[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 195 (Tuesday, October 9, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51416-51417]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-25202]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC01-521-000, FERC-521]


Proposed Information Collection and Request for Comments

 October 2, 2001.
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 
December 10, 2001.

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-521 ``Payments for Benefits from Headwater 
Benefits'' (OMB No. 1902-0087) is used by the Commission to implement 
the statutory provisions of Section 10(f) of the Federal Power Act 
(FPA)(16 U.S.C. 803). The FPA authorizes the Commission to determine 
headwater benefits received by downstream hydropower project owners. 
Headwater benefits are the additional energy production possible at a 
downstream hydropower project resulting from the regulation of river 
flows by an upstream storage reservoir.
    When the Commission completes a study of a river basin, it 
determines headwater benefits charges that will be apportioned among 
the various downstream beneficiaries. A headwaters benefits charge, and 
the cost incurred by the Commission to complete an evaluation are paid 
by downstream hydropower project owners. In essence, the owners of non-
federal hydropower projects that directly benefit from a headwater(s) 
improvement must pay an equitable portion of the annual charges for 
interest, maintenance, and depreciation of the headwater project to the 
U.S. Treasury. The regulations provide for apportionment of these costs 
between the headwater project and downstream projects based on 
downstream energy gains and propose equitable apportionment methodology 
that can be applied to all river basins in which headwater improvements 
are built. The data the Commission requires owners of non-federal 
hydropower projects to file for determining annual charges is specified 
in 18 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 11.
    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:

[[Page 51417]]



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    Number of          Number of       Average burden
   respondents       responses per        hours per       Total annual
     annually          respondent         response        burden hours
(1)                            (2)                (3)   (1) x (2) x (3)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
              5                  1                 40               200
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The estimated total cost to respondents is $33,716 (200 hours 
divided by 2,080 hours per year per employee times $117,041 per year 
per average employee = $11,254). The cost per respondent is $2,250.
    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.

David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-25202 Filed 10-5-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P