[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 203 (Wednesday, October 21, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63759-63761]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-26727]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC15-11-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-914); 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 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D), the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission (Commission or FERC) is submitting its information 
collection (FERC-914, Cogeneration and Small Power Production--Tariff 
Filings) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review of the 
information

[[Page 63760]]

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 (80 FR 46257, 8/4/2015) requesting 
public comments. The Commission received no comments on the FERC-914 
and is making this notation in its submittal to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by November 
20, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by the OMB Control No. 
1902-0231, 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. IC15-11-000, 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-914, Cogeneration and Small Power Production--Tariff 
Filings.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0231
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-914 information 
collection requirements with no changes to the reporting requirements.
    Abstract: Section 205(c) of the Federal Power Act (FPA) requires 
that every public utility have all of its jurisdictional rates and 
tariffs on file with the Commission and make them available for public 
inspection, within such time and in such form as the Commission may 
designate. Section 205(d) of the FPA requires that every public utility 
must provide notice to the Commission and the public of any changes to 
its jurisdictional rates and tariffs, file such changes with the 
Commission, and make them available for public inspection, in such 
manner as directed by the Commission. In addition, FPA section 206 
requires the Commission, upon complaint or its own motion, to modify 
existing rates or services that are found to be unjust, unreasonable, 
unduly discriminatory or preferential. FPA section 207 requires the 
Commission upon complaint by a state commission and a finding of 
insufficient interstate service, to order the rendering of adequate 
interstate service by public utilities, the rates for which would be 
filed in accordance with FPA sections 205 and 206.
    In Orders Nos. 671 and 671-A \1\, the Commission revised its 
regulations that govern qualifying small power production and 
cogeneration facilities. Among other things, the Commission eliminated 
certain exemptions from rate regulation that were previously available 
to qualifying facilities (QFs). New qualifying facilities may need to 
make tariff filings if they do not meet the new exemption requirements.
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    \1\ Revised Regulations Governing Small Power Production and 
Cogeneration Facilities, Order No. 671, 71 FR 7852 (2/15/2006), FERC 
Stats. & Regs. ] 31,203 (2006); and Revised Regulations Governing 
Small Power Production and Cogeneration Facilities, Order 671-A, 71 
FR 30585 (5/30/2006), in Docket No. RM05-36.
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    FERC implemented the Congressional mandate of the Energy Policy Act 
of 2005 (EPAct 2005) to establish criteria for new qualifying 
cogeneration facilities by: (1) Amending the exemptions available to 
qualifying facilities from the FPA and from PUHCA [resulting in the 
burden imposed by FERC-914, the subject of this statement]; (2) 
ensuring that these facilities are using their thermal output in a 
productive and beneficial manner; that the electrical, thermal, 
chemical and mechanical output of new qualifying cogeneration 
facilities is used fundamentally for industrial, commercial, 
residential or industrial purposes; and there is continuing progress in 
the development of efficient electric energy generating technology; (3) 
amending the FERC Form 556 \2\ to reflect the criteria for new 
qualifying cogeneration facilities; and (4) eliminating ownership 
limitations for qualifying cogeneration and small power production 
facilities. The Commission satisfied the statutory mandate and its 
continuing obligation to review its policies encouraging cogeneration 
and small power production, energy conservation, efficient use of 
facilities and resources by electric utilities, and equitable rates for 
energy customers.
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    \2\ The FERC-556 is cleared separately as OMB Control No. 1902-
0075 and is not a subject of this notice.
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    Type of Respondents: New qualifying facilities and small power 
producers that do not meet Commission exemption criteria.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \3\ The Commission estimates the annual 
public reporting burden for the information collection as:
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    \3\ 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-914: Cogeneration and Small Power Production--Tariff Filings
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                                                                          Annual  number                      Average      Total annual
                                                             Number of     of  responses   Total number    burden & cost  burden hours &     Cost per
                                                            respondents         per        of  responses   per response    total  annual  Respondent ($)
                                                                            respondent                          \4\            cost
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                                                                     (1)             (2)     (1)*(2)=(3)             (4)     (3)*(4)=(5)         (5)/(1)
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FPA Section 205 Filings.................................              35               1              35             183           6,405         $13,176
                                                                                                                 $13,176        $461,160
Electric Quarterly Reports (initial)....................               0               0               0             230               0              $0
                                                                                                                 $16,560              $0

[[Page 63761]]

 
Electric Quarterly Reports (later)......................              35               4             140               6             840          $1,728
                                                                                                                    $432         $60,480
Change of Status........................................              10               1              10               3              30            $216
                                                                                                                    $216          $2,160
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    TOTAL...............................................  ..............             185  ..............           7,725        $523,800         $15,120
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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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    \4\ The estimates for cost per response are derived using the 
following formula: Average Burden Hours per Response * $72.00 per 
Hour = Average Cost per Response. The hourly cost figure comes from 
the FERC average salary of $149,489/year.

    Dated: October 15, 2015.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-26727 Filed 10-20-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P