[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 95 (Friday, May 16, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26591-26592]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-12324]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC03-716-000, FERC-716]


Commission Information Collection Activities, Proposed 
Collection; Comment Request; Extension

May 12, 2003.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of section 3506(c)(2)(a) 
of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A), the 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is soliciting public 
comment on the specific aspects of the information collection described 
below.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by July 11, 
2003.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed collection of information can be 
obtained from Michael Miller, Office of the Executive Director, ED-30, 
888 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20426. Comments may be filed 
either in paper format or electronically. Those parties filing 
electronically do not need to make a paper filing.
    For paper filings, the original and 14 copies of 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. IC03-716-000.
    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 Web site at http://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 202-502-8258 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. For user 
assistance, contact [email protected] or toll-free at (866) 
208-3676 or for TTY, contact (202)502-8659.

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: The information collected under the 
requirements of FERC-716 ``Good Faith Request for Transmission Service 
and Response by Transmitting Utility Under Sections 211(a) and 213(a) 
of the Federal Power Act'' (OMB Control No. 1902-0170) is used by the 
Commission to implement the statutory provisions of sections 211 and 
213 of the Federal Power Act (FPA) as amended and added by the Energy 
Policy Act of 1992. The information is not filed with the Commission, 
however, the request and response may be analyzed as part of a section 
211 proceeding. This collection of information covers the information 
that must be contained in the request and in the response.
    The Energy Policy Act of 1992 amended section 211 of the FPA and 
expanded the Commission's authority to order transmission service. 
Under the revised section 211, the Commission may order transmission 
services if it finds that such action would be in the public interest, 
would not unreasonably impair the continued reliability of

[[Page 26592]]

electric systems affected by the order, and would meet the requirements 
of amended section 211 of the FPA.
    The Commission's policy statement in Pub. L. 93-3, Policy Statement 
Regarding Good Faith Requests for Transmission Services and Responses 
by Transmitting Utilities Under Section 211(a) and 213(a) of the 
Federal Power Act, as Amended, implemented a data exchange between a 
transmission requester and a transmitting utility prior to the 
submission of section 211 request with the Commission. Components of 
the data exchange are identified in the Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR), 18 CFR 2.20. The general policy sets forth standards by which 
the Commission determines whether and when a valid good faith request 
for transmission has been made under section 211 of the FPA. In 
developing the standards, the Commission sought to encourage an open 
exchange of information with a reasonable degree of specificity and 
completeness between the party requesting transmission services and the 
transmitting utility. As a result, twelve components of a good faith 
estimate are identified under 18 CFR 2.20. Information in the data 
exchange is not filed as noted above with the Commission, unless 
negotiations between the transmission requestor and the transmitting 
utility have not been successful and the transmission requestor files a 
section 211 request (FERC-716A, 1902-0168) with the Commission. The 
request and response may be analyzed by the Commission as part of the 
section 211 proceeding.
    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:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Number of          Number of       Average burden     Total annual
   respondents       responses per        hours per       burden hours
  annually  (1)     respondent  (2)     response  (3)      (1)x(2)x(3)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
             10                  1                100             1,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated cost burden to respondents: 1,000 hours / 2,080 hours per 
year x $117,041 per year = $56,270. The cost per respondent is equal to 
$ 5,627.
    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.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 03-12324 Filed 5-15-03; 8:45 am]
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