[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 76 (Wednesday, April 21, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19522-19523]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-9917]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC99-582-000; FERC-582]
Proposed Information Collection and Request for Comments
April 15, 1999.
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 by June 21,
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, NE., Washington, DC 20426.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michael Miller may be reached by telephone at (202) 208-1415, by fax at
(202) 208-2425, and by e-mail at mike.miller@ferc.fed.us.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Abstract: The information collected under the requirements of FERC-
582 ``Electric Annual Charges'' (OMB No. 1902-0132) is used by the
Commission to implement the statutory provisions of the Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1986, (Pub. L. 99-509) Title III, Subtitle E,
Section 3401. Congress directed the Commission ``to assess and collect
fees and annual charges in any fiscal year in amount equal to all of
the costs incurred by the Commission in that fiscal year.'' The
Commission implements a program of annual charges to be assessed
against power marketing agencies, electric utilities and electric
cooperatives. The Commission computes annual charges based on
information of adjusted sales for resale and adjusted coordination of
sales data. In calculating annual charges, the Commission first
determines the total costs of its electric regulatory program and
subtracts all electric regulatory filing fee collections to determine
total collectible electric regulatory program costs. The Commission
then uses the data submitted under FERC-582 to determine the total
volume of long-term
[[Page 19523]]
firm sales and transmission, and short-term sales and transmission and
exchanges for all public utilities, including power marketers. The
Commission divides these volumes into its collectible program costs to
determine the unit charge per megawatt-hour for each category of sales.
Finally, the Commission multiplies the sales volume in each category
for each public utility by the relevant unit charge per megawatt-hour
to determine the annual charges for public utilities, including power
marketers. In addition the Commission uses company financial
information filed under the waiver provisions to evaluate a company's
request for a waiver, or exemption, of the obligation to pay a fee for
an annual charge. The Commission implements these filing requirements
in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR Part 381 Sections
381.108 and 381.302 and Part 382 Section 382.201(b).
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 Average burden
Number of respondents annually responses per hours per Total annual
respondent response hours burden hours
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(1) (2) (3) (1) x (2) x (3)
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242.......................................................... 1 2 484
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Estimated cost burden to respondents: 484 hours / 2,080 hours per
year x $109,889 per year = $25,570. The cost per respondent = $106.
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
of 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 technologies collection techniques or other forms
of information technology e.g. permitting electronic submission of
responses.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-9917 Filed 4-20-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M
