[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 161 (Friday, August 20, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45519-45520]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-21599]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC99-423-000, FERC Form No. 423]
Proposed Information Collection and Request for Comments
August 16, 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. 104-13), the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is soliciting public comment
on the
[[Page 45520]]
specific aspects of the information collection described below.
DATES: Consideration will be given to comments submitted on or before
October 19, 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: The information collected under the
requirements of FERC Form No. 423, ``Monthly Report of Cost and Quality
of Fuels for Electric Plants'' (OMB No. 1902-0024) is used by the
Commission to implement the statutory provisions of Section 205, of the
Federal Power Act, as amended by Section 208 of the Public Utility
Regulatory Policies Act (49 Stat. 851; 16 U.S.C. 824d). The Commission
describes Form 423 filing requirements in the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR Part 141.61.
FERC Form No. 423 gathers basic cost and quality of fuels for
electric plants. The Commission staff uses the Form 423 information to
conduct fuel reviews under Section 205(a) and (e) of the FPA, rate
investigations, and to track wholesale market changes and trends under
emerging competitive forces. Other government agencies use Form 423 to
track the supply, disposition and prices of fuel on national and
regional levels and for environmental assessments. Electric utilities
and other wholesale electric participants use the Form 423 data to
assess the competitive marketplace.
Action
The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the current
expiration date. The Commission staff is currently exploring the fling
of Form 423 information electronically (using a web-based application)
in lieu of the present system of mailing paper filings to the
Commission. If the Commission proposes to convert to electronic filing
of Form 423 data, a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking will be issued
proposing to amend the Commission's regulations to provide for the
electronic filing of FERC 423. Such a proposal may also seek to
eliminate the current signature requirement and simply require the
identification of a representative at each utility responsible for
submitting the data electronically. The representative will be given a
password and identification code to ensure system integrity.
Burden Statement
Public reporting burden for this collection is estimated as:
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Average burden
Number of Annual responses hours per Total annual
respondents per respondent response burden hours
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(1) (2) (3) (1) x (2) x (3)
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702 12 1.5 12,636
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The reduction in the number of annual respondents (plants) from 735
to 702 is due to mergers and dispositions of various utilities
generating assets and plants that have retired in the last three years.
Estimated cost burden to respondents: 12,636 hours/2080 hours per year
x $109,889=$667,576; (i.e., 12,636 hours divided by 2,080 hours per
full time emloyee per year multiplied by $109,889 per year equals
$667,576). Reporting burden includes the total time, effort and
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 respondent cost 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. Indrect 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
applications; (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,
utilization and clarity of the information to be collected; (4) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection on respondents, including the
proposed electronic submission of responses; (5) the magnitude of the
impact of the conversion to electronic filing on respondents; (6) the
proposed elimination of signature requirement; (7) any existence of a
competitive disadvantage caused by publicly providing information in
Form 423 to which competitors would have access (without a
corresponding obligation on its competitiors not subject to the
Commission's reporting requirements); and (8) the relevancy of the
information currently collected given the current transition from cost-
based to a fully competitive wholesale electric market.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-21599 Filed 8-19-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M
