[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 76 (Wednesday, April 21, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19522-19523]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-9917]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC99-582-000; FERC-582]


Proposed Information Collection and Request for Comments

April 15, 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 by June 21, 
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 [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Abstract: The information collected under the requirements of FERC-
582 ``Electric Annual Charges'' (OMB No. 1902-0132) is used by the 
Commission to implement the statutory provisions of the Omnibus Budget 
Reconciliation Act of 1986, (Pub. L. 99-509) Title III, Subtitle E, 
Section 3401. Congress directed the Commission ``to assess and collect 
fees and annual charges in any fiscal year in amount equal to all of 
the costs incurred by the Commission in that fiscal year.'' The 
Commission implements a program of annual charges to be assessed 
against power marketing agencies, electric utilities and electric 
cooperatives. The Commission computes annual charges based on 
information of adjusted sales for resale and adjusted coordination of 
sales data. In calculating annual charges, the Commission first 
determines the total costs of its electric regulatory program and 
subtracts all electric regulatory filing fee collections to determine 
total collectible electric regulatory program costs. The Commission 
then uses the data submitted under FERC-582 to determine the total 
volume of long-term

[[Page 19523]]

firm sales and transmission, and short-term sales and transmission and 
exchanges for all public utilities, including power marketers. The 
Commission divides these volumes into its collectible program costs to 
determine the unit charge per megawatt-hour for each category of sales. 
Finally, the Commission multiplies the sales volume in each category 
for each public utility by the relevant unit charge per megawatt-hour 
to determine the annual charges for public utilities, including power 
marketers. In addition the Commission uses company financial 
information filed under the waiver provisions to evaluate a company's 
request for a waiver, or exemption, of the obligation to pay a fee for 
an annual charge. The Commission implements these filing requirements 
in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR Part 381 Sections 
381.108 and 381.302 and Part 382 Section 382.201(b).
    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     Average  burden
                Number of respondents annually                  responses per      hours  per      Total annual
                                                                  respondent     response hours    burden hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1)                                                                       (2)              (3)   (1) x (2) x (3)
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242..........................................................               1                2              484
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    Estimated cost burden to respondents: 484 hours / 2,080 hours per 
year  x  $109,889 per year = $25,570. The cost per respondent = $106.
    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 
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 
of 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 technologies collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology e.g. permitting electronic submission of 
responses.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-9917 Filed 4-20-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M