[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 188 (Thursday, September 29, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59069-59070]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-21150]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 (866) 208-3676 (toll-free).
    Docket: Users interested in receiving automatic notification of 
activity in this docket or in viewing/downloading comments and 
issuances in this docket may do so at https://www.ferc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by email at 
[email protected], telephone at (202) 502-8663.

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

[[Page 59070]]

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\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            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)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total..........................  .....................  ..............           1,670  .....................  66,800 hours;          ..............
                                                                                                                    $6,078,800.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \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


