[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 21 (Thursday, January 31, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 692-693]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-00454]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. IC19-6-000]
Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-914); Comment
Request; Extension
AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.
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 the currently approved
information collection, FERC-914 (Cogeneration and Small Power
Production--Tariff Filings).
DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due April 1, 2019.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. IC19-6-
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-914, Cogeneration and Small Power Production--Tariff
Filings.
OMB Control No.: 1902-0231.
Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-914 information
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting
requirements.
Abstract: Section 205(c) of the Federal Power Act (FPA) and 18 CFR
292 require that every public utility have all of its jurisdictional
rates and tariffs on file with the Commission and make them available
for public inspection, within such time and in such form as the
Commission may designate. Section 205(d) of the FPA requires that every
public utility must provide notice to the Commission and the public of
any changes to its jurisdictional rates and tariffs, file such changes
with the Commission, and make them available for public inspection, in
such manner as directed by the Commission. In addition, FPA section 206
requires the Commission, upon complaint or its own motion, to modify
existing rates or services that are found to be unjust, unreasonable,
unduly discriminatory or preferential. FPA section 207 requires the
Commission upon complaint by a state commission and a finding of
insufficient interstate service, to order the rendering of adequate
interstate service by public utilities, the rates for which would be
filed in accordance with FPA sections 205 and 206.
In Order Nos. 671 and 671-A,\1\ the Commission revised its
regulations that
[[Page 693]]
govern qualifying small power production and cogeneration facilities.
Among other things, the Commission eliminated certain exemptions from
rate regulation that were previously available to qualifying facilities
(QFs). New qualifying facilities may need to make tariff filings if
they do not meet the exemption requirements.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Revised Regulations Governing Small Power Production and
Cogeneration Facilities, Order No. 671, 71 FR 7852 (2/15/2006), FERC
Stats. & Regs. ] 31,203 (2006); and Revised Regulations Governing
Small Power Production and Cogeneration Facilities, Order 671-A, 71
FR 30585 (5/30/2006), in Docket No. RM05-36.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
FERC implemented the Congressional mandate of the Energy Policy Act
of 2005 (EPAct 2005) to establish criteria for new qualifying
cogeneration facilities by: (1) Amending the exemptions available to
qualifying facilities from the FPA and from Public Utility Holding
Company Act (PUHCA) [resulting in the burden imposed by FERC-914, the
subject of this notice]; (2) ensuring that these facilities are using
their thermal output in a productive and beneficial manner; that the
electrical, thermal, chemical and mechanical output of new qualifying
cogeneration facilities is used fundamentally for industrial,
commercial, residential or industrial purposes; and there is continuing
progress in the development of efficient electric energy generating
technology; (3) amending the FERC Form 556 \2\ to reflect the criteria
for new qualifying cogeneration facilities; and (4) eliminating
ownership limitations for qualifying cogeneration and small power
production facilities. The Commission satisfied the statutory mandate
and its continuing obligation to review its policies encouraging
cogeneration and small power production, energy conservation, efficient
use of facilities and resources by electric utilities, and equitable
rates for energy customers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ The FERC-556 (Certification of Qualifying Facility (QF)
Status for a Small Power Production or Cogeneration Facility) is
cleared separately as OMB Control No. 1902-0075 and is not a subject
of this notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type of Respondents: New qualifying facilities and small power
producers that do not meet Commission exemption criteria
Estimate of Annual Burden: \3\ The Commission estimates the annual
public reporting burden for the information collection as:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ 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 5 Code of Federal Regulations 1320.3.
\4\ FERC staff estimates that industry costs for salary plus
benefits are similar to Commission costs. The cost figure is the
FY2018 FERC average annual salary plus benefits ($164,820/year or
$79/hour).
FERC-914--Cogeneration and Small Power Production--Tariff Filings
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annual number
Number of of responses Total number of Average burden & cost per Total annual burden hours Cost per
respondents per respondent responses response ($) \4\ & total annual cost ($) respondent ($)
(1) (2) (1) * (2) = (3) (4)...................... (3) * (4) = (5)........... (5) / (1)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FPA Section 205 Filings...... 35 1 35 183 hrs.; $14,457........ 6,405 hrs.; $505,995...... $14,457
Electric Quarterly Reports 0 0 0 230 hrs.; $18,170........ 0 hrs.; $0................ 0
(initial).
Electric Quarterly Reports 35 4 140 6 hrs.; $474............. 840 hrs,; $66,360......... 1,896
(later).
Change of Status............. 10 1 10 3 hrs.; $237............. 30 hrs.; $2,370........... 237
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total.................... ............... ............... 185 ......................... 7,275 hrs.; $574,725...... ...............
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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: January 10, 2019.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-00454 Filed 1-30-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P