60 Day Notice

Document Accession #: 20240131-3026

Filed Date: 01/31/2024

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. RD24-2-000]
COMMISSION INFORMATION COLLECTION ACTIVITIES (FERC-725E);
COMMENT REQUEST; REVISION AND EXTENSION
(January 31, 2024)
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice for revision and extension of information collection and request for
comments.
SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
44 USC 3507(a)(1)(D), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) is
soliciting public comment on the revision and extension to the information collection, FERC725E (Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Western Electric Coordinating Council).
DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due [Insert date 60 days after date
of publication in the Federal Register].
ADDRESSES: You may submit your comments (identified by Docket No. RD24-2-000) on
FERC-725E 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 printto-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:

Document Accession #: 20240131-3026

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Docket No. RD24-2-000

2

o Mail via U.S. Postal Service Only: Addressed to: Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington,
DC 20426.
o Hand (including courier) delivery: Deliver to: Federal Energy Regulatory
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: Jean Sonneman may be reached by e-mail at
[email protected], telephone at (202) 502-6362.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: FERC-725E, Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Western Electric Coordinating
Council (WECC)
OMB Control No.: 1902-0246
Type of Request: Revision and extension to the FERC-725E information collection
requirements.
Abstract: FERC-725E is the information collection that is required to implement the statutory
provisions of section 215 of the Federal Power Act (FPA) (16 U.S.C. 824o). Section 215 of

Document Accession #: 20240131-3026

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Docket No. RD24-2-000

3

the FPA buttresses the Commission’s efforts to strengthen the reliability of the interstate grid
through the grant of new authority by providing for a system of mandatory Reliability
Standards developed by the Electric Reliability Organization (ERO). Reliability Standards
that the ERO proposes to the Commission may include Reliability Standards that are proposed
to the ERO by a Regional Entity.1 A Regional Entity is an entity that has been approved by
the Commission to enforce Reliability Standards under delegated authority from the ERO.2
On June 8, 2008, the Commission approved eight regional Reliability Standards submitted by
the ERO that were proposed by WECC.3
WECC promotes bulk electric system reliability in the Western Interconnection.
WECC is the Regional Entity responsible for compliance monitoring and enforcement. In
addition, WECC provides an environment for the development of Reliability Standards and the
coordination of the operating and planning activities of its members as set forth in the WECC
Bylaws.
There are several regional Reliability Standards in the WECC region. These regional
Reliability Standards generally require entities to document compliance with substantive
requirements, retain documentation, and submit reports to WECC.
In RD24-2-000, standard VAR-501-WECC-3.1 is being updated for syntax and the proposed
changes have been deemed non-substantive. The currently approved VAR-501-WECC-3.1 is

1

16 U.S.C. 824o(e)(4).

2

16 U.S.C. 824o(a)(7) and (e)(4).

3

N. Am. Electric Reliability Corp., 119 FERC ¶ 61,260 (2007).

Document Accession #: 20240131-3026

Docket No. RD24-2-000

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4

being replaced by VAR-501-WECC-4. The changes include updates to document numbering,
the removal and replacement of obsolete language, and removal of redundant language.
For the purposes of the extension, the following standards will remain unchanged:
 BAL-002-WECC-3 (Contingency Reserve)4 requires balancing authorities and
reserve sharing groups to document compliance with the contingency reserve
requirements described in the standard.
 BAL-004-WECC-3 (Automatic Time Error Correction)5 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)6 requires transmission owners
with certain transmission paths to have a transmission maintenance and

4

BAL-002-WECC-2 is included in the OMB-approved inventory for FERC-725E. On
November 9, 2016, NERC and WECC submitted a joint petition for approval of an
interpretation of BAL-002-WECC-2, to be designated BAL-002-WECC-2a. BAL-002WECC-2a was approved by order in Docket No. RD17-3-000 on January 24, 2017. The Order
determined: “The proposed interpretation provides clarification regarding the types of
resources that may be used to satisfy Contingency Reserve requirements in regional Reliability
Standard BAL-002-WECC-2.” BAL-002-WECC-2a did not trigger the Paperwork Reduction
Act and did not affect the burden estimate. BAL-002-WECC-2a is being included in this
Notice and the Commission’s submittal to OMB as part of the FERC-725E. BAL-002WECC-3 became effective June 28, 2021, under docket RM19-20-000 in Order No. 876,
replacing BAL-002-WECC-2a.
5

BAL-004-WECC-3 was approved under docket RD18-2-000 on May 30, 2018.

6

FAC-501-WECC-2 was approved under docket RD18-5-000 on May 30, 2018.

Document Accession #: 20240131-3026

Docket No. RD24-2-000

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5

inspection plan and to document maintenance and inspection activities according
to the plan.
 IRO-006-WECC-3 (Qualified Transfer Path Unscheduled Flow (USF) Relief)7
requires balancing authorities and reliability coordinators to document actions
taken to mitigate unscheduled flow.
 VAR-501-WECC-4 (Power System Stabilizers (PSS)) requires the Western
Interconnection is operated in a coordinated manner under normal and abnormal
conditions by establishing the performance criteria for WECC power system
stabilizers.
Type of Respondents: Balancing authorities, reserve sharing groups, transmission owners,
reliability coordinators, transmission operators, generator operators and generator owners.
Estimate of Annual Burden8: We provide the tables below with burden estimates which show
the current burden estimates which include the ongoing burden associated with reporting and

7

On December 20, 2013, NERC and WECC submitted a joint petition for approval of
IRO-006-WECC-2 and retirement of IRO-006-WECC-1. IRO-006-WECC-2 was approved by
order in Docket No. RD14-9-000 on May 13, 2014. IRO-006-WECC-3 was approved by
order in Docket No. RD19-4-000 on May 10, 2019. Because the reporting burden for IRO006-WECC-3 did not increase for entities that operate within the Western Interconnection,
FERC submitted the order to OMB for information only. The burden related to IRO-006WECC-3 does not differ from the burden of IRO-006-WECC-2, which is included in the
OMB-approved inventory. IRO-006-WECC-3 is being included in this Notice and the
Commission’s submittal to OMB as part of FERC-725E.
8

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. For
further explanation of what is included in the information collection burden, refer to 5 Code of
Federal Regulations 1320.3.

Document Accession #: 20240131-3026

Docket No. RD24-2-000

Filed Date: 01/31/2024

6

recordkeeping requirements, which are not changing in RD24-2-000. Further, the change in
RD24-2-000 is considered non-substantive, therefore, the Commission is estimating that there
is no change in the burden estimates from the currently approved estimates.
In Table 1, the Commission highlights the burden estimates for the VAR-501-WECC-4
(updated in Docket no. RD24-2-000). In Table 2, the Commission estimates the total estimated
burden for the entirety of the FERC 725E collection.

FERC-725E, Mandatory Reliability Standards for the
Western Electric Coordinating Council,
Changes in Docket No. RD24-2-000
No. of
Annual
Annual Average
Total
Respon
No. of
No. of
Burden
Annual
Cost per
dents9 Respons Response Hrs. &
Burden
Respondent ($)
(1)
es per
s
Cost10
Hours &
(5)÷(1)=(6)

Entity
9

The number of respondents is derived from the NERC Compliance Registry as of
December 15, 2023.
10

For VAR-501-WECC-4, the 2023 hourly cost (for salary plus benefits) uses the
figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for three positions involved in the reporting and
recordkeeping requirements. These figures include salary
(http://bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm) and benefits
(http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm) and are:
1. Manager: $106.33/hour
2. Engineer: $77.29/hour
3. Information and Record Clerk: $56.14/hour
The hourly cost for the reporting requirements ($91.81) is an average of the cost of a manager
and engineer. The hourly cost for recordkeeping requirements uses the cost of an Information
and Record Clerk ($56.14/hour).

Document Accession #: 20240131-3026

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Docket No. RD24-2-000

7

Respon
dent
(2)
Reporting Requirements
Generator
Owners
and/or
Operators
annual
311
Recordkeeping Requirements
Generator
Owners
and/or
Operators
annual
311
Burden
Annual
for VAR501WECC-4

Per
Total
Response Annual Cost
($)
($)
(4)
(3)*(4)=(5)
Standard VAR-501-WECC-4

2

2

(1)*(2)=(
3)

622

1 hr.;
$91.81

622 hrs.;
$57,105.82

$183.62

622

0.5 hrs.;
$28.07

311 hrs.;
$17,459.54

$56.14

933 hrs.;
$74,565.36

Net Burden for FERC-725E, for Submittal to OMB. The table below describes the new and
continuing information collection requirements and the associated burden for FERC-725E. (The
burden in Table 2 refers to burden associated with VAR-501-WECC-4, BAL-002-WECC-3,
BAL-004-WECC-3, FAC-501-WECC-2, and IRO-006-WECC-3).

Entity

FERC-725E, Mandatory Reliability Standards for the
Western Electric Coordinating Council
[Continuing Information Collection Requirements]
Annual
Average
No. of
Annual
Burden
Total Annual
Responses
No. of
Hrs. &
Burden
Cost per
per
Respons
Cost Per
Hours &
Respon
Responde
es
Response Total Annual dent ($)
No. of
nt
(1)*(2)=
($)
Cost ($)
(5)÷(1)=(
Respon
(2)
(3)
(4)
(3)*(4)=(5)
6)

Document Accession #: 20240131-3026

Filed Date: 01/31/2024

Docket No. RD24-2-000

8

dents11
(1)
Reporting Requirements
21 hrs.,
1
34
$1,928.01

Balancing
Authorities
34
Transmission
Owners that
operate
qualified
40 hrs.,
transfer paths
5
3
15
$3,672.40
Reliability
1 hr.,
Coordinators
2
1
2
$91.81
Reserve
1 hr.,
Sharing Group
2
1
2
$91.81
Generator
Owners and/or
Operators
annual for
VAR-5011 hr.;
WECC-4
311
2
622
$91.81
Total Annual Reporting
Requirements for FERC-725E
Recordkeeping Requirements
Balancing
Authorities
Balancing
Authorities
(IRO-006)
Reliability
Coordinator
Generator
Owners and/or
Operators
annual for
VAR-501WECC-4

11

34

1

34

622 hrs.;
$57,105.82
1,940 hrs.;
$178,111.40
71.4 hrs.,
$4,008.40
34 hrs.,
$1,908.76
2 hr.;
$112.28

311 hrs.;
$17,459.54

34

1

34

2

1

2

622

0.5 hrs.;
$28.07

2

$
600 hrs., 11,017.2
$55,086.00
0
2 hr.,
$183.62
$91.81
2 hrs.,
$183.62
$91.81

2.1 hrs.,
$117.89
1 hr.,
$56.14
1 hr.;
$56.14

311

714 hrs., $1,928.0
$65,552.34
1

$183.62

$117.89
$56.14
$56.14

$56.14

The number of respondents is derived from the NERC Compliance Registry as of
December 15, 2023, and represent unique US register entities in the WECC regional area.

Document Accession #: 20240131-3026

Docket No. RD24-2-000

Filed Date: 01/31/2024

9

Total Annual Recordkeeping for
FERC-725E
Total Annual Burden for FERC725E

418.4 hrs.;
$23,488.98
2,358.4 hrs.;
$201,600.38

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.

Debbie-Anne. Reese,
Acting Secretary.

Document Accession #: 20240131-3026

Filed Date: 01/31/2024

Document Content(s)
Final_725E 60 day_RD24-2-000 (Mod and Renewal).docx ......................1