2021-03450. Agency Information Collection Proposed Extension

AGENCY:

U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Department of Energy (DOE).

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

EIA invites public comment on the proposed three year extension, without changes, to the Form NWPA-830G Appendix G-Standard Remittance Advice for Payment of Fees, including Annex A to Appendix G, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Form NWPA-830G is part of the Standard Contract for Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and/or High-Level Radioactive Waste. Generators and owners of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste of domestic origin paid fees into the nuclear waste fund based on net electricity generated and sold as defined in the Standard Contract.

DATES:

EIA must receive all comments on this proposed information collection no later than April 23, 2021. If you anticipate any difficulties in submitting your comments by the deadline, contact the person listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES:

Submit comments electronically to Katherine Antonio at [e-mail], U.S. Energy Information Administration, EI-31, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

If you need additional information, contact Katherine Antonio, U.S. Energy Information Administration, telephone [phone], or by email at [e-mail]. The forms and instructions are available on EIA's website at http://www.eia.gov/​survey/​#nwpa-830g.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This information collection request contains:

(1) OMB No.: 1901-0260;

(2) Information Collection Request Title: Standard Contract for Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and/or High-Level Radioactive Waste;

(3) Type of Request: Three year extension without change;

(4) Purpose: The surveys included in the Standard Contract for Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and/or High-Level Radioactive Waste collect information on energy resource reserves, production, demand, technology, and related economic and statistical information.

The Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 761 et seq.) and the DOE Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.) require EIA to carry out a centralized, comprehensive, and unified energy information program. This program collects, evaluates, assembles, analyzes, and disseminates information on energy resource reserves, production, demand, technology, and related economic and statistical information. This information is used to assess the adequacy of energy resources to meet near and longer term domestic demands.

As part of its effort to comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), EIA provides the general public and other federal agencies with opportunities to comment on collections of energy information conducted by or in conjunction with EIA. Also, EIA will later seek approval for this collection by OMB under Section 3507(a) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.) required that DOE enter into Standard Contracts with all generators or owners of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste of domestic origin. Form NWPA-830G Appendix G-Standard Remittance Advice for Payment of Fees, including Annex A to Appendix G, is an Appendix to this Standard Contract. Appendix G and Annex A to Appendix G are commonly referred to as Remittance Advice (RA) forms. RA forms must be submitted quarterly by generators and owners of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste of domestic origin who signed the Standard Contract. Appendix G is designed to serve as the source document for entries into DOE accounting records to transmit data to DOE concerning payment of fees into the Nuclear Waste Fund for spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste disposal. Annex A to Appendix G is used to provide data on the amount of net electricity generated and sold, upon which these fees are based.

Please refer to the proposed forms and instructions for more information about the purpose, who must report, when to report, where to submit, the elements to be reported, detailed instructions, provisions for confidentiality, and uses (including possible non-statistical uses) of the information. For instructions on obtaining materials, see the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section;

(5) Annual Estimated Number of Respondents: 97;

(6) Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: 388;

(7) Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 1,940;

(8) Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $158,401 (1,940 estimated number of burden hours times $81.65 per hour current average loaded wage rate). EIA estimates that respondents will have no additional costs associated with the surveys other than the burden hours and the maintenance of the information during the normal course of business.

Comments are invited on whether or not: (a) The proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions, including whether the information will have a practical utility; (b) EIA's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used, is accurate; (c) EIA can improve the quality, utility, and clarity of the information it will collect; and (d) EIA can minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, such as automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Statutory Authority: Section 13(b) of the Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974, Pub. L. 93-275, codified as (15 U.S.C. 772(b) et seq.); the DOE Organization Act of 1977, Pub. L. 95-91, codified as (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.); and Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.).

Signed in Washington, DC, on February 16, 2021.

Samson A. Adeshiyan,

Director, Office of Statistical Methods and Research, U.S. Energy Information Administration.