                                                                                            (3)                                                      (6)
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                                                                 Standard VAR-501-WECC-4
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Reporting Requirements
    Generator Owners and/or Operators annual...             311               2             622      1 hr.; $91.81  622 hrs.; $57,105.82         $183.62
Recordkeeping Requirements
    Generator Owners and/or Operators annual...             311               2             622    0.5 hrs.; 28.07  311 hrs.; $17,459.54           56.14
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[[Page 8188]]

 
        Burden Annual for VAR-501-WECC-4.......  ..............  ..............  ..............  .................  933 hrs.; $74,565.36  ..............
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    Net Burden for FERC-725E, for Submittal to OMB. The table below 
describes the new and continuing information collection requirements 
and the associated burden for FERC-725E. (The burden in Table 2 refers 
to burden associated with VAR-501-WECC-4, BAL-002-WECC-3, BAL-004-WECC-
3, FAC-501-WECC-2, and IRO-006-WECC-3).

                                FERC-725E, Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Western Electric Coordinating Council
                                                    [Continuing information collection requirements]
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                                                    Number of     Annual number                    Average burden    Total annual burden
                     Entity                        respondents    of responses    Annual number   hrs. & cost per   hours & total annual     Cost per
                                                      \11\       per respondent   of responses      response ($)          cost ($)        respondent ($)
                                                            (1)             (2)     (1) * (2) =                (4)       (3) * (4) = (5)     (5) / (1) =
                                                                                            (3)                                                      (6)
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                                                                 Reporting Requirements
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Balancing Authorities..........................              34               1              34           21 hrs.,  714 hrs., $65,552.34       $1,928.01
                                                                                                         $1,928.01
Transmission Owners that operate qualified                    5               3              15  40 hrs., 3,672.40   600 hrs., 55,086.00       11,017.20
 transfer paths................................
Reliability Coordinators.......................               2               1               2       1 hr., 91.81         2 hr., 183.62           91.81
Reserve Sharing Group..........................               2               1               2       1 hr., 91.81        2 hrs., 183.62           91.81
Generator Owners and/or Operators annual for                311               2             622       1 hr.; 91.81   622 hrs.; 57,105.82          183.62
 VAR-501-WECC-4................................
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    Total Annual Reporting Requirements for FERC-725E.............................................................           1,940 hrs.;  ..............
                                                                                                                             $178,111.40
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                                                               Recordkeeping Requirements
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Balancing Authorities..........................              34               1              34   2.1 hrs., 117.89   71.4 hrs., 4,008.40          117.89
Balancing Authorities (IRO-006)................              34               1              34       1 hr., 56.14     34 hrs., 1,908.76           56.14
Reliability Coordinator........................               2               1               2       1 hr.; 56.14         2 hr.; 112.28           56.14
Generator Owners and/or Operators annual for                311               2             622    0.5 hrs.; 28.07   311 hrs.; 17,459.54           56.14
 VAR-501-WECC-4................................
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    Total Annual Recordkeeping for FERC-725E......................................................................           418.4 hrs.;  ..............
                                                                                                                              $23,488.98
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    Total Annual Burden for FERC-725E.............................................................................         2,358.4 hrs.;  ..............
                                                                                                                             $201,600.38
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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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    \11\ The number of respondents is derived from the NERC 
Compliance Registry as of December 15, 2023, and represent unique US 
register entities in the WECC regional area.

    Dated: January 31, 2024.
Debbie-Anne Reese,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-02377 Filed 2-5-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P