[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 2, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19273-19274]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-09251]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC18-4-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-582); Comment 
Request; Extension

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of information collection and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) is soliciting 
public comment on the currently approved information collection, FERC-
582 (Electric Fees, Annual Charges, Waivers, and Exemptions) and 
submitting the information collection to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review. 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 published a 60-day Notice 
in the Federal Register in Docket No. IC18-4-000 requesting public 
comments. FERC received no comments in response to the Notice and is 
indicating that in its submittal to the OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due June 1, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by OMB Control No. 1902-
0132, should be sent via email to the

[[Page 19274]]

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 202-395-8528.
    A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Commission, in 
Docket No. IC18-4-000 by either of the following methods:
     eFiling at Commission's Website: 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-582, Electric Fees, Annual Charges, Waivers, and 
Exemptions.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0132.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-582 information 
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting 
requirements.
    Abstract: The information required by FERC-582 is contained in 
Title 18 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 381 \1\ and 382.\2\
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    \1\ 18 CFR, Sections 381.105, 381.106, 381.108, 381.302, and 
381.305.
    \2\ 18 CFR, Sections 382.102, 382.103, 382.105, 382.106, and 
382.201.
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    The Commission uses the FERC-582 to implement the statutory 
provisions of the Independent Offices Appropriation Act of 1952 (IOAA) 
\3\ which authorizes the Commission to establish fees for its services. 
In addition, the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986 (OBRA) \4\ 
authorizes the Commission to assess and collect fees and annual charges 
in any fiscal year in amounts equal to all the costs incurred by the 
Commission in that fiscal year.
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    \3\ 31 U.S.C. 9701.
    \4\ 42 U.S.C. 7178.
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    To comply with the FERC-582, respondents submit to the Commission 
the sum of the megawatt-hours (MWh) of all unbundled transmission 
(including MWh delivered in wheeling transactions and MWh delivered in 
exchange transactions) and the megawatt-hours of all bundled wholesale 
power sales (to the extent the bundled wholesale power sales were not 
separately reported as unbundled transmission). The data collected in 
the FERC-582 are drawn directly from the FERC Form 1 \5\ transmission 
data. The Commission sums the costs of its electric regulatory program 
and subtracts all electric regulatory program filing fee collections to 
determine the total collectible electric regulatory program costs. 
Then, the Commission uses the data submitted under FERC-582 to 
determine the total megawatt-hours of transmission of electric energy 
in interstate commerce. Respondents (public utilities and power 
marketers) subject to these annual charges must submit FERC-582 data to 
the Commission by April 30 of each year.\6\ The Commission issues bills 
for annual charges to respondents. Then, respondents must pay the 
charges within 45 days of the Commission's issuance of the bill.
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    \5\ Annual Report of Major Electric Utilities, Licensees and 
Others (OMB Control No. 1902-0021), described in 18 CFR 141.1.
    \6\ 18 CFR 382.201.
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    Respondents file requests for waivers and exemptions of fees and 
charges \7\ based on need. The Commission's staff uses the filer's 
financial information to evaluate the request for a waiver or exemption 
of the obligation to pay a fee or an annual charge.
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    \7\ 18 CFR parts 381 and 382.
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    Estimate of Annual Burden \8\: The Commission estimates the burden 
and cost \9\ for this information collection as follows.
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    \8\ 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 CFR part 1320.
    \9\ The Commission staff thinks that the average respondent for 
this collection is similarly situated to the Commission, in terms of 
salary plus benefits. Based on FERC's 2017 annual average of 
$158,754 (for salary plus benefits), the average hourly cost is 
$76.50/hour.
    \10\ This includes requirements of 18 CFR 381.105 (methods of 
payment), 381.106 (waiver), 381.108 (exemption), 381.302 
(declaratory order), 381.303 (review of DOE remedial order), 381.304 
(DOE denial of adjustment), and 381.305 (OGC interpretation).

                                          FERC-582, Electric Fees, Annual Charges, Waivers, and Exemptions \10\
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                                       Annual number
        Number of respondents           of responses   Total number of     Average burden & cost per     Total annual burden hrs. & cost     Cost per
                                       per respondent     responses                 response                                                respondent
(1)                                               (2)  (1) x (2) = (3)  (4)............................  (3) * (4) = (5)................     (5) / (1) =
                                                                                                                                                     (5)
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67..................................                1               67  1 hr.; $76.50..................  67 hrs.; $5,125.50.............          $76.50
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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: April 25, 2018.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-09251 Filed 5-1-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P