[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 120 (Wednesday, June 21, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 38529]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-15565]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[IC00-580-000, FERC Form-580]


Proposed Information Collection and Request for Comments

June 15, 2000.
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. 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 
August 21, 2000.

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 P. 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 for FERC Form 580, ``Interrogatory on Fuel and Energy 
Purchase Practices,'' Docket No. IN79-6, (OMB No. 1902-0137) is used by 
the Commission to implement the statutory provisions of section 205(f) 
of the Federal Power Act (FPA), as added by the Public Utility 
Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) (Pub. L. 95-617). These provisions 
require that ``not less frequently than every 2 years * * * the 
Commission shall review, with respect to each public utility, practices 
under automatic adjustment clauses of such utility to ensure efficient 
use of resources (including economical purchase and use of fuel and 
electric energy) under such clauses.''
    FERC Form 580 is collected on diskette and in hard copy. The Form 
580 information is used by Commission staff to: (1) Evaluate fuel costs 
in individual rate proceedings; (2) review fuel costs passed through 
automatic fuel adjustment clauses, as determined during periodic 
compliance audits of utility books and records; (3) initiate Commission 
action under section 205(f)(3) of the FPA to order a public utility to 
modify the terms and provisions of any automatic adjustment clause or 
to cease any practice in connection with the clause; and (4) determine 
whether wholesale rates are just and reasonable, as required under FPA 
Section 205(a).
    Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the 
current expiration date. The current Form 580 can be found on the 
Commission's web site at: http://www.ferc.fed.us/electric/f580/form580.htm.
    Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is 
estimated as:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Total annual
                      Annual number of    Average burden    burden  (in
     Number of          responses per       hours per     hours)  (1)  x
  respondents  (1)     respondent  (2)    response  (3)     (2)  x  (3)
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
         129               \1\ .5                64           4.128
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The FERC Form 580 is collected once every two years.

    The reduction in average burden hours per response has been reduced 
from 93.5 to 64 hours. This is a direct result of a lower percentage of 
jurisdictional utilities having fuel adjustment clauses and thus having 
to file the complete Form 580 interrogatory. Only those utilities with 
fuel adjustment clauses are required to file the full interrogatory. 
Utilities without fuel adjustment clauses are required to file an 
abbreviated form. The estimated total cost to respondents is $221,374 
(4,128 hours divided by 2,080 hours per year per full time employee 
multiplied by $111,545 per year per average employee equals $221,374). 
The average cost per respondent is estimated to be $1,716.
    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 
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. 00-15565 Filed 6-20-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M