[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 56 (Wednesday, March 23, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16393-16394]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-6741]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC11-521-000; FERC-521]


Commission Information Collection Activities, Proposed 
Collection; Comment Request; Extension

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. 104-13), the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission (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 May 23, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be filed either electronically (eFiled) or in 
paper format, and should refer to Docket No. IC11-521-000. Documents 
must be prepared in an acceptable filing format and in compliance with 
Commission submission guidelines at: http://

[[Page 16394]]

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 username 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 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. IC11-521. 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 collected under the 
requirements of FERC-521 ``Payments for Benefits from Headwater 
Benefits'' (OMB No. 1902-0087) is used by the Commission to implement 
the statutory provisions of section 10(f) of the Federal Power Act 
(FPA) (16 USC 803). The FPA authorizes the Commission to determine 
headwater benefits received by downstream hydropower project owners. 
Headwater benefits is the additional energy production possible at a 
downstream hydropower project resulting from the regulation of river 
flows by an upstream storage reservoir.
    When the Commission completes a study of a river basin, it 
determines headwater benefits charges that will be apportioned among 
the various downstream beneficiaries. A headwater benefits charge and 
the cost incurred by the Commission to complete an evaluation are paid 
by downstream hydropower project owners. In essence, the owners of non-
Federal hydropower projects that directly benefit from a headwater 
improvement must pay an equitable portion of the annual charges for 
interest, maintenance, and depreciation of the headwater project to the 
U.S. Treasury. The regulations provide for apportionment of these costs 
between the headwater project and downstream projects based on 
downstream energy gains and propose equitable apportionment methodology 
that can be applied to all rivers basins in which headwater 
improvements are built. The Commission requires owners of non-Federal 
hydropower projects to file data for determining annual charges as 
outlined in 18 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 11.

ACTION: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the 
current expiration date with no changes to the existing collection of 
data.
    Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is 
estimated as:

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                                                     Number of       Number of        Average
                 Data collection                    respondents    responses per   burden hours    Total annual
                                                     annually       respondent     per response    burden hours
                                                             (1)             (2)             (3)     (1) x (2) x
                                                                                                             (3)
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FERC-521........................................               3               1              40             120
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    Estimated cost burden to respondents is $8,213.77 (120 hours/2,080 
hours \1\ per year, times $142,372 \2\ = $8,213.77). The cost per 
respondent is $2,738.
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    \1\ Estimated number of hours and employee works each year.
    \2\ Estimated average annual cost per employee.
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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.

    Dated: March 16, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-6741 Filed 3-22-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P