Notice2022-22225
Commission Information Collection Activities (Ferc-725z); Comment Request; Extension
Primary source
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Published
October 13, 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-725Z (Mandatory Reliability Standards: IRO Reliability Standards), which will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. No comments were received on the 60-day notice published on August 3, 2022 for IC22-24-000. This notice includes modifications of Reliability Standard IRO-008 (version update) included in FERC-725Z as published in Docket No. RD-22-2-000. The burden totals have been merged to include the new updated version of IRO-008-3.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 197 (Thursday, October 13, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 197 (Thursday, October 13, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62089-62091]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-22225]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket Nos. IC22-24-000 and RD22-2-000]
Commission Information Collection Activities (Ferc-725z); 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-725Z (Mandatory Reliability Standards: IRO
Reliability Standards), which will be submitted to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for review. No comments were received on
the 60-day notice published on August 3, 2022 for IC22-24-000. This
notice includes modifications of Reliability Standard IRO-008 (version
update) included in FERC-725Z as published in Docket No. RD-22-2-000.
The burden totals have been merged to include the new updated version
of IRO-008-3.
DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due November 14,
2022.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments on FERC-725Z 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-
0276) in the subject line of your comments. Comments should be sent
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. IC22-24-000)
by one of the following methods:
Electronic filing through <a href="https://www.ferc.gov">https://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, Secretary of the 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="https://www.ferc.gov">https://www.ferc.gov</a>. For user assistance,
contact FERC Online Support by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#80e6e5f2e3efeeece9eee5f3f5f0f0eff2f4c0e6e5f2e3aee7eff6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="771112051418191b1e191204020707180503371112051459101801">[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#24604550456748414556454a474164626176670a434b52"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a7e3c6d3c6e4cbc2c6d5c6c9c4c2e7e1e2f5e489c0c8d1">[email protected]</span></a>, telephone at (202) 502-8663.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: FERC-725Z (Mandatory Reliability Standards: IRO Reliability
Standards).
OMB Control No.: 1902-0276.
Type of Request: Extension for the currently approved information
collection and approval of revisions made by Docket No. RD22-2 (IRO-
008-3 version update).
Abstract: On August 8, 2005, The Electricity Modernization Act of
2005, which is Title XII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005),
was enacted into law.\1\ Under section 215 of the Federal Power Act
(FPA) implemented in 18 CFR 40, the Commission requires a Commission-
certified Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) to develop mandatory
and enforceable
[[Page 62090]]
Reliability Standards,\2\ which are subject to Commission review and
approval. In 2006, the Commission established a process to select and
certify an ERO and, subsequently, certified the North American Electric
Reliability Corporation (NERC) as the ERO.\3\
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\1\ The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct), Public Law No 109-58,
Title XII, Subtitle A, 119 Stat. 594, 941 (2005), codified at 16
U.S.C. 824o (2000).
\2\ The Federal Power Act (as modified by the EPAct) states
``[t]he terms ``reliability standard'' means a requirement, approved
by the Commission under this section, to provide for reliable
operation of the bulk-power system. The term includes requirements
for the operation of existing bulk-power system facilities,
including cybersecurity protection, and the design of planned
additions or modifications to such facilities to the extent
necessary to provide for reliable operation of the bulk-power
system, but the term does not include any requirement to enlarge
such facilities or to construct new transmission capacity or
generation capacity.''
\3\ North American Electric Reliability Corp., 116 FERC ]
61,062, order on reh'g and compliance, 117 FERC ] 61,126 (2006),
order on compliance, 118 FERC ] 61,190, order on reh'g, 119 FERC ]
61,046 (2007), aff'd sub nom. Alcoa Inc. v. FERC, 564 F.3d 1342
(D.C. Cir. 2009).
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The ERO develops proposed Reliability Standards \4\ and, if
approved by NERC, submits them to the Commission for review and
approval. When the standards are approved by the Commission, the
Reliability Standards become mandatory and must be enforced by the ERO,
subject to Commission oversight.
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\4\ The NERC Standard Processes Manual, Appendix 3A of the NERC
Rules Of Procedure, (posted at <a href="https://www.nerc.com/FilingsOrders/us/RuleOfProcedureDL/SPM_Clean_Mar2019.pdf">https://www.nerc.com/FilingsOrders/us/RuleOfProcedureDL/SPM_Clean_Mar2019.pdf</a>) describes the process
for developing, modifying, withdrawing, or retiring a Reliability
Standard.
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The IRO Reliability Standards (IRO-001-4, IRO-002-7, IRO-008-2,
IRO-009-2, IRO-010-2, IRO-014-3, IRO-017-1, and IRO-018-1) mentioned
below are included in FERC-725Z:
IRO-001-4
The purpose of IRO-001-4 is to establish the responsibility of
Reliability Coordinators to act or direct other entities to act.
IRO-002-7
In a joint petition dated May 30, 2019, the North American Electric
Reliability Corporation (``NERC'') and Western Electricity Coordinating
Council (``WECC'') requested Commission approval for Reliability
Standard IRO-002-6 (now IRO-002-7) (Reliability Coordination,
Monitoring and Analysis). NERC and WECC stated that the ``Reliability
Standard IRO-002-7 reflects the addition of a regional Variance
containing additional requirements applicable to Reliability
Coordinators providing service to entities in the Western
Interconnection.'' NERC maintains that the data exchange capability
requirement in Reliability Standard IRO-002-7, Requirement R1 is
covered by Reliability Standard IRO-008-2.
IRO-008-3 as Approved in Docket No. RD22-2 (Formerly IRO-008-2)
Requirement R1 obligates the reliability coordinator (RC) to
perform operational planning analyses to assess whether the planned
operations for the next-day will exceed System Operating Limits and
Interconnection Reliability Operating Limits within its wide area. NERC
asserts that ``to perform the required operational planning analyses,
the Reliability Coordinator must have the data it deems necessary from
those entities that possess it.'' The revisions in IRO-008-3 apply to
the RC and requires RCs to perform analyses and assessments to prevent
instability, uncontrolled separation, or cascading. NERC added a new
requirement requiring an RC to use its SOL methodology when determining
SOL exceedances for its analyses and assessments and further revised a
requirement requiring the RC to use its SOL risk-based notification
framework when communicating SOL or IROL exceedances.
IRO-009-2
Currently effective IRO-009-2, applicable to reliability
coordinators, is to prevent instability, uncontrolled separation, or
cascading outages that adversely impact the reliability of the
interconnection by ensuring prompt action to prevent or mitigate
instances of exceeding Interconnection Reliability Operating Limits
(IROLs).
IRO-010-2
Additionally, regarding data exchange, NERC cites Reliability
Standard IRO-010-2 (Reliability Coordinator Data Specification and
Collection) and its stated purpose of preventing instability,
uncontrolled separation, or cascading outages ``by ensuring the
Reliability Coordinator has the data it needs to monitor and assess the
operation of its Reliability Coordinator Area.'' NERC states that under
Reliability Standard IRO-010-2, Requirements R1, R2, and R3, the
reliability coordinator must specify the data necessary for it to
perform its operational planning analyses and provide the
specifications to the entities from which it needs data who then must
comply with the data request using a mutually agreeable format and
security protocols.
IRO-014-3
The purpose of Reliability Standard IRO-014-3 is to ensure that
each Reliability Coordinator's operations are coordinated such that
they will not adversely impact other Reliability Coordinator Areas and
to preserve the reliability benefits of interconnected operations.
IRO-017-1
The purpose of IRO-017-1 (Outage Coordination) is to ensure that
outages are properly coordinated in the Operations Planning time
horizon and Near-Term Transmission Planning Horizon. Reliability
coordinators, planning coordinators, balancing authorities,
transmission owners, and transmission planners are applicable entities
for IRO-017-1.
IRO-018-1
IRO-018-1 (Reliability Coordinator Real-time Reliability Monitoring
and Analysis Capabilities), requirement R3, requires reliability
coordinators to have an alarm process monitor that provides
notification to system operators when the failure of a real-time
monitoring alarm processor has occurred.
All IRO Standards build on monitoring real-time assessments and
supporting effective situational awareness. The Reliability Standards
accomplish this by requiring applicable entities to: (1) provide
notification to operators of real-time monitoring alarm failures; (2)
provide operators with indications of the quality of information being
provided by their monitoring and analysis capabilities; and (3) address
deficiencies in the quality of information being provided by their
monitoring and analysis capabilities.
NERC observes that the performance of the requirements it cites is
premised on the existence of data exchange capabilities, regardless of
whether a separate requirement expressly requires the reliability
coordinator to have data exchange capabilities in place.
Type of Respondents: Reliability coordinators (RC), planning
coordinators (PC), balancing authorities (BA), transmission owners
(TO), transmission planners (TP), Transmission Operators (TOP) are
included entities for FERC-725Z.
Estimate of Annual Burden: \5\ The Commission presents the
estimates in the annual public reporting burden and cost \6\ as
follows.
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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, refer to 5 Code of Federal Regulations 1320.3.
\6\ The hourly cost figures, for salary plus benefits, for the
standards are based on Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) information
(at <a href="http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm">http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm</a>), as of May 2021,
and benefits information for March 2021 (at <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm">https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm</a>). For salary plus benefits, for reporting
requirements, an electrical engineer (code 17-2071) is $72.15/hour
(wages plus benefits) for the information collection requirements.
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[[Page 62091]]
Due to the version update of IRO-008-2 (now IRO-008-3) in Docket
No. RD22-2, the burden increased to 977 annual responses and 53,142
annual burden hours.
FERC-725Z--Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements for Reliability Standards IRO-001, IRO-002, IRO-008, IRO-009, IRO-010, IRO-014, IRO-017, and IRO-018
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Number of Annual number
Information collection respondents & of responses Total number Average burden hours & Total annual burden hours & Total annual
requirements type of entity per respondent of responses cost per response ($) total annual cost ($) burden cost
(1)............ (2) (1) * (2) = (4)...................... (3) * (4) = (5)............. (5)/(1)
(3)
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IRO-001-4..................... 12 (RC)........ 1 12 24 hrs. $1,731.60........ 288 hrs. $20,779.20......... $1,731.60
168 (TOP)...... 1 168 12 hrs. $865.80.......... 2,016 hrs. $145,454.40...... 865.80
IRO-002-7..................... 12 (RC)........ 1 12 24 hrs., $1,731.60....... 288 hrs., $20,779.20........ 1,731.60
IRO-008-2 (now IRO-008-3) See 12 (RC)........ 1 12 160 hrs., $11,544........ 1,920 hrs., $138,528........ 11,544
table below.
IRO-009-2..................... 12 (RC)........ 1 12 12 hrs. $865.80.......... 144 hrs. $10,389.60......... 865.80
IRO-010-3..................... 12 (RC)........ 1 12 24 hrs., $1,731.60....... 288 hrs., $20,779.20........ 1,731.60
IRO-014-3..................... 12 (RC)........ 1 12 12 hrs., $865.80......... 144 hrs., $10,389.60........ 865.80
IRO-017-1..................... 12 (RC)........ 1 12 1,200 hrs., $86,580...... 14,400 hrs., $1,038,960..... 86,580
63 (PC)........ 1 63 96 hrs., $6,926.40....... 6,048 hrs., $436,363.20..... 6,926.40
204 (TP)....... 1 204 96 hrs., $6,926.40....... 19,584 hrs., $1,412,985.60.. 6,926.40
326 (TO)....... 1 326 8 hrs., $577.20.......... 2,608 Hrs., $188,167.20..... 577.20
96 (BA)........ 1 96 8 hr., $577.20........... 758 hrs., $54,689.70........ 577.20
IRO-018-1..................... 12 (RC)........ 1 12 34 hrs., $2,453.10....... 288 hrs., $20,779.20........ 2,453.10
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Total for FERC-725Z....... ............... .............. 953 ......................... 48,774 hrs., $3,519,044.10.. ..............
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In reviewing FERC-725Z for the IRO Reliability Standards, the
number of entities/respondents was checked and broken down into type of
entity for each reliability standard. In the past, combining
reliability standards caused the same reliability standard to be
inadvertently accounted for multiple times, resulting in the previously
recorded 6,686 responses. These numbers were revised and updated to
provide the new calculated total of 953 responses. Staff looked at each
reliability standard as its own unique project and in doing so
eliminated the multiple entity count by making a more accurate
representation of the number of responses.\7\
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\7\ According to the NERC Registry list of May 6, 2022.
FERC-725Z (Modifications Due to RD22-2) \8\
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Ongoing Estimate Year 3 Ongoing
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IRO-008-3.......................... RC (12) 1 12 32 hrs., $2784................. 384 hrs. $33,408.
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One-Time Estimate Years 1 and 2
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IRO-008-3.......................... RC (12) 1 12 16 hrs., $1,392................ 144 hrs. $16,704.
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Sub-Total for FERC-725Z (as .............. .............. 24 ............................... 528 hrs. $50,112.
modified in RD22-2).
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Sub-Total for IRO-008-3 One- .............. .............. 12 ............................... 2,304 hrs., $200,448.
time.
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Sub-Total for IRO-008-3 Ongoing .............. .............. 12 ............................... 2,064 hrs., $179,568.
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Total for FERC-725 Z....... .............. .............. 977 ............................... 53,142 hrs., $3,834,195.3.
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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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\8\ FERC staff estimates that industry costs for salary plus
benefits are similar to Commission costs. The FERC 2021 average
salary plus benefits for one FERC full-time equivalent (FTE) is
$180,703/year (or $87.00/hour) posted by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics for the Utilities sector (available at <a href="https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics3_221000.htm">https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics3_221000.htm</a>).
Dated: October 6, 2022.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-22225 Filed 10-12-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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