[Federal Register: April 9, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 67)]
[Notices]
[Page 16197-16198]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09ap09-45]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC09-585-001]
Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-585); Comment
Request; Submitted for OMB Review
April 2, 2009.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of section 3507 of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 USC 3507, the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) has submitted the
information collection described below to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for review of the information collection requirements. Any
interested person may file comments directly with OMB and should
address a copy of those comments to the Commission as explained below.
The Commission received no comments in response to the Federal Register
notice (74 FR 5150, 1/29/09) and has made this notation in its
submission to OMB.
DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by May 12,
2009.
ADDRESSES: Address comments on the collection of information to the
Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs, Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Desk Officer.
Comments to OMB should be filed electronically, c/o oira_
submission@omb.eop.gov and include OMB Control Number 1902-0138 as a
point of reference. The Desk Officer may be reached by telephone at
202-395-4638.
A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission and should refer to Docket No. IC09-585-001.
Comments may be filed either electronically or in paper format. Those
persons filing electronically do not need to make a paper filing.
Documents filed electronically via the Internet must be prepared in an
acceptable filing format and in compliance with the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission submission guidelines. Complete filing
instructions and acceptable filing formats are available at http://
www.ferc.gov/help/submission-guide/electronic-media.asp. To file the
document electronically, access the Commission's Web site and click on
Documents & Filing, E-Filing (http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
efiling.asp), 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.
For paper filings, an original and 2 copies of the comments should
be submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of
the Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, and should
refer to Docket No. IC09-585-001.
All comments may be viewed, printed or downloaded remotely via the
Internet through FERC's homepage using the ``eLibrary'' link. For user
assistance, contact fercolinesupport@ferc.gov or toll-free at (866)
208-3676 or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by
telephone at (202) 502-8663, by fax at (202) 273-0873, and by e-mail at
ellen.brown@ferc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information collected under the
requirements of FERC-585 ``Reporting of Electric Energy Shortages and
Contingency Plans under PURPA'' (OMB No. 1902-0138) is used by the
Commission to implement the statutory provisions of section 206 of the
Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1979 (PURPA) Public Law 95-
617, 92 Stat. 3117. Section 206 of PURPA amended the Federal Power Act
(FPA) by adding a new subsection (g) to section 202, under which the
Commission by rule, was to require each public utility to (1) report to
the Commission and appropriate state regulatory authorities of any
anticipated shortages of electric energy or capacity which would affect
the utility's capability to serve its wholesale customers; and (2)
report to the Commission and any appropriate state regulatory authority
with a contingency plan that would outline what circumstances might
give rise to such occurrences.
In Order No. 575, the Commission modified the reporting
requirements in 18 CFR 294.101(b) to provide that, if a public utility
includes in its rates schedule, provisions that: (a) During electric
energy and capacity shortages it will treat firm power wholesale
customers without undue discrimination or preference; and (b) it will
report any modifications to its contingency plan for accommodating
shortages within 15 days to the appropriate state regulatory agency and
to the affected wholesale customers, then the utility need not file
with the Commission an additional statement of the contingency plan for
accommodating such shortages. This revision merely changed the
reporting mechanism; the public utility's contingency plan would be
located in its filed rate rather than in a separate document.
In Order No. 659, the Commission modified the reporting
requirements in 18 CFR 294.101(e) to provide that the means by which
public utilities must comply with the requirements to report shortages
and anticipated shortages is to submit this information electronically
using the Office of Electric Reliability's pager system at
emergency@ferc.gov in lieu of submitting an original and two copies
with the Secretary of the Commission.
The Commission uses the information to evaluate and formulate an
appropriate option for action in the event an unanticipated shortage is
reported and/or materializes. Without this information, the Commission
and State agencies would be unable to: (1) Examine and approve or
modify utility actions, (2) prepare a response to anticipated
disruptions in electric energy, and (3) ensure equitable treatment of
all public utility customers under the shortage situations. The
Commission implements these filing requirements in the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR Part 294.
Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the
current expiration date, with no change to the existing requirements.
[[Page 16198]]
Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is
estimated as:
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Number of Average Total
Number of responses burden annual
FERC-585 respondents per hours per burden
annually respondent response hours
(1) (2) (3) (1)x(2)x(3)
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Contingency Plan............................................ 1 1 73 73
Capacity Shortage........................................... 1 1 0.25 0.25
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Estimated annual cost to respondents is $4,518.15 (73.25 hours/2080
hours \1\ times $128,297 \2\ = $4,518.15).
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\1\ The number of hours an employee works each year is estimated
to be 2,080.
\2\ The average annual salary per employee is estimated to be
$128,297.
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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 collections of
information are 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 estimates of the
burden of the proposed collections 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.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-8045 Filed 4-8-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P