[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 64 (Monday, April 6, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15474-15475]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-7575]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC09-915-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-915); Comment 
Request; Extension

March 30, 2009.
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 or FERC) is soliciting public 
comment on the specific aspects of the information collection described 
below.

DATES: Comments in consideration of the collection of information are 
due June 1, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be filed either electronically or in paper 
format, and should refer to Docket No. IC09-915-000. Documents must be 
prepared in an acceptable filing format and in compliance with the 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission submission guidelines at http://www.ferc.gov/help/submission-guide.asp.
    Comments may be eFiled. The eFiling option, under the Documents & 
Filings tab on the Commission's home Web page (http://www.ferc.gov), 
directs users to the eFiling Web page. First-time users follow the 
eRegister instructions on the eFiling Web page to establish a user name 
and password before eFiling. Filers will receive an e-mailed 
confirmation of their filed comments. Commenters filing electronically 
should not make a paper filing. If electronic filing is not possible, 
deliver original and 14 paper copies of the filing to: Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First Street, 
NE., Washington, DC 20426.
    Parties interested in receiving automatic notification of activity 
in this docket may do so through eSubscription. The eSubscription 
option under the Documents & Filings tab on the Commission's home Web 
page directs users to the eSubscription Web page. Users submit the 
docket numbers of the filings they wish to track and will subsequently 
receive an e-mail notification each time a filing is made under the 
submitted docket numbers. First-time users will need to establish a 
user name and password before eSubscribing.
    Filed comments and FERC issuances may be viewed, printed and 
downloaded remotely from the Commission's Web site. The eLibrary link 
found at the top of most of the Commission's Web pages directs users to 
FERC's eLibrary. From the eLibrary Web page, choose General Search, and 
in the Docket Number space provided, enter IC09-915, then click the 
Submit button at the bottom of the page. For help with any of the 
Commission's electronic submission or retrieval systems, e-mail FERC 
Online Support: [email protected], or telephone toll-free: 
(866) 208-3676 (TTY (202) 502-8659).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Brown may be reached by 
telephone at (202)502-8663, by fax at (202)273-0873, and by e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FERC is requesting comments on the record 
retention requirement FERC-915,\1\ ``Public Utility Market-Based Rate 
Authorization Holders--Records Retention Requirement,'' OMB Control No. 
1902-0223.
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    \1\ The FERC-915 requirements (formerly labeled ``FERC-
915(516)'') are contained in 18 CFR 35.41(d)).
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    In accordance with the Federal Power Act, the Department of Energy 
Organization Act (DOE Act), and the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 
2005), the Commission regulates the transmission and wholesale sales of 
electricity in interstate commerce, monitors and investigates energy 
markets, uses civil penalties and other means against energy 
organizations and individuals who violate FERC rules in the energy 
markets, and administers accounting and financial reporting regulations 
and oversees conduct of regulated companies.
    The Commission imposes the FERC-915 record retention requirement, 
in 18 CFR 35.41(d), on applicable sellers to retain, for a period of 
five years, all data and information upon which they bill the prices 
charged for ``electric energy or electric energy products it sold 
pursuant to Seller's market-based rate tariff, and the prices it 
reported for use in price indices.''
    The record retention period of five years is necessary due to the 
importance of records related to any investigation of possible 
wrongdoing and related to assuring compliance with the codes of conduct 
and the integrity of the market. The requirement is necessary to ensure 
consistency with the rule prohibiting market manipulation (adopted in 
Order No. 670) and the generally applicable five-year statute of 
limitations where the Commission seeks civil penalties for violations 
of the anti-manipulation rules or other rules, regulations, or orders 
to which the price data may be relevant.
    Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the 
current expiration date for the FERC-915,\1\ with no changes to the 
requirements.

[[Page 15475]]

    Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is 
estimated at:

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                                                 Number of        Number of     Average  burden
              FERC requirements                 respondents     responses per      hours per       Total annual
                                                  annually        respondent        response       burden hours
                                                         (1)              (2)              (3)   (1) x (2) x (3)
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FERC-915....................................           1,150                1                1            1,150
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    The estimated total annual cost to respondents includes hours for 
labor (1,150 hrs. at $17 per hour, for a labor cost of $19,550) and 
storage costs (using an estimated 65,000 cu. ft of records in off-site 
storage, for a total storage cost of $419,858). The total annual cost 
(labor plus off-site storage) is $439,408; the total annual cost per 
respondent is $382.
    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. E9-7575 Filed 4-3-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P