[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 3, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31137-31138]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-14226]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC18-12-000]


Commission Information Collection Activity (FERC-566); Comment 
Request; Extension

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, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or 
FERC) is submitting its information collection [FERC-566 (Annual Report 
of a Utility's 20 Largest Purchasers)] 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 
requesting public comments. The Commission received no comments on the 
FERC-566 and is making this notation in its submittal to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due August 2, 
2018.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by OMB Control No. 1902-
0114, 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 202-395-8528.
    A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Commission, in 
Docket No. IC18-12-000 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

[[Page 31138]]

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-566 (Annual Report of a Utility's 20 Largest 
Purchasers).
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0114.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-566 information 
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting 
requirements.
    Abstract: The Federal Power Act (FPA), as amended by the Public 
Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA), mandates federal 
oversight and approval of certain electric corporate activities to 
ensure that neither public nor private interests are adversely 
affected. Accordingly, the FPA proscribes related information filing 
requirements to achieve this goal. Such filing requirements are found 
in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), specifically in 18 CFR 
Section 131.31, and serve as the basis for the FERC-566.
    FERC-566 implements FPA requirements that each public utility 
annually publish a list of the 20 purchasers which purchased the 
largest annual amounts of electric energy sold by such public utility 
during any of the three previous calendar years. The public disclosure 
of this information provides the information necessary to determine 
whether an interlocked position is with any of the 20 largest 
purchasers of electric energy. Similar to the Form 561,\1\ the FPA 
identifies who must file the FERC-566 report and sets the filing 
deadline.
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    \1\ FERC Form No. 561 (Annual Report of Interlocking 
Directorates), OMB Control No. 1902-0099.
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    Type of Respondents: Public utilities.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \2\ The Commission estimates the annual 
public reporting burden for the information collection as:
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    \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, reference 5 Code of Federal Regulations 1320.3.

                                              FERC-566 (Annual Report of a Utility's 20 Largest Purchasers)
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                                            Annual number
          Number of respondents              of responses   Total number of   Average burden and cost per    Total annual burden hours       Cost per
                                            per respondent     responses             response \3\              and total annual cost      respondent ($)
(1)                                                   (2)   (1) * (2) = (3)  (4).........................  (3) * (4) = (5).............       (5) / (1)
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300......................................               1              300   4 hrs.; $306................  1,200 hrs.; $91,800.........            $306
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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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    \3\ The estimates for cost per response are derived using the 
following formula: Average Burden Hours per Response * $76.50 per 
Hour = Average Cost per Response. The figure comes from the 2017 
FERC average hourly cost (for wages and benefits) of $76.50 (and an 
average annual salary of $158,754). Commission staff is using the 
FERC average hourly cost because we consider any reporting completed 
in response to the FERC-566 to be compensated at rates similar to 
the work of FERC employees.

    Dated: June 26, 2018.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-14226 Filed 7-2-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P