[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 36 (Wednesday, February 24, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9135-9136]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-4498]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC99-510-000, FERC-510]


Proposed Information Collection and Request for Comments

February 18, 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. 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 within 60 days 
of the publication of this notice.

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 [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Abstract: The information collected under the requirements of FERC-
510 ``Application for the Surrender of a Hydropower License'' (OMB No. 
1902-0068) is used by the Commission to implement the statutory 
provisions of Part 1, Sections 4(e), 6 and 13 of the Federal Power Act, 
16 U.S.C. 797(e), 799 and 806. Section 4(e) gives the Commission the 
authority to issue licenses for the purpose of constructing, operating 
and maintaining dams, water conduits, reservoirs, powerhouses, 
transmission lines or other project works necessary or convenient for 
developing and improving navigation, transmission and utilization of 
power over which Congress has jurisdiction. Section 6 gives the 
Commission the authority to prescribe the conditions of the licenses 
including the revocation and/or surrender of the license. Section 13 
defines the Commission's authority to delegate time periods for when a 
license must be terminated if project construction has not begun. 
Surrender of a license may be desired by a licensee when a licensed 
project is retired or not constructed. The Commission implements these 
filing requirements in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) under 18 
CFR Sections 6.1 through 6.4.
    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:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                          Total annual
    Number of          Number of       Average burden     burden hours
   respondents       responses per        hours per      (1)  x  (2)  x
  annually  (1)     respondent  (2)     response  (3)          (3)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
8................                1                 10                80
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    As the Commission's initiative is to bring more competition to the 
natural gas and electric markets, the resulting competitive forces have 
changed the economics and overall conditions under which hydropower 
projects are developed and operated. This has resulted in a significant 
decline in the number of operating projects. However, for the next 
three years, the Commission anticipates only a gradual decrease in the 
number of projects that are surrendered.
    Estimated cost burden to respondents: 80 hours/2,080 hours per year 
 x  $109,889 per year = $4,228. The cost per respondent is equal to 
$529.00.
    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

[[Page 9136]]

reviewing the collection of information; 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 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.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-4498 Filed 2-23-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M