FERC-725X, Mandatory Reliability Standards: Voltage and Reactive (VAR) Standards

Forms and Documents

Document Name	Status
FERC-725X supporting statement4-30-2018.docx Supporting Statement A	2018-04-30
NERC Petition for VAR-001-4.2 and VAR-002-4.1.pdf Supplementary Document	2018-04-26
16 USC 824(o).pdf Supplementary Document	2018-04-26
18 CFR 40.pdf Supplementary Document	2018-04-26
FERC-725X 30-day notice (issued).docx Supplementary Document	2018-04-26
FERC-725X 60-day notice (issued).docx Supplementary Document	2018-04-26
FERC-725X 30-day notice (published).pdf Supplementary Document	2018-04-26
FERC-725X 60-day notice (published).pdf Supplementary Document	2018-04-26
RD17-7 Order.pdf Supplementary Document	2018-04-26
RD15-3 Order.docx Supplementary Document	2018-04-26
Reliability Standard VAR-001-4.2.pdf Supplementary Document	2018-04-26
Reliability Standard VAR-002-4.1.pdf Supplementary Document	2018-04-26

IC Document Collections

IC ID	Document Title	Status
231231	VAR-002-4.1 Reliability Standard	New
213219	VAR-001-4.2 Reliability Standard	Modified

ICR Details

OMB Control No: 1902-0278	ICR Reference No: 201804-1902-006
Status: Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 201409-1902-010
Agency/Subagency: FERC	Agency Tracking No: FERC-725X
Title: FERC-725X, Mandatory Reliability Standards: Voltage and Reactive (VAR) Standards
Type of Information Collection: Extension without change of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved without change	Conclusion Date: 06/20/2018
	Date Received in OIRA: 04/30/2018
Terms of Clearance: In accordance with 5 CFR 1320, the information collection is approved for three years.

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	06/30/2021	36 Months From Approved	06/30/2018
Responses	2,069	0	1,058
Time Burden (Hours)	217,760	0	204,240
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

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Abstract: NERC established the Voltage and Reactive (“VAR”) group of Reliability Standards, which consists of two continent-wide Reliability Standards, VAR-001-4.2 and VAR-002-4.1. These two standards were designed to maintain voltage stability on the Bulk-Power System, protect transmission, generation, distribution, and customer equipment, and support the reliable operation of the Bulk-Power System. Voltage stability is the ability of a power system to maintain acceptable voltage levels throughout the system under normal operating conditions and following a disturbance. Failure to maintain acceptable voltage levels (i.e., voltage levels become too high or too low) may cause violations of System Operating Limits (“SOLs”) and Interconnection Reliability Operating Limits (“IROLs”), resulting in damage to Bulk-Power System equipment, and thereby threaten the reliable operation of the Bulk-Power System.

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Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 16 USC 824o Name of Law: Energy Policy Act of 2005
  

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

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Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

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Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	83 FR 5416	02/07/2018
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	83 FR 18019	04/25/2018
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

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Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 2

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
VAR-002-4.1 Reliability Standard
VAR-001-4.2 Reliability Standard

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ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to New Statute	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses	2,069	1,058	0	0	1,011	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	217,760	204,240	0	0	13,520	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0	0	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Increase Due to:

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: There are no program changes or changes to reporting requirements for the FERC-725X information collection. The burden for the FERC-725X information collection will increase by 13,520 hours due to normal industry fluctuations and some accounting corrections. These industry fluctuations (e.g. companies merging/splitting, companies entering or leaving the industry) caused the number of respondents and their associated annual burden to increase. Question 15 shows an increase in the number of annual responses of 1,011. This is due to an accounting error in the previous approval for the FERC-725X information collection. Specifically, responses required by the VAR-002-4.1 Reliability Standard were previously assumed to include the requirements in R1-R6 in one response category (i.e. Requirements R1-R6 was assumed to be one response per entity). This assumption was incorrect. The response categories are now split between Requirements R1 and Requirements R2-R6. Moreover, both response categories possess different levels of associated burden. The result of these corrections is the response count associated with the VAR-002-4.1 Reliability Standard essentially doubled from the previous approval despite there being no programmatic change to the FERC-725X information collection.

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $5,723

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     No

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see 5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3))? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination.     No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? Uncollected

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Common Form ICR:  No

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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:

(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;

(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;

(c) It reduces burden on small entities;

(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;

(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;

(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;

(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:

(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;

(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.

(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and

(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.

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.

Certification Date: 04/30/2018

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