[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 161 (Friday, August 20, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45519-45520]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-21599]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC99-423-000, FERC Form No. 423]


Proposed Information Collection and Request for Comments

August 16, 1999.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of proposed information collection and request for 
comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(a) 
of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13), the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is soliciting public comment 
on the

[[Page 45520]]

specific aspects of the information collection described below.

DATES: Consideration will be given to comments submitted on or before 
October 19, 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: The information collected under the 
requirements of FERC Form No. 423, ``Monthly Report of Cost and Quality 
of Fuels for Electric Plants'' (OMB No. 1902-0024) is used by the 
Commission to implement the statutory provisions of Section 205, of the 
Federal Power Act, as amended by Section 208 of the Public Utility 
Regulatory Policies Act (49 Stat. 851; 16 U.S.C. 824d). The Commission 
describes Form 423 filing requirements in the Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR Part 141.61.
    FERC Form No. 423 gathers basic cost and quality of fuels for 
electric plants. The Commission staff uses the Form 423 information to 
conduct fuel reviews under Section 205(a) and (e) of the FPA, rate 
investigations, and to track wholesale market changes and trends under 
emerging competitive forces. Other government agencies use Form 423 to 
track the supply, disposition and prices of fuel on national and 
regional levels and for environmental assessments. Electric utilities 
and other wholesale electric participants use the Form 423 data to 
assess the competitive marketplace.

Action

    The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the current 
expiration date. The Commission staff is currently exploring the fling 
of Form 423 information electronically (using a web-based application) 
in lieu of the present system of mailing paper filings to the 
Commission. If the Commission proposes to convert to electronic filing 
of Form 423 data, a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking will be issued 
proposing to amend the Commission's regulations to provide for the 
electronic filing of FERC 423. Such a proposal may also seek to 
eliminate the current signature requirement and simply require the 
identification of a representative at each utility responsible for 
submitting the data electronically. The representative will be given a 
password and identification code to ensure system integrity.

Burden Statement

    Public reporting burden for this collection is estimated as:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                       Average burden
    Number of       Annual responses     hours  per       Total annual
   respondents       per respondent       response        burden hours
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1)                            (2)                (3)   (1) x (2) x (3)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
            702                 12                1.5            12,636
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The reduction in the number of annual respondents (plants) from 735 
to 702 is due to mergers and dispositions of various utilities 
generating assets and plants that have retired in the last three years. 
Estimated cost burden to respondents: 12,636 hours/2080 hours per year 
x  $109,889=$667,576; (i.e., 12,636 hours divided by 2,080 hours per 
full time emloyee per year multiplied by $109,889 per year equals 
$667,576). Reporting burden includes the total time, effort and 
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 respondent cost 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. Indrect 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 
applications; (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, 
utilization and clarity of the information to be collected; (4) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection on respondents, including the 
proposed electronic submission of responses; (5) the magnitude of the 
impact of the conversion to electronic filing on respondents; (6) the 
proposed elimination of signature requirement; (7) any existence of a 
competitive disadvantage caused by publicly providing information in 
Form 423 to which competitors would have access (without a 
corresponding obligation on its competitiors not subject to the 
Commission's reporting requirements); and (8) the relevancy of the 
information currently collected given the current transition from cost-
based to a fully competitive wholesale electric market.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-21599 Filed 8-19-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M