[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 118 (Monday, June 20, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35870-35871]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-15193]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC11-523-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-523); Comment 
Request; Extension

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of proposed information collections 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 USC 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 activities described below.

DATES: Comments in consideration of the collection of information are 
due August 19, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be filed either electronically (eFiled) or in 
paper format, and should refer to Docket No. IC11-523-000. 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 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. (If docket number contains an alpha at 
the end then the following sentence should be used instead of the 
previous one: Due to a system issue, eFiling and eSubscription are not 
available for this docket.) 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. IC11-523. 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 collection is under the 
requirements of FERC-523, ``Applications for Authorization for Issuance 
of Securities or the Assumption of Liabilities'', OMB Control No. 1902-
0043.
    Under Federal Power Act (FPA) section 204, 16 U.S.C. 824c, no 
public utility or licensee shall issue any security, or assume any 
obligation or liability as guarantor, endorser, surety, or otherwise in 
respect of any security of another person, until the public utility 
applies for and receives Commission approval by order authorizing the 
issue or assumption of the liability. The Commission issues an order if 
it finds that such issue or assumption (a) is for lawful object, within 
the corporate purposes of the applicant and compatible with the public 
interest, which is necessary or appropriate for or consistent with the 
proper performance by the applicant as a public utility and which will 
not impair its ability to perform that service, and (b) is reasonably 
necessary or appropriate for such purposes.
    The Commission uses the information contained in filings to 
determine its acceptance and/or rejection of applications for 
authorization to either issue securities or to assume an obligation or 
liability by the public utilities and their licensees who make these 
applications.
    The Commission implements this statute through its regulations, 
which are found at 18 CFR Part 34; and 18 CFR sections 131.43 and 
131.50. Part 131 prescribes the required filing format. The information 
is filed electronically.
    Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the 
current expiration date with no changes to the current reporting 
requirements.
    Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection is 
estimated as:

 
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                                                             Number of        Average burden
              Number of responses annually                 responses per        hours per         Total annual
                                                             respondent          response         burden hours
(1)                                                                   (2)                (3)    (1) x (2) x (3)
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78.....................................................               1.7                 88             11,669
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    The estimated total cost to respondents is $798,721 [11,669 hours/
2,080 hours \1\ per year, times $142,372 \2\ equals $798,721]. The cost 
per respondent annually is $10,240. This is an increase from 60 to 
currently 78 utilities filing annually. An increase from 1 to 1.7 
filings per utility annually was also seen. The Commission considers 
this a normal fluctuation due to market activities and filing times 
chosen. Utilities files periodically, therefore the number of filings 
are expected to continue to fluctuate from year-to-year.
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    \1\ Number of hours an employee works each year.
    \2\ Average annual salary per employee (including overhead).
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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, using technology and systems for the purposes of 
collecting, validating, verifying, processing, maintaining,

[[Page 35871]]

disclosing and providing information; (3) adjusting the existing ways 
to comply with any previously applicable filing instructions and 
requirements; (4) training personnel to respond to this collection of 
information; (5) searching data sources; (6) completing and reviewing 
the collection of information; and (7) transmitting, or otherwise 
disclosing the information.
    The cost estimate 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: June 14, 2011.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-15193 Filed 6-17-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P