[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 171 (Friday, September 2, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54748-54749]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-22512]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC11-519-001]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-519); Comment 
Request; Submitted for OMB Review

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Energy.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of section 3507 of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507, the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) has submitted the 
information collection described below to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review of the information collection requirements. Any 
interested person may file comments directly with OMB and should 
address a copy of those comments to the Commission as explained below. 
The Commission issued a Notice in the Federal Register (76 FR 35871, 6/
20/2001) requesting public comments. FERC received no comments on the 
FERC-519 and has made this notation in its submission to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by October 3, 
2011.

ADDRESSES: Address comments on the collection of information to the 
Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Desk Officer. 
Comments to Created by OMB should be filed electronically, c/o [email protected] and include OMB Control Number 1902-0082 for 
reference. The Desk Officer may be reached by telephone at 202-395-
4638.
    A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission and should refer to Docket No. IC11-519-001. 
Comments may be filed either electronically or in paper format. Those 
persons filing electronically do not need to make a paper filing. 
Documents filed electronically via the Internet must be prepared in an 
acceptable filing format and in compliance with the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission submission guidelines. Complete filing 
instructions and acceptable filing formats are available at http://www.ferc.gov/help/submission-guide.asp. To file the document 
electronically, access the Commission's Web site and click on Documents 
& Filing, E-Filing (http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp), and 
then follow the instructions for each screen. First time users will 
have to establish a user name and password. The Commission will send an 
automatic acknowledgement to the sender's e-mail address upon receipt 
of comments.
    For paper filings, the comments should be submitted to the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First 
Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, and should refer to Docket No. IC11-
519-001.
    Users interested in receiving automatic notification of activity in 
FERC Docket Number IC11-519 may do so through eSubscription at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp. All comments may be viewed, 
printed or downloaded remotely via the Internet through FERC's homepage 
using the ``eLibrary'' link. For user assistance, contact 
[email protected] or toll-free at (866) 208-3676, or for TTY, 
contact (202) 502-8659.

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 FERC-519, ``Application under Federal 
Power Act section 203,'' OMB Control No. 1902-0082, is necessary to 
enable the Commission to carry out its responsibilities in implementing 
the statutory provisions of section 203 of the Federal Power Act (FPA), 
16 U.S.C. 824b. Section 203 authorizes the Commission to grant approval 
of transactions in which a public utility disposes of jurisdictional 
facilities, merges such facilities with the facilities owned by another 
person or acquires the securities of another public utility. Under this 
statute, the Commission must find that the proposed transaction will be 
consistent with the public interest.

[[Page 54749]]

    Under section 203 of the FPA, FERC must review proposed mergers, 
acquisitions and dispositions of jurisdictional facilities by public 
utilities, if the value of the facilities exceeds $10 million, and must 
approve these transactions if they are consistent with the public 
interest. One of FERC's overarching goals is to promote competition in 
wholesale power markets, having determined that effective competition, 
as opposed to traditional forms of price regulation, can best protect 
the interests of ratepayers. Market power, however, can be exercised to 
the detriment of effective competition and customers, making it 
necessary for FERC to review and approve or disapprove all 
jurisdictional mergers, dispositions and acquisitions. The Commission 
implements these filing requirements in the Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR) under 18 CFR part 33.
    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 responses        Number of responses per     Average burden hours per
          annually                    respondent                   response            Total annual burden hours
(1)                                            (2)                          (3)                 (1)x(2)x(3)
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                  112                            1                          395                      44,240
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    The estimated total cost to respondents is $3,028,143 [44,240 
hours/2080 hours \1\ per year, times $142,372 \2\ equals $3,028,143]. 
The cost per respondent annually is $27,037. This is a decrease from 
134 to currently an average of 112 filings annually. The Commission 
considers this a normal fluctuation due to market activities and filing 
times chosen. Utilities file periodically; therefore the number of 
filings is 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, 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: August 29, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-22512 Filed 9-1-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P