[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 50 (Thursday, March 14, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9324-9325]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-04677]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC19-4-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-714); Comment 
Request; Extension

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of information collection and request for comments.

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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 soliciting public comment on the currently approved 
information collection FERC-714 (Annual Electric Balancing Authority 
Area and Planning Area Report) 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. 
On November 7, 2018, the Commission published a Notice in the Federal 
Register in Docket No. IC19-4-000 requesting public comments. The 
Commission received no comments.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due April 15, 
2019.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by OMB Control No. 1902-
0140, should be sent via email to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs: [email protected]. Attention: Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission Desk Officer.
    A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Commission, in 
Docket No. IC19-4-000, 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-714, Annual Electric Balancing Authority Area and 
Planning Area Report.
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0140.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-714 information 
collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting 
requirements.
    Abstract: The Commission uses the FERC-714 data to analyze power 
system operations. These analyses estimate the effect of changes in 
power system operations resulting from the installation of a new 
generating unit or plant, transmission facilities, energy transfers 
between systems, and/or new points of interconnections. The FERC-714 
data assists in providing a broad picture of interconnected balancing 
authority area operations including comprehensive information of 
balancing authority area generation, actual and scheduled inter-
balancing authority area power transfers, and net energy for load, 
summer and winter generation peaks and system lambda. The Commission 
also uses the data to prepare status reports on the electric utility 
industry including a review of inter-balancing authority area bulk 
power trade information. The Commission uses the collected data from 
planning areas to monitor forecasted demands by electric utilities with 
fundamental demand responsibilities and to develop hourly demand 
characteristics.
    Type of Respondent: Electric utility balancing authorities and 
planning areas in the United States.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: \1\ The Commission estimates the annual 
public reporting burden and cost \2\ (rounded)

[[Page 9325]]

for the information collection 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 CFR 1320.3.
    \2\ The hourly cost (for salary plus benefits) uses the figures 
from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2017, for the listed 
reporting requirements. These figures include salary (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm) and benefits http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm) and are:
    Management (Code 11-0000), $94.28/hr.
    Computer and mathematical (Code 15-0000), $63.25/hr.
    Electrical Engineers (Code 17-2071), $66.90/hr.
    Economist (Code 19-3011), $71.98/hr.
    Computer and Information Systems Managers (Code 11-3021), 
$96.51/hr.
    Accountants and Auditors (Code 13-2011), $56.59/hr.
    Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (Code 11-
3071), $75.34/hr.
    Power Distributors and Dispatchers (Code 51-8012), $53.48/hr.
    The average hourly cost (wages plus benefits) for the above 
wages is $72.29/hour (rounded to $72.00/hour).

                  FERC-714 (Annual Electric Balancing Authority Area and Planning Area Report)
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                         Annual number                                       Total annual burden
 Number of respondents   of responses    Total number     Average burden &      hours & total        Cost per
                        per respondent   of responses    cost per response       annual cost      respondent ($)
(1)                                (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4)................  (3) * (4) = (5)....       (5) / (1)
                                                   (3)
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177                                  1             177  87 hrs.; $6,264.00.  15,399 hrs.;              $6,264.00
                                                                              $1,108,728.00.
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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: March 7, 2019.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-04677 Filed 3-13-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P