[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 3, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 98-99]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-33643]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC12-4-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities, Proposed Collection 
(FERC-716); Comment Request; Extension

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of proposed information collection and request for 
comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 (FERC or Commission) is soliciting public 
comment on the specific aspects of the information collection described 
below.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by March 5, 
2012.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be filed either electronically (eFiled) or in 
paper format. The comments should refer to Docket No. IC12-4-000. 
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 email 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. 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. IC12-4-000. For user assistance, contact FERC Online Support by 
email 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 email at 
[email protected], telephone at (202) 502-8663, by fax at (202) 
273-0873.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission uses the information 
collected under the requirements of FERC-716 (``Good Faith Request for 
Transmission Service and Response by Transmitting Utility Under 
Sections 211(a) and 213(a) of the Federal Power Act'' [OMB No. 1902-
0170]) to implement the statutory provisions of sections 211 and 213 of 
the Federal Power Act (FPA) as amended and added by the Energy Policy 
Act 1992. FERC-716 also includes the requirement to file a section 211 
request if the negotiations between the transmission requestor and the 
transmitting utility are unsuccessful. For the initial process, the 
information is not filed with the Commission. However, the request and 
response may be analyzed as a part of a section 211 action. The 
Commission may order transmission services under the authority of FPA 
211.
    The Commission's regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR), 18 CFR 2.20, provide standards by which the Commission 
determines if and when a valid good faith request for transmission has 
been made under section 211 of the FPA. By developing the standards, 
the Commission sought to encourage an open exchange of data with a 
reasonable degree of specificity and completeness between the party 
requesting transmission services and the transmitting utility. As a 
result, 18 CFR 2.20 identifies 12 components of a good faith estimate 
and 5 components of a reply to a good faith request.
    Action: The Commission is requesting a three-year extension of the 
current expiration date with no changes to the existing collection.

[[Page 99]]

    Burden Statement: The Commission estimates the Public Reporting 
Burden for this information collection as:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Number of
 FERC data collection FERC-716 (OMB control No.      Number of     responses per  Average burden   Total annual
                   1902-0170)                       respondents     respondent       hours per     burden hours
                                                   annually  (1)        (2)        response  (3)    (1)*(2)*(3)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Information exchange between parties............               3               1             100             300
Application submitted to FERC if parties'                      3               1             2.5             * 8
 negotiations are unsuccessful..................
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................  ..............  ..............  ..............             308
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Rounded.

    The total annual cost of filing FERC-716 is: 308 hours/2080 hours 
\1\ x $142,372 = $21,082.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Number of hours an employee works in a year.
    \2\ Average annual salary per employee.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 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 Commission bases the cost estimate for respondents upon 
salaries within the Commission for professional and clerical support. 
This cost estimate includes respondents' total salary and employment 
benefits.
    Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the 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 
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 through the use of automated collection techniques 
or other forms of information technology.

    Dated: December 27, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-33643 Filed 12-30-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P