[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 27 (Monday, February 10, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7651-7653]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-02738]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC14-6-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-600); Comment 
Request; Extension

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of information collection and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of section 3506(c)(2)(A) 
of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A) (2006), 
(Pub. L. 104-13), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission 
or FERC) is soliciting public comment on the currently approved 
information collection, FERC-600 (Rules of Practice and Procedure: 
Complaint Procedures).

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due April 11, 
2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. IC14-6-
000) by either of the following methods:
     eFiling at the 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.

[[Page 7652]]


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:
    Title: FERC-600, Rules of Practice and Procedure: Complaint 
Procedures.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0180.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-600 information 
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting 
requirements.
    Abstract: The information is used by the Commission to implement 
the statutory provisions of the Federal Power Act (FPA), 16 U.S.C. 
791a-825r; the Natural Gas Act (NGA), 15 U.S.C. 717-717w; the Natural 
Gas Policy Act (NGPA), 15 U.S.C. 3301-3432; the Public Utility 
Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA), 16 U.S.C. 2601-2645; the 
Interstate Commerce Act (ICA), 49 U.S.C. App. 1 et. seq.; the Outer 
Continental Shelf Lands Act, 43 U.S.C. 1301-1356; and the Energy Policy 
Act of 2005, (Pub. L. 109-58) 119 Stat. 594.
    For the natural gas industry, section 14(a) of the NGA \1\ provides 
that the Commission may permit any person to file with it a statement 
in writing, under oath or otherwise, as it shall determine, as to any 
or all facts and circumstances concerning a matter which may be the 
subject of an investigation.
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    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 717m; accord 15 U.S.C. 717d.
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    For public utilities, section 307(a) of the FPA \2\ provides that 
the Commission may permit any person to file with it a statement in 
writing, under oath or otherwise, as it shall determine, as to any or 
all facts and circumstances concerning a matter which may be the 
subject of an investigation.
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    \2\ 16 U.S.C. 825f(a); accord 16 U.S.C. 824e.
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    Section 215(d)(5) of the FPA \3\ provides that the Commission, upon 
its own motion or upon complaint, may order the Electric Reliability 
Organization to submit to the Commission a proposed reliability 
standard or a modification to a reliability standard that addresses a 
specific matter if the Commission considers such a new or modified 
reliability standard appropriate to carry out this section.
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    \3\ 16 U.S.C. 824o(d)(5).
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    For hydropower projects, section 19 of the FPA \4\ provides that, 
as a condition of a license, jurisdiction is conferred upon the 
Commission, upon complaint of any person aggrieved or upon its own 
initiative, to exercise such regulation and control over services, 
rates, and charges until such time as the State shall have provided a 
commission or other authority for such regulation and control.
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    \4\ 16 U.S.C. 812.
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    For qualifying facilities, section 210(h)(2)(B) of PURPA \5\ 
provides that any electric utility, qualifying cogenerator, or 
qualifying small power producer may petition the Commission to enforce 
the requirements of the Commission's PURPA regulations.
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    \5\ 16 U.S.C. 824a-3(h)(2)(B).
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    For oil pipelines, in Part 1 of the Interstate Commerce Act, 
sections 1, 6 and 15 (recodified by Pub. L. 95-473 and found as an 
appendix to Title 49 U.S.C.),\6\ the Commission is authorized to 
investigate the rates charged by oil pipeline companies subject to its 
jurisdiction. If an oil rate has been filed and allowed by the 
Commission to go into effect without suspension and hearing, the 
Commission can investigate the effective rate on its own motion or by 
complaint filed with the Commission. Section 13 of the ICA \7\ provides 
that any person can file a complaint complaining of anything done or 
omitted to be done by an oil pipeline.
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    \6\ 49 App. U.S.C. 1 et seq (1988).
    \7\ Id. 13.
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    In Order No. 602,\8\ the Commission revised its regulations 
governing complaints filed with the Commission under the above 
statutes. Order No. 602 was designed to encourage and support 
consensual resolution of complaints, and to organize the complaint 
procedures so that all complaints are handled in a timely and fair 
manner. In order to achieve this result, the Commission revised Rule 
206 of its Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.206) to require 
that a complaint satisfy certain informational requirements, to require 
that answers be filed in a shorter, 20-day time frame, and to provide 
that parties may employ various types of alternative dispute resolution 
procedures to resolve their disputes.
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    \8\ 64 FR 17087 (April 8, 1999).
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    The data in complaints filed by interested/affected parties 
regarding jurisdictional oil, natural gas, electric and hydropower 
operations, facilities, and services are used by the Commission in 
establishing a basis to make an initial determination regarding the 
merits of the complaint and whether or not to undertake further 
investigation. Investigations may range from whether there is undue 
discrimination in rates or services to questions regarding market power 
of regulated entities to environmental concerns. In order to make an 
informed determination, it is important to know the specifics 
underlying any oil, gas, electric, and hydropower complaint ``up-
front'' in a timely manner and in sufficient detail to allow the 
Commission to act swiftly. In addition, such complaint data helps the 
Commission and interested parties to monitor, e.g., the market for 
undue discrimination or exercises of market power. The information is 
voluntary but submitted pursuant to prescribed filing requirements. The 
Commission implements these filing requirements in the Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR Parts 343 and 385.
    Type of Respondents: Interested/affected parties regarding oil, 
natural gas, electric and hydropower operations, facilities, and 
services.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \9\ The estimated annual burden and cost 
follow.
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    \9\ The Commission defines ``burden'' as the total time, effort, 
or financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, 
retain, disclose, or provide information to or for a Federal agency. 
For further explanation of what is included in the information 
collection burden, refer to 5 Code of Federal Regulations 1320.3.

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                                                                                                                           Total annual
                                                             Number of     Annual number   Total number   Average burden  burden hours &  Average annual
                                                            respondents    of responses    of responses    hours & cost    total annual       cost per
                                                                          per respondent                   per  response       cost         respondent
                                                                     (1)             (2)   (1)*(2) = (3)             (4)             (5)             (6)
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FERC-600................................................              62               1              62        \10\ 160      \12\ 9,920         $11,280
                                                                                                            \11\ $11,280   \13\ $699,360
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    \10\ We have re-evaluated the time and effort involved in 
preparing and filing a complaint, in light of the current 
complexities of the industries regulated by FERC. As a result, we 
think an estimate of 160 hours per complaint is a more realistic 
average of the burden per filing. The reporting requirements have 
not been revised.
    \11\ $70.50/hour is the average hourly cost of a FERC employee 
(salary plus benefits) for Fiscal Year 2014. We assume that the 
respondents to this collection are similarly situated in terms of 
salary plus benefits.
    Average cost per response = Average burden hours per response 
[160 hours] * $70.50 per hour.
    \12\ Total annual burden hours = Total number of responses [62] 
* Average burden hours per response [160].
    \13\ Total annual cost = Total annual burden hours [9,920] * 
hourly cost [$70.50].

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[[Page 7653]]

    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 
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other forms of information technology.

    Dated: February 3, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-02738 Filed 2-7-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P