[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 152 (Tuesday, August 7, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47050-47051]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-19266]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC12-13-000; (FERC-915)]


Commission Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.

ACTION: Comment request.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or 
FERC) is submitting the information collection FERC-915 (Public Utility 
Market-Based Rate Authorization Holders--Records Retention Requirement) 
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 (77 FR 28863, 5/16/2012) requesting public 
comments. FERC received no comments on the FERC-915 and is making this 
notation in its submittal to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by September 
6, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by the OMB Control No. 
1902-0223, should be sent via email to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs: [email protected]. Attention: Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission Desk Officer. The Desk Officer may also be 
reached via telephone at 202-395-4718.
    A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, identified by the Docket No. IC12-13-000, by 
either of the following methods:
     eFiling at Commission's Web Site: http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp.
     Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, Secretary of the Commission, 888 First Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20426.
    Instructions: All submissions must be formatted and filed in 
accordance with submission guidelines at: http://www.ferc.gov/help/submission-guide.asp. 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.
    Docket: Users interested in receiving automatic notification of 
activity in this docket or in viewing/downloading comments and 
issuances in this docket may do so at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/docs-filing.asp.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: FERC-915, Public Utility Market-Based Rate Authorization 
Holders--Records Retention Requirement.
    OMB Control No.:1902-0223.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-915 information 
collection requirements with no changes to the reporting requirements.
    Abstract: The Commission has the regulatory responsibility under 
section 205 of the Federal Power Act to ensure that wholesale sales of 
electricity are just and reasonable and provided in a non-
discriminatory manner. Under section 35.41(d), the Commission requires 
all sellers with market-based rates to retain all relevant sales 
documents for five years. Relevant documents include all information 
upon which they bill their prices charged for electric energy or 
electric energy products sold pursuant to their market-

[[Page 47051]]

based rate tariff and the prices reported for use in price indices.
    The five-year statute of limitations applies where the Commission 
seeks civil penalties for violations of the Anti-Manipulation rule or 
other rules, regulations, or orders to which the price information may 
be relevant.
    The information maintained by the respondents under FERC-915 is 
used by the Commission to monitor the entities' sales, ensure that the 
prices are just and reasonable, maintain the integrity of the wholesale 
jurisdictional sales markets, and ensure that the entities comply with 
the requirements of the Federal Power Act, the Commission's regulations 
and any orders authorizing market-based rate sales.
    Type of Respondents: Public Utility Market-Based Rate Authorization 
Holders.
    Estimate of Annual Burden \1\: The Commission estimates the total 
Public Reporting Burden for this information collection as:
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    \1\ Burden is defined as the total time, effort, or financial 
resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or 
disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency. For 
further explanation of what is included in the information 
collection burden, reference 5 Code of Federal Regulations 1320.3.

                      FERC-915 (IC12-13-000): Public Utility Market-Based Rate Authorization Holders--Records Retention Requirement
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                                                                                         Number of                      Average  burden
                                                                        Number of      responses per   Total number of     hours  per    Estimated total
                                                                       respondents       respondent       responses         response      annual burden
                                                                                (A)              (B)    (A) x (B) = (C)            (D)                (C) x (D)
Electric Utilities with Market-Based Rate Authority................           1,730                1            1,730                1            1,730
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    The total estimated annual cost burden to respondents is $369,638 
[$40,655 (labor costs) + $315,792 (record retention/storage cost) + 
$13,191 (electronic record-keeping cost) = $369,638]
     Labor costs: $40,655 [(1,730 hours / 2 \2\ = 865 hours * 
$19/hours \3\ = $16,435) + (1730 hours / 2 = 865 * $28/hour \4\ = 
$24,220)]
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    \2\ The Commission assumes 50% of responding entities utilize 
conventional (i.e. ``paper'' storage).
    \3\ 2012 average hourly wage of filing clerk working within an 
electric utility.
    \4\ The Commission bases the $28/hour figure on a FERC staff 
study that included estimating public utility recordkeeping costs.
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     Record retention/storage cost (using an estimate of 48,891 
cubic feet): $315,792 \5\
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    \5\ The Commission bases this figure on industry archival 
storage costs.
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     Electronic record retention/storage cost: $13,191 (1,730 
respondents / 2 = 865 respondents * $15.25/hour \6\ = $13,191).\7\
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    \6\ Per entity; the Commission bases this figure on the 
estimated cost to service and to store 1 GB of data (based on the 
aggregated cost of an IBM advanced data protection server).
    \7\ The Commission assumes 50% of responding entities are 
storing records in electronic formats.
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    Comments: 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 and 
cost 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 collection; and (4) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are 
to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.

    Dated: August 1, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-19266 Filed 8-6-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P