Emergency Preparedness and Operations Reliability Standards, 3268-3272 [2018-01246]
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BILLING CODE 4910–13–P
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18 CFR Part 40
[Docket No. RM17–12–000; Order No. 840]
Emergency Preparedness and
Operations Reliability Standards
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
The Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission approves
Emergency Preparedness and
Operations (EOP) Reliability Standards
EOP–004–4 (Event Reporting), EOP–
005–3 (System Restoration from
Blackstart Resources), EOP–006–3
(System Restoration Coordination), and
EOP–008–2 (Loss of Control Center
Functionality).
DATES: This rule will become effective
March 26, 2018.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
SUMMARY:
E. Nick Henery (Technical Information),
Office of Electric Reliability, Division of
Reliability Standards and Security, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First
Street NE, Washington, DC 20426,
Telephone: (202) 502–8636, Nick.Henery@
ferc.gov.
Bob Stroh (Legal Information), Office of the
General Counsel, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street
NE, Washington, DC 20426, Telephone:
(202) 502–8473, Robert.Stroh@ferc.gov.
Before
Commissioners: Kevin J. McIntyre,
Chairman; Cheryl A. LaFleur, Neil
Chatterjee, Robert F. Powelson, and
Richard Glick.
1. Pursuant to section 215 of the
Federal Power Act (FPA),1 the
Commission approves Emergency
Preparedness and Operations (EOP)
Reliability Standards EOP–004–4 (Event
Reporting), EOP–005–3 (System
Restoration from Blackstart Resources),
EOP–006–3 (System Restoration
Coordination), and EOP–008–2 (Loss of
Control Center Functionality),
submitted by the North American
Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC),
the Commission-certified Electric
Reliability Organization (ERO). The
Commission also approves the
associated violation risk factors,
violation severity levels,
implementation plans, and effective
dates. In addition, the Commission
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1 16 U.S.C. 824(o). The approved Reliability
Standards are available on the Commission’s
eLibrary document retrieval system in Docket No.
RM17–12–000 and on the NERC website,
www.nerc.com.
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approves the retirement of currentlyeffective Reliability Standards EOP–
004–3, EOP–005–2, EOP–006–2, and
EOP–008–1 immediately prior to the
effective dates of the EOP Reliability
Standards.
2. The Commission determines that
the approved EOP Reliability Standards
will enhance reliability by: (1) Providing
accurate reporting of events to NERC’s
event analysis group to analyze the
impact on the reliability of the bulk
electric system (Reliability Standard
EOP–004–4); (2) delineating the roles
and responsibilities of entities that
support system restoration from
blackstart resources which generate
power without the support of the bulk
electric system (Reliability Standard
EOP–005–3); (3) clarifying the
procedures and coordination
requirements for reliability coordinator
personnel to execute system restoration
processes (Reliability Standard EOP–
006–3); and (4) refining the required
elements of an operating plan used to
continue reliable operations of the bulk
electric system in the event that primary
control center functionality is lost
(Reliability Standard EOP–008–2).
I. Background
A. Regulatory Background
3. Section 215 of the FPA requires a
Commission-certified ERO to develop
mandatory and enforceable Reliability
Standards that are subject to
Commission review and approval. The
Commission may approve, by rule or
order, a proposed Reliability Standard
or modification to a Reliability Standard
if it determines that the Reliability
Standard is just, reasonable, not unduly
discriminatory or preferential and in the
public interest.2 Once approved, the
Reliability Standards may be enforced
by the ERO, subject to Commission
oversight, or by the Commission
independently.3
4. Pursuant to section 215 of the FPA,
the Commission established a process to
select and certify an ERO,4 and
subsequently certified NERC.5 On
March 16, 2007, the Commission issued
Order No. 693, approving 83 of the 107
Reliability Standards filed by NERC,
2 Id.
824o(d)(2).
824o(e).
4 Rules Concerning Certification of the Electric
Reliability Organization; and Procedures for the
Establishment, Approval, and Enforcement of
Electric Reliability Standards, Order No. 672, FERC
Stats. & Regs. ¶ 31,204, order on reh’g, Order No.
672–A, FERC Stats. & Regs. ¶ 31,212 (2006).
5 North American Electric Reliability Corp., 116
FERC ¶ 61,062, order on reh’g and compliance, 117
FERC ¶ 61,126 (2006), aff’d sub nom. Alcoa, Inc.
v. FERC, 564 F.3d 1342 (D.C. Cir. 2009).
3 Id.
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including the initial EOP Reliability
Standards.6
B. NERC Petition
5. On March 27, 2017, NERC filed a
petition seeking approval of the
proposed EOP Reliability Standards and
retirement of currently-effective
Reliability Standards EOP–004–3, EOP–
005–2, EOP–006–2, and EOP–008–1.
NERC indicated that the revisions were
intended to: (1) Streamline the
currently-effective EOP Reliability
Standards; (2) remove redundancies and
other unnecessary language while
making the Reliability Standards more
results-based; 7 and (3) address the
Commission’s concern articulated in
Order No. 749 regarding system
restoration training.8
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C. Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and
Comments
6. On September 20, 2017, the
Commission issued a Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking proposing to
approve the EOP Reliability Standards
submitted by NERC.9 In the NOPR the
Commission indicated that Reliability
Standard EOP–004–4 will enhance
reliability by assigning reporting
responsibilities to appropriate entities
and clarifying the threshold reporting
for a given event. In addition, the
Commission proposed to find that
Reliability Standard EOP–004–4
promotes efficiency and clarity by
eliminating redundant reporting of a
single event by multiple entities. The
Commission also proposed to determine
that Reliability Standards EOP–005–3,
EOP–006–3, and EOP–008–2 will
enhance reliability by delineating the
roles and responsibilities of entities that
support system restoration from
blackstart resources; clarifying the
procedures and coordination
requirements for reliability coordinator
personnel to execute system restoration
processes; and refining the contents of
an operating plan used by reliability
coordinators, balancing authorities, and
6 Mandatory Reliability Standards for the BulkPower System, Order No. 693, 72 FR 16416 (Apr.
4, 2007), FERC Stats. & Regs. ¶ 31,242, at P 297,
order on reh’g, Order No. 693–A, 120 FERC ¶
61,053 (2007).
7 North American Electric Reliability Corp., 138
FERC ¶ 61,193, at P 81 (March 2012 Order), order
on reh’g and clarification, 139 FERC ¶ 61,168
(2012). The March 2012 Order approved a NERC
process to identify requirements that could be
removed from Reliability Standards without
impacting the reliability of the interconnected
transmission network.
8 System Restoration Reliability Standards, Order
No. 749, 134 FERC ¶ 61,215, at PP 18, 24 (2011).
9 Emergency Preparedness and Operations
Reliability Standards, Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking, 82 FR 44746 (Sept. 26, 2017), 160
FERC ¶ 61,072 (2017) (NOPR).
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transmission operators to maintain the
reliability of the bulk electric system in
the event that primary control center
functionality is lost.
7. NERC, Edison Electric Institute
(EEI), and Magnum CAES, LLC
(Magnum) filed comments in response
to the NOPR either supporting or taking
no position on the NOPR proposal.
NERC and EEI request that the
Commission adopt the NOPR proposal
to approve the EOP Reliability
Standards. Magnum states that it does
not take a specific position on the EOP
Reliability Standards but believes that
they are important tools in maintaining
grid safety and reliability.
II. Discussion
8. Pursuant to FPA section 215(d)(2),
the Commission approves Reliability
Standards EOP–004–4, EOP–005–3,
EOP–006–3, and EOP–008–2 as just,
reasonable, not unduly discriminatory
or preferential, and in the public
interest. The Commission also approves
the associated violation risk factors,
violation severity levels,
implementation plans, and effective
dates. Further, the Commission
approves the retirement of currentlyeffective Reliability Standards EOP–
004–3, EOP–005–2, EOP–006–2, and
EOP–008–1 immediately prior to the
effective dates of the approved EOP
Reliability Standards.
9. The Commission determines that
Reliability Standard EOP–004–4 will
enhance reliability by assigning
reporting responsibilities to appropriate
entities and clarifying the threshold
reporting for a given event. In addition,
aligning the reportable events and
thresholds, where appropriate,
identified in Attachments 1 and 2 of the
Reliability Standard with the
Department of Energy’s Form OE–417
will improve the quality of information
received by NERC and, as a result, the
quality of analysis that NERC produces
to assess the greatest risks to the bulk
electric system. Further, Reliability
Standard EOP–004–4 promotes
efficiency and clarity by eliminating
redundant reporting of a single event by
multiple entities. The Commission
determines that Reliability Standards
EOP–005–3, EOP–006–3, and EOP–008–
2 will enhance reliability by delineating
the roles and responsibilities of entities
that support system restoration from
blackstart resources; clarifying the
procedures and coordination
requirements for reliability coordinator
personnel to execute system restoration
processes; and refining the contents of
an operating plan used by reliability
coordinators, balancing authorities, and
transmission operators to maintain the
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reliability of the BES in the event that
primary control center functionality is
lost.
10. As discussed in the NOPR, under
currently-effective Reliability Standard
EOP–004–3, Attachment 1, reliability
coordinators must report to NERC when
they operate outside of their
interconnection reliability operating
limit (IROL) for greater than ‘‘Tv’’
(defined as less than or equal to 30
minutes). NERC proposed to eliminate
the IROL violation reporting
requirement in Attachment 1 of
Reliability Standard EOP–004–4
because, according to NERC, Reliability
Standard EOP–004 is primarily a tool
for trending analysis and developing
lessons learned and not designed to be
a real-time tool. NERC stated that any
real-time reporting to NERC or Regional
Entities (i.e., contemporaneous with the
transmission operator’s notification of
the IROL to the reliability coordinator)
should be addressed in the
Transmission Operations Reliability
Standards, which deal with the realtime operations time horizon. NERC
identified in its petition three Reliability
Standards that, NERC asserted, require
the reporting of such information.10
However, in the NOPR, the Commission
indicated that it did not appear that
these Reliability Standards require the
reporting of IROL Tv exceedance
information; instead, the Commission
observed that currently NERC
voluntarily shares IROL Tv exceedance
information, collected pursuant to
Reliability Standard EOP–004–3, with
Commission staff so that Commission
staff can monitor the transmission
system and identify reliability trends.11
In the NOPR, the Commission stated
that it understands that NERC will
continue to receive IROL Tv exceedance
information and share it with
Commission staff even after the
retirement of Reliability Standard EOP–
004–3. NERC did not dispute or
otherwise take issue with the
Commission’s understanding in NERC’s
comments.12 The Commission approves
the retirement of currently-effective
Reliability Standard EOP–004–3.
10 NERC cited Reliability Standards TOP–001–3
(Transmission Operations) and TOP–007–0
(Reporting System Operating Limit (SOL) and IROL
Violations), and Reliability Standard IRO–009–2
(Reliability Coordinator Actions to Operate within
IROLs).
11 NOPR, 160 FERC ¶ 61,072 at P 15.
12 None of the commenters disagreed with the
Commission’s understanding regarding IROL Tv
exceedance information sharing.
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III. Information Collection Statement
11. The Paperwork Reduction Act
(PRA) 13 requires each federal agency to
seek and obtain Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) approval before
undertaking a collection of information
directed to ten or more persons, or
contained in a rule of general
applicability. The OMB regulations
require that OMB approve certain
reporting and recordkeeping (collections
of information) imposed by an agency.14
Upon approval of a collection(s) of
information, OMB will assign an OMB
control number and expiration date.
Respondents subject to the filing
requirements of this rule will not be
penalized for failing to respond to these
collections of information unless the
collections of information display a
valid OMB control number.
12. In this Final Rule the Commission
is approving the following Reliability
Standards: EOP–004–4 (Event
Reporting), EOP–005–3 (System
Restoration from Blackstart Resources),
EOP–006–3 (System Restoration
Coordination), and EOP–008–2 (Loss of
Control Center Functionality),
associated with information collections
FERC–725A and FERC–725S. The
Commission also approves the
associated violation risk factors,
violation severity levels,
implementation plans, and effective
dates.
13. Public Reporting Burden: The
changes reflected in these Reliability
Standards are not expected to result in
a net increase in the annual recordkeeping and reporting requirements on
applicable entities (GO, DP, RC, TO,
TOP, and GOP).15 Our estimate in the
tables below regarding the number of
respondents is based on the NERC
Compliance Registry as of September
15, 2017. Reliability Standards EOP–
004–4, EOP–005–3, EOP–006–3, and
EOP–008–2 will replace the paperwork
burden approved in FERC–725A (OMB
Control. No. 1902–0244) and be added
to FERC–725S. That burden reflects an
increase in total burden hours and cost
based on adjustments in the number of
entities and cost per hour applicable
under the EOP Reliability Standards
approved in this Final Rule. However,
analysis comparing both previous
burden approved in FERC–725A and
burden for FERC–725S show an increase
in total burden but no increase in
burden hours per response.
14. The first table for FERC–725A
addresses the burden reduction for a
total of 59,591.5 hours and $3,744,990
(55,929.5 hours and $3,595,708 from
reporting requirement; and 3,662 hours
and $149,282 from record keeping). The
second table: (a) Moves burden from the
old version in the Reliability Standards
approved in FERC–725A to FERC–725S;
(b) shows no net change in burden per
entity between the new and old versions
of the Reliability Standards; and (c)
updates applicable entities and cost per
hour figure.
REDUCTIONS TO FERC–725A, FROM THE FINAL RULE IN DOCKET NO. RM17–12
Number of
respondents
Annual
number of
responses
per
respondent
Total
number
of
responses
Average burden
and cost per
response 16
Total annual
burden and total
annual cost 17
Cost per
respondent
($)
(1)
Reliability
standard and
associated
requirement
(2)
(1) * (2) = (3)
(4)
(3) * (4) = (5)
(5) ÷ (1)
EOP–008–2
One-time Review and Revision of Plan (affected entities).
Updating, Approving, and
Maintaining Records (affected entities).
One-time Contracting (affected entities).
215
1
215
20 hrs. (Eng.); ($1,286)
(Reduction).
4,300 hrs. (Eng.);
($276,447) (Reduction).
($1,286) (Eng.) (Reduction).
215
1
215
6 hrs. (Eng.); ($386) 2 hrs.
(R.K.); ($76) (Reduction).
($386) (Eng.); ($76) (R.K.)
(Reduction).
27
1
27
1,290 hrs. (Eng.); ($82,934)
430 hrs. (R.K.); ($16,233)
(Reduction).
3,240 hrs. ($208,300)
(Eng.) (Reduction).
416 hrs. (R.K.); ($26,745)
(Reduction).
20,416 hrs. (Eng.);
($1,312,545) 2,816 hrs.
(R.K.); ($106,304).
18,400 hrs. (Eng.);
($1,182,936) (Reduction).
5,424 hrs. (Eng.);
($348,709) (Reduction).
($514) (R.K.) (Reduction).
2 hrs. (Eng.); ($129) (Reduction).
2,800 hrs. (Eng.)
($180,012) (Reduction).
($129) (Reduction).
0.17 hrs. (Eng.); ($11) (Reduction).
59.5 hrs. (Eng.); ($3,825)
(Reduction).
($11) (Reduction).
120 hrs. (Eng.) ($7,715)
(Reduction).
($7,715) (Eng.) (Reduction).
EOP–005–3 & EOP–006–3
RC Data Retention ..............
26
2
52
TOP Reporting Data ...........
176
1
176
GOP Testing .......................
230
1
230
TO and DP Training ............
678
1
678
8 hrs. (R.K.) ($514) (Reduction).
116 hrs. (Eng.); ($7,458) 16
hrs. (R.K.); ($604) (Reduction).
80 hrs. (Eng.); ($5,143)
(Reduction).
8 hrs. (Eng.); ($514) (Reduction).
($7,458) (Eng.); ($604)
(R.K.) (Reduction).
($5,143) (Eng.) (Reduction).
($514) (Eng.) (Reduction).
EOP–004–4
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One-Time Review and Revision of Plan (affected entities).
Reporting Events (affected
entities).
1,400
1
1,400
350
1
350
13 44
U.S.C. 3501–3520.
CFR 1320.11.
15 Generator Operator (GOP); Generator Owner
(GO); Transmission Operators (TOP); Transmission
Owners (TO); Reliability Coordinator (RC);
Distribution Provider (DP).
16 In the burden table, reporting requirements
(engineering) is abbreviated as ‘‘Eng.’’ and record
keeping is abbreviated as ‘‘R.K.’’
14 5
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17 The estimates for cost per hour are based on
2015 wage figures. The table uses 2015 wage figures
because 2015 wage figures were used when the
requirements listed in the table were implemented.
The wage figures were derived as follows:
$64.29/hour, the average salary plus benefits per
electrical engineer, Occupation Code 17–2071 (from
Bureau of Labor Statistics at https://www.bls.gov/
oes/current/naics2_22.htm)
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$37.75/hour, the average salary plus benefits for
information and record clerks, Occupation Code
43–4071 (from Bureau of Labor Statistics at https://
www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm)
The results of calculations are rounded to the
nearest dollar in the burden table.
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3271
REDUCTIONS TO FERC–725A, FROM THE FINAL RULE IN DOCKET NO. RM17–12—Continued
Total, Reductions to
FERC–725A.
Number of
respondents
Annual
number of
responses
per
respondent
Total
number
of
responses
Average burden
and cost per
response 16
Total annual
burden and total
annual cost 17
Cost per
respondent
($)
(1)
Reliability
standard and
associated
requirement
(2)
(1) * (2) = (3)
(4)
(3) * (4) = (5)
(5) ÷ (1)
....................
....................
In the table below Reliability
Standards EOP–004–4, EOP–005–3,
EOP–006–3, and EOP–008–2 will result
in paperwork burden being added to
FERC–725S (OMB Control No. 1902–
0270). These Reliability Standards will
3,343
(Reduction)
............................................
59,591.5 hrs; ($3,744,990)
(Eng.) 55,929.5 hrs.;
($3,595,708); (R.K.)
3,662 hrs.; ($149,282)
(Reduction).
replace previous versions whose
paperwork burden was previously
approved in FERC–725A (OMB Control.
No. 1902–0244). The burden being
added to FERC–725S reflects an
increase from the previous versions of
the Reliability Standards in total burden
hours and cost based on adjustments in
the one additional entities and changes
to hourly cost.
FERC–725S, MODIFICATIONS DUE TO FINAL RULE IN DOCKET NO. RM17–12
Number of
respondents
Annual
number of
responses
per
respondent
Total
number
of
responses
Average burden
and cost per
response 18
Total annual
burden and total
annual cost 19
Cost per
respondent
($)
(1)
Reliability
standard and
associated
requirement
(2)
(1) * (2) = (3)
(4)
(3) * (4) = (5)
(5) ÷ (1)
4,320 hrs. (Eng.); $294,192
1728 hrs., $105,092 (1,296
hrs. (Eng.); $88,244
(R.K.); 432 hrs; $16,848).
3,240 hrs. $220,698 (Eng.)
$1,362 (Eng.).
$487 ($409 (Eng.); $78
(R.K.)).
176 hrs. (R.K.); $6,886 ......
23,364 hrs., $1,209,456
(20,532 hrs. (Eng.);
$1,398,654 2,832 hrs.
(R.K.); $110,802).
21,120 hrs. (Eng.);
$1,438,800.
4,192 hrs. (Eng.); $285,580
$626 (R.K.).
$8528 ($7,902 (Eng.); $626
(R.K.).
EOP–008–2
One-time Review in Year 1
Updating, Approving, and
Maintaining Records.
216
216
216
216
20 hrs. (Eng.); $1,362 ........
6 hrs. (Eng.); $409 2 hrs.
(R.K.); $78.
27
One-time Contracting in
Year 1.
1
1
1
27
120 hrs. (Eng.) $8174 ........
$8174 (Eng.).
EOP–005–3 & EOP–006–3
RC Data Retention ..............
TOP Reporting Data ...........
11
177
2
1
22
177
8 hrs. (R.K.) $313 ..............
132 hrs., $8528 (116 hrs.
(Eng.); $7,902 16 hrs.
(R.K.); $626).
GOP Testing .......................
264
1
264
80 hrs. (Eng.); $5450 .........
TO and DP Training ............
524
1
524
8 hrs. (Eng.); $545 .............
$5,450 (Eng.).
$545 (Eng.).
EOP–004–4
1,475
1
1,475
2 hrs. (Eng.); $136 .............
2,950 hrs. (Eng.) $200,600
$136 (Eng.).
368
1
368
0.17 hrs. (Eng.); $12 ..........
63 hrs. (Eng.); $4,416 ........
$12 (Eng.).
Total Year 1 .................
....................
....................
3,289
............................................
61,090 hrs.; $4,036,100
((Eng.) 57,650 hrs.,
$3,901,204; (R.K) 3440
hrs., $134,896).
Total Year 2 .................
....................
....................
1,571
............................................
50,643 hrs., $3,350,230 .....
Total Year 3 .................
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One-Time Review and Revision in Year 1 (affected
entities).
Reporting Events (affected
entities).
....................
....................
1,571
............................................
50,643 hrs., $3,350,230 .....
In the table above, we indicate the
annual total burden for years 1, 2 and
3 for FERC–725S (OMB Control No.
1902–0270). The average annual burden
for years 1, 2, and 3 is (61,090 hours +
50,643 hours + 50,643/3 = 54,125. The
average annual cost is $3,578,853.
18 In the burden table, reporting requirement
(engineering) is abbreviated as ‘‘Eng.’’ and record
keeping is abbreviated as ‘‘R.K.’’
19 The estimates for cost per hour are based on
May 2016 wage figures and derived as follows:
$68.12/hour, the average salary plus benefits per
electric engineer, Occupation Code 17–2071, (from
Bureau of Labor Statistics at https://www.bls.gov/
oes/current/naics2_22.htm)
$39.14/hour, the average salary plus benefits per
information and record clerks Occupation Code 43–
4071, (from Bureau of Labor Statistics at https://
www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm)
The results of calculations are rounded to the
nearest dollar within the burden table.
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3272
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 16 / Wednesday, January 24, 2018 / Rules and Regulations
Title: FERC–725A, Mandatory
Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power
System and FERC–725S Mandatory
Reliability Standards: Emergency
Preparedness and Operations (EOP).
Action: Revision to existing
collections.
OMB Control Nos.: 1902–0244 (FERC–
725A); 1902–0270 (FERC–725S).
Respondents: Businesses or other forprofit institutions; not-for-profit
institutions.
Frequency of Responses: One-Time
and Annually.
Necessity of the Information:
Reliability Standards EOP–008–1, EOP–
005–3, EOP–006–3, and EOP–004–4
provide accurate reporting of events to
NERC’s event analysis group to analyze
the impact on the reliability of the bulk
electric system (Reliability Standard
EOP–004–4); delineate the roles and
responsibilities of entities that support
system restoration from blackstart
resources (Reliability Standard EOP–
005–3); clarify the procedures and
coordination requirements for reliability
coordinator personnel to execute system
restoration processes (Reliability
Standard EOP–006–3); and, refine the
required elements of an operating plan
used to continue reliable operations of
the bulk electric system if that primary
control functionality is lost (Reliability
Standard EOP–008–2). These Reliability
Standards modifications are designed to
eliminate redundant reporting of a
single event by multiple entities, assign
reporting requirements to appropriate
entities, and clarify the threshold
reporting for a given event.
Internal Review: The Commission
reviewed the revised Reliability
Standards and made a determination
that its action is necessary to implement
section 215 of the FPA. The
Commission has assured itself, by
means of its internal review, that there
is specific, objective support for the
burden estimates associated with the
information requirements.
15. Interested persons may obtain
information on the reporting
requirements by contacting the
following: Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First Street NE,
Washington, DC 20426 [Attention: Ellen
Brown, Office of the Executive Director,
email: DataClearance@ferc.gov, phone:
(202) 502–8663, fax: (202) 273–0873].
For submitting comments concerning
the collection(s) of information and the
associated burden estimate(s), please
send your comments to the Commission
and to the Office of Management and
Budget, Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, Washington, DC
20503 [Attention: Desk Officer for the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
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phone: (202) 395–0710, fax: (202) 395–
7285]. For security reasons, comments
to OMB should be submitted by email
to: oira_submission@omb.eop.gov.
Comments submitted to OMB should
include 1902–0244 and 1902–0270 and
Docket Number RM17–12–000.
determined, with the concurrence of the
Administrator of the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs of
OMB, that this rule is not a ‘‘major rule’’
as defined in section 351 of the Small
Business Regulatory Enforcement
Fairness Act of 1996.
IV. Environmental Analysis
16. The Commission is required to
prepare an Environmental Assessment
or an Environmental Impact Statement
for any action that may have a
significant adverse effect on the human
environment.20 The Commission has
categorically excluded certain actions
from this requirement as not having a
significant effect on the human
environment. Included in the exclusion
are rules that are clarifying, corrective,
or procedural or that do not
substantially change the effect of the
regulations being amended.21 The
actions taken here fall within this
categorical exclusion in the
Commission’s regulations.
VII. Document Availability
V. Regulatory Flexibility Act
17. The Regulatory Flexibility Act of
1980 (RFA) 22 generally requires a
description and analysis of Final Rule
that will have significant economic
impact on a substantial number of small
entities. The RFA does not mandate any
particular outcome in a rulemaking. It
only requires consideration of
alternatives that are less burdensome to
small entities and an agency
explanation of why alternatives were
rejected.
18. In this Final Rule, the Commission
estimates a one-time cost of compliance
for administering the changes in the
approved Reliability Standards versus
their prior versions but no ongoing net
burden change. The total average annual
burden and cost to industry over years
1, 2 and 3 is 54,125 hours and
$3,578,853. Therefore, the average
annual cost per entity is $16,569.
Comparison of the applicable entities
with the Commission’s small business
data indicates that approximately 45 (or
21 percent) of applicable entities are
small entities. Accordingly, the
Commission certifies that the Final Rule
will not have a significant economic
impact on a substantial number of small
entities.
VI. Effective Date and Congressional
Notification
19. These regulations are effective
March 26, 2018. The Commission has
20 Regulations Implementing the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, Order No. 486,
FERC Stats. & Regs. ¶ 30,783 (1987).
21 18 CFR 380.4(a)(2)(ii).
22 5 U.S.C. 601–612.
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20. In addition to publishing the full
text of this document in the Federal
Register, the Commission provides all
interested persons an opportunity to
view and/or print the contents of this
document via the internet through the
Commission’s Home Page (https://
www.ferc.gov) and in the Commission’s
Public Reference Room during normal
business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Eastern time) at 888 First Street NE,
Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426.
21. From the Commission’s Home
Page on the internet, this information is
available on eLibrary. The full text of
this document is available on eLibrary
in PDF and Microsoft Word format for
viewing, printing, and/or downloading.
To access this document in eLibrary,
type the docket number of this
document, excluding the last three
digits, in the docket number field.
22. User assistance is available for
eLibrary and the Commission’s website
during normal business hours from the
Commission’s Online Support at (202)
502–6652 (toll free at 1–866–208–3676)
or email at ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov,
or the Public Reference Room at (202)
502–8371, TTY (202) 502–8659. Email
the Public Reference Room at
public.referenceroom@ferc.gov.
VIII. Effective Date and Congressional
Notification
23. These regulations are effective
March 26, 2018. The Commission has
determined, with the concurrence of the
Administrator of the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs of
OMB, that this rule is not a ‘‘major rule’’
as defined in section 351 of the Small
Business Regulatory Enforcement
Fairness Act of 1996. The Commission
will submit the Final Rule to both
houses of Congress and to the General
Accountability Office.
By the Commission.
Issued: January 18, 2018.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018–01246 Filed 1–23–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
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[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 16 (Wednesday, January 24, 2018)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 3268-3272]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-01246]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
18 CFR Part 40
[Docket No. RM17-12-000; Order No. 840]
Emergency Preparedness and Operations Reliability Standards
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approves Emergency
Preparedness and Operations (EOP) Reliability Standards EOP-004-4
(Event Reporting), EOP-005-3 (System Restoration from Blackstart
Resources), EOP-006-3 (System Restoration Coordination), and EOP-008-2
(Loss of Control Center Functionality).
DATES: This rule will become effective March 26, 2018.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
E. Nick Henery (Technical Information), Office of Electric
Reliability, Division of Reliability Standards and Security, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC
20426, Telephone: (202) 502-8636, [email protected].
Bob Stroh (Legal Information), Office of the General Counsel,
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE,
Washington, DC 20426, Telephone: (202) 502-8473,
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Before Commissioners: Kevin J. McIntyre,
Chairman; Cheryl A. LaFleur, Neil Chatterjee, Robert F. Powelson, and
Richard Glick.
1. Pursuant to section 215 of the Federal Power Act (FPA),\1\ the
Commission approves Emergency Preparedness and Operations (EOP)
Reliability Standards EOP-004-4 (Event Reporting), EOP-005-3 (System
Restoration from Blackstart Resources), EOP-006-3 (System Restoration
Coordination), and EOP-008-2 (Loss of Control Center Functionality),
submitted by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation
(NERC), the Commission-certified Electric Reliability Organization
(ERO). The Commission also approves the associated violation risk
factors, violation severity levels, implementation plans, and effective
dates. In addition, the Commission approves the retirement of
currently-effective Reliability Standards EOP-004-3, EOP-005-2, EOP-
006-2, and EOP-008-1 immediately prior to the effective dates of the
EOP Reliability Standards.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ 16 U.S.C. 824(o). The approved Reliability Standards are
available on the Commission's eLibrary document retrieval system in
Docket No. RM17-12-000 and on the NERC website, www.nerc.com.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. The Commission determines that the approved EOP Reliability
Standards will enhance reliability by: (1) Providing accurate reporting
of events to NERC's event analysis group to analyze the impact on the
reliability of the bulk electric system (Reliability Standard EOP-004-
4); (2) delineating the roles and responsibilities of entities that
support system restoration from blackstart resources which generate
power without the support of the bulk electric system (Reliability
Standard EOP-005-3); (3) clarifying the procedures and coordination
requirements for reliability coordinator personnel to execute system
restoration processes (Reliability Standard EOP-006-3); and (4)
refining the required elements of an operating plan used to continue
reliable operations of the bulk electric system in the event that
primary control center functionality is lost (Reliability Standard EOP-
008-2).
I. Background
A. Regulatory Background
3. Section 215 of the FPA requires a Commission-certified ERO to
develop mandatory and enforceable Reliability Standards that are
subject to Commission review and approval. The Commission may approve,
by rule or order, a proposed Reliability Standard or modification to a
Reliability Standard if it determines that the Reliability Standard is
just, reasonable, not unduly discriminatory or preferential and in the
public interest.\2\ Once approved, the Reliability Standards may be
enforced by the ERO, subject to Commission oversight, or by the
Commission independently.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Id. 824o(d)(2).
\3\ Id. 824o(e).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Pursuant to section 215 of the FPA, the Commission established a
process to select and certify an ERO,\4\ and subsequently certified
NERC.\5\ On March 16, 2007, the Commission issued Order No. 693,
approving 83 of the 107 Reliability Standards filed by NERC,
[[Page 3269]]
including the initial EOP Reliability Standards.\6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Rules Concerning Certification of the Electric Reliability
Organization; and Procedures for the Establishment, Approval, and
Enforcement of Electric Reliability Standards, Order No. 672, FERC
Stats. & Regs. ] 31,204, order on reh'g, Order No. 672-A, FERC
Stats. & Regs. ] 31,212 (2006).
\5\ North American Electric Reliability Corp., 116 FERC ]
61,062, order on reh'g and compliance, 117 FERC ] 61,126 (2006),
aff'd sub nom. Alcoa, Inc. v. FERC, 564 F.3d 1342 (D.C. Cir. 2009).
\6\ Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power System,
Order No. 693, 72 FR 16416 (Apr. 4, 2007), FERC Stats. & Regs. ]
31,242, at P 297, order on reh'g, Order No. 693-A, 120 FERC ] 61,053
(2007).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
B. NERC Petition
5. On March 27, 2017, NERC filed a petition seeking approval of the
proposed EOP Reliability Standards and retirement of currently-
effective Reliability Standards EOP-004-3, EOP-005-2, EOP-006-2, and
EOP-008-1. NERC indicated that the revisions were intended to: (1)
Streamline the currently-effective EOP Reliability Standards; (2)
remove redundancies and other unnecessary language while making the
Reliability Standards more results-based; \7\ and (3) address the
Commission's concern articulated in Order No. 749 regarding system
restoration training.\8\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ North American Electric Reliability Corp., 138 FERC ]
61,193, at P 81 (March 2012 Order), order on reh'g and
clarification, 139 FERC ] 61,168 (2012). The March 2012 Order
approved a NERC process to identify requirements that could be
removed from Reliability Standards without impacting the reliability
of the interconnected transmission network.
\8\ System Restoration Reliability Standards, Order No. 749, 134
FERC ] 61,215, at PP 18, 24 (2011).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
C. Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Comments
6. On September 20, 2017, the Commission issued a Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking proposing to approve the EOP Reliability Standards
submitted by NERC.\9\ In the NOPR the Commission indicated that
Reliability Standard EOP-004-4 will enhance reliability by assigning
reporting responsibilities to appropriate entities and clarifying the
threshold reporting for a given event. In addition, the Commission
proposed to find that Reliability Standard EOP-004-4 promotes
efficiency and clarity by eliminating redundant reporting of a single
event by multiple entities. The Commission also proposed to determine
that Reliability Standards EOP-005-3, EOP-006-3, and EOP-008-2 will
enhance reliability by delineating the roles and responsibilities of
entities that support system restoration from blackstart resources;
clarifying the procedures and coordination requirements for reliability
coordinator personnel to execute system restoration processes; and
refining the contents of an operating plan used by reliability
coordinators, balancing authorities, and transmission operators to
maintain the reliability of the bulk electric system in the event that
primary control center functionality is lost.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\ Emergency Preparedness and Operations Reliability Standards,
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 82 FR 44746 (Sept. 26, 2017), 160
FERC ] 61,072 (2017) (NOPR).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. NERC, Edison Electric Institute (EEI), and Magnum CAES, LLC
(Magnum) filed comments in response to the NOPR either supporting or
taking no position on the NOPR proposal. NERC and EEI request that the
Commission adopt the NOPR proposal to approve the EOP Reliability
Standards. Magnum states that it does not take a specific position on
the EOP Reliability Standards but believes that they are important
tools in maintaining grid safety and reliability.
II. Discussion
8. Pursuant to FPA section 215(d)(2), the Commission approves
Reliability Standards EOP-004-4, EOP-005-3, EOP-006-3, and EOP-008-2 as
just, reasonable, not unduly discriminatory or preferential, and in the
public interest. The Commission also approves the associated violation
risk factors, violation severity levels, implementation plans, and
effective dates. Further, the Commission approves the retirement of
currently-effective Reliability Standards EOP-004-3, EOP-005-2, EOP-
006-2, and EOP-008-1 immediately prior to the effective dates of the
approved EOP Reliability Standards.
9. The Commission determines that Reliability Standard EOP-004-4
will enhance reliability by assigning reporting responsibilities to
appropriate entities and clarifying the threshold reporting for a given
event. In addition, aligning the reportable events and thresholds,
where appropriate, identified in Attachments 1 and 2 of the Reliability
Standard with the Department of Energy's Form OE-417 will improve the
quality of information received by NERC and, as a result, the quality
of analysis that NERC produces to assess the greatest risks to the bulk
electric system. Further, Reliability Standard EOP-004-4 promotes
efficiency and clarity by eliminating redundant reporting of a single
event by multiple entities. The Commission determines that Reliability
Standards EOP-005-3, EOP-006-3, and EOP-008-2 will enhance reliability
by delineating the roles and responsibilities of entities that support
system restoration from blackstart resources; clarifying the procedures
and coordination requirements for reliability coordinator personnel to
execute system restoration processes; and refining the contents of an
operating plan used by reliability coordinators, balancing authorities,
and transmission operators to maintain the reliability of the BES in
the event that primary control center functionality is lost.
10. As discussed in the NOPR, under currently-effective Reliability
Standard EOP-004-3, Attachment 1, reliability coordinators must report
to NERC when they operate outside of their interconnection reliability
operating limit (IROL) for greater than ``Tv'' (defined as
less than or equal to 30 minutes). NERC proposed to eliminate the IROL
violation reporting requirement in Attachment 1 of Reliability Standard
EOP-004-4 because, according to NERC, Reliability Standard EOP-004 is
primarily a tool for trending analysis and developing lessons learned
and not designed to be a real-time tool. NERC stated that any real-time
reporting to NERC or Regional Entities (i.e., contemporaneous with the
transmission operator's notification of the IROL to the reliability
coordinator) should be addressed in the Transmission Operations
Reliability Standards, which deal with the real-time operations time
horizon. NERC identified in its petition three Reliability Standards
that, NERC asserted, require the reporting of such information.\10\
However, in the NOPR, the Commission indicated that it did not appear
that these Reliability Standards require the reporting of IROL
Tv exceedance information; instead, the Commission observed
that currently NERC voluntarily shares IROL Tv exceedance
information, collected pursuant to Reliability Standard EOP-004-3, with
Commission staff so that Commission staff can monitor the transmission
system and identify reliability trends.\11\ In the NOPR, the Commission
stated that it understands that NERC will continue to receive IROL
Tv exceedance information and share it with Commission staff
even after the retirement of Reliability Standard EOP-004-3. NERC did
not dispute or otherwise take issue with the Commission's understanding
in NERC's comments.\12\ The Commission approves the retirement of
currently-effective Reliability Standard EOP-004-3.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\10\ NERC cited Reliability Standards TOP-001-3 (Transmission
Operations) and TOP-007-0 (Reporting System Operating Limit (SOL)
and IROL Violations), and Reliability Standard IRO-009-2
(Reliability Coordinator Actions to Operate within IROLs).
\11\ NOPR, 160 FERC ] 61,072 at P 15.
\12\ None of the commenters disagreed with the Commission's
understanding regarding IROL Tv exceedance information
sharing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 3270]]
III. Information Collection Statement
11. The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) \13\ requires each federal
agency to seek and obtain Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
approval before undertaking a collection of information directed to ten
or more persons, or contained in a rule of general applicability. The
OMB regulations require that OMB approve certain reporting and
recordkeeping (collections of information) imposed by an agency.\14\
Upon approval of a collection(s) of information, OMB will assign an OMB
control number and expiration date. Respondents subject to the filing
requirements of this rule will not be penalized for failing to respond
to these collections of information unless the collections of
information display a valid OMB control number.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\13\ 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.
\14\ 5 CFR 1320.11.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
12. In this Final Rule the Commission is approving the following
Reliability Standards: EOP-004-4 (Event Reporting), EOP-005-3 (System
Restoration from Blackstart Resources), EOP-006-3 (System Restoration
Coordination), and EOP-008-2 (Loss of Control Center Functionality),
associated with information collections FERC-725A and FERC-725S. The
Commission also approves the associated violation risk factors,
violation severity levels, implementation plans, and effective dates.
13. Public Reporting Burden: The changes reflected in these
Reliability Standards are not expected to result in a net increase in
the annual record-keeping and reporting requirements on applicable
entities (GO, DP, RC, TO, TOP, and GOP).\15\ Our estimate in the tables
below regarding the number of respondents is based on the NERC
Compliance Registry as of September 15, 2017. Reliability Standards
EOP-004-4, EOP-005-3, EOP-006-3, and EOP-008-2 will replace the
paperwork burden approved in FERC-725A (OMB Control. No. 1902-0244) and
be added to FERC-725S. That burden reflects an increase in total burden
hours and cost based on adjustments in the number of entities and cost
per hour applicable under the EOP Reliability Standards approved in
this Final Rule. However, analysis comparing both previous burden
approved in FERC-725A and burden for FERC-725S show an increase in
total burden but no increase in burden hours per response.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\15\ Generator Operator (GOP); Generator Owner (GO);
Transmission Operators (TOP); Transmission Owners (TO); Reliability
Coordinator (RC); Distribution Provider (DP).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
14. The first table for FERC-725A addresses the burden reduction
for a total of 59,591.5 hours and $3,744,990 (55,929.5 hours and
$3,595,708 from reporting requirement; and 3,662 hours and $149,282
from record keeping). The second table: (a) Moves burden from the old
version in the Reliability Standards approved in FERC-725A to FERC-
725S; (b) shows no net change in burden per entity between the new and
old versions of the Reliability Standards; and (c) updates applicable
entities and cost per hour figure.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\16\ In the burden table, reporting requirements (engineering)
is abbreviated as ``Eng.'' and record keeping is abbreviated as
``R.K.''
\17\ The estimates for cost per hour are based on 2015 wage
figures. The table uses 2015 wage figures because 2015 wage figures
were used when the requirements listed in the table were
implemented. The wage figures were derived as follows:
$64.29/hour, the average salary plus benefits per electrical
engineer, Occupation Code 17-2071 (from Bureau of Labor Statistics
at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm)
$37.75/hour, the average salary plus benefits for information
and record clerks, Occupation Code 43-4071 (from Bureau of Labor
Statistics at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm)
The results of calculations are rounded to the nearest dollar in
the burden table.
Reductions to FERC-725A, From the Final Rule in Docket No. RM17-12
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annual
number of
Reliability standard and associated Number of responses Total number Average burden and cost Total annual burden and Cost per respondent
requirement respondents per of responses per response \16\ total annual cost \17\ ($)
respondent
(1) (2) (1) * (2) = (4).................... (3) * (4) = (5)........ (5) / (1)
(3)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EOP-008-2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One-time Review and Revision of Plan 215 1 215 20 hrs. (Eng.); 4,300 hrs. (Eng.); ($1,286) (Eng.)
(affected entities). ($1,286) (Reduction). ($276,447) (Reduction). (Reduction).
Updating, Approving, and Maintaining 215 1 215 6 hrs. (Eng.); ($386) 2 1,290 hrs. (Eng.); ($386) (Eng.); ($76)
Records (affected entities). hrs. (R.K.); ($76) ($82,934) 430 hrs. (R.K.) (Reduction).
(Reduction). (R.K.); ($16,233)
(Reduction).
One-time Contracting (affected 27 1 27 120 hrs. (Eng.) 3,240 hrs. ($208,300) ($7,715) (Eng.)
entities). ($7,715) (Reduction). (Eng.) (Reduction). (Reduction).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EOP-005-3 & EOP-006-3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RC Data Retention................... 26 2 52 8 hrs. (R.K.) ($514) 416 hrs. (R.K.); ($514) (R.K.)
(Reduction). ($26,745) (Reduction). (Reduction).
TOP Reporting Data.................. 176 1 176 116 hrs. (Eng.); 20,416 hrs. (Eng.); ($7,458) (Eng.);
($7,458) 16 hrs. ($1,312,545) 2,816 ($604) (R.K.)
(R.K.); ($604) hrs. (R.K.); (Reduction).
(Reduction). ($106,304).
GOP Testing......................... 230 1 230 80 hrs. (Eng.); 18,400 hrs. (Eng.); ($5,143) (Eng.)
($5,143) (Reduction). ($1,182,936) (Reduction).
(Reduction).
TO and DP Training.................. 678 1 678 8 hrs. (Eng.); ($514) 5,424 hrs. (Eng.); ($514) (Eng.)
(Reduction). ($348,709) (Reduction). (Reduction).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EOP-004-4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One-Time Review and Revision of Plan 1,400 1 1,400 2 hrs. (Eng.); ($129) 2,800 hrs. (Eng.) ($129) (Reduction).
(affected entities). (Reduction). ($180,012) (Reduction).
Reporting Events (affected entities) 350 1 350 0.17 hrs. (Eng.); ($11) 59.5 hrs. (Eng.); ($11) (Reduction).
(Reduction). ($3,825) (Reduction).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 3271]]
Total, Reductions to FERC-725A.. ........... ........... 3,343 ....................... 59,591.5 hrs; ......................
(Reduction) ($3,744,990) (Eng.)
55,929.5 hrs.;
($3,595,708); (R.K.)
3,662 hrs.; ($149,282)
(Reduction).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the table below Reliability Standards EOP-004-4, EOP-005-3, EOP-
006-3, and EOP-008-2 will result in paperwork burden being added to
FERC-725S (OMB Control No. 1902-0270). These Reliability Standards will
replace previous versions whose paperwork burden was previously
approved in FERC-725A (OMB Control. No. 1902-0244). The burden being
added to FERC-725S reflects an increase from the previous versions of
the Reliability Standards in total burden hours and cost based on
adjustments in the one additional entities and changes to hourly cost.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\18\ In the burden table, reporting requirement (engineering) is
abbreviated as ``Eng.'' and record keeping is abbreviated as
``R.K.''
\19\ The estimates for cost per hour are based on May 2016 wage
figures and derived as follows:
$68.12/hour, the average salary plus benefits per electric
engineer, Occupation Code 17-2071, (from Bureau of Labor Statistics
at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm)
$39.14/hour, the average salary plus benefits per information
and record clerks Occupation Code 43-4071, (from Bureau of Labor
Statistics at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm)
The results of calculations are rounded to the nearest dollar
within the burden table.
FERC-725S, Modifications Due to Final Rule in Docket No. RM17-12
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annual
number of
Reliability standard and associated Number of responses Total number Average burden and cost Total annual burden and Cost per respondent
requirement respondents per of responses per response \18\ total annual cost \19\ ($)
respondent
(1) (2) (1) * (2) = (4).................... (3) * (4) = (5)........ (5) / (1)
(3)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EOP-008-2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One-time Review in Year 1........... 216 1 216 20 hrs. (Eng.); $1,362. 4,320 hrs. (Eng.); $1,362 (Eng.).
$294,192.
Updating, Approving, and Maintaining 216 1 216 6 hrs. (Eng.); $409 2 1728 hrs., $105,092 $487 ($409 (Eng.); $78
Records. hrs. (R.K.); $78. (1,296 hrs. (Eng.); (R.K.)).
$88,244 (R.K.); 432
hrs; $16,848).
One-time Contracting in Year 1...... 27 1 27 120 hrs. (Eng.) $8174.. 3,240 hrs. $220,698 $8174 (Eng.).
(Eng.).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EOP-005-3 & EOP-006-3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RC Data Retention................... 11 2 22 8 hrs. (R.K.) $313..... 176 hrs. (R.K.); $6,886 $626 (R.K.).
TOP Reporting Data.................. 177 1 177 132 hrs., $8528 (116 23,364 hrs., $1,209,456 $8528 ($7,902 (Eng.);
hrs. (Eng.); $7,902 16 (20,532 hrs. (Eng.); $626 (R.K.).
hrs. (R.K.); $626). $1,398,654 2,832 hrs.
(R.K.); $110,802).
GOP Testing......................... 264 1 264 80 hrs. (Eng.); $5450.. 21,120 hrs. (Eng.); $5,450 (Eng.).
$1,438,800.
TO and DP Training.................. 524 1 524 8 hrs. (Eng.); $545.... 4,192 hrs. (Eng.); $545 (Eng.).
$285,580.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EOP-004-4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One-Time Review and Revision in Year 1,475 1 1,475 2 hrs. (Eng.); $136.... 2,950 hrs. (Eng.) $136 (Eng.).
1 (affected entities). $200,600.
Reporting Events (affected entities) 368 1 368 0.17 hrs. (Eng.); $12.. 63 hrs. (Eng.); $4,416. $12 (Eng.).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Year 1.................... ........... ........... 3,289 ....................... 61,090 hrs.; $4,036,100 ......................
((Eng.) 57,650 hrs.,
$3,901,204; (R.K) 3440
hrs., $134,896).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Year 2.................... ........... ........... 1,571 ....................... 50,643 hrs., $3,350,230 ......................
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Year 3.................... ........... ........... 1,571 ....................... 50,643 hrs., $3,350,230 ......................
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the table above, we indicate the annual total burden for years
1, 2 and 3 for FERC-725S (OMB Control No. 1902-0270). The average
annual burden for years 1, 2, and 3 is (61,090 hours + 50,643 hours +
50,643/3 = 54,125. The average annual cost is $3,578,853.
[[Page 3272]]
Title: FERC-725A, Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-
Power System and FERC-725S Mandatory Reliability Standards: Emergency
Preparedness and Operations (EOP).
Action: Revision to existing collections.
OMB Control Nos.: 1902-0244 (FERC-725A); 1902-0270 (FERC-725S).
Respondents: Businesses or other for-profit institutions; not-for-
profit institutions.
Frequency of Responses: One-Time and Annually.
Necessity of the Information: Reliability Standards EOP-008-1, EOP-
005-3, EOP-006-3, and EOP-004-4 provide accurate reporting of events to
NERC's event analysis group to analyze the impact on the reliability of
the bulk electric system (Reliability Standard EOP-004-4); delineate
the roles and responsibilities of entities that support system
restoration from blackstart resources (Reliability Standard EOP-005-3);
clarify the procedures and coordination requirements for reliability
coordinator personnel to execute system restoration processes
(Reliability Standard EOP-006-3); and, refine the required elements of
an operating plan used to continue reliable operations of the bulk
electric system if that primary control functionality is lost
(Reliability Standard EOP-008-2). These Reliability Standards
modifications are designed to eliminate redundant reporting of a single
event by multiple entities, assign reporting requirements to
appropriate entities, and clarify the threshold reporting for a given
event.
Internal Review: The Commission reviewed the revised Reliability
Standards and made a determination that its action is necessary to
implement section 215 of the FPA. The Commission has assured itself, by
means of its internal review, that there is specific, objective support
for the burden estimates associated with the information requirements.
15. Interested persons may obtain information on the reporting
requirements by contacting the following: Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426 [Attention: Ellen
Brown, Office of the Executive Director, email: [email protected],
phone: (202) 502-8663, fax: (202) 273-0873].
For submitting comments concerning the collection(s) of information
and the associated burden estimate(s), please send your comments to the
Commission and to the Office of Management and Budget, Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Washington, DC 20503 [Attention:
Desk Officer for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, phone: (202)
395-0710, fax: (202) 395-7285]. For security reasons, comments to OMB
should be submitted by email to: [email protected]. Comments
submitted to OMB should include 1902-0244 and 1902-0270 and Docket
Number RM17-12-000.
IV. Environmental Analysis
16. The Commission is required to prepare an Environmental
Assessment or an Environmental Impact Statement for any action that may
have a significant adverse effect on the human environment.\20\ The
Commission has categorically excluded certain actions from this
requirement as not having a significant effect on the human
environment. Included in the exclusion are rules that are clarifying,
corrective, or procedural or that do not substantially change the
effect of the regulations being amended.\21\ The actions taken here
fall within this categorical exclusion in the Commission's regulations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\20\ Regulations Implementing the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969, Order No. 486, FERC Stats. & Regs. ] 30,783 (1987).
\21\ 18 CFR 380.4(a)(2)(ii).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
V. Regulatory Flexibility Act
17. The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (RFA) \22\ generally
requires a description and analysis of Final Rule that will have
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
The RFA does not mandate any particular outcome in a rulemaking. It
only requires consideration of alternatives that are less burdensome to
small entities and an agency explanation of why alternatives were
rejected.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\22\ 5 U.S.C. 601-612.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
18. In this Final Rule, the Commission estimates a one-time cost of
compliance for administering the changes in the approved Reliability
Standards versus their prior versions but no ongoing net burden change.
The total average annual burden and cost to industry over years 1, 2
and 3 is 54,125 hours and $3,578,853. Therefore, the average annual
cost per entity is $16,569. Comparison of the applicable entities with
the Commission's small business data indicates that approximately 45
(or 21 percent) of applicable entities are small entities. Accordingly,
the Commission certifies that the Final Rule will not have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
VI. Effective Date and Congressional Notification
19. These regulations are effective March 26, 2018. The Commission
has determined, with the concurrence of the Administrator of the Office
of Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB, that this rule is not a
``major rule'' as defined in section 351 of the Small Business
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.
VII. Document Availability
20. In addition to publishing the full text of this document in the
Federal Register, the Commission provides all interested persons an
opportunity to view and/or print the contents of this document via the
internet through the Commission's Home Page (https://www.ferc.gov) and
in the Commission's Public Reference Room during normal business hours
(8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern time) at 888 First Street NE, Room 2A,
Washington, DC 20426.
21. From the Commission's Home Page on the internet, this
information is available on eLibrary. The full text of this document is
available on eLibrary in PDF and Microsoft Word format for viewing,
printing, and/or downloading. To access this document in eLibrary, type
the docket number of this document, excluding the last three digits, in
the docket number field.
22. User assistance is available for eLibrary and the Commission's
website during normal business hours from the Commission's Online
Support at (202) 502-6652 (toll free at 1-866-208-3676) or email at
[email protected], or the Public Reference Room at (202) 502-
8371, TTY (202) 502-8659. Email the Public Reference Room at
[email protected].
VIII. Effective Date and Congressional Notification
23. These regulations are effective March 26, 2018. The Commission
has determined, with the concurrence of the Administrator of the Office
of Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB, that this rule is not a
``major rule'' as defined in section 351 of the Small Business
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996. The Commission will submit
the Final Rule to both houses of Congress and to the General
Accountability Office.
By the Commission.
Issued: January 18, 2018.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-01246 Filed 1-23-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
