[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 20 (Wednesday, January 30, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5528-5529]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-1593]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC08-516A-000; FERC-516A]


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

January 22, 2008.
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 (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 March 31, 
2008.

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. IC08-516A-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, choose the Documents & Filings tab, click on eFiling, 
then follow the instructions given. 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 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-516A ``Small Generator Interconnection 
Agreements'' (OMB No. 1902-2003) is used by the Commission to enforce 
the statutory provisions of sections 205 and 206 of the Federal Power 
Act (FPA), as amended by Title II, section 211 of the Public Utility 
Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA) (16 U.S.C. 825d). FPA sections 
205 and 206 require the Commission to remedy undue discriminatory 
practices within interstate electric utility operations.
    The Commission amended its regulations in 2005 with Order No. 2006 
to require public utilities that own, control, or operate facilities 
used for the transmission of electric energy in interstate commerce to 
amend their Open Access Transmission Tariffs (OATTs) to include a 
Commission-approved pro forma interconnection procedures document and a 
standard interconnection agreement for the interconnection of 
generating facilities having a capacity of no more than 20 MW (Small 
Generators).\1\
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    \1\ Standardization of Small Generator Interconnection 
Agreements and Procedures, Order No. 2006, 70 FR 34189 (May 12, 
2005), FERC Stats. & Regs. ] 31,180 (2005).
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    Prior to Order No. 2006, the Commission's policy had been to 
address interconnection issues on a case-by-case basis. Although a 
number of transmission providers had filed interconnection procedures 
as part of their OATTs, many industry participants remained 
dissatisfied with existing interconnection policies and procedures. 
With an increasing number of interconnection-related disputes, it 
became apparent that the case-by-case approach was an inadequate and 
inefficient means to address interconnection issues. This prompted the 
Commission to adopt, in Order No. 2006, a single set of procedures for 
jurisdictional transmission providers and a single uniformly applicable

[[Page 5529]]

interconnection agreement for transmission providers to use in 
interconnecting with Small Generators.
    With the incorporation of these documents in their OATTs, there is 
no longer a need for transmitting utilities to file case-by-case 
interconnection agreements and procedures with the Commission. However, 
on occasion, circumstances warrant non-conforming agreements or a 
situation-specific set of procedures. These non-conforming documents 
must be filed in their entirety with the Commission for review and 
action.
    The information collected is in response to a mandatory 
requirement. The Commission implements these filing requirements in the 
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR Part 35, Sec.  35.28(f).
    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
                 Number of respondents annually                    responses per   burden hours    Total annual
                                                                    respondent     per response    burden hours
(1)                                                                          (2)             (3)     (1)x(2)x(3)
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238 (maintenance of documents)..................................               1               1             238
40 (filing of conforming agreements)............................               1              25           1,000
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................................  ..............  ..............           1,238
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    There was a one-time start-up cost to comply with Order No. 2006 
requirements that was included when the Commission first sought 
authorization for this information in 2005. The estimated burden of the 
continued requirement to maintain the procedures and agreement 
documents in transmission providers' OATTs is reflected herein as is 
the filing of non-conforming interconnection procedures and agreements 
that occur on occasion.
    The estimated total cost to respondents is $75,222.78. [1,238 hours 
divided by 2080 hours \2\ per year, times $126,384 \3\ equals 
$75,222.78]. The average cost per respondent is $316.06.
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    \2\ Number of hours an employee works each year.
    \3\ Average annual salary per employee.
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    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.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E8-1593 Filed 1-29-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P