[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 169 (Wednesday, September 2, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45434-45435]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-21114]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC09-732-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-732); Proposed 
Collection; Comment Request; Extension

August 26, 2009.

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.

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. No. 104-13), the 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) 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 November 3, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be filed either electronically or in paper 
format, and should refer to Docket No. IC09-732-000. Documents must be 
prepared in an acceptable filing format and in compliance with 
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 site. 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 eFiled comments. Commenters filing electronically 
should not make a paper filing. If unable to make a filing 
electronically, deliver an 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 red 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 IC09-732; then 
click the Submit button at the bottom of the page.
    For help with any of the Commission's electronic submission or 
retrieval systems, contact FERC Online Support (e-mail at 
[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, or by e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: To implement section 1233 of the Energy 
Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005) (which added new section 217 to the 
Federal Power Act (FPA)), the Commission requires each transmission 
organization that is a public utility with one or more organized 
electricity markets to make available long-term firm transmission 
rights that satisfy each of the Commission's guidelines. The reporting 
requirements of FERC-732,\1\ (``Electric Rate Schedules and Tariffs: 
Long-Term Firm Transmission Rights in Organized Electricity Markets,'' 
OMB Control Number 1902-0245) pertain to these long-term transmission 
rights and are described in 18 CFR part 42.
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    \1\ This information collection has been labeled ``FERC-913'', 
``FERC-913/516'', and ``FERC-913(Temporary)'' with a goal of 
incorporating it later into FERC-516 (OMB Control No. 1902-0096). In 
addition, in Order No. 681 (in Docket No. RM06-8, issued 7/20/06), 
the burden was listed as part of FERC-516. OMB approved the new 
reporting requirements on 1/24/07 and assigned OMB Control No. 1902-
0236 (rather than including it in FERC-516).
    On 9/28/07 (in ICR Nos. 200610-1902-002 and 200709-1902-008), 
OMB approved transfer from OMB Control No. 1902-0236 to OMB Control 
No. 1902-0245. However, OMB Control No. 1902-0245 does not indicate 
a FERC collection number. To eliminate some of the confusion, we 
have assigned these requirements a new FERC collection number, FERC-
732. The new collection number does not affect the regulatory 
requirements or burden.
    In the future, FERC plans to incorporate the FERC-732 reporting 
requirements and related burden into the FERC-516. However, FERC-516 
is currently the subject of OMB review, so the Commission will track 
these requirements (and the related burden hours) separately under 
FERC-732. FERC-516 is not a subject of this Notice.
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    The FERC-732 regulations require that transmission organizations 
that are public utilities with one or more organized electricity 
markets either: (a) File tariff sheets making long-term firm 
transmission rights available that are consistent with each of the 
guidelines established by FERC, or (b) file an explanation describing 
how their existing tariffs already provide long-term firm transmission 
rights that are consistent with the guidelines. In addition, each 
transmission organization is required to make its transmission planning 
and expansion procedures and plans publicly available.
    FERC-732 enables the Commission to exercise its wholesale electric 
rate and electric power transmission oversight and enforcement 
responsibilities in

[[Page 45435]]

accordance with the FPA, the Department of Energy Organization Act (DOE 
Act), and EPAct 2005. Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year 
extension of the current expiration date, with no change to the 
reporting requirements.
    Burden Statement: The public reporting burden for this collection 
is estimated to be as follows:

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                                                     Number of       Number of    Average burden
                  FERC-732 \1\                      respondents    responses per     hours per     Total annual
                                                     annually       respondent       response      burden hours
                                                             (1)             (2)             (3)     (1)x(2)x(3)
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New Transmission Organizations with Organized                  1               1           1,180           1,180
 Electricity Markets--filing requirement........
Existing & New Transmission Organizations with                 6               1               2              12
 Organized Markets--making plans & procedures
 available to public............................
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total Annual Estimate.......................  ..............  ..............  ..............           1,192
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    Any transmission organization approved by the Commission for 
operation after January 29, 2007, that has one or more organized 
electricity markets (administered either by it or by another entity), 
will be required to comply with the FERC-732 reporting requirements. 
Although it is difficult to predict whether the Commission will receive 
an application for, and approve, a transmission organization in the 
foreseeable future, the regulations, reporting requirements, and burden 
of FERC-732 merit continued renewal of the OMB (Office of Management 
and Budget) clearance. As a result, we are including a `placeholder' 
estimate of 1 respondent and 1 response annually for the filing 
requirement. In addition, each existing transmission organization 
subject to Part 42 must make its transmission planning and expansion 
procedures and plans publicly available (under 18 CFR 42.1(c)(4)) for 
an estimated burden of 2 hours per respondent.
    The estimated total cost to respondents is $71,491.35 [1,192 hours 
divided by 2,080 hours \2\ per year, times $124,750 \3\ equals 
$71,491.35]. The estimated cost per respondent is $70,771.63 for new 
transmission organizations, and $119.95 for existing transmission 
organizations.
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    \2\ Number of hours an employee works each year.
    \3\ The Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor 
Occupational Handbook (`May 2008 National Occupational Employment 
and Wage Estimates [United States],' at http://www.bls.gov/oes/2008/may/oes_nat.htm#b23-0000) shows the mean annual salary for a lawyer 
is $124,750, or $59.98 per hour.
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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 respondent's cost estimate is based on 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 burden estimate 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 respondent information collection burden.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-21114 Filed 9-1-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P