[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 57 (Friday, March 25, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15312-15313]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-1298]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC05-521-000; FERC-521]


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

March 18, 2005.
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 on the collection of information are due May 25, 
2005.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed collection of information can be 
obtained from the Commission's Web site (http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filings/elibrary.asp) or to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 
Attn: Michael Miller, Office of the Chief Information Officer, CI-1, 
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 filing, 
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. IC05-
521-000. 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 acknowledgement to the sender's e-mail address upon receipt 
of comments.
    All comments may be viewed, printed or downloaded remotely via the 
Internet through FERC's Home page using the ``eLibrary'' link. For user 
assistant, 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-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.

[[Page 15313]]

    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 headwater 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 rivers 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:

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                                                                Number of responses  per      Average burden hours  per      Total annual burden hours
            Number of respondents annually  (1)                      respondent (2)                  response (3)                 (1) x (2) x (3)
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3..........................................................                             1                             40                            120
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    Estimated cost burden to respondents is $6,262.00. (120 hours/2080 
hours per year times $108,558 per year average per employee = $ 6,263). 
The cost per respondent is $191.00.
    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.

Linda Mitry,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. E5-1298 Filed 3-24-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P