[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 142 (Wednesday, July 26, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34653-34654]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-15646]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC17-12-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-523); Comment 
Request; Revision and Extension

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Comment request.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or 
FERC) is submitting its information collection FERC-523, (Application 
for Authorization for the Issuance of Securities or the Assumption of 
Liabilities) 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 (82 FR 20475, 5/2/2017) requesting 
public comments. The Commission received no comments on FERC-523 and is 
making this notation in its submittal to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by August 25, 
2017.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by the OMB Control No. 
1902-0043, 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. IC17-12-000, 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-523, Application for Authorization for the Issuance of 
Securities or the Assumption of Liabilities.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0043.
    Type of Request: Three-year approval of the FERC-523 information 
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting 
requirements.
    Abstract: The information collected by FERC-523 is required to 
implement the statutory provisions of section 204

[[Page 34654]]

of the Federal Power Act (FPA) (16 U.S.C. 824c). Under section 204 of 
the FPA no public utility or licensee shall issue any security, or 
assume any obligation or liability as guarantor, endorser, surety, or 
otherwise in respect of any security of another person, until the 
public utility applies for and receives Commission approval by order 
authorizing the issue or assumption of the liability. The Commission 
issues an order if it finds that such issue or assumption (a) is for 
lawful object, within the corporate purposes of the applicant and 
compatible with the public interest, which is necessary or appropriate 
for or consistent with the proper performance by the applicant as a 
public utility, and which will not impair its ability to perform that 
service, and (b) is reasonably necessary or appropriate for such 
purposes.
    The Commission uses the information contained in filings to 
determine its acceptance and/or rejection of applications for 
authorization to either issue securities or to assume an obligation or 
liability by the public utilities and their licensees who submit these 
applications.
    The specific application requirements and filing format are found 
at 18 CFR part 34; and 18 CFR 131.43 and 131.50. This information is 
filed electronically.
    Type of Respondents: Public utilities subject to the Federal Power 
Act.
    Estimate of Annual Burden \1\: The Commission estimates the 
reduction in the annual public reporting burden for the FERC-523, as 
follows:
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    \1\ 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.
    \2\ The number of respondents is derived from the actual number 
of applications processed.
    \3\ The Commission staff thinks that the average respondent for 
this collection is similarly situated to the Commission, in terms of 
salary plus benefits. Based upon FERC's 2017 annual average of 
$158,754 (for salary plus benefits), the average hourly cost is 
$76.50/hour.

         FERC-523, Applications for Authorization for Issuance of Securities or Assumption of Liability
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                                              Annual  number                   Average  burden    Total annual
   Information collection        Number of     of  responses   Total number    hours  and cost    burden hours
        requirements            respondents         per        of responses     per  response       and total
                                    \2\         respondent                           \3\           annual cost
                                         (1)             (2)     (1) * (2) =               (4)   (3) * (4) = (5)
                                                                         (3)
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FERC-523....................             145               1             145                70   10,150 $776,475
                                                                                        $5,355
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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: July 20, 2017.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-15646 Filed 7-25-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P