[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 213 (Monday, November 4, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67154-67155]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-27935]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC02-717-001, FERC-717]


Commission Information Collection Activities, Proposed 
Collection; Comment Request; Submitted for OMB Review

October 25, 2002.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of section 3507 of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507, the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission (Commission) has submitted the information 
collection described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
for review and extension of the current expiration date. Any interested 
person may file comments directly with OMB and should address a copy of 
those

[[Page 67155]]

comments to the Commission as explained below. The Commission received 
comments from one entity in response to an earlier Federal Register 
notice of June 21, 2002 (67 FR 42243-42244), and has responded to these 
comments in its submission to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by November 
29, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Address comments on the collection of information to the 
Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Desk Officer, 
725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503. The Desk Officer may be 
reached by telephone at 202-395-7856. A copy of the comments should 
also be sent to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Office of the 
Chief Information Officer, CI-1, Attention: Michael Miller, 888 First 
Street NE., Washington, DC 20426. Comments may be filed either in paper 
format or electronically. Those persons filing electronically do not 
need to make a paper filing. For paper filings, such comments should be 
submitted to the Office of the Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426 and refer to 
Docket No. IC02-717-001.
    Documents filed electronically via the Internet must be prepared in 
WordPerfect, MS Word, Portable Document Format, or ASCII format. To 
file the document, access the Commission's website at www.ferc.gov and 
click on ``Make an E-filing,'' and then follow the instructions for 
each screen. First time users will have to establish a user name and 
password. The Commission will send an automatic acknowledgment to the 
sender's E-mail address upon receipt of comments. User assistance for 
electronic filings is available at 202-208-0258 or by e-mail to 
[email protected]. Comments should not be submitted to the e-mail 
address.
    All comments may be viewed, printed or downloaded remotely via the 
Internet through FERC's homepage using the FERRIS link. User assistance 
for FERRIS is available at 202-502-8222, or by e-mail to 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Miller may be reached by 
telephone at (202)502-8415, by fax at (202)208-2425, and by e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Description

    The information collected and submitted for OMB review contains:
    1. Collection of Information: FERC-717 ``Open Access Same Time 
Information Systems''.
    2. Sponsor: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
    3. Control No. 1902-0173.
    The Commission is now requesting that OMB approve a three-year 
extension of the current expiration date, with no changes to the 
existing collection. This is a mandatory information collection 
requirement and the Commission does not consider the information to be 
confidential.
    4. Necessity of the Collection of Information: Submission of the 
information is necessary to enable the Commission to carry out its 
responsibilities in implementing the statutory provisions of part I of 
the Federal Power Act (FPA.), sections 309 and 311, 16 U.S.C. 825(h), 
and 825(j). Section 309 gives the Commission the authority to 
prescribe, issue, make and amend orders, rules and regulations to 
implement the provisions of the Federal Power Act. Section 311 gives 
the Commission authority to secure information necessary or appropriate 
for recommending legislation or to conduct investigations concerning 
generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electric energy 
regardless of whether they are jurisdictional or nonjurisdictional 
entities within the United States and its possessions. The Commission 
is also authorized to keep current information on the ownership, 
operation, management and control of all facilities for generation, 
transmission, distribution, sale, the capacity and output of these 
facilities and the relationship between the two. The information is 
also used for determining the cost(s) for generation, distribution, 
rates, charges, and contracts with respect to the sale of electric 
energy and the service to residential, rural, commercial and industrial 
consumers and other purchasers by private and public agencies.
    The information collected under FERC-717 is specifically used to 
monitor the networks to ensure that potential purchasers of 
transmission services obtain the services on a non-discriminatory 
basis. Failure to issue these requirements would mean the Commission is 
not meeting its statutory obligations and permitting discrimination in 
interstate transmission services provided by public utilities.
    The Commission is obligated by statute to regulate key economic 
aspects of the energy industry. The law requires the Commission's 
economic regulatory activity because the transmission and generation of 
electricity have been and continue to be a natural monopoly. The 
challenge facing the Commission is to develop a regulatory approach 
that promotes competitive markets while protecting customers and 
serving and safeguarding the public. To safeguard workable competition 
in wholesale power markets, the Commission must ensure open, 
nondiscriminatory access to transmission facilities and must monitor 
the market to detect instances of market abuse or failure.
    The Commission implements these requirements in the Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR part 37.
    5. Respondent Description: The respondent universe currently 
comprises (on average) 140 entities subject to the Commission's 
jurisdiction.
    6. Estimated Burden: 198,520 total hours, 140 respondents(average), 
1 response per respondent annually, 1,418 hours per response (average).
    7. Estimated Cost Burden to respondents: $22,283,975 (140 
respondents x $159,171(cost per respondent)).

    Statutory Authority: Sections 309 and 311 of the Federal Power 
Act, 16 U.S.C. 825(h), 825(j).

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-27935 Filed 11-1-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P