[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 108 (Wednesday, June 7, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26476-26477]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-11760]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC17-4-000]


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

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Comment request.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) 
previously issued a 60-day Notice in the Federal Register requesting 
public comments on FERC-521 (Payments for Benefits from Headwater 
Improvements). The Commission received no comments.
    In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995, the Commission is submitting the FERC-521 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.

DATES: Comments on FERC-521 are due by July 7, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by the OMB Control No. 
1902-0087, 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 202-395-0710.
    A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, identified by the 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

[[Page 26477]]

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-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 current reporting 
requirements.
    Abstract: The information collected under the requirements of FERC-
521 is 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.
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    \1\ 16 U.S.C. 803.
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    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:
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    \2\ Burden is 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 Title 5 Code of Federal Regulations 1320.3.

                                               FERC-521--Payments for Benefits From Headwater Improvements
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                                                     Annual number
                                       Number of     of responses    Total number   Average burden & cost per  Total annual burden hours     Cost per
                                      respondents   per respondent   of responses            response             & total annual cost     respondent ($)
                                               (1)             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4)......................  (3) * (4) = (5)..........       (5) / (1)
                                                                               (3)
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Federal and Non-Federal hydropower               3               1               3  40 hrs.; $3,060..........  120 hrs.; $9,180.........          $3,060
 project owners.
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    Total Cost....................  ..............  ..............  ..............  .........................  120 hrs.; $9,180.........           3,060
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    The total estimated annual cost burden to respondents is $9,180 
[120 hrs. * $76.50/hour \3\ = $9,180]
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    \3\ Commission staff thinks that respondents to this collection 
are similarly compensated in terms of salary and benefits. $76.50/
hour is the average FERC employee hourly salary plus benefits for 
2017.
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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.

    Dated: June 1, 2017.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-11760 Filed 6-6-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P