[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 93 (Thursday, May 13, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26561-26562]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-1108]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[IC04-555-000, FERC-555]


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

May 4, 2004.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DoE.

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 6, 
2004.

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 persons 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 should refer to Docket No. 
IC04-555-000.
    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 are available for review at the Commission or may be 
viewed on the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov, using the 
`eLibrary' link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three 
digits in the docket number field to access the document. For 
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) 273-0873, and by e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information collected under the 
requirements of FERC-555 ``Records Retention Requirements'' (OMB No. 
1902-00098) is used by the Commission to implement the statutory 
provisions of Sections 301, 304 and 309 of the Federal Power Act (FPA) 
(16 U.S.C. 825, 825c and 825h), Sections 8, 10 and 16 of the Natural 
Gas Act (NGA) (15 U.S.C. 717-

[[Page 26562]]

717w), and Section 20 of the Interstate Commerce Act (ICA, 49 U.S.C. 
20).
    The regulations for preservation of records establish retention 
periods, necessary guidelines and requirements to sustain retention of 
applicable records for the regulated public utilities, natural gas and 
oil pipeline companies subject to FERC's jurisdiction. These records 
will be used by the regulated companies as the basis for their required 
rate filings and reports for the Commission. In addition, the records 
will be used by the Commission's audit staff during compliance reviews, 
by enforcement staff during investigations and for special analyses as 
deemed necessary by the Commission. The records retained by 
jurisdictional companies as directed by the Commission are the result 
of a mandatory requirement.
    On January 8, 1999 the Commission issued AI99-2-000, an Accounting 
Issuance providing guidance on records storage media. Specifically, 
FERC gave each jurisdictional company the flexibility to select its own 
storage media. The storage media selected must have a life expectancy 
equal to the applicable record period unless the quality of the data 
transferred from one media to another with no loss of data would exceed 
the record period.
    On January 27, 2000, FERC issued a final rule amending its records 
retention regulations for public utilities and licensees, natural gas 
and oil pipeline companies. These changes included revising the general 
instructions, shortening various records retention periods. The final 
rule's objective was to reduce or eliminate burdensome and unnecessary 
regulatory requirements. FERC anticipated a reduction of 679,800 hours. 
OMB questioned FERC's estimates of the anticipated reduction and so the 
existing estimates 1,236,000 for 515 respondents remained on OMB's 
inventory. (Using these existing figures, the total hours per 
respondent for recordkeeping purposes equals 2,400 hours.)
    It has been over three years since Order No. 617 took effect on 
January 1, 2001 and there has been sufficient time for jurisdictional 
companies to implement the final rule's provisions. Therefore, in 
responding to this notice, FERC is interested in knowing if the 
jurisdictional companies have obtained substantial reductions in the 
recordkeeping burden for maintaining their records under the revised 
retention periods. In addition, the Commission is interested in 
learning if and what savings were achieved by jurisdictional companies 
by freeing up storage space formerly used for retaining records. The 
Commission implements these filing requirements in the Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR Parts 125, 225 and 356.
    Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year approval of these 
recordkeeping requirements, with no changes to the existing collection 
of data.
    Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is 
estimated as:

 
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                                                                  Number of      Average burden
                Number of respondents annually                  responses per      hours per       Total annual
                                                                 respondent *       response       burden hours
(1)                                                                       (2)              (3)      (1)x(2)x(3)
==============================================================
515..........................................................               1        \1\ 2,402   \2\ 1,236,896
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\1\ Rounded off.
\2\ includes documentation recordkeeping requirements of Order No. 634.

    Estimated cost burden to respondents: 1,236,896 hours/2,080 hours 
per year x $107,185 per year = $63,738,797. The cost per respondent is 
equal to $123,765.
    The reporting burden includes the total time, effort, or financial 
resources expended to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide 
the information including:

    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.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E4-1108 Filed 5-12-04; 8:45 am]
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