[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 183 (Friday, September 19, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54392-54393]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-21873]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC08-520-001, FERC-520]


Commission Information Collection Activities, Proposed 
Collection; Comment Request; Submitted for OMB Review

September 12, 2008.
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of section 3507 of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507, the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission (Commission) has submitted the information 
collection described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
for review of this information collection requirement. Any interested 
person may file comments directly with OMB and should address a copy of 
those comments to the Commission as explained below. The Commission 
received no comments in response to an earlier Federal Register notice 
of April 15, 2008 (73 FR 20267-20269) and has made this notation in its 
submission to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by October 20, 
2008.

ADDRESSES: Address comments on the collection of information to the 
Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Desk Officer. 
Comments to OMB should be filed electronically, c/o [email protected] and include the OMB Control No. 1902-0083 as a 
point of reference. The Desk Officer may be reached by telephone at 
202-395-7345. A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, Office of the Executive Director, ED-34, 
Attention: Michael Miller, 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, such comments should be submitted to the Secretary of 
the Commission, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, 
NE., Washington, DC 20426 and should refer to Docket No. IC08-520-001. 
Documents filed electronically via the Internet must be prepared in an 
acceptable filing format and in compliance with the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission submission guidelines. Complete filing 
instructions and acceptable filing formats are available at (http://www.ferc.gov/help/submission-guide/electronic-media.asp). To file the 
document electronically, access the Commission's Web site and click on 
Documents & Filing, E-Filing (http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp), 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 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-520 ``Application for Authority to Hold 
Interlocking Directorate Positions'' (OMB No. 1902-0083) is used by the 
Commission to implement the statutory provisions of section 305 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). 
Section 305(b) makes the holding of certain defined interlocking 
corporate positions unlawful unless the Commission has authorized the 
interlocks to be held and, requires the applicant to show in a form and 
manner as prescribed by the Commission, that neither public nor private 
interests will be adversely affected by the holding of the position. 
The Commission implements these provisions through its filing 
requirements in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 18 CFR part 45. 
The information required under Part 45 generally identifies the 
applicant, describes the various interlocking positions the applicant 
seeks authorization to hold, provides information on the applicant's 
financial interests, other officers and directors of the firms 
involved, and the nature of the business relationships among the firms.
    Two types of FERC-520 applications are provided for, that which is 
described in 18 CFR 45.8 as a ``full'' application and that which is 
described in 18 CFR 45.9 as an ``informal'' application for automatic 
authorization. Section 45.8 ``full'' applications are made by (1) an 
officer or director of more than one public utility; (2) an officer or 
director of a public utility and of a public utility securities 
underwriter; or (3) an officer or director of a public utility and of 
an electrical equipment supplier to that utility. Section 45.9 
``informational applications'' are made by (1) an officer or director 
of two or more public utilities where the same holding company owns, 
directly or indirectly, wholly or in part, the other public utility; 
(2) an officer or director of two public utilities, if one utility is 
owned, wholly or in part, by the other; or (3) an officer or director 
of more than one public utility, if such person is already authorized 
under Part 45 to hold different positions where the interlock involves 
affiliated public utilities.
    Without this information collection, the Commission and the public 
would not be able to inquire into and determine whether public or 
private interests will be adversely affected by the holding of such 
positions.

[[Page 54393]]

    Under the current OMB authorization, the Commission was allowing 
the filing of FERC-520 in hardcopy and/or diskette/CD. However, through 
RM07-16-000, implemented March 1, 2008, the electronic filing of FERC-
520 filings is also accepted through the Commission's eFiling system.
    Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the 
current expiration date.
    Burden Statement: The two types of interlocking directorate 
applications, a ``full application'' pursuant to 18 CFR 45.8 and the 
much more abbreviated ``informational application'' pursuant to 18 CFR 
45.9 are represented separately here. Public reporting burden for each 
is estimated as:

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                                              Number of         Number of      Average  burden
   Type of application filed annually        respondents      responses per      hours  per       Total annual
                                              annually         respondent         response        burden hours
                                                       (1)               (2)               (3)       (1)x(2)x(3)
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Full....................................                17                 1              51.8               881
Informational...........................               911                 1              29.5            23,595
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    Total...............................  ................  ................  ................            24,476
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    The estimated total cost to respondents is $1,487,199 [24,476 hours 
divided by 2080 hours\1\ per year, times $126,384\2\ which equals 
$1,487,199]. The cost per respondent is $1,603. The increase in the 
estimated total cost over what was reported in 2005 is due to the 
informational filings not being included in earlier estimates. 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, using 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 filing 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.
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    \1\ Number of hours an employee works each year.
    \2\ Average annual salary per employee.
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    The cost estimate 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 information 
collection 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 burden estimate of the 
proposed information collection, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used to calculate the reporting burden; and 
(3) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information 
to be collected.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-21873 Filed 9-18-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P