[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 54 (Wednesday, March 22, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14710-14711]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-05672]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC17-4-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-521); Comment 
Request; Extension

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of information collection and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or 
FERC) is soliciting public comment on FERC-521 (Payments for Benefits 
from Headwater Improvements) and will be submitting FERC-521 to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review of the information 
collection requirements.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due May 22, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by Docket No. IC17-4-000 
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:
    Title: FERC-521, Payments for Benefits from Headwater Improvements
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0087.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-521 information 
collection requirements with no changes to the reporting requirements.
    Abstract: The information collected under the requirements of FERC-
521 is

[[Page 14711]]

used by the Commission to implement the statutory provisions of Section 
10(f) of the Federal Power Act (FPA).\1\ The FPA authorizes the 
Commission to determine headwater benefits received by downstream 
hydropower project owners. Headwater benefits are the additional energy 
production possible at a downstream hydropower project resulting from 
the regulation of river flows by an upstream storage reservoir.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ 16 U.S.C. 803.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    When the Commission completes a study of a river basin, it 
determines headwater benefits charges that will be apportioned among 
the various downstream beneficiaries. A headwater benefits charge and 
the cost incurred by the Commission to complete an evaluation are paid 
by downstream hydropower project owners. In essence, the owners of non-
federal hydropower projects that directly benefit from a headwater 
improvement must pay an equitable portion of the annual charges for 
interest, maintenance, and depreciation of the headwater project to the 
U.S. Treasury. The regulations provide for apportionment of these costs 
between the headwater project and downstream projects based on 
downstream energy gains and propose equitable apportionment methodology 
that can be applied to all river basins in which headwater improvements 
are built. The Commission requires owners of non-federal hydropower 
projects to file data for determining annual charges as outlined in 18 
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 11.
    Type of Respondents: There are two types of entities that respond, 
Federal and Non-Federal hydropower project owners. The Federal entities 
that typically respond are the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the 
U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Reclamation. The Non-Federal 
entities may consist of any Municipal or Non-Municipal hydropower 
project owner.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \2\ The Commission estimates the total 
Public Reporting Burden for this information collection as:
    The estimates for cost per response are derived using the 2017 FERC 
average salary plus benefits of $158,754/year (or $76.50/hour). 
Commission staff finds that the work done for this information 
collection is typically done by wage categories similar to those at 
FERC.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ Burden is defined 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, refer to 5 Code of Federal Regulations 1320.3.

                                               FERC-521--Payments for Benefits From Headwater Improvements
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                               Annual  number
                                  Number of     of  responses   Total  number  Average burden &  Total annual burden hours &
                                 respondents         per        of  responses       cost per          total  annual cost       Cost per  respondent  ($)
                                                 respondent                        response
                                          (1)             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4).............  (3) * (4) = (5)............  (5) / (1)
                                                                          (3)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federal and Non-Federal                     3               1               3  40 hrs.; $3,060.  120 hrs.; $9,180...........  $3,060
 hydropower project owners.
                              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total cost...............  ..............  ..............  ..............  ................  120 hrs.; $9,180...........  $3,060
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The total estimated annual cost burden to each respondent is $3,060 
[40 hours * $76.50/hour = $3,060].
    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.

    Dated: March 13, 2017.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-05672 Filed 3-21-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P