Notice2022-00353
Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-725) Comment Request; Extension
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 12, 2022
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Abstract
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-725 (Certification of Electric Reliability Organization; Procedures for Electric Reliability Standards), which will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. The Commission issued a 60-day notice on November 3, 2021 requesting public comments; no comments were received.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 8 (Wednesday, January 12, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 12, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1744-1746]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-00353]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC22-1-000]
Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-725) Comment
Request; Extension
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.
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-725 (Certification of Electric Reliability
Organization; Procedures for Electric Reliability Standards), which
will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for
review. The Commission issued a 60-day notice on November 3, 2021
requesting public comments; no comments were received.
DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due February 11,
2022.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments on FERC-725 to OMB through
<a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission Desk Officer. Please identify the OMB Control Number (1902-
0225) in the subject line of your comments. Comments should be sent
[[Page 1745]]
within 30 days of publication of this notice to <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>.
Please submit copies of your comments to the Commission. You may
submit copies of your comments (identified by Docket No. IC22-1-000) by
one of the following methods: Electronic filing through <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a>, is preferred.
<bullet> Electronic Filing: Documents must be filed in acceptable
native applications and print-to-PDF, but not in scanned or picture
format.
<bullet> 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: OMB submissions must be formatted and filed in
accordance with submission guidelines at <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. Using the search function under the ``Currently Under Review''
field, select Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; click ``submit,''
and select ``comment'' to the right of the subject collection. FERC
submissions must be formatted and filed in accordance with submission
guidelines at: <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a>. For user assistance, contact FERC
Online Support by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0f696a7d6c60616366616a7c7a7f7f607d7b4f696a7d6c21686079"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d1b7b4a3b2bebfbdb8bfb4a2a4a1a1bea3a591b7b4a3b2ffb6bea7">[email protected]</span></a>, 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 <a href="https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview">https://www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9bdffaeffad8f7fefae9faf5f8fedbdddec9d8b5fcf4ed"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d094b1a4b193bcb5b1a2b1beb3b59096958293feb7bfa6">[email protected]</span></a>, telephone at (202) 502-8663.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: FERC-725, Certification of Electric Reliability
Organization; Procedures for Electric Reliability Standards.
OMB Control No.: 1902-0225.
Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-725 information
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting and
recordkeeping requirements.
Abstract: The Commission issued a 60-day notice on November 3, 2021
(86 FR 60626) requesting public comments; no comments were received.
The FERC-725 contains the following information collection
elements:
Self Assessment and ERO (Electric Reliability Organization)
Application: The Commission requires the ERO to submit to FERC a
performance assessment report every five years. The next assessment is
due in 2024. Each Regional Entity submits a performance assessment
report to the ERO.
Submitting an application to become the ERO is also part of this
collection.\1\
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\1\ The Commission does not expect any new ERO applications to
be submitted in the next five years and is not including any burden
for this requirement in the burden estimate. FERC still seeks to
renew the regulations pertaining to a new ERO application under this
renewal but is expecting the burden to be zero for the foreseeable
future. 18 CFR 39.3 contains the regulation pertaining to ERO
applications.
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Reliability Assessments: 18 CFR 39.11 requires the ERO to assess
the reliability and adequacy of the Bulk-Power System in North America.
Subsequently, the ERO must report to the Commission on its findings.
Regional entities perform similar assessments within individual
regions. Currently the ERO submits to FERC three assessments each year:
Long term, winter, and summer. In addition, the North American Electric
Reliability Corporation (NERC, the Commission-approved ERO) also
submits various other assessments as needed.
Reliability Standards Development: Under section 215 of the Federal
Power Act (FPA),\2\ the ERO is charged with developing Reliability
Standards. Regional Entities may also develop regional specific
standards and have standard experts on staff to work with entities
below the regional level.
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\2\ 16 U.S.C. 824o.
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Reliability Compliance: Reliability Standards are mandatory and
enforceable upon approval by the Commission. In addition to the
specific information collection requirements contained in each standard
(cleared under other information collections), there are general
compliance, monitoring and enforcement information collection
requirements imposed on applicable entities. Audits, spot checks, self-
certifications, exception data submittals, violation reporting, and
mitigation plan confirmation are included in this area.
Stakeholder Survey: The ERO uses a stakeholder survey to solicit
feedback from registered entities \3\ in preparation for its five-year
self-performance assessment. The Commission assumes that the ERO will
perform another survey prior to the 2024 self-assessment.
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\3\ A ``registered entity'' is an entity that is registered with
the ERO. All Bulk-Power System owners, operators and users are
required to register with the ERO. Registration is the basis for
determining the Reliability Standards with which an entity must
comply. See <a href="http://www.nerc.com/page.php?cid=3%7C25">http://www.nerc.com/page.php?cid=3%7C25</a> for more
details.
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Other Reporting: This category refers to all other reporting
requirements imposed on the ERO or regional entities in order to comply
with the Commission's regulations. For example, FERC may require NERC
to submit a special reliability assessment or inquiry. This category
captures these types of one-time filings required of NERC or the
Regions. The Commission implements its responsibilities through 18 CFR
part 39.
Type of Respondent: Electric Reliability Organization, Regional
entities, and registered entities. Estimate of Annual Burden: \4\ The
Commission estimates the total annual burden and cost \5\ for this
information collection in the table below. For hourly cost (for wages
and benefits), we estimate that 70% of the time is spent by Electrical
Engineers (code 17-2071, at $72.15/hr.), 20% of the time is spent by
Legal (code 23-0000, at $142.25/hr.), and 10% by Office and
Administrative Support (code 43-0000, at $44.47/hr.). Therefore, we use
the weighted hourly cost (for wages and benefits) of $83.40 (rounded)
{or [(0.70) * ($72.15/hr.)] + [(0.20) * $142.25/hr.] + [(0.10) *
$44.47/hr.]{time} .
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\4\ ``Burden'' is the total time, effort, or financial resources
expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or
provide information to or for a Federal agency. For further
explanation of what is included in the information collection
burden, refer to Title 5 Code of Federal Regulations 1320.3.
\5\ Costs (for wages and benefits) are based on wage figures
from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for May 2021 (at <a href="https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm">https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm</a>) and benefits information (at
<a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm">https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm</a>).
[[Page 1746]]
FERC-725, Certification of Electric Reliability Organization; Procedures for Electric Reliability Standards
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Type of Annual number Average burden hours & Estimated total annual
Type of respondent reporting Number of of responses Total number cost ($) per response burden hrs. & cost ($)
requirement respondents per respondent of responses (rounded) (rounded)
(A)................ (B) \6\ (A) x (B) = (D)..................... (C) x (D)
(C)
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Electric Reliability Self-Assessment. 1.................. .2 .2 4,160hrs.; $346,950..... 832 hrs.; $69,390.
Organization (ERO).
Reliability ................... 5.0 5.0 10,400 hrs.; $867,360... 52,000 hrs.; $4,336,800.
Assessments.
Reliability ................... 2 2 17,680 hrs.; $1,474,512. 35,360 hrs.; $2,949,024.
Compliance.
Standards ................... 1 1 20,800 hrs.; $1,734,720. 35,360 hrs.; $2,949,024.
Development.
Other Reporting. ................... 1 1 4,160 hrs.; $346,944.... 4,160 hrs.; $346,944.
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ERO, Sub-Total........... ................ ................... .............. .............. 113,152 hrs.;
$9,436,877..
Regional Entities............ Self-Assessment. 6.................. .2 1.2 4,160 hrs.; $346,944.... 4,992 hrs.; $416,332.8.
Reliability ................... 1 6 15,600 hrs.; $1,301,040. 93,600 hrs.; $7,806,240.
Assessments.
Reliability ................... 1 6 47,840 hrs.; $3,989,856. 287,040 hrs.;
Compliance. $23,939,136.
Standards ................... 1 6 4,680 hrs.; $390,312.... 28,080 hrs.; $2,341,872.
Development.
Other Reporting. ................... 1 6 1,040 hrs.; $86,736..... 7,280 hrs.; $607,152.
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Regional Entities, Sub- ................ ................... .............. .............. 420,992 hrs.;
Total. $35,110,732.6..
Registered Entities.......... Stakeholder estimated 1,496.... .2 299.2 8 hrs.; $667.20......... 2,393.6 hrs.;
Survey. $199,626.2.
Reliability ................... 1 1,496 400 hrs.; $33,360....... 598,400 hrs.;
Compliance. $49,906,186.
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Registered Entities, Sub- ................ ................... .............. .............. ........................ 600,793.60 hrs.;
Total. $50,106,186.
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Total Burden Hrs. and ................ ................... .............. .............. ........................ 1,134,938 hrs.;
Cost. $94,653,796.
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As indicated in the table, there was a decrease from seven to six
in the number of Regional Entities because the Florida Reliability
Coordinating Council (FRCC) dissolved in July 2019. Other changes from
previous estimates are based on new data in the proposed NERC 2022
Business Plan and Budget to reflect changes in the number of FTEs
(full-time equivalent employees) working in applicable areas. Reviewing
the NERC Compliance database, we determined the number of unique U.S.
entities is 1,496 (compared to the previous value of 1,409). Lastly, in
several instances, the amount of time an FTE devotes to a given
function may have been increased or decreased.
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\6\ In instances where the number of responses per respondent is
``1,'' the Commission Staff thinks that the actual number of
responses varies and cannot be estimated accurately.
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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 5, 2022.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-00353 Filed 1-11-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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