[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 184 (Friday, September 22, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55454-55455]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-15641]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC06-423-000; FERC Form No. 423]


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

September 14, 2006.
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 (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: Comments on the collection of information are due November 20, 
2006.

ADDRESSES: Copies of sample filings of the proposed collection of 
information can be obtained from the Commission's Web site http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filings/elibrary.asp or from the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, Attn: Michael Miller, Office of the Executive 
Director, ED-34, 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 Secretary of the Commission, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426 and refer to 
Docket No. IC06-423-000.
    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, click the Documents and Filing tab, then choose eFiling 
from the drop-down menu.'' Follow the instructions provided. 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.

[[Page 55455]]

    All comments may be viewed, printed or downloaded remotely via the 
Internet through the Commission's homepage using the eLibrary 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) 273-0873, and by e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information collected under the 
requirements of FERC Form No. 423 ``Monthly Report of Cost and Quality 
of Fuels for Electric Plants'' (OMB No. 1902-0024) is used by the 
Commission: (1) To conduct fuel reviews under FPA sections 205 (a) and 
(e); (2) for use in a broad range of fuel cost and purchase practice 
issues rising from electric utility rate cases; (3) to detect 
abnormally high fuel costs in utility fuel purchases indicative of 
affiliate preference at the cost of the consumer; (4) in conjunction 
with other data, to identify potential out-of-merit plant dispatches 
carried out by system operators and (5) in conjunction with bid data, 
provides an indication of market efficiency by providing one of the key 
components of electricity generation cost.
    Other Federal and State agencies, such as the Energy Information 
Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as 
private interest groups, electric utilities and the public use this 
timely data: (1) To compare each fuel type by quality determinants, in 
the study of developments in fuel supply which may affect the 
reliability of electric service, (2) in environmental improvement 
programs for the different air quality control regions in the United 
States and (3) for use in analyses of energy and fuel supply impacts on 
the cost of electric power.
    The Commission implements these filing requirements in the Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR 141.61.
    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      Average burden
             Number of respondents annually                 responses per       hours per        Total annual
                                                             respondent         response         burden hours
(1)                                                                    (2)               (3)     (1) x (2) x (3)
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569.....................................................                12                 1               6,828
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    Estimated cost burden to respondents is $385,129. (6828 hours/2080 
hours per year times $117,321 per year average per employee = 
$385,129). The cost per respondent is $677).
    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) whether the information proposed for collection is of use 
to entities other than the Commission, and if so, to whom, and 
specifically for what purpose/s; (3) what specific adverse effect a 
decision to not collect this information might have; ( 4) what effect 
transferring the collection of this information to the Energy 
Information Administration may have on users of this information; (5) 
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; (6) whether the collection of the information by 
the Energy Information Administration in lieu of the Commission would 
potentially affect users of the information and how it would affect 
those users (7) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (8) 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. E6-15641 Filed 9-21-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P