[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 145 (Thursday, July 29, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44781-44782]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-18594]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC10-582-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-582); Comment 
Request; Extension

July 22, 2010.

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), 
(Pub. L. 104-13), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission 
or FERC) is soliciting public comment on the proposed information 
collection described below.

DATES: Comments in consideration of the collection of information are 
due 60 days after publication of this Notice in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be filed either electronically (eFiled) or in 
paper format, and should refer to Docket No. IC10-582-000. 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. eFiling instructions are available at: http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp. First time users must follow 
eRegister instructions at: 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 eFiled comments. Commenters 
making an eFiling should not make a paper filing. Commenters that are 
not able to file electronically must send an original and two (2) paper 
copies of their 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 or downloaded remotely through FERC's 
eLibrary at: http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp, by searching 
on Docket No. IC10-582. For user assistance, contact FERC Online 
Support by e-mail at [email protected], or by phone at (866) 
208-3676 (toll-free), or (202) 502-8659 for TTY.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information required by FERC-582, 
(``Electric Fees; Annual Charges; Waivers; and Exemptions;'' OMB 
Control No. 1902-0132) covers the filing

[[Page 44782]]

requirements in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) under Title 18, 
part 381 \1\ and part 382.\2\
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    \1\ Title 18 CFR 381.105, 381.106, 381.108, 381.302, and 
381.305.
    \2\ Title 18 CFR 382.102, 382.103, 382.105, 382.106, and 
382.201.
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    FERC-582 is used by the Commission to implement the statutory 
provisions of the Independent Offices Appropriation Act of 1952 (IOAA) 
(31 U.S.C. 9701) which authorizes the Commission to establish fees for 
its services.\3\ In addition, the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 
1986 (OBRA) (42 U.S.C. 7178) authorizes the Commission ``to assess and 
collect fees and annual charges in any fiscal year in amounts equal to 
all the costs incurred by the Commission in that fiscal year.''
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    \3\ The most recent ``Annual Update of Filing Fees'' was issued 
on 1/20/2010 and is posted at http://elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/common/opennat.asp?fileID=12249237. Other reporting requirements, 
associated with the estimation of annual charges or filing fees, are 
separate from the FERC-582 and not a subject of Docket Number IC10-
582 or the FERC-582 clearance request. They are approved separately 
by OMB and include: (a) FERC-583 (``Annual Kilowatt Generating 
Report (Annual Charges),'' OMB Control Number 1902-0136) for 
hydropower generation facilities; (b) FERC Form No. 2 (Major Natural 
Gas Pipeline Annual Report, OMB Control Number 1902-0028), FERC Form 
No. 2A (Non-Major Natural Gas Pipeline Annual Report, OMB Control 
Number 1902-0030), and FERC Form No. 6 (Annual Report of Oil 
Pipeline Companies, OMB Control Number 1902-0022) for estimating 
charges for natural gas and oil pipelines; and (c) FERC-587 (Land 
Description: Public Land States/Non-Public Land States (Rectangular 
or Non Rectangular Survey System Lands in Public Land States); OMB 
Control Number 1902-0145) for estimating fees associated with the 
use of Federal lands.
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    In calculating electric fees and annual charges, the Commission 
first determines the total costs of its electric regulatory program and 
then subtracts all electric regulatory program filing fee collections 
to determine the total collectible electric regulatory program costs. 
It then uses the data submitted under FERC-582 \4\ to determine the 
total megawatt-hours of transmission of electric energy in interstate 
commerce. This is measured by the sum of the megawatt-hours (MWh) of 
all unbundled transmission (including MWh delivered in wheeling 
transactions and MWh delivered in exchange transactions) and the 
megawatt-hours of all bundled wholesale power sales (to the extent 
these later megawatt-hours were not separately reported as unbundled 
transmission).
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    \4\ FERC-582 Annual Charges Reports are available in FERC's 
eLibrary system (at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/elibrary.asp), 
by searching under the document class and type of ``Report/Form/
Annual Charges Report.''
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    Public utilities and power marketers subject to these annual 
charges must submit FERC-582 data to the Commission by April 30 of each 
year (18 CFR 382.201). The Commission issues bills for annual charges, 
and public utilities and power marketers then must pay the charges 
within 45 days of the Commission's issuance of the bill.
    Requests for waivers and exemptions of fees and charges (required 
by 18 CFR Parts 381 and 382) are filed, based on need. The Commission's 
staff uses the filer's financial information to evaluate the request 
for a waiver or exemption of the obligation to pay a fee or an annual 
charge.
    Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the 
FERC-582 reporting requirements, with no changes.
    Burden Statement: The estimated annual burden figures and costs 
follow.

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                                                                      Average
                                                     Number of       number of        Average      Total burden
             Information collection                 respondents    reponses per    burden hours        hours
                                                                    respondent     per response
                                                             (1)             (2)             (3)     (1)x(2)x(3)
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FERC-582 \1\ \2\ (except 381.302, below)........              73               1               3             219
Exemption/waiver of fee for declaratory order                  6               1               2              12
 (under 381.302)................................
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    Total.......................................              79               1  ..............             231
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    The total estimated annual cost burden to respondents is $15,312 
(231 hours/2080 hours \5\ per year, times $137,874 \6\).
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    \5\ An employee works an estimated 2,080 hours per year.
    \6\ The estimated average annual cost per employee is $137,874.
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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 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. 2010-18594 Filed 7-28-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P