[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 145 (Monday, July 29, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60888-60891]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-16529]



[[Page 60888]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC24-17-000]


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

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

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 725L (Mandatory Reliability Standards for 
the Bulk-Power System: MOD Reliability Standards).

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due September 27, 
2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit copies of your comments (identified by Docket 
No. IC24-17-000) 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, not in scanned or picture format.
     For those unable to file electronically, comments may be 
filed by USPS mail or by other delivery methods:
    [cir] Mail via U.S. Postal Service Only: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First Street NE, 
Washington, DC 20426.
    [cir] All other delivery services: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, Office of the Secretary, 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-725L, Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-
Power System: MOD Reliability Standards.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0261.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-725L information 
collection requirements with no changes to the reporting requirements.
    Abstract: MOD Reliability Standards ensure that generators remain 
in operation during specified voltage and frequency excursions, 
properly coordinate protective relays and generator voltage regulator 
controls, and ensure that generator models accurately reflect the 
generator's capabilities and equipment performance.
    On May 30, 2013, the North American Electric Reliability 
Corporation (NERC) filed a petition explaining that the reliability of 
the Bulk-Power System benefits from ``good quality simulation models of 
power system equipment,'' and that ``model validation ensures the 
proper performance of the control systems and validates the computer 
models used for stability analysis.'' NERC further stated that the 
Reliability Standards will enhance reliability because the tests 
performed to obtain model data may reveal latent defects that could 
cause ``inappropriate unit response during system disturbances.'' \1\ 
Subsequently, on March 20, 2014, the Commission approved Reliability 
Standards MOD-025-2, MOD-026-1, and MOD-027-1. These Standards were 
intended to address generator verifications needed to support Bulk-
Power System reliability that would also ensure that accurate data is 
verified and made available for planning simulations.\2\
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    \1\ Final Rule in Docket No. RM13-16-000.
    \2\ NERC Petition for Approval of Five Proposed Reliability 
Standards MOD-025-2, MOD-026-1, MOD-027-1, PRC-019-1, and PRC-024-1 
submitted to FERC on 5/30/2013.
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    On May 1, 2014, the Commission approved Reliability Standards MOD-
032-1 and MOD-033-2. These Standards were to address ``system-level 
modeling data and validation requirements necessary for developing 
planning models and the Interconnection-wide cases that are integral to 
analyzing the reliability of the Bulk-Power System''.\3\
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    \3\ Order in Docket No. RD14-5-000.
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    MOD-025-2, MOD-026-1, MOD-027-1, MOD-031-3, MOD-032-1 and MOD-033-2 
are all currently approved within the FERC-725L information collection. 
The reporting requirements associated with each standard will not 
change as a result of this extension request.
    Type of Respondents: NERC-registered entities including generator 
owners, transmission planners, planning authorities, balancing 
authorities, resource planners, transmission service providers, 
reliability coordinators, and transmission operators.\4\
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    \4\ In subsequent portions of this notice, the following 
acronyms will be used: PA = Planning Authority, GO = Generator 
Owner, TP = Transmission Planner, BA = Balancing Authority, RP = 
Resource Planner, TSP = Transmission Service Provider, RC = 
Reliability Coordinator, TOP = Transmission Operator.
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    Estimate of Annual Burden: \5\ The Commission estimates the annual 
public reporting burden \6\ and cost for the information collection as:
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    \5\ ``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.
    \6\ Each of the five MOD standards in the FERC-725L information 
collection previously contained ``one-time'' components to their 
respondent burden. These one-time burden categories consisted 
primarily of activities related to establishing industry practices 
and developing data validation procedures tailored toward these 
reliability standards and their reporting requirements. None of the 
one-time burdens apply any longer, so they are being removed from 
the FERC-725L information collection.

[[Page 60889]]



     MOD-025-2 (Verification and Data Reporting of Generator Real and Reactive Power Capability and Synchronous Condenser Reactive Power Capability)
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                                                             Annual number                                          Total annual burden
                                     Number of respondents   of responses    Total number   Average burden & cost   hours & total annual     Cost per
                                              \7\           per respondent   of responses        per response               cost          respondent ($)
                                     (1)..................             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4)..................  (3) * (4) = (5)......       (5) / (1)
                                                                                       (3)
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Attachment 2.......................  1210 (GO)............               1            1210  6 hrs.; $463.74 \8\..  7,260 hrs.;                   $463.74
                                                                                                                    $561,125.40.
Evidence Retention.................  1210 (GO)............               1            1210  1 hr.; $39.58 \9\....  1210 hrs.; $47,891.80           39.58
                                                           ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total..........................  .....................  ..............  ..............  .....................  8,470 hrs.;            ..............
                                                                                                                    $609,017.20.
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    \7\ The number of respondents for MOD-025-2/MOD-026-1/MOD-027-1/
MOD-31-3/MOD-032-/MOD-033-2 are from the NERC compliance registry 
April 16, 2024.
    \8\ The estimated hourly cost (salary plus benefits) based on 
the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as of 2023, for an Electrical 
Engineer (17-2071) $77.29/hr.
    \9\ The estimated hourly cost (salary plus benefits) based on 
the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as of 2023 Information and 
Record Clerk (43-4199) $39.58/hr.
    \10\ It is estimated that the applicable numbers of generator 
owner respondents used to calculate the public reporting burden for 
these standards MOD-026-1, MOD-027-1, MOD-031-3, MOD-032-1 and MOD-
033-1 is half of total numbers of GO (605=1210/2) due to the higher 
applicability threshold for those Reliability Standards.

              MOD-026-1 (Verification of Models and Data for Generator Excitation Control System or Plant Volt/Variance Control Functions)
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                                                             Annual number                                          Total annual burden
                                     Number of respondents   of responses    Total number   Average burden & cost   hours & total annual     Cost per
                                                            per respondent   of responses        per response               cost          respondent ($)
                                     (1)..................             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4)..................  (3) * (4) = (5)......       (5) / (1)
                                                                                       (3)
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Instructions for obtaining           203 (TP).............               1             203  8 hrs.; $618.32......  1,624 hrs.;                   $618.32
 excitation control system or plant                                                                                 $125,518.96.
 voltage/variance control function
 model.
Documentation on generator           605 (GO).............               1             605  8 hrs.; $618.32......  4,840 hrs.;                    618.32
 verification.                                                                                                      $374,083.60.
Evidence Retention.................  808 (GO and TOP).....               1             808  1 hr.; $39.58........  808 hrs.; $31,948.32.           39.58
                                                           ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total..........................  .....................  ..............  ..............  .....................  7,272 hrs.;            ..............
                                                                                                                    $531,550.88.
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              MOD-027-1 (Verification of Models and Data for Turbine/Governor and Load Control or Active Power/Frequency Control Functions)
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                                                             Annual number                                          Total annual burden
                                     Number of respondents   of responses    Total number   Average burden & cost   hours & total annual     Cost per
                                                            per respondent   of responses        per response               cost          respondent ($)
                                     (1)..................             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4)..................  (3) * (4) = (5)......       (5) / (1)
                                                                                       (3)
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Instructions for obtaining           203 (TP).............               1             203  8 hrs.; $618.32......  1,624 hrs.;                   $618.32
 excitation control system or plant                                                                                 $125,518.96.
 voltage/variance control function
 model.
Documentation on generator           605 (GO) \10\........               1             605  8 hrs.; $618.32......  4,840 hrs.;                    618.32
 verification.                                                                                                      $374,083.60.

[[Page 60890]]

 
Evidence Retention.................  808 (GO and TP)......               1             808  1 hr.; $39.58........  808 hrs.; $31,980.64.           39.58
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    Total..........................  .....................  ..............  ..............  .....................  7,272 hrs.;            ..............
                                                                                                                    $531,583.20.
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                                                MOD-031-3 (Demand and Energy Data), Included in FERC-725L
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                                                             Annual number                                          Total annual burden
   Reliability standard MOD-031-3      Number and type of    of responses    Total number     Avg. burden & cost    hours & total annual     Cost per
                                          respondents       per respondent   of responses     per response \11\             cost            respondent
                                     (1)..................             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4)..................  (3) * (4) = (5)......       (5) / (1)
                                                                                       (3)
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Develop summary in accordance with   607 (DP, TP and/or                  1             607  8 hrs.; $618.32......  4,856 hrs.;                   $618.32
 Requirement R1, Subparts 1.5.4 and   BA).                                                                          $375,320.24.
 1.5.5.
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    New Total for MOD-031-3 for      .....................  ..............  ..............  .....................  4,856 hrs.;            ..............
     Renewal.                                                                                                       $375,320.24.
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              MOD-032-1 (Verification of Models and Data for Turbine/Governor and Load Control or Active Power/Frequency Control Functions)
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                                                             Annual number                                          Total annual burden
                                     Number of respondents   of responses    Total number   Average burden & cost   hours & total annual     Cost per
                                                            per respondent   of responses        per response               cost          respondent ($)
                                     (1)..................             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4)..................  (3) * (4) = (5)......       (5) / (1)
                                                                                       (3)
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Data Submittal.....................  2,126 (BA, GO, PA/PC,               1           2,126  8 hrs.; $618.32......  17,008 hrs.;                  $618.32
                                      RP, TO, TP, and TSP).                                                         $1,314,548.32.
Evidence Retention.................  2,126 (BA, GO, PA/PC,               1           2,126  1 hr.; $39.58........  2,126hrs.; $84,147.08           39.58
                                      RP, TO, TP, and TSP).
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    Total..........................  .....................  ..............  ..............  .....................  19,134 hrs.;           ..............
                                                                                                                    $1,398,695.40.
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    \11\ The estimated hourly cost (salary plus benefits) based on 
the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as of 2023, for an Electrical 
Engineer (17-2071) $77.29/hr.

[[Page 60891]]



                                   MOD-033-2 (Formerly MOD-033-1) (Steady-State and Dynamics System Model Validation)
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                                                             Annual number                                          Total annual burden
                                     Number of respondents   of responses    Total number   Average burden & cost   hours & total annual     Cost per
                                                            per respondent   of responses        per response               cost          respondent ($)
                                     (1)..................             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4)..................  (3) * (4) = (5)......       (5) / (1)
                                                                                       (3)
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Data Submittal.....................  177 (RC and TOP).....               1             177  8 hrs.; $618.32......  1,416 hrs.;                   $618.32
                                                                                                                    $109,442.64.
Evidence Retention.................  239 (PA/PC, RC, and                 1             239  1 hr.; $39.58........  239 hrs.; $9,459.62..           39.58
                                      TOP).
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    New Total for MOD-033-2 Renewal  .....................  ..............  ..............  .....................  1,655 hrs.;            ..............
                                                                                                                    $118,902.26.
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    The total annual estimated burden and cost for the FERC-725L 
information collection is 38,724 hours and $2,960,375.60 respectively.
    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: July 22, 2024.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-16529 Filed 7-26-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P