2020-15737. Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-561); Comment Request; Extension

AGENCY:

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.

ACTION:

Notice of information collection and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) is soliciting public comment on the currently approved information collection, FERC-561, (Annual Report of Interlocking Positions) and submitting the information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. Any interested person may file comments directly with OMB and should address a copy of those comments to the Commission as explained below.

DATES:

Comments on the collection of information are due August 20, 2020.

ADDRESSES:

Send written comments on FERC-561 to OMB through www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain,, Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Desk Officer. Please identify the OMB control number (1902-0099) in the subject line. Your comments should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice in the Federal Register.

Please submit copies of your comments to the Commission (identified by Docket No. IC20-19-000) by either of the following methods:

• eFiling at Commission's Website: http://www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​efiling.asp.
• Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission, at Health and Human Services, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

Instructions: All submissions must be formatted and filed in accordance with submission guidelines at: www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain;​; Using the search function under the Currently Under Review field, select Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; click submit and select comment to the right of the subject collection.

FERC submissions must be formatted and filed in accordance with submission guidelines at: http://www.ferc.gov/​help/​submission-guide.asp. For user assistance, contact FERC Online Support by email at [e-mail], or by phone at: [phone] (toll-free).

Docket: Users interested in receiving automatic notification of activity in this docket or in viewing/downloading comments and issuances in this docket may do so at http://www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​docs-filing.asp.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ellen Brown may be reached by email at [e-mail], telephone at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: FERC-561, Annual Report of Interlocking Positions.

OMB Control No.: 1902-0099.

Abstract: The FERC Form 561 responds to the FPA requirements for annual reporting of similar types of positions which public utility officers and directors hold with financial institutions, insurance companies, utility equipment and fuel providers, and with any of an electric utility's 20 largest purchasers of electric energy (i.e., the 20 entities with high expenditures of electricity). The FPA specifically defines most of the information elements in the Form 561 including the information that must be filed, the required filers, the directive to make the information available to the public, and the filing deadline.

The Commission uses the information required by 18 CFR 131.31 and collected by the Form 561 to implement the FPA requirement that those who are authorized to hold interlocked directorates annually disclose all the interlocked positions held within the prior year. The Form 561 data identifies persons holding interlocking positions between public utilities and other entities, allows the Commission to review these interlocking positions, and allows identification of possible conflicts of interest. The Commission received no comments in response to the Notice of Information and Request for Comments published on May 13, 2020 (85 FR 28623).

Type of Respondents: Public utility officers and directors holding financial positions, insurance companies, security underwriters, electrical equipment suppliers, fuel provider, and any entity which is controlled by these.

Estimate of Annual Burden: ^[1] The Commission estimates the total annual burden and cost ^[2] for this information collection as follows:

FERC Form 561, (Annual Report of Interlocking Positions)

Number of respondents	Annual number of responses per respondent	Total number of responses	Average burden & cost per response	Total annual burden hours & total annual cost	Cost per respondent ($)
(1)	(2)	(1) * (2) = (3)	(4)	(3) * (4) = (5)	(5) ÷ (1)
2,700	1	2,700	0.25 hrs.; $20.00	675.00 hrs.; $54,000	$20.00

Comments: Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the 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 and cost of the collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information collection; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Dated: July 15, 2020.

Kimberly D. Bose,

Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  Burden is the total time, effort, or financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency. For further explanation of what is included in the information collection burden, refer to Title 5 Code of Federal Regulations 1320.3.

2.  Commission staff estimates that the industry's skill set and cost (for wages and benefits) for FERC-561 are approximately the same as the Commission's average cost. The FERC 2019 average salary plus benefits for one FERC full-time equivalent (FTE) is $167,091/year (or $80.00/hour).