[Federal Register: January 19, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 12)]
[Notices]
[Page 3005-3006]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19ja05-41]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC05-561-000; FERC-561]
Commission Information Collection Activities, Proposed
Collection; Comment Request; Extension
January 7, 2005.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.
ACTION: Notice of proposed information collection and request for
comments.
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SUMMARY: Incompliance with the requirements of section 3506(c)(2)(a) of
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13), the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is soliciting public comment
on the specific aspects of the information collection described below.
DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by March 14,
2005.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed collection of information can be
obtained from the Commission's Web site (http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/hard-fil-elec.asp
or click on ``Documents and Filing'',
``Hardcopy filing'' and then ``Electric''. Written comments may be
submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Attn: Michael
Miller, Office of the Chief Information Officer, CI-1, 888 First Street
NE., Washington, DC 20426. Comments may be filed either in paper format
or electronically. Those parties filing electronically do not need to
make a paper filing. For paper filings, the original and 14 copies of
such comments should be submitted to the Office of the Secretary,
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE.,
Washington, DC 20426 and refer to Docket No. IC05-561-000.
Documents filed electronically via the Internet must be prepared in
WordPerfect, MS Word, Portable Document Format, or ASCII format. To
file the document, access the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov
and click on ``Make an E-filing,'' and then follow the
instructions for each screen. First time users will have to establish a
user name and password. The Commission will send an automatic
acknowledgement to the sender's e-mail address upon receipt of
comments.
All comments may be viewed, printed or downloaded remotely via the
Internet through FERC's homepage using the eLibrary link. For user
assistance, contact FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or toll-free at (866)
208-3676 or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Miller may be reached by
telephone at (202) 502-8415, by fax at (202) 273-0873, and by e-mail at
michael.miller@ferc.gov.
SUPPLEMEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information collected under the
requirements of FERC-561 ``Annual Report of Interlocking Positions''
(OMB No. 1902-0099) is used by the Commission to implement the
statutory provisions of Section 305 of the Federal Power Act (FPA), as
amended by Title II, section 211 of the Public Utility Regulatory
Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA) (16 U.S.C. 825d). Submission of FERC-561
satisfies the FPA section 305(b) and (c) annual reporting requirements
for public utility officers and directors to report officer and
director positions they hold with financial institutions, insurance
companies, utility equipment providers, utility fuel providers and a
utility's top twenty customers of electric energy. FPA section
305(c)(3)(A) defines the public utilities who are required to file. FPA
section 305(c)(2) requires that the filed information be made available
to the public. FPA section 305(c)(1) requires an annual filing deadline
of April 30th. The necessary filing information, the required filers,
the requirement to make the information available to the public and the
filing deadline are mandated by the FPA. The Commission is not
empowered to amend or waive these statutory requirements. Requirement
the Commission has the authority to amend, such as format of the filing
itself, and the number of required copies are found at 18 CFR 46.1 and
131.31.
The information is collected by the Commission to identify persons
holding interlocking position between public utilities and possible
conflicts of interest. Through this process, the Commission is able to
review and exercise oversight of interlocking directorates of public
utilities and their related activities. Specifically, the Commission
must determine that individuals in utility operations holding two
positions at the same time would adversely affect the public interest.
The Commission can employ enforcement proceedings when violations and
omissions of the Act's provisions occur. The compliance with these
requirements is mandatory.
Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the
current expiration date, with no changes to the existing collection of
data.
Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is
estimated as:
[[Page 3006]]
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Number of Number of Average burden Total annual
respondents responses per hours per burden hours
annually (1) respondent (2) response (3) (1)x(2)x(3)
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1649 1 .25 412
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The estimated total cost to respondents is $21,516. (412 hours
divided by 2,080 hours per year per employee times $108,558 per year
average per employee = $21,516.) The cost per respondent is $13.
The reporting burden includes the total time, effort, or financial
resources expended to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide
the information including: (1) Reviewing instructions; (2) developing,
acquiring, installing, and utilizing technology and systems for the
purposes of collecting, validating, verifying, processing, maintaining,
disclosing and providing information; (3) adjusting the existing ways
to comply with any previously applicable instructions and requirements;
(4) training personnel to respond to a collection of information; (5)
searching data sources; (6) completing and reviewing the collection of
information; and (7) transmitting, or otherwise disclosing the
information.
The estimate of cost for respondents is based upon salaries for
professional and clerical support, as well as direct and indirect
overhead costs. Direct costs include all costs directly attributable to
providing this information, such as administrative costs and the cost
for information technology. Indirect or overhead costs are costs
incurred by an organization in support of its mission. These costs
apply to activities which benefit the whole organization rather than
any one particular function or activity.
Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the proposed 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 of the
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are
to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms
of information technology e.g. permitting electronic submission of
responses.
Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5-183 Filed 1-18-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P