[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 251 (Monday, December 30, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 68731]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-33112]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[FERC-585]
Agency Information Collection Under Review by the Office of
Management and Budget
December 24, 1996.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of request submitted for review to the Office of
Management and Budget.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) has
submitted the energy information collection listed in this notice to
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review under provisions
of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13). Any interested
person may file comments on the collection of information directly with
OMB and should address a copy of those comments to the Commission, as
explained below. The Commission did not receive any public comments in
response to an earlier Federal Register notice of August 12, 1996 (61
FR 41779-41780).
DATES: Comments must be filed on or before January 29, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Address comments to Office of Management and Budget, Office
of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Federal Energy
Commission Desk Officer, 726 Jackson Place NW., Washington, DC 20503. A
copy of the comments should also be sent to Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, Division of Information Services, Attention: Mr. Michael
Miller, 888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michael Miller may be reached by telephone at (202) 208-1415 and by e-
mail at [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Description: The energy information collection submitted to OMB for
review contains:
1. Collection of Information: FERC-585, ``Reporting of Energy
Shortages and Contingency Plans under PURPA 206.''
2. Sponsor: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
3. Control No.: 1902-0138. The Commission is now requesting that
OMB approve a three year extension of these mandatory collection
requirements.
4. Necessity of Collection of Information: Submission of the
information is necessary to enable the Commission to carry out its
responsibilities in implementing provisions of Section 206 of the
Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1979 (PURPA). Section 206,
Continuance of Service, of PURPA, Pub.L. 95-617, 92 Stat. 3117 added to
the Federal Power Act (FPA) Section 202, subsection (g) requiring the
Commission to establish rules to require each public utility to report
to the Commission and appropriate State regulatory authorities: (1) any
anticipated shortage of electric energy or capacity which would affect
the utility's ability to serve its customers; and (2) submit and
periodically revise, contingency plans respecting shortages of electric
energy or capacity which would equitably accommodate service to both
direct retail customers and those served by utilities supplied at
wholesale by the public utility.
The Commission uses the contingency plan information to evaluate
and formulate appropriate options for action in the event of an
anticipated shortage is reported or materializes. If the contingency
plan data is not provided, the statutory provisions of the FPA and
PURPA will not have been complied with, and information will not be
available to assess whether utilities have planned for shortage
conditions and/or developed plans with due consideration for equitable
customer treatment, as required by the established statute.
The Commission also uses this information to ensure itself and firm
power wholesale customers that both are kept informed about utility
contingency plans and anticipated shortages of energy and capacity and
to ensure that direct and indirect customers would be treated without
undue prejudice or disadvantage during actual shortages.
5. Respondent Description: The respondent universe currently
comprises approximately 110 public utilities. In the normal course of a
public utility's operations, contingency plans are prepared and usually
reviewed and updated periodically. However, the burden on each utility
will vary primarily with respect to the number and size of wholesale
customers and utility system customers supplied by the reporting
utility. The number of respondents is based on the actual number of
responses that were received by the Commission over the last three
years.
6. Estimated Burden: 511 total burden hours, 7 respondents, 7
responses annually, 73 hours per response. The average annual burden
hours is the weighted average of burden hours required for updating
contingency plans (50 hours) per response \1\) and for reporting of
anticipated shortages (100 hours per response \1\).
\1\ Rounded off.
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Statutory Authority: Sections 206 of the Public Utility
Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2601) (P.L. 95-617) and
Section 202, of the Federal Power Act (FPA). (16 U.S.C. 824a(g)).
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-33112 Filed 12-27-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M