[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 234 (Monday, December 7, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67467-67468]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-32371]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC99-717-000; FERC-717]


Proposed Information Collection and Request for Comments

December 1, 1998.
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. No. 104-13), the 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is soliciting public 
comment on the specific aspects of the information collection described 
below.

DATES: Consideration will be given to comments submitted on or before 
February 5, 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 N.E., Washington, D.C. 
20426.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michael Miller may be reached by telephone at (202) 208-1415, by fax at 
(202) 273-0873, and by e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information collected under the 
requirements of FERC-717 ``Open Access Same Time Information System'' 
(OMB No. 1902-0173) is used by the Commission to carry out the general 
authority in Sections 309 and 311 of the Federal Power Act 1978 (FPA) 
(16 U.S.C. 825h and 825j). On April 24, 1996, the Commission issued two 
separate but interrelated final rules. The first rule, Order No. 888, 
required that all public utilities that own, control or operate 
facilities used for transmitting electric energy in interstate commerce 
to have on file open access non-discriminatory transmission tariffs 
that contain minimum terms and conditions of non-discriminatory 
service. The second rule and the subject of this collection of 
information, Order No. 889, required utilities to establish electronic 
systems to share information about available transmission capacity. 
Under this rule, each public utility (or its agent) that owns, 
controls, or operates transmission facilities must create or 
participate in an Open Access Same-Time Information System (OASIS) that 
provides open access transmission customers (current and potential) 
with electronic information about transmission capacity, prices, and 
other information necessary to obtain open access nondiscriminatory 
transmission services. The rule also established standards of conduct 
to ensure that a public utility's employees engaged in a transmission 
operations function independently of those employees engaged in 
wholesale purchases and sales of electric energy in interstate 
commerce. In addition, specifics with respect to various standards and 
protocols were identified to ensure that the OASIS system presents 
information in a consistent and uniform manner (these have been subject 
to additional changes as it has become necessary). The compliance with 
these requirements is mandatory. The reporting requirements are found 
at 18 CFR Part 37.
    Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the 
current expiration date, with no changes to the existing collection of 
data.
    Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is 
estimated as:

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                                                                     Number of                     Total annual
                                                                   responses per  Average burden   burden hours
               Number of respondents annually (1)                   respondent       hours per      (1) x (2) x
                                                                        (2)        response  (3)        (3)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
140.............................................................               1           1,418         198,520
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    The estimated total cost to respondents is $21,157,500.
    In the Commission's initial submission to OMB it included an 
estimate of the annualized Capital/Startup costs necessary for setting 
out a world wide web site on the Internet. However, nearly three years 
have passed since that initial estimate and OASIS is now in full 
operation. Therefore the Commission will only consider costs for the 
continued operation of OASIS. (Operations and Maintenance costs include 
the use of staff to maintain the web site plus human resources 
necessary for developing and handling data for OASIS. The Commission 
has assumed that 4.5 personnel are necessary for staffing and using a 
total personnel cost of $109,889, the result is $494,501. To get the 
total cost, add annual ongoing costs of $110,000 plus staffing costs 
for a total of $604,501 divided by 4 = $151,125). The estimated total 
cost of the OASIS requirement is 140 respondents x $151,125 or 
$21,157,500.
    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;

[[Page 67468]]

and (7) transmitting, or otherwise disclosing the information.
    The estimate of cost for respondents 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. 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 a 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.
David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-32371 Filed 12-4-98; 8:45 am]
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