[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 229 (Wednesday, November 28, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70996-70997]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-28842]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC13-3-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; 
Extension

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of information collections and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, 44 USC 3506(c)(2)(A), the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission (Commission or FERC) is soliciting public comment on the 
currently approved information collections, FERC-60 (Annual Report of 
Centralized Service Companies), FERC-61 (Narrative Description of 
Service Company Functions), and FERC-555A (Preservation of Records 
Companies and Service Companies Subject to PUHCA \1\).
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    \1\ Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005.

DATES: Comments on the collections of information are due January 28, 
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2013.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. IC13-3-
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], telephone at (202) 502-8663, and fax at (202) 
273-0873.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Titles: FERC-60 (Annual Report of Centralized Service Companies), 
FERC-61 (Narrative Description of Service Company Functions), and FERC-
555A (Preservation of Records Companies and Service Companies Subject 
to PUHCA).
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0215.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-60, FERC-61, & 
FERC-555A information collection requirements with no changes to the 
current reporting requirements.
    Abstract: On August 8, 2005, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, was 
signed into law, repealing the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 
1935 (PUHCA 1935) and enacting the Public Utility Holding Company Act 
of 2005 (PUHCA 2005). Section 1264 \2\ and Section 1275 \3\ of PUHCA 
2005 supplemented FERC's existing ratemaking authority under the 
Federal Power Act (FPA) to protect customers against improper cross-
subsidization or encumbrances of public utility assets, and similarly, 
FERC's ratemaking authority under the Natural Gas Act (NGA). These 
provisions of PUHCA 2005 supplemented the FERC's broad authority under 
FPA Section 301

[[Page 70997]]

and NGA section 8 to obtain the books and records of regulated 
companies and any person that controls or is under the influence of 
such companies if relevant to jurisdictional activities.
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    \2\ Federal Books and Records Access Provision.
    \3\ Non-Power Goods and Services Provision.
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FERC Form 60

    Form No. 60 is an annual reporting requirement under 18 CFR 366.23 
for centralized service companies. The report's function is to collect 
financial information (including balance sheet, assets, liabilities, 
billing and charges for associated and non-associated companies) from 
centralized service companies subject to the jurisdiction of the FERC. 
Unless Commission rule exempts or grants a waiver pursuant to 18 CFR 
366.3 and 366.4 to the holding company system, every centralized 
service company in a holding company system must prepare and file 
electronically with the FERC the Form No. 60, pursuant to the General 
Instructions in the form.

FERC-61

    FERC-61 is a filing requirement for service companies in holding 
company systems (including special purpose companies) that are 
currently exempt or granted a waiver of FERC's regulations and would 
not have to file FERC Form 60. Instead, those service companies are 
required to file, on an annual basis, a narrative description of the 
service company's functions during the prior calendar year (FERC-61). 
In complying, a holding company may make a single filing on behalf of 
all of its service company subsidiaries.

FERC-555A

    FERC prescribed a mandated preservation of records requirements for 
holding companies and service companies (unless otherwise exempted by 
FERC). This requires them to maintain and make available to FERC, their 
books and records. The preservation of records requirement provides for 
uniform records retention by holding companies and centralized service 
companies subject to PUHCA 2005.
    Data from the FERC Form 60, FERC-61, and FERC-555A provide a level 
of transparency that: (1) Helps protect ratepayers from pass-through of 
improper service company costs, (2) enables FERC to review and 
determine cost allocations (among holding company members) for certain 
non-power goods and services, (3) aids FERC in meeting its oversight 
and market monitoring obligations, and (4) benefits the public, both as 
ratepayers and investors. In addition, the FERC's audit staff used 
these records during compliance reviews and special analyses.
    If data from the FERC Form 60, FERC-61, and FERC-555A were not 
available, FERC would not be able to meet its statutory 
responsibilities, under EPAct 1992, EPAct of 2005, and PUHCA 2005, and 
FERC would not have all of the regulatory mechanisms necessary to 
ensure customer protection.
    Type of Respondents: Electric transmission facilities.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \4\ The Commission estimates the total 
Public Reporting Burden for this information collection as:
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    \4\ The Commission defines burden 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-60 (Annual Report of Centralized Service Companies), FERC-61 (Narrative Description of Service Company
       Functions), & FERC-555A (Preservation of Records Companies and Service Companies Subject to PUHCA)
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                                                    Number of                     Average burden     Estimated
                                    Number of     responses per   Total number      hours per      total annual
                                   respondents     respondent     of responses       response         burden
                                            (A)             (B)     (A) x (B) =            (D)         (C) x (D)
                                                                            (C)
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FERC-60........................              34               1              34             75             2,550
FERC-61........................              82               1              82              0.5              41
FERC-555A......................             100               1             100          1,080           108,000
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    Total......................  ..............  ..............  ..............  ...............         110,591
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    The total estimated annual cost burden to respondents is 
$4,735,093.16 [$306,000 (FERC Form 60) + $2,829.41 (FERC-61) + 
$4,426,263.75 (FERC-555A) = $4,735,093.16]
    FERC Form 60: 2,550 hours * $120/hour = $306,000.
    FERC-61: 41 hours * $69.01/hour = $2,829.41.
    FERC-555A: \5\
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    \5\ Internal analysis assumes 50% electronic and 50% paper 
storage.
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     Labor costs for paper storage: 108,000 hours * $19/hours 
\6\ = $2,052,000
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    \6\ 2012 average hourly wage of filing clerk working within an 
electric utility.
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     Record Retention/storage cost for paper storage (using an 
estimate of 6,000 ft\3\): $38,763.75.
     Electronic record retention/storage cost: $2,335,500 
[108,000 hours / 2 = 54,000 * $28/hour \7\ = $1,512,000; electronic 
record storage cost: 54,000 hours * $15.25/year \8\ = $823,500; total 
electronic record storage: $2,335,500]
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    \7\ The Commission bases the $28/hour figure on a FERC staff 
study that included estimating public utility recordkeeping costs.
    \8\ 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).
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    Comments: Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the collections of 
information are 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 collections of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance 
the quality, utility and clarity of the information collections; and 
(4) ways to minimize the burden of the collections of information on 
those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.

    Dated: November 2, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-28842 Filed 11-27-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P