FERC-725E, (RD18-1, RD18-2, RD18-3, and RD18-5) Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Western Electric Coordinating Council

Forms and Documents

Document Name	Status
RD18-1 -2 -3 -5 supporting statement.docx Supporting Statement A	2018-08-07
RD18-1 18-2 18-3 18-5 30-day notice (published).pdf Supplementary Document	2018-08-02
RD18-1 18-2 18-3 18-5 60-day notice (published).pdf Supplementary Document	2018-08-02
Reliability Standard PRC-004-WECC-2 (proposed for retirement).pdf Supplementary Document	2018-07-26
Reliability Standard VAR-002-WECC-2 (proposed for retirement).pdf Supplementary Document	2018-07-26
RD18-1 18-2 18-3 18-5 30-day notice (issued).docx Supplementary Document	2018-07-26
RD18-1 18-2 18-3 18-5 60-day notice (issued).docx Supplementary Document	2018-07-26
Order in Docket No. RD18-5-000 (issued on 5-30-2018).docx Supplementary Document	2018-07-26
Order in Docket No. RD18-2-000 (issued on 5-30-2018).docx Supplementary Document	2018-07-26
Reliability Standard BAL-004-WECC-3.pdf Supplementary Document	2018-07-26
Reliability Standard FAC-501-WECC-2.pdf Supplementary Document	2018-07-26
NERC Petition for VAR-002-WECC-2 Retirement (RD18-1-000).pdf Supplementary Document	2018-07-26
NERC Petition for PRC-004-WECC-2 Retirement (RD18-3-000).pdf Supplementary Document	2018-07-26
NERC Petition for Reliability Standard BAL-004-WECC-3.pdf Supplementary Document	2018-07-26
NERC Petition for Reliability Standard FAC-501-WECC-2.pdf Supplementary Document	2018-07-26
18 CFR 40.pdf Supplementary Document	2017-07-25
16 USC 824o.pdf Supplementary Document	2017-07-25

IC Document Collections

IC ID	Document Title	Status
180804	FERC-725E (WECC Reliability Standards)	Modified

ICR Details

OMB Control No: 1902-0246	ICR Reference No: 201807-1902-005
Status: Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 201707-1902-006
Agency/Subagency: FERC	Agency Tracking No: FERC-725E
Title: FERC-725E, (RD18-1, RD18-2, RD18-3, and RD18-5) Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Western Electric Coordinating Council
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved without change	Conclusion Date: 09/24/2018
	Date Received in OIRA: 08/07/2018
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	09/30/2021	36 Months From Approved	10/31/2020
Responses	1,733	0	2,371
Time Burden (Hours)	2,218	0	8,940
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

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Abstract: In March 2018, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) issued four joint petitions to retire and modify WECC regional Reliability Standards. RD18-2. On March 8 2018, NERC and WECC filed a joint petition in Docket No. RD18-2-000 requesting Commission approval of: • regional Reliability Standard BAL-004-WECC-3 (Automatic Time Error Correction), and • the retirement of existing regional Reliability Standard BAL-004-WECC-2. The joint petition in Docket No. RD18-2-000 states: “Regional Reliability Standard BAL-004-WECC-3 seeks to maintain Interconnection frequency and to ensure that Time Error Corrections and Primary Inadvertent Interchange (“PII”) payback are effectively conducted in a manner that does not adversely affect the reliability of the [Western] Interconnection.” The proposed modifications to the standard focus on the entities using a common tool. All other proposed changes are for clarification. The Commission is not changing the reporting requirements, nor is it modifying the burden, cost or respondents with this collection, and sees this as a non-material or non-substantive change to the FERC-725E information collection. RD18-5. On March 16, 2018, NERC and WECC filed a joint petition in Docket No. RD18-5-000 requesting Commission approval of: • regional Reliability Standard FAC-501-WECC-2 (Transmission Maintenance), and • the retirement of existing regional Reliability Standard FAC-501-WECC-1. The joint petition in Docket No. RD18-5-000 states: “The purpose of FAC-501-WECC-2 is to ensure the Transmission Owner of a transmission path identified in the table titled “Major WECC Transfer Paths in the Bulk Electric System” (“WECC Transfer Path Table” or “Table”), including associated facilities, has a Transmission Maintenance and Inspection Plan (“TMIP”) and performs and documents maintenance and inspection activities in accordance with the TMIP.” The modifications to the existing standard are for clarification of the transmission owner’s obligations and to directly incorporate the list of applicable transmission paths. This list is currently posted on the WECC website and has not changed. The Commission is not changing reporting requirements nor is it modifying the burden, cost or respondents with this collection, and sees this as a non-material or non-substantive change to the FERC-725E information collection. RD18-1. On March 7, 2018, NERC (and WECC) filed a joint petition in Docket No. RD18-1-000 requesting Commission approval to retire the WECC regional Reliability Standard VAR-002-WECC-2 (Automatic Voltage Regulators). According to the petition, the purpose of the proposed retirement is based on WECC’s experience with regional Reliability Standard VAR-002-WECC-2 which has shown that the reliability-related issues addressed in the regional standard are adequately addressed by the continent-wide voltage and reactive (“VAR”) Reliability Standards and that retention of the regional standard would not provide additional benefits for reliability. RD18-3. Also, on March 9, 2018, NERC (and WECC) filed a joint petition in Docket No. RD18-3-000 requesting Commission approval to retire the WECC regional Reliability Standard PRC-004-WECC-2 (Protection System and Remedial Action Scheme Misoperation). The purpose of the proposed retirement is based on NERC and WECC’s belief that since the initial development of this regional standard, other continent-wide Reliability Standards have been developed that have made the requirements of this regional Reliability Standard redundant and no longer necessary for reliability in the Western Interconnection.

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Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 16 USC 824(o) Name of Law: Federal Power Act
  

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 22051	05/11/2018
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	83 FR 33925	07/19/2018
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

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Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 1

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
FERC-725E (WECC Reliability Standards)

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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	1,733	2,371	0	-638	0	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	2,218	8,940	0	-6,722	0	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: Yes

Burden Reduction Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Short Statement: There are changes to reporting requirements for the FERC-725E information collection. The changes are the proposed retirement of the following regional Reliability Standards: • VAR-002-WECC-2 (reduction of 6,292 hours) due to the Order in Docket No. RD18-1-000 • PRC-004-WECC-2 (reduction of 430 hours) due to the Order in Docket No. RD18-3-000 The Order in Docket No. RD18-2-000 (retiring Reliability Standard BAL-004-WECC-2 and approving Reliability Standard BAL-004-WECC-3) results in no net burden change. Similarly, the Order in Docket No. RD18-5-000 (retiring Reliability Standard FAC-501-WECC-1 and approving FAC-501-WECC-2) also results in no net burden change.

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $4,931

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: 08/07/2018

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