In accordance
with 5 CFR 1320, the information collection is approved for three
years.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
09/30/2019
36 Months From Approved
12/31/2016
510
0
96
2,296
0
1,330
0
0
0
RD16-4. In its Petition proposing the
revised Rel. Std., NERC states in part (footnotes omitted) that:
“The purpose of proposed Reliability Standard FAC-003-4 is to
require entities to manage vegetation located on transmission
rights of way (ROW) and minimize encroachments from vegetation
located adjacent to the ROW to reduce the risk of
vegetation-related outages that could lead to Cascading. Proposed
Reliability Standard FAC-003-4 reflects revisions developed under
Project 2010-07.1 Vegetation Management to provide a revised gap
factor applied in the Gallet equation supporting the appropriate
Alternating Current Minimum Vegetation Clearance Distances
(referred to herein as “MVCD values”) stated under the Reliability
Standard.6 The MVCD value reflects the minimum distance between
vegetation and conductors to prevent a flash-over. This revised gap
factor was developed as a result of the 2015 Technical Report
prepared by EPRI entitled Supplemental Testing to Confirm or Refine
Gap Factor Utilized in Calculation of Minimum Vegetation Clearance
Distances (“MVCD”): Tests: Results and Analysis (“EPRI Report”),
filed at the Commission in Docket No. RM12-4-000 in compliance with
the Commission’s directive in Order No. 777. … As reflected in this
Petition and the attached exhibits, the EPRI test results indicated
that MVCD values under currently effective Reliability Standard
FAC-003-3 might not be suitable or sufficiently conservative in all
situations. The EPRI testing revealed that the gap factor used to
determine those MVCD values under the Gallet equation was too high
for all situations with varying tree and conductor configurations.
The gap factor is a multiplier that adjusts MVCD values for
different configurations of vegetation and conductors to avoid
flashover (a lower gap factor correlates to higher MVCD values).
The EPRI tests thus led to the conclusion that MVCD values under
existing Reliability Standard FAC-003-4 appeared low. The EPRI test
results demonstrated the Gallet equation should apply a more
conservative, lower, gap factor of 1.0 to calculate MVCD values for
Reliability Standard FAC-003-4. Proposed Reliability Standard
FAC-003-4, therefore proposes higher and more conservative MVCD
values. These higher MVCD values will enhance reliability and
provide additional confidence by applying a more conservative
approach to determining the vegetation clearing distances.” In the
Delegated Order in Docket RD16-4, FERC approves the revised
Reliability Standard proposed by NERC.
US Code:
16
USC 824o Name of Law: Energy Policy Act of 2005
On March 14, 2016, the North
American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) filed a petition
for Commission approval of proposed Reliability Standard FAC-003-4
(Transmission Vegetation Management). NERC seeks an effective date
for the proposed Reliability Standard of the first day of the first
calendar quarter three months after the effective date of the
Commission’s order approving the proposed Reliability Standard, and
requests approval of the retirement of currently-effective
Reliability Standard FAC-003-3. NERC states in its petition that
proposed Reliability Standard FAC-003-4 reflects revisions to the
current Minimum Vegetation Clearance Distances (MVCDs) in
Reliability Standard FAC-003-3 based on additional testing
regarding the appropriate gap factor to be used to calculate
clearance distances for vegetation. NERC explains that in response
to the Commission’s directive as part of its approval of an earlier
version of the Reliability Standard, FAC-003-2, NERC contracted
with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to conduct this
testing. As NERC notes, when the Commission approved Reliability
Standard FAC-003-2, the Commission stated that “it is important
that NERC develop empirical evidence that either confirms
assumptions used in calculating the MVCD values based on the Gallet
equation, or gives reason to revisit the Reliability Standard.”
NERC states in its petition that preliminary testing conducted by
EPRI indicated that the gap factor used to calculate MVCDs should
be adjusted from 1.3 to 1.0, which would result in MVCD values
higher than those in currently-effective Reliability Standard
FAC-003-3. NERC explains that it worked with EPRI to finalize the
gap factor verification, submitting a final report to the
Commission in August 2015. In addition, NERC states that the EPRI
report was updated in anticipation of the instant petition. NERC
explains that the EPRI tests support the conclusion that MVCD
values under currently-effective Reliability Standard FAC-003-3 are
low and “demonstrate[] that the Gallet equation should apply a more
conservative, lower gap factor of 1.0 to calculate MVCD values.”
NERC further explains that proposed Reliability Standard FAC-003-4
proposes higher and more conservative MVCD values and, therefore,
maintains that these revisions will “enhance reliability and
provide additional confidence by applying a more conservative
approach to determining the vegetation clearing distances.” NERC
states that the revised clearances as reflected in Table 2 were
moved into the text of the proposed Reliability Standard and that
MVCD values were added for elevations up to 15,000 feet, but that
no other substantive changes were made to the currently-effective
Reliability Standard FAC-003-3. NERC’s filing was noticed on March
16, 2016, with interventions, comments and protests due on or
before April 14, 2016. No comments were received. NERC’s
uncontested petition is hereby approved by FERC Delegated Order
pursuant to the relevant authority delegated to the Director,
Office of Electric Reliability under 18 C.F.R. § 375.303 (2015).
The estimated burden increase annually in Years 1-3 of 966 hours
averages one-time implementation over 3 years; in Year 4 and
subsequent years the additional burden is 414 hours.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
RD16-4_FR7-18-16_2016-16899.pdf
RD16-4_Supporting Statement_7-11-2016.docx
FERC-725M (RD16-4, for one-time and ongoing, with one-time averaged over Yrs. 1-3)