[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 169 (Tuesday, September 2, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51986-51987]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-20764]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC14-14-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-519); Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC.

ACTION: Comment request.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D), the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission (Commission or FERC) is submitting its information 
collection FERC-519 (Application under Federal Power Act Section 203) 
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 previously issued 
a Notice in the Federal Register (79 FR 30598, 5/28/2014) requesting 
public comments. The Commission received no comments on the FERC-519 
and is making this notation in its submittal to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by October 2, 
2014.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by the OMB Control No. 
1902-0082, 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 Commission, in 
Docket No. IC14-14-000, 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-519, Application under Federal Power Act Section 203.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0082.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-519 information 
collection requirements with no changes to the reporting requirements.
    Abstract: The FERC-519 (Application under Federal Power Act Section 
203) is necessary to enable the Commission to

[[Page 51987]]

carry out its responsibilities in implementing the statutory provisions 
of Section 203 of the Federal Power Act (FPA), 16 U.S.C. 824b. Section 
203 authorizes the Commission to grant approval of transactions in 
which a public utility disposes of jurisdictional facilities, merges 
such facilities with the facilities owned by another person or acquires 
the securities of another public utility. Under this statute, the 
Commission must find that the proposed transaction will be consistent 
with the public interest.
    Under Section 203 of the FPA, FERC must review proposed mergers, 
acquisitions and dispositions of jurisdictional facilities by public 
utilities, if the value of the facilities exceeds $10 million, and must 
approve these transactions if they are consistent with the public 
interest. One of FERC's overarching goals is to promote competition in 
wholesale power markets, having determined that effective competition, 
as opposed to traditional forms of price regulation, can best protect 
the interests of ratepayers. Market power, however, can be exercised to 
the detriment of effective competition and customers, making it 
necessary for FERC to review and approve or disapprove all 
jurisdictional mergers, dispositions and acquisitions. The Commission 
implements these filing requirements in the Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR) under 18 CFR Part 33.
    Type of Respondents: Public utilities subject to the FPA.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \1\ The Commission estimates the annual 
public reporting burden for the 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.

                                                                        FERC-519
                                                    [Application under Federal Power Act Section 203]
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                                                                           Annual number                                   Total annual
                                                             Number of     of responses    Total number   Average burden  burden hours &     Cost per
                                                            respondents         per        of responses     & cost  per    total annual   respondent ($)
                                                                            respondent                     response \2\        cost
                                                                     (1)             (2)     (1)*(2)=(3)             (4)     (3)*(4)=(5)         (5)/(1)
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FERC-519................................................             141               1             141             395          55,695       $27,847.5
                                                                                                               $27,847.5      $3,926,498
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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.
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    \2\ The estimates for cost per response are derived using the 
following formula: Average Burden Hours per Response * $70.50 per 
Hour = Average Cost per Response. The hourly cost figure of $70.50 
is the average FERC employee wage plus benefits. We assume that 
respondents earn at a similar rate.

    Dated: August 21, 2014.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-20764 Filed 8-29-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P