[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 165 (Wednesday, August 26, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45474-45475]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-22982]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[FERC-718 IC98-718-000]


Proposed Information Collection and Request for Comments

August 24, 1998.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Request for Office of Management and Budget Emergency 
Processing of proposed information collection and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of Section 3507(j)(1)of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. No. 104-13), and 5 CFR 
1320.13 of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the 
Federal Energy Regulatory (Commission) is providing notice of its 
request to OMB for emergency processing of a proposed collection of 
information and soliciting public comment on the specific aspects of 
the information collection described below.

DATES: The Commission requests that responses to this proposed 
information collection be filed with the Commission by early September 
1998. Comments on the proposed information collection request will be 
due by August 26, 1998. FERC-718 responses should be filed with the 
Office of the Secretary and should refer to Docket No. [IC98-718-000].
    Because the Commission has requested OMB to process the proposed 
collection of information in Docket No. IC98-718-000 on an emergency 
basis, comments on this collection of information should be filed with 
OMB, attention FERC Desk Officer, as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE, 
Washington, DC 20426.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
William A. Meroney, Office of Economic Policy, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20426, 
(202) 208-1069.
G. Patrick Rooney, Office of Electric Power Regulation, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20426, 
(202) 501-5546.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In addition to publishing the full text of 
this document in the Federal Register, the Commission also provides all 
interested persons an opportunity to inspect or copy the contents of 
this document during normal business hours in the Public Reference Room 
at 888 First Street, N.E., Room 2A, Washington, D.C. 20426.
    The Commission Issuance Posting System (CIPS) provides access to 
the texts of formal documents issued by the Commission. CIPS can be 
accessed via Internet through FERC's Homepage (http://www.ferc.fed.us) 
using the CIPS Link or the Energy Information Online icon. The full 
text of this document will be available on CIPS in ASCII and 
WordPerfect 6.1 format. User assistance is available at 202-208-2474 or 
by E-mail to [email protected]. CIPS is also available through the 
Commission's electronic bulletin board service at no charge to the user 
and may be accessed using a personal computer with a modem by dialing 
202-208-1397, if dialing locally, or 1-800-856-3920, if dialing long 
distance. To access CIPS, set your communications software to 19200, 
14400, 12000, 9600, 7200, 4800, 2400, or 1200 bps, full duplex, no 
parity, 8 data bits and 1 stop bit. User assistance is available at 
202-208-2474.
    This document is also available through the Commission's Records 
and Information Management System (RIMS), an electronic storage and 
retrieval system of documents submitted to and issued by the Commission 
after November 16, 1981. Documents from November 1995 to the present 
can be viewed and printed. RIMS is available in the Public Reference 
Room or remotely via Internet through FERC's Homepage using the RIMS 
link or the Energy Information Online icon. User assistance is 
available at 202-208-2222, or by E-mail to [email protected].
    Finally, the complete text on diskette in WordPerfect format may be 
purchased from the Commission's copy contractor, La Dorn Systems 
Corporation. La Dorn Systems Corporation is located in the Public 
Reference Room at 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426.

Background

    During the week of June 22, 1998, unprecedented electric price 
increases occurred in the Midwest. As a result of these ``price 
spikes'', petitions for emergency relief were filed with the Commission 
under Docket No. EL98-53-000. The information collected under the 
requests of FERC-718 ``Sales and Purchase Information during Midwest 
Price Spike'' (OMB Control No. to be assigned) is in response to those 
petitions and will be used by the Commission to determine how the 
wholesale electric markets were affected by price increases. The 
information obtained from this information collection request will be 
used as part of the Commission's efforts to monitor and facilitate the 
electric industry's transition from a regulated to a competitive 
market. The hourly data reflected in the proposed request will identify 
the sellers and buyers, the actual price and amount of energy purchased 
and sold and whether there were any attempts on the part of some market 
participants to manipulate the market during late June.
    The Commission's role is to lead the electric power industry 
through the revolutionary transition to greater competitiveness and 
fewer regulatory guarantees, which will also entail a change from one 
style of regulation based on accounting costs to one which relies on a 
flourishing competitive market to discipline wholesale generation 
prices. It is critical that the Commission ensure a fair and orderly 
transition from regulation to competition. The Commission is authorized 
to implement the statutory provisions of the Federal Power Act, (16 
U.S.C. 791a-825r). Under the FPA, the Commission oversees wholesale 
electric rates and service standards, as well as transmission of 
electricity in interstate commerce. The Commission uses its ratemaking 
authority to ensure that wholesale power rates and transmission rates 
are just and reasonable and not

[[Page 45475]]

unduly discriminatory or preferential. Section 311 of the Act 
authorizes the Commission to conduct investigations regarding the 
generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electric energy 
however produced, throughout the United States in order to collect 
information that will serve as a basis for recommending legislation. 
The information collected by the Commission will be the basis of a 
report to be used in part at Congressional hearings scheduled for late 
September 1998.

Information Collection Statement

    The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507, and Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) implementing regulations at 5 CFR 1320.10 
require OMB to approve certain reporting and recordkeeping requirements 
(collections of information) imposed by a federal agency. Upon approval 
of a collection of information, OMB will assign an OMB control number 
and an expiration date.
    The proposed information collection request will be done under a 
temporary data collection, FERC-718, ``Sales and Purchase Information 
during Midwest Price Spike'' (OMB Control No. To be assigned). The 
respondents will be public utilities, power marketers and members of a 
nonprofit utility organization. Responses to the information collection 
request will be voluntary.
    Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is 
estimated as:

                                                                        
                                  Number of                             
                                  responses      Average    Total annual
Number of respondents annually       per      burden hours  burden hours
                                 respondent   per response              
(1)                                     (2)           (3)   (1)x(2)x(3) 
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80............................            1            16         1,280 
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    Estimated cost burdens to respondents: The Commission estimates 
that it will cost each respondent $800.00 to respond to this 
information collection request for a total of $64,000 (80  x $800).
    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 
professionals 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.
    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 technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology e.g. permitting electronic submission of 
responses. The proposed collection of information is being submitted to 
OMB for review. Because the Commission needs to present its finding 
before Congressional hearings, the Commission has requested responses 
to this proposed information collection request by early September 
1998. Accordingly, the Commission has requested OMB to provide for 
emergency processing of this proposed information collection by August 
26, 1998. Comments on the collection of information, therefore should 
be filed with OMB as soon as possible to provide OMB with sufficient 
time for its review. For copies of the OMB submission, contact Michael 
Miller at (202) 208-1415. Interested persons may send comments 
regarding the burden estimates or any other aspect on the proposed 
information collection, including suggestions for reductions of burden, 
to the Desk Officer FERC, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10202 
NEOB, Washington, DC 20503, phone (202) 395-3087 or via the Internet at 
Erik__K.__G[email protected]. A copy of any comments filed with OMB 
should also be sent to Michael Miller, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, CI-1, 888 First Street N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426. Michael 
Miller may also be reached by fax at (202) 273-0873, and by e-mail at 
[email protected].
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-22982 Filed 8-25-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P