[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 238 (Monday, December 14, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66114-66115]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-29666]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. IC10-580-000, IN79-6)


Commission Information Collection Activities, Proposed Collection 
(FERC-580); Comment Request

December 4, 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, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A) (2006), 
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) is 
soliciting public comment on the proposed information collection 
described below.

DATES: Comments on the proposed collection of information are due 60 
days after publication in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be filed either electronically (eFiled) or in 
paper format, and should refer to Docket No. IC10-580-000. 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 directs users to the 
eFiling Web page. First time users will have to follow the eRegister 
instructions on the eFiling Web page: http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/eregistration.asp, to establish a user name and password before 
eFiling. The Commission will send an automatic acknowledgement to the 
sender's e-mail address upon receipt of comments through eFiling.
    Commenters filing electronically should not make a paper filing. 
Commenters that are not able to file electronically must send an 
original and two (2) paper copies of the comments to: Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First Street, 
NE., Washington, DC 20426.
    Users interested in receiving automatic notification of activity in 
this docket may do so through eSubscription at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp). In addition, all comments and FERC 
issuances may be viewed, printed and downloaded remotely through the 
Commission's website using the ``eLibrary'' link and searching on 
Docket Number IC10-580. For user assistance, contact FERC Online 
Support, e-mail at [email protected], or call toll-free at 
(866) 208-3676, or for TTY, contact (202) 502-8659).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: 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 Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act 
(PURPA), enacted November 8, 1978, amended the Federal Power Act (the 
Act) and directed the Commission to make comprehensive biennial reviews 
of certain matters related to automatic adjustment clauses in wholesale 
rate schedules used by public utilities subject to the Commission's 
jurisdiction. Specifically, the Commission is required to examine 
whether the clauses effectively provide the incentives for efficient 
use of resources and also whether the clauses reflect only those costs 
that are either ``subject to periodic fluctuations'' or ``not 
susceptible to precise determinations'' in rate cases prior to the time 
the costs are incurred. The Commission is also required to review the 
practices of each public utility under automatic adjustment clauses 
``to insure efficient use of resources under such clauses.'' \1\ In 
response to the PURPA directive, the Commission (in Docket No. IN79-6) 
established an investigation and began in 1982, to collect every other 
year, the FERC-580 ``Interrogatory on Fuel and Energy Purchase 
Practices.'' (OMB No. 1902-0137).
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    \1\ The review requirement is set forth in two paragraphs of 
Section 208 of PURPA, 49 Stat.851; 16 U.S.C. 824d
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    In conjunction with the Paperwork Reduction Act information 
collection three-year renewal cycle (as administered by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB)), the Commission proposes to modify the 
questions in the interrogatory. There are several proposed changes to 
this reporting cycle and we seek comment on those changes. First, as it 
has been several years since the Commission collected information on 
automatic adjustment clauses other than fuel-adjustment clauses, 
therefore we propose in this cycle, to include

[[Page 66115]]

questions necessary to collect basic information identifying automatic 
adjustment clauses of all types, through which costs have been flowed, 
during the current reporting period. Second, the Commission proposes to 
expand previous interrogatory questions regarding fuel procurement 
practices and adjustment clause treatment of purchased power to elicit 
more complete information and eliminate the need for follow-up 
questions.
    To accomplish these changes, the Commission proposes to redesign 
the FERC-580 in order to eliminate the need for confidential treatment 
requests. The Commission proposes to remove all of the transportation 
contract questions, the request for copies of fuel-related audits, as 
well as the request for information regarding supplier identification, 
fuel shipped for others, and liability. This information is not 
currently needed for a Commission investigation.
    In addition, the Commission has redesigned the FERC-580 so that the 
information may be collected electronically through a FERC-designed, 
easy-to-complete, fillable form that will include such user-friendly 
features such as pre-populated fields and dropdown menus. The program 
will automatically generate additional rows when needed, and will 
connect identification information (e.g. contract numbers and docket 
numbers) with their proper corresponding detail information to 
eliminate multiple entries of duplicative information. In subsequent 
cycles, respondents will be able to retrieve information for filings 
previously entered, thereby reducing the filing burden. These 
modifications should facilitate greater ease to the respondent in both 
submission and access to the information.
    A copy of the interrogatory, desk reference, and glossary are 
attached and part of this document, but they are not included in the 
Federal Register. They are available from the FERC's eLibrary (http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp) by searching Docket No. IC09-
580-000, and through the FERC's Public Reference Room 202-502-8731. 
Interested parties may also request paper copies of the interrogatory, 
instructions, and glossary by contacting Michael Miller, by telephone 
at (202) 502-8415, by fax at (202) 273-0873, or by e-mail at 
[email protected].
    In summary, the Commission seeks public comment on, and subsequent 
OMB approval of the proposed revised information collection (FERC-580, 
``Interrogatory on Fuel and Energy Purchase Practices'') and the 
related estimated burden.
    Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the 
current expiration date for the proposed revised reporting 
requirements.
    Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is 
estimated at:

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                                                                   Annual number                   Total annual
                                                     Number of     of responses   Average burden   burden hours
                                                    respondents   per respondent     hours per      (1) x (2) x
                                                        (1)             (2)        response (3)         (3)
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Respondents with FACs...........................              45             0.5          \2\103            2310
Respondents with AACs but no FACs...............             125             0.5              20            1250
Respondents with no AACs (no FACs)..............              40             0.5               2              40
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    Total.......................................  ..............  ..............  ..............            3600
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    The total burden has not changed from previous years. The burden 
associated with interrogatory responses will vary by utility depending 
on whether the utility has or does not have an automatic adjustment 
clause and depending on whether or not those utilities with adjustment 
clauses allow automatic adjustment of fuel cost. On average, the 
Commission estimates a cost burden to respondents of $238,628.08. 
(3,600 hours/2,080 hours \3\ per year, times $137,874 \4\ equals 
$238,628.08). The cost per respondent is $ $3.393.82 (FAC); $668.16 
(AAC) and $59.66 (none).
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    \2\ Rounded off
    \3\ Number of hours an employee works each year.
    \4\ Average annual salary per employee.
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    The reporting burden includes the total time, effort, and 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 providing 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) terms and definitions in the interrogatory and glossary; 
(3) the accuracy of the agency's burden estimate of the proposed 
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used; (4) ways to enhance the quality, utility and 
clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) ways to minimize 
respondent information collection burden.

Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.

    Note: The Attachments (interrogatory, instructions, and 
glossary) will not be included in the Federal Register. The 
Attachments are available on the FERC's eLibrary (http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp) by searching Docket No. IC10-
580-000, and through the FERC Public Reference Room.

[FR Doc. E9-29666 Filed 12-11-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P