2024-12058. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Tribal Energy Development Capacity Program

AGENCY:

Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of information collection; request for comment.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Office of the Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs (AS-IA) are proposing to renew an information collection.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before July 3, 2024.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection request (ICR) should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) through https://www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRA/​icrPublicCommentRequest?​ref_​nbr=​202212-1076-006 or by visiting https://www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain and selecting “Currently under Review—Open for Public Comments” and then scrolling down to the “Department of the Interior.”

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request additional information about this ICR, contact Steven Mullen, Information Collection Clearance Officer, Office of Regulatory Affairs and Collaborative Action—Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1001 Indian School Road NW, Suite 229, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104; [e-mail]; [phone]. Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. You may also view the ICR at https://www.reginfo.gov/​public/​Forward?​SearchTarget=​PRA&​textfield=​1076-0177.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), we provide the general public, and other Federal agencies, with an opportunity to comment on new, proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand our information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format.

A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on January 5, 2023 (88 FR 879). No comments were received.

As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burdens, we are again soliciting comments from the public and other Federal agencies on the proposed ICR that is described below. We are especially interested in public comment addressing the following:

(1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether or not the information will have practical utility;

(2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this 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) How might the agency minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of response.

Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of public record. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Abstract: The Energy Policy Act of 2005 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance to Indian Tribes and Tribal energy resource development organizations for energy development and appropriates funds for such projects on a year-to-year basis. See25 U.S.C. 3502. When funding is available, the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED) may solicit proposals for projects for building capacity for Tribal energy resource development on Indian land from Tribal energy resource development organizations and Indian Tribes, including Alaska Native regional and village corporations under the TEDC program. For the purposes of this program, “Indian land” includes: all land within the boundaries of an Indian reservation, pueblo, or rancheria; any land outside those boundaries that is held by the United States in trust for a Tribe or individual Indian or by a Tribe or individual Indian with restrictions on alienation; and land owned by an Alaska Native regional or village corporation.

Title of Collection: Tribal Energy Development Capacity Program.

OMB Control Number: 1076-0177.

Form Number: None.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: Indian Tribes and Tribal energy resource development organizations under 25 U.S.C. 3502.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 51 per year, on average.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 84, on average (40 applications per year, 44 progress reports).

Estimated Completion Time per Response: 40 hours per application; 1.5 hours per progress report.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 1,666 hours (1,600 for applications and 66 for progress reports).

Respondent's Obligation: Required to Obtain a Benefit.

Frequency of Collection: Once per year for applications; 4 times per year for progress reports.

Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $0.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

Steven Mullen,

Information Collection Clearance Officer, Office of Regulatory Affairs and Collaborative Action—Indian Affairs.