[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 67 (Thursday, April 9, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16197-16198]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-8045]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC09-585-001]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-585); Comment 
Request; Submitted for OMB Review

April 2, 2009.
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 USC 3507, the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) has submitted the 
information collection described below to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review of the information collection requirements. 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 the Federal Register 
notice (74 FR 5150, 1/29/09) and has made this notation in its 
submission to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by May 12, 
2009.

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 OMB Control Number 1902-0138 as a 
point of reference. The Desk Officer may be reached by telephone at 
202-395-4638.
    A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission and should refer to Docket No. IC09-585-001. 
Comments may be filed either electronically or in paper format. Those 
persons filing electronically do not need to make a paper filing. 
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.
    For paper filings, an original and 2 copies of the comments should 
be submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of 
the Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, and should 
refer to Docket No. IC09-585-001.
    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: 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: The information collected under the 
requirements of FERC-585 ``Reporting of Electric Energy Shortages and 
Contingency Plans under PURPA'' (OMB No. 1902-0138) is used by the 
Commission to implement the statutory provisions of section 206 of the 
Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1979 (PURPA) Public Law 95-
617, 92 Stat. 3117. Section 206 of PURPA amended the Federal Power Act 
(FPA) by adding a new subsection (g) to section 202, under which the 
Commission by rule, was to require each public utility to (1) report to 
the Commission and appropriate state regulatory authorities of any 
anticipated shortages of electric energy or capacity which would affect 
the utility's capability to serve its wholesale customers; and (2) 
report to the Commission and any appropriate state regulatory authority 
with a contingency plan that would outline what circumstances might 
give rise to such occurrences.
    In Order No. 575, the Commission modified the reporting 
requirements in 18 CFR 294.101(b) to provide that, if a public utility 
includes in its rates schedule, provisions that: (a) During electric 
energy and capacity shortages it will treat firm power wholesale 
customers without undue discrimination or preference; and (b) it will 
report any modifications to its contingency plan for accommodating 
shortages within 15 days to the appropriate state regulatory agency and 
to the affected wholesale customers, then the utility need not file 
with the Commission an additional statement of the contingency plan for 
accommodating such shortages. This revision merely changed the 
reporting mechanism; the public utility's contingency plan would be 
located in its filed rate rather than in a separate document.
    In Order No. 659, the Commission modified the reporting 
requirements in 18 CFR 294.101(e) to provide that the means by which 
public utilities must comply with the requirements to report shortages 
and anticipated shortages is to submit this information electronically 
using the Office of Electric Reliability's pager system at 
[email protected] in lieu of submitting an original and two copies 
with the Secretary of the Commission.
    The Commission uses the information to evaluate and formulate an 
appropriate option for action in the event an unanticipated shortage is 
reported and/or materializes. Without this information, the Commission 
and State agencies would be unable to: (1) Examine and approve or 
modify utility actions, (2) prepare a response to anticipated 
disruptions in electric energy, and (3) ensure equitable treatment of 
all public utility customers under the shortage situations. The 
Commission implements these filing requirements in the Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR Part 294.
    Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the 
current expiration date, with no change to the existing requirements.

[[Page 16198]]

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

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                                                                            Number of     Average       Total
                                                               Number of    responses      burden       annual
                          FERC-585                            respondents      per       hours per      burden
                                                                annually    respondent    response      hours
                                                                      (1)          (2)          (3)  (1)x(2)x(3)
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Contingency Plan............................................            1            1           73           73
Capacity Shortage...........................................            1            1         0.25         0.25
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    Estimated annual cost to respondents is $4,518.15 (73.25 hours/2080 
hours \1\ times $128,297 \2\ = $4,518.15).
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    \1\ The number of hours an employee works each year is estimated 
to be 2,080.
    \2\ The average annual salary per employee is estimated to be 
$128,297.
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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 collections of 
information are 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 estimates of the 
burden of the proposed collections 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. E9-8045 Filed 4-8-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P