FERC-725E, (Final Rule for RM19-20) Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Western Electric Coordinating Council

Forms and Documents

Document Name	Status
Final Rule RM19-20-000 (issued).DOCX Supplementary Document	2021-05-03
RM19-20 supporting statement.docx Supporting Statement A	2021-05-03
NOPR RM19-20 BAL-002-WECC-3.pdf Supplementary Document	2020-11-20
Petition for Approval of BAL-002-WECC-3 with Exhibits.pdf Supplementary Document	2020-11-20
VAR-501-WECC-3.1.pdf Supplementary Document	2020-11-17
IRO-006-WECC-3.pdf Supplementary Document	2020-11-17
FAC-501-WECC-2.pdf Supplementary Document	2020-11-17
BAL-004-WECC-3.pdf Supplementary Document	2020-11-17
18 CFR 40.pdf Supplementary Document	2020-11-13
16 USC 824o.pdf Supplementary Document	2020-11-13
20201015-3011_RM19-20-000(issued).docx Supplementary Document	2020-11-13

IC Document Collections

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

ICR Details

OMB Control No: 1902-0246	ICR Reference No: 202105-1902-001
Status: Received in OIRA	Previous ICR Reference No: 202011-1902-003
Agency/Subagency: FERC	Agency Tracking No: FERC-725E
Title: FERC-725E, (Final Rule for RM19-20) 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	Date Submitted to OIRA: 05/04/2021

	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	36 Months From Approved	09/30/2021
Responses	1,248	1,733
Time Burden (Hours)	1,917	2,218
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0

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Abstract: 3 year renewal and revisions for Final Rule Regional Reliability Standards generally require entities to document compliance with substantive requirements, retain documentation, and submit reports to WECC. The following standards will be continuing without change: • BAL-004-WECC-03 (Automatic Time Error Correction) requires balancing authorities to document that time error corrections and primary inadvertent interchange payback were conducted according to the requirements in the standard. • FAC-501-WECC-2 (Transmission Maintenance) requires transmission owners with certain transmission paths to have a transmission maintenance and inspection plan and to document maintenance and inspection activities according to the plan. • VAR-501-WECC-3.1 (Power System Stabilizer [PSS]) requires generator owners and operators to ensure the Western Interconnection is operated in a coordinated manner by establishing the performance criteria for WECC power system stabilizers. The Commission is submitting this request to OMB to extend those requirements with no change for three years. The Commission’s request to OMB also reflects the following: • Implement the regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-3 (addressed in Docket No. RM19-20), and • Adjustments to the burden estimates due to changes in the NERC Compliance Registry for regional Reliability Standards BAL-002-WECC-3 (Contingency Reserve) and IRO-006-WECC-3 (Qualified Path Unscheduled Flow (USF) Relief). OPR is to make changes to The Purpose of BAL-002-WECC-2a Contingency Reserve is: “To specify the quantity and types of Contingency Reserve required to ensure reliability under normal and abnormal conditions.” Of the eight NERC Reliability Principles, this standard addresses Reliability Principle 1, which states: “Interconnected bulk power systems shall be planned and operated in a coordinated manner to perform reliably under normal and abnormal conditions as defined in the NERC Standards.”

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Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 16 USC 824o 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:
1902-AF75	Final or interim final rulemaking	86 FR 22588	04/29/2021

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Federal Register Notices & Comments

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 Request	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	1,248	1,733	0	-485	0	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	1,917	2,218	0	-301	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: Changing Regulations

Short Statement: The changes in burden are due to the need for applicable entities to revise documentation, already required by the current WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-2a, to reflect the retirement of Requirement R2 in the proposed WECC regional Reliability Standard BAL-002-WECC-3. Also, adjustments to the burden estimates are needed due to changes in the NERC Compliance Registry for regional Reliability Standards BAL-002-WECC-3 and IRO-006-WECC-3. The table in the supporting statement on question #15 describes the new and continuing information collection requirements and the associated burden for FERC-725E. The Commission is also removing 1746 one-time burden hours associated with the requirements in Docket No. RD17-5 for regional Reliability Standard VAR-501-WECC-3. The one-time burden has been completed and will now be administratively removed on submittal to OMB. The annual responses and annual burden in the current OMB-approved inventory is 1,733 responses and 2,218 hours respectively. The estimates are the average total number of annual responses and corresponding burden hours for years 1, 2 and 3, divided by three, giving the average annual estimate for Years 1-3.

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $6,475

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? No

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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: 05/04/2021

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