[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 188 (Thursday, September 29, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59069-59070]
[FR Doc No: 2022-21150]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC22-30-000]

Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-725N) 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-725N (Mandatory Reliability Standards TPL-
007-4, Transmission System Planned Performance for Geomagnetic
Disturbance Events).

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due November 28,
2022.

ADDRESSES: You may submit your comments (identified by Docket No. IC22-
30-000) by one of the following methods:
    Electronic filing through https://www.ferc.gov, is preferred.
     Electronic Filing: Documents must be filed in acceptable
native applications and print-to-PDF, but not in scanned or picture
format.
     For those unable to file electronically, comments may be
filed by USPS mail or by hand (including courier) delivery:
    [cir] Mail via U.S. Postal Service Only: Addressed to: Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First
Street NE, Washington, DC 20426.
    [cir] Hand (including courier) delivery: Addressed to: Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 12225
Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, MD 20852.
    Instructions: All submissions must be formatted and filed in
accordance with submission guidelines at: https://www.ferc.gov. For
user assistance, contact FERC Online Support by email at
[email protected], or by phone at<PHONE_NUMBER> (toll-free).
    Docket: Users interested in receiving automatic notification of
activity in this docket or in viewing/downloading comments and
issuances in this docket may do so at https://www.ferc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by email at
[email protected], telephone at<PHONE_NUMBER>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: FERC-725N, Mandatory Reliability Standards TPL-007-4,
Transmission System Planned Performance for Geomagnetic Disturbance
Events.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0264
    Type of Request: Extension of the currently approved collection
    Abstract: The Reliability Standard TPL-007-4 requires owners and
operators of the Bulk-Power System to conduct initial and on-going
vulnerability assessments of the potential impact of defined
geomagnetic disturbance events on Bulk-Power System equipment and the
Bulk-Power System as a whole. Specifically, the Reliability Standard
requires entities to develop corrective action plans for
vulnerabilities identified through supplemental geomagnetic disturbance
vulnerability assessments and requires entities to seek approval from
the Electric Reliability Organization of any extensions of time for the
completion of corrective action plan items.
    On August 8, 2005, Congress enacted into law the Electricity
Modernization

Act of 2005, which is Title XII, Subtitle A, of the Energy Policy Act
of 2005 (EPAct 2005).\1\ EPAct 2005 added a new section 215 to the FPA,
which required a Commission-certified Electric Reliability Organization
(ERO) to develop mandatory and enforceable Reliability Standards, which
are subject to Commission review and approval. Once approved, the
Reliability Standards may be enforced by the ERO subject to Commission
oversight, or the Commission can independently enforce Reliability
Standards.\2\
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    \1\ Energy Policy Act of 2005, Public Law 109-58, Title XII,
Subtitle A, 119 Stat. 594, 941 (codified at 16 U.S.C. 824o).
    \2\ 16 U.S.C. 824o(e)(3).
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    On February 3, 2006, the Commission issued Order No. 672,
implementing section 215 of the FPA.\3\ Pursuant to Order No. 672, the
Commission certified one organization, North American Electric
Reliability Corporation (NERC), as the ERO.\4\ The Reliability
Standards developed by the ERO and approved by the Commission apply to
users, owners and operators of the Bulk-Power System as set forth in
each Reliability Standard.
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    \3\ 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).
    \4\ 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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    On February 7, 2020, the North American Electric Reliability
Corporation filed a petition seeking approval of proposed Reliability
Standard TPL-007-4 (Transmission System Planned Performance for
Geomagnetic Disturbance Events).
    NERC's filed petition was noticed on February 11, 2020, with
interventions, comments and protests due on or before March 9, 2020. No
interventions or comments were received.
    The Delegated Letter Order (DLO) was issued on March 19, 2020. The
standard went into effect at NERC on October 1, 2020.
    Type of Respondents: Generator Owner, Planning Coordinator,
Distribution Provider and Transmission Owners.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \5\ Our estimates are based on the NERC
Compliance Registry Summary of Entities as of September 16, 2022.
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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. See 5
CFR 1320 for additional information on the definition of information
collection burden.
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    The individual burden estimates include the time needed to gather
data, run studies, and analyze study results. These are consistent with
estimates for similar tasks in other Commission-approved standards.
Estimates for the additional average annual burden and cost \6\ as
follows:
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    \6\ Commission staff estimates that the industry's skill set and
cost (for wages and benefits) for FERC-725N (1) are approximately
the same as the Commission's average cost. The FERC 2022 average
salary plus benefits for one FERC full-time equivalent (FTE) is
$188,922/year (or $91.00/hour).

             FERC-725N Mandatory Reliability Standards TPL-007-4, Transmission System Planned Performance for Geomagnetic Disturbance Events
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                                                            Annual  number                   Average burden hours   Total annual burden      Cost per
                                     Annual  number \1\ of   of  responses   Total number      & cost  ($) per       hours & cost  ($)      respondent
                                          respondents       per respondent   of responses          response              (rounded)              ($)
                                     (1)..................             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4)..................  (3) * (4) = (5)......       (5) / (1)
                                                                                (3)
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GO \7\.............................  970..................               1             970  40 hrs.; $3,640......  38,800 hrs.;                   $3,640
                                                                                $3,530,800.
PC \8\.............................  63...................               1              63  40 hrs.; $3,640......  2,520 hrs.; $ 229,320           3,640
DP \9\.............................  310..................               1             310  40 hrs.; $3,640......  12,400 hrs.;                    3,640
                                                                                $1,128,400.
TO \10\............................  327..................               1             327  40 hrs.; $3,640......  13,080 hrs.;                    3,640
                                                                                $1,190,280.
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    Total..........................  .....................  ..............           1,670  .....................  66,800 hours;          ..............
                                                                                $6,078,800.
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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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    \7\ Generator Owner.
    \8\ Planning Coordinator.
    \9\ Distribution Provider.
    \10\ Transmission Owner.

    Dated: September 23, 2022.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-21150 Filed 9-28-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P