96-33112. Agency Information Collection Under Review by the Office of Management and Budget

[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 251 (Monday, December 30, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 68731]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-33112]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[FERC-585]


Agency Information Collection Under Review by the Office of 
Management and Budget

December 24, 1996.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of request submitted for review to the Office of 
Management and Budget.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) has 
submitted the energy information collection listed in this notice to 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review under provisions 
of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13). Any interested 
person may file comments on the collection of information directly with 
OMB and should address a copy of those comments to the Commission, as 
explained below. The Commission did not receive any public comments in 
response to an earlier Federal Register notice of August 12, 1996 (61 
FR 41779-41780).

DATES: Comments must be filed on or before January 29, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Address comments to Office of Management and Budget, Office 
of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Federal Energy 
Commission Desk Officer, 726 Jackson Place NW., Washington, DC 20503. A 
copy of the comments should also be sent to Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, Division of Information Services, Attention: Mr. Michael 
Miller, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michael Miller may be reached by telephone at [phone] and by e-
mail at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Description: The energy information collection submitted to OMB for 
review contains:
    1. Collection of Information: FERC-585, ``Reporting of Energy 
Shortages and Contingency Plans under PURPA 206.''
    2. Sponsor: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
    3. Control No.: 1902-0138. The Commission is now requesting that 
OMB approve a three year extension of these mandatory collection 
requirements.
    4. Necessity of Collection of Information: Submission of the 
information is necessary to enable the Commission to carry out its 
responsibilities in implementing provisions of Section 206 of the 
Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1979 (PURPA). Section 206, 
Continuance of Service, of PURPA, Pub.L. 95-617, 92 Stat. 3117 added to 
the Federal Power Act (FPA) Section 202, subsection (g) requiring the 
Commission to establish rules to require each public utility to report 
to the Commission and appropriate State regulatory authorities: (1) any 
anticipated shortage of electric energy or capacity which would affect 
the utility's ability to serve its customers; and (2) submit and 
periodically revise, contingency plans respecting shortages of electric 
energy or capacity which would equitably accommodate service to both 
direct retail customers and those served by utilities supplied at 
wholesale by the public utility.
    The Commission uses the contingency plan information to evaluate 
and formulate appropriate options for action in the event of an 
anticipated shortage is reported or materializes. If the contingency 
plan data is not provided, the statutory provisions of the FPA and 
PURPA will not have been complied with, and information will not be 
available to assess whether utilities have planned for shortage 
conditions and/or developed plans with due consideration for equitable 
customer treatment, as required by the established statute.
    The Commission also uses this information to ensure itself and firm 
power wholesale customers that both are kept informed about utility 
contingency plans and anticipated shortages of energy and capacity and 
to ensure that direct and indirect customers would be treated without 
undue prejudice or disadvantage during actual shortages.
    5. Respondent Description: The respondent universe currently 
comprises approximately 110 public utilities. In the normal course of a 
public utility's operations, contingency plans are prepared and usually 
reviewed and updated periodically. However, the burden on each utility 
will vary primarily with respect to the number and size of wholesale 
customers and utility system customers supplied by the reporting 
utility. The number of respondents is based on the actual number of 
responses that were received by the Commission over the last three 
years.
    6. Estimated Burden: 511 total burden hours, 7 respondents, 7 
responses annually, 73 hours per response. The average annual burden 
hours is the weighted average of burden hours required for updating 
contingency plans (50 hours) per response \1\) and for reporting of 
anticipated shortages (100 hours per response \1\).

    \1\ Rounded off.
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    Statutory Authority: Sections 206 of the Public Utility 
Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2601) (P.L. 95-617) and 
Section 202, of the Federal Power Act (FPA). (16 U.S.C. 824a(g)).
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-33112 Filed 12-27-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M