[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 238 (Tuesday, December 11, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73631-73632]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-29849]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC12-18-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-500 and FERC-
505); 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, 44 USC 3507(a)(1)(D), the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission (Commission or FERC) is submitting the information 
collections Application for License/Relicense for Water Projects with 
Greater than 5 Megawatt Capacity (FERC-500), and Application for 
License/Relicense for Water Projects with 5 Megawatt or Less Capacity 
(FERC-505) 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 56636, 09/13/2012) requesting public 
comments. FERC received no comments on the FERC-500 and FERC-505 and is 
making this notation in its submittal to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collections of information are due by January 
10, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by the OMB Control Nos. 
1902-0058 (FERC-500) and/or 1902-0114 (FERC-505), 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. IC12-18-000, by one 
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:
    Titles: FERC-500: Application for License/Relicense for Water 
Projects with Greater than 5 Megawatt Capacity; FERC-505: Application 
for License/Relicense for Water Projects with 5 Megawatt or Less 
Capacity.
    OMB Control Nos.: FERC-500 (1902-0058); FERC-505 (1902-0114).
    Type of Request: 16 U.S.C. 797(e) authorizes the Commission to 
issue licenses to citizens of the United States for the purpose of 
constructing, operating, and maintaining dams, across, along, from, or 
within waterways over which Congress has jurisdiction. The Electric 
Consumers Protection Act amended the Federal Power Act to provide the 
Commission with the responsibility of issuing licenses for non-federal 
hydroelectric plants. 16 U.S.C. 797(e) also requires the Commission to 
give equal consideration to preserving energy conservation, the 
protection, mitigation of damage to, and enhancement of, fish and 
wildlife, the protection of recreational opportunities, and the 
preservation of other aspects of environmental quality when approving 
licenses. Finally, 16 U.S.C. 799 stipulates conditions upon which the 
Commission issues hydroelectric licenses.
    The Commission requires all hydroelectric license applications to 
address a variety of environmental concerns. Many of these concerns 
address environmental requirements developed by other agencies. The 
applicants must provide facts in order for the Commission to understand 
and resolve potential environmental problems associated with the 
application in the interests of the United States public.
    Types of Respondents: Non-federal hydroelectric plants greater than 
5 megawatt capacity (FERC-500); non-federal hydroelectric plants less 
than 5 megawatts capacity (FERC-505).
    Estimate of Annual Burden \1\: The Commission estimates the total 
Public

[[Page 73632]]

Reporting Burden for each information collection as:
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    \1\ 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. The estimated burden for these collections has 
decreased significantly. For more explanation, see the supporting 
statement submitted to OMB at reginfo.gov (available when this 
notice publishes in the Federal Register).

                   FERC-500 (IC12-18-000): Application for License/Relicense for Water Projects With Greater than 5 Megawatt Capacity
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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)*(B)=(C)            (D)                (C)*(D)
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Non-federal hydroelectric plants greater than 5 megawatt capacity..             219                1              219               87           19,053
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                      FERC-505 (IC12-18-000): Application for License/Relicense for Water Projects with 5 Megawatt or Less Capacity
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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)*(B)=(C)            (D)                (C)*(D)
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Non-federal hydroelectric plants less than 5 megawatts capacity....              16                1               16              273            4,368
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    FERC-500 total estimated annual cost burden to respondents is 
$1,314,839.32 [(19,053 hours / 2080 hours/year \2\) * $143,540/year \3\ 
= $1,314,839.32]
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    \2\ 2080 hours = 52 weeks * 40 hours per week (i.e. 1 year of 
full-time employment).
    \3\ Average salary plus benefits per full-time equivalent 
employee.
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    FERC-505: total estimated annual cost burden to respondents is 
$301,502.90 [(4,368 hours / 2080 hours/year) * $143,540/year = 
$301,434.00]
    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: December 5, 2012.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-29849 Filed 12-10-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P