[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 234 (Monday, December 7, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67467-67468]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-32371]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC99-717-000; FERC-717]
Proposed Information Collection and Request for Comments
December 1, 1998.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of proposed information collection and request for
comments.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(a)
of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. No. 104-13), the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is soliciting public
comment on the specific aspects of the information collection described
below.
DATES: Consideration will be given to comments submitted on or before
February 5, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed collection of information can be
obtained from and 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 N.E., Washington, D.C.
20426.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michael Miller may be reached by telephone at (202) 208-1415, by fax at
(202) 273-0873, and by e-mail at michael.miller@ferc.fed.us.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information collected under the
requirements of FERC-717 ``Open Access Same Time Information System''
(OMB No. 1902-0173) is used by the Commission to carry out the general
authority in Sections 309 and 311 of the Federal Power Act 1978 (FPA)
(16 U.S.C. 825h and 825j). On April 24, 1996, the Commission issued two
separate but interrelated final rules. The first rule, Order No. 888,
required that all public utilities that own, control or operate
facilities used for transmitting electric energy in interstate commerce
to have on file open access non-discriminatory transmission tariffs
that contain minimum terms and conditions of non-discriminatory
service. The second rule and the subject of this collection of
information, Order No. 889, required utilities to establish electronic
systems to share information about available transmission capacity.
Under this rule, each public utility (or its agent) that owns,
controls, or operates transmission facilities must create or
participate in an Open Access Same-Time Information System (OASIS) that
provides open access transmission customers (current and potential)
with electronic information about transmission capacity, prices, and
other information necessary to obtain open access nondiscriminatory
transmission services. The rule also established standards of conduct
to ensure that a public utility's employees engaged in a transmission
operations function independently of those employees engaged in
wholesale purchases and sales of electric energy in interstate
commerce. In addition, specifics with respect to various standards and
protocols were identified to ensure that the OASIS system presents
information in a consistent and uniform manner (these have been subject
to additional changes as it has become necessary). The compliance with
these requirements is mandatory. The reporting requirements are found
at 18 CFR Part 37.
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:
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Number of Total annual
responses per Average burden burden hours
Number of respondents annually (1) respondent hours per (1) x (2) x
(2) response (3) (3)
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140............................................................. 1 1,418 198,520
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The estimated total cost to respondents is $21,157,500.
In the Commission's initial submission to OMB it included an
estimate of the annualized Capital/Startup costs necessary for setting
out a world wide web site on the Internet. However, nearly three years
have passed since that initial estimate and OASIS is now in full
operation. Therefore the Commission will only consider costs for the
continued operation of OASIS. (Operations and Maintenance costs include
the use of staff to maintain the web site plus human resources
necessary for developing and handling data for OASIS. The Commission
has assumed that 4.5 personnel are necessary for staffing and using a
total personnel cost of $109,889, the result is $494,501. To get the
total cost, add annual ongoing costs of $110,000 plus staffing costs
for a total of $604,501 divided by 4 = $151,125). The estimated total
cost of the OASIS requirement is 140 respondents x $151,125 or
$21,157,500.
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;
[[Page 67468]]
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 a 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.
David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-32371 Filed 12-4-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M
