FERC-725X 30-day notice (published)

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MOD–032–1—Continued
[Verification of models and data for turbine/governor and load control or active power/frequency control functions]

Evidence Retention .................

Total .................................

Number of
respondents

Annual
number of
responses per
respondent

Total number
of responses

Average burden
& cost per
response

Total annual
burden hours &
total annual cost

Cost per
respondent
($)

(1)

(2)

(1) * (2) = (3)

(4)

(3) * (4) = (5)

(5) ÷ (1)

1

1,418

1 hr.; $34.79 18 .......

1,418 hrs.;
$49,332.22.

........................

........................

................................

12,762 hrs.;
$998,484.70.

1,418 (BA,
GO, PA/PC,
RP, TO, TP,
and TSP).
........................

34.79

........................

MOD–033–2 (FORMERLY MOD–033–1)
[Steady-state and dynamics system model validation]

Data Submittal ........................
Evidence Retention .................
MOD–033–2 Net Changes in
RD20–4 (in the first table
above).
New Total for MOD–033–
2 Renewal.

Number of
respondents

Annual
number of
responses per
respondent

Total number
of responses

Avg. burden
& cost per
response

Total annual
burden hours &
total annual cost

Cost per
respondent
($)

(1)

(2)

(1) * (2) = (3)

(4)

(3) * (4) = (5)

(5) ÷ (1)

178 (RC and
TOP).
243 (PA/PC,
RC, and
TOP).
........................

........................

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The total annual estimated burden
and cost for the FERC–725L information
collection is 38,724 hours and
$2,960,375.60 respectively.
12 The estimates reflect a program decrease of 63
de-registered LSEs (and corresponding program
decrease of 504 hrs.) related to Docket No. RD20–
4–000, and an adjustment/clarification (decrease) of
498 DPs, TPs, and BAs (and corresponding decrease
of 3,984 hrs.), not related to Docket No. RD20–4–
000. The updated number of 381 DPs, TPs and BAs
is listed in a new row clarifying their applicability
with Requirements R2 and R4. Requirement R2
requires applicable entities to develop and provide
data pursuant with Requirement R1.
13 The 113 PCs and BAs were originally estimated
in FERC–725A due to Order No. 693. However, the
estimates and descriptions were not clearly spelled
out, so we are clarifying them. [Some of this burden
may still be in FERC–725A (and double counted
temporarily).]
14 The estimate is changing to 174 (from 188) due
to normal industry fluctuation.
15 The estimate is changing to 188 (from 194) due
to normal industry fluctuation.
16 The number of respondents for MOD–025–2/
MOD–026–1/MOD–027–1/MOD–31–3/MOD–032-/
MOD–033–2 are from the NERC compliance registry
February 5, 2021.
17 This wage figure uses the average hourly wage
(plus benefits) for electrical engineers (Occupation
Code: 17–2071, $70.19/hour) and managers
(Occupation Code: 11–0000, $97.15/hour) obtained
from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) (from
https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm).

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1

178

8 hrs.; $669.36 20 ...

1

243

1 hr.; $34.79 18 .......

1,424 hrs.;
$119,146.08.
243 hrs.; $8,453.97

........................

¥28

................................

¥126 .....................

........................

........................

393

................................

1,541 hrs.;
$128,935.47.

........................

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
The average used the following calculation:
[$70.19/hour + $97.15/hour] ÷ 2 = $83.67/hour.
18 The estimate uses the hourly average wage
(plus benefits) for file clerks obtained from the
Bureau of Labor Statistics: $34.79/hour (BLS
Occupation Code: 43–4071).
19 It is estimated that the applicable numbers of
generator owner respondents used to calculate the
public reporting burden for these standards MOD–
026–1, MOD–027- 1, MOD–032–1 and MOD–033–
1 is half of total numbers of GO (501=1003/2) due
to the higher applicability threshold for those
Reliability Standards.
20 The estimate uses the average hourly wage
(plus benefits) of $70.19/hour for electrical
engineers (Occupation Code: 17–2071) from the
Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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$669.36
34.79

of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
Dated: June 8, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021–12376 Filed 6–11–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. IC21–12–000]

Commission Information Collection
Activities (Ferc-725x); Comment
Request; Extension
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: Notice of information collection
and request for comments.
AGENCY:

In compliance with the
requirements of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission
(Commission or FERC) is soliciting
public comment on a renewal of

SUMMARY:

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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 112 / Monday, June 14, 2021 / Notices
currently approved information
collection FERC 725X (Mandatory
Reliability Standards: Voltage and
Reactive (VAR) Standards), which will
be submitted to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
review.
Comments on the collection of
information are due July 14, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments on
FERC–725X to OMB through
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission Desk Officer. Please
identify the OMB Control Number
(1902–0278) in the subject line of your
comments. Comments should be sent
within 30 days of publication of this
notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/
PRAMain.
Please submit copies of your
comments to the Commission. You may
submit copies of your comments
(identified by Docket No. IC21–12–000)
by one of the following methods:
Electronic filing through http://
www.ferc.gov, is preferred.
• Electronic Filing: Documents must
be filed in acceptable native
applications and print-to-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.
Æ Mail via U.S. Postal Service Only:
Addressed to: Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the
Commission, 888 First Street NE,
Washington, DC 20426.
Æ Hand (including courier) delivery:
Deliver to: Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue,
Rockville, MD 20852.
Instructions: OMB submissions must
be formatted and filed in accordance
with submission guidelines at
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
Using the search function under the
‘‘Currently Under Review’’ field, select
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission;
click ‘‘submit,’’ and select ‘‘comment’’
to the right of the subject collection.
FERC submissions must be formatted
and filed in accordance with submission
guidelines at: http://www.ferc.gov. For
user assistance, contact FERC Online
Support by email at ferconlinesupport@
ferc.gov, 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/ferconline/overview.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ellen Brown may be reached by email

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DATES:

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at DataClearance@FERC.gov, telephone
at (202) 502–8663.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: FERC 725X (Mandatory
Reliability Standards: Voltage and
Reactive (VAR) Standards).
OMB Control No.: 1902–0278.
Type of Request: Three-year extension
of the FERC–725X information
collection requirements with no changes
to the current reporting requirements.
Abstract: Pursuant to Section 215 of
the Federal Power Act (FPA),1 North
American Electric Reliability
Corporation (NERC) established the
Voltage and Reactive (‘‘VAR’’) group of
Reliability Standards, which consists of
two continent-wide Reliability
Standards, VAR–001–5 and VAR–002–
4.1. NERC conducts periodic reviews of
Reliability Standards in accordance
with Section 317 of the NERC Rules of
Procedure and Section 13 of the NERC
Standard Processes Manual. In
accordance with these authorities and
the NERC Reliability Standards
Development Plan: 2017–2019, NERC
recently completed Project 2016–EPR–
02 Enhanced Periodic Review of Voltage
and Reactive Reliability Standards. This
project conducted a periodic review of
mandatory and enforceable Reliability
Standards VAR–001–4.1 (Voltage and
Reactive Control) 2 and VAR–002–4
(Generator Operation for Maintaining
Network Schedules).3 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’’), result in damage to
Bulk-Power System equipment, and
16 U.S.C. 824o (2012).
The Commission approved Reliability Standard
VAR–001–4 (Voltage and Reactive Control) on
August 1, 2014. See North American Electric
Reliability Corp., Docket No. RD14–11–000 (Aug. 1,
2014) (delegated letter order). The Commission
approved errata version VAR–001–4.1 on November
13, 2015. See North American Electric Reliability
Corp., Docket No. RD15–6–000 (Nov. 13, 2015)
(delegated letter order).
3 The Commission approved Reliability Standard
VAR–002–4, which clarified the applicability of the
VAR–002 standard to dispersed generation
resources, on May 29, 2015. See North American
Electric Reliability Corp, 151 FERC ¶ 61,186 (May
29, 2015).
1
2

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thereby threaten the reliable operation
of the Bulk-Power System.
Reliability Standard VAR–001–5
This Reliability Standard requires
Transmission Operators to:
• Specify a system-wide voltage
schedule (which is either a range or a
target value with an associated tolerance
band) as part of its plan to operate
within SOLs and IROLs, and to provide
the voltage schedule to its Reliability
Coordinator and adjacent Transmission
Operators upon request (Requirement
R1);
• Schedule sufficient reactive
resources to regulate voltage levels
(Requirement R2);
• Operate or direct the operation of
devices to regulate transmission voltage
and reactive flows (Requirement R3);
• Develop a set of criteria to exempt
generators from certain requirements
under Reliability Standard VAR–002–
4.1 related to voltage or Reactive Power
schedules, automatic voltage
regulations, and notification
(Requirement R4);
• Specify a voltage or Reactive Power
schedule (which is either a range or a
target value with an associated tolerance
band) for generators at either the high or
low voltage side of the generator stepup transformer, provide the schedule to
the associated Generator Operator,
direct the Generator Operator to comply
with that schedule in automatic voltage
control mode, provide the Generator
Operator the notification requirements
for deviating from the schedule, and, if
requested, provide the Generator
Operator the criteria used to develop the
schedule (Requirement R5); and
• Communicate step-up transformer
tap changes, the time frame for
completion, and the justification for
these changes to Generator Owners
(Requirement R6).
Reliability Standard VAR–002–4.1
This Reliability Standard includes an
information collection activity for
‘‘Requirement R1’’ and a separate
information collection activity for
‘‘Requirements R2 through R6.’’
This Reliability Standard requires
Generator Operators to:
• Operate each of its generators
connected to the interconnected
transmission system in automatic
voltage control mode or in a different
control mode as instructed by the
Transmission Operator, unless the
Generator Operator (1) is exempted
pursuant to the criteria developed under
VAR–001–5, Requirement R4, or (2)
makes certain notifications to the
Transmission Operator specifying the

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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 112 / Monday, June 14, 2021 / Notices

reasons it cannot so operate
(Requirement R1);
• Maintain the Transmission
Operator’s generator voltage or Reactive
Power schedule, unless the Generator
Operator (1) is exempted pursuant to the
criteria developed under VAR–001–5,
Requirement R4, or (2) complies with
the notification requirements for
deviations as established by the
Transmission Owner pursuant to VAR–
001–5, Requirement R5 (Requirement
R2);
• Notify the Transmission Operator of
a change in status of its voltage

controlling device within 30 minutes,
unless the status is restored within that
time period (Requirement R3); and
• Notify the Transmission Operator of
a change in reactive capability due to
factors other than those described in
VAR–002–4.1, Requirement R3 within
30 minutes unless the capability has
been restored during that time period
(Requirement R4).
• Provide information on its step-up
transformers and auxiliary transformers
within 30 days of a request from the
Transmission Operator or Transmission
Planner (Requirement R5); and

• Comply with the Transmission
Operator’s step-up transformer tap
change directives unless compliance
would violate safety, an equipment
rating, or applicable laws, rules or
regulations (Requirement R6).
The 60-day notice was published to
the Federal Register on March 31, 2021
and received no comments.
Type of Respondents: Generator
operators and Transmission Operators.
Estimate of Annual Burden: 4
The Commission estimates the annual
public reporting burden for the
information collection as:

FERC–725X—MANDATORY RELIABILITY STANDARDS: VOLTAGE AND REACTIVE (VAR) STANDARDS
Number of
respondents 5

Annual
number of
responses per
respondent

Total number of
responses

Average burden &
cost per
response 6

Total annual burden
hours & total annual
cost

Cost per
respondent
($)

(1)

(2)

(1) * (2) = (3)

(4)

(3) * (4) = (5)

(5) ÷ (1)

VAR–001–5 (Require- 167 (TOP) .........
ments R1–R6).
VAR–002–4.1 (Re937 (GOP) ........
quirement R1).
VAR–002–4.1 (Re937 (GOP) ........
quirements R2–R6).

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Total ...................

...........................

1

167

160 hrs.; $11,230.40

1

937

80 hrs.; $5,615.20 ....

1

937

120 hrs.; $8,422.80 ..

........................

2,041

...................................

26,720 hrs.;
$1,875,476.80.
74,960 hrs.;
$5,261,442.4.
112,440 hrs.;
$7,892,163.6.
214,120 hrs.;
$15,029,082.80.

$11,230.40
5,615.20
8,422.80
........................

The burden for the FERC–725X
information collection includes
estimates related to both of the
previously approved Reliability
Standards (VAR–001–4.2 and VAR–
002–4.1). The total annual burden and
cost of the FERC–725X information
collection is 214,120 hours and
$15,029,083 (rounded).
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.

Dated: June 8, 2021.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.

The Administrator,
Southwestern Power Administration
(Southwestern), is proposing a two-year
extension to the currently approved rate
schedules for the Integrated System, the
Sam Rayburn Dam, and the Robert
Douglas Willis Hydropower Project
(Robert D. Willis) for the period of
October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2023.
Southwestern’s current Integrated

System rate schedules (P–13A, NFTS–
13A, and EE–13), the Sam Rayburn Dam
rate schedule (SRD–15), and the Robert
D. Willis rate schedule (RDW–15),
expire September 30, 2021.
DATES: The consultation and comment
period will begin on June 14, 2021 and
will end on July 14, 2021. Written
comments are due on or before July 14,
2021.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be
submitted to Ms. Fritha Ohlson, Senior
Vice President and Chief Operating
Officer, Southwestern Power
Administration, U.S. Department of
Energy, One West Third Street, Tulsa,
Oklahoma 74103.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Fritha Ohlson, Senior Vice President,
Chief Operating Officer, Office of
Corporate Operations, (918) 595–6684,
fritha.ohlson@swpa.gov, or facsimile
transmission (918) 595–6684.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Originally
established by Order 1865, Secretary of
the Interior, dated August 31, 1943 and
effective September 1, 1943 (8 FR 12142
(Sept. 3, 1943)), Southwestern is

4 The Commission defines burden 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, reference 5 Code of
Federal Regulations 1320.3.
5 TOP = transmission operator; GOP = generator
operators. Respondent counts based of the NERC
Compliance Registry numbers February 5, 2021.

6 The estimate for hourly cost is $70.19/hour.
This figure is the average salary plus benefits for an
electrical engineer (Occupation Code: 17–2071)
from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2020) at
https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm.

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[FR Doc. 2021–12377 Filed 6–11–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Southwestern Power Administration
Integrated System, Sam Rayburn Dam,
and Robert D. Willis Rate Schedules
Southwestern Power
Administration, DOE.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rate
schedules extension and opportunity for
public review and comment.
AGENCY:

SUMMARY:

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