[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 104 (Thursday, May 30, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25037-25039]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-11175]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC19-17-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC Form No. 60, 
FERC-61, and FERC-555A); Comment Request

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, 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D), the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission (Commission or FERC) is submitting the information 
collections below 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 published a Notice in the Federal Register 84 FR 10308, 3/
20/2019) requesting public comments. The Commission received no 
comments on the FERC Form No. 60, FERC-61, or FERC-555A and is making 
this notation in its submittal to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due by July 1, 
2019.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by the OMB Control No. 
1902-0215 (FERC Form No. 60, FERC-61, or FERC-555A) 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 202-395-0710.
    A copy of the comments should also be sent to the Commission, in 
Docket No. IC19-17-000, 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], by telephone at (202) 502-8663, and by fax at 
(202) 273-0873.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the information collection 
requirements for all collections described below with no changes to the 
current reporting requirements. Please note that each collection is 
distinct from the next.
    Comments: Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the collections of 
information are 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 estimates of the 
burden and cost of the collections of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance 
the quality, utility and clarity of the information collections; and 
(4) ways to minimize the burden of the collections of information on 
those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.

FERC Form No. 60 \1\ (Annual Report of Centralized Service Companies), 
FERC-61 (Narrative Description of Service Company Functions), and FERC-
555A (Preservation of Records Companies and Service Companies Subject 
to PUHCA)
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    \1\ The Form No. 60 is also part of a Commission Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) issued on January 17, 2019 in Docket No. 
RM19-12 that includes 10 information collections. See Revisions to 
the Filing Process for Commission Forms, 166 FERC ] 61,027 (2019). 
The NOPR proposes to change the format of the information that is 
being collected from a Commission-distributed software application 
called Visual FoxPro (VFP) to a standard built on eXtensible 
Business Reporting Language (XBRL). Under the NOPR, the Commission 
is not proposing to change the information currently collected in 
the Form No. 60 (or in any of the VFP Forms), but rather to change 
the format of the information that is being collected from VFP to 
XBRL. Because there can be only one pending item per OMB Control No. 
pending OMB review at one time, the Form No. 60 is represented in 
the RM19-12 NOPR process as the ``Form No. 60-A.''
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    OMB Control No.: 1902-0215.
    Abstract: In accordance with the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 
2005), the Commission implemented the repeal of the Public Utility 
Holding Company Act of 1935 (PUHCA 1935) and

[[Page 25038]]

implemented the provisions of a newly enacted Public Utility Holding 
Company Act 2005 (PUHCA 2005). Pursuant to PUHCA 2005, the Commission 
requires centralized service companies to file the Form No. 60, unless 
the company is exempted or granted a waiver pursuant to the 
Commission's regulations. The information collected in Form No. 60 
enables better monitoring for cross-subsidization, and aids the 
Commission in carrying out its statutory responsibilities. In addition, 
centralized service companies are required to follow the Commission's 
preservation of records requirements for centralized service companies.

FERC Form No. 60

    Form No. 60 is an annual reporting requirement for centralized 
service companies set forth in 18 CFR 366.23. The report's function is 
to collect financial information (including balance sheet, assets, 
liabilities, billing and charges for associated and non-associated 
companies) from centralized service companies subject to the 
Commission's jurisdiction. Unless the Commission exempts or grants a 
waiver pursuant to 18 CFR 366.3 and 366.4 to the holding company 
system, every centralized service company in a holding company system 
must prepare and file electronically with the FERC the Form No. 60, 
pursuant to the General Instructions in the form.

FERC-61

    FERC-61 is a filing requirement for service companies in holding 
company systems (including special purpose companies) that are 
currently exempt or granted a waiver of FERC's regulations and would 
not have to file the FERC Form No. 60. Instead, those service companies 
are required to file, on an annual basis, a narrative description of 
the service company's functions during the prior calendar year (FERC-
61). In complying, a holding company may make a single filing on behalf 
of all of its service company subsidiaries.

FERC-555A

    The Commission's regulations prescribe a mandated preservation of 
records requirements for holding companies and service companies 
(unless otherwise exempted by FERC). This requires them to maintain and 
make available to FERC, their books and records. The preservation of 
records requirement provides for uniform records retention by holding 
companies and centralized service companies subject to PUHCA 2005.
    Data from the FERC Form No. 60, FERC-61, and FERC-555A provide a 
level of transparency that: (1) Helps protect ratepayers from pass-
through of improper service company costs, (2) enables the Commission 
to review and determine cost allocations (among holding company 
members) for certain non-power goods and services, (3) aids the 
Commission in meeting its oversight and market monitoring obligations, 
and (4) benefits the public, both as ratepayers and investors. In 
addition, the Commission's audit staff uses these records during 
compliance reviews and special analyses.
    If data from the FERC Form No. 60, FERC-61, and FERC-555A were not 
available, it would be difficult for the Commission to meet its 
statutory responsibilities under EPAct 1992, EPAct of 2005, and PUHCA 
2005, and the Commission would have fewer of the regulatory mechanisms 
necessary to ensure transparency and protect ratepayers.
    Type of Respondent: Centralized service companies.
    Estimate of Annual Burden: The Commission estimates the annual 
public reporting burden for the information collection as:

     FERC Form No. 60 (Annual Report of Centralized Service Companies), FERC-61 (Narrative Description of Service Company Functions), and FERC-555A
                                   (Preservation of Records Holding Companies and Service Companies Subject to PUHCA)
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                                                          Annual
                                                        number of                                                                              Cost per
                                           Number of    responses    Total number     Average burden and  cost   Total annual burden  hours   respondent
                                          respondents      per       of responses         per response \2\         and total  annual cost        ($)
                                                        respondent
                                                  (1)          (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4)........................  (3) *(4) = (5)............    (5) / (1)
                                                                               (3)                                                                   \3\
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Form No. 60 \4\.........................           39            1              39  75 hrs.; $4,749............  2,925 hrs.; $185,211......       $4,749
Form No. 61 \5\.........................           78            1              78  0.5 hrs.; $19.84...........  39 hrs.; $1,548...........        19.84
Form No. 555A \6\.......................          117            1             117  1,080 hrs.; $36,061........  126,360 hrs.; $4,219,160..       36,061
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    Total Paperwork Burden..............                                       234                               126,360 hrs.; $4,405,919..
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    \2\ The estimates for cost per response are derived using the 
following formula: Average Burden Hours per Response * $79.00/hour = 
Average cost/response. The figure is the 2018 FERC average hourly 
cost (for wages and benefits) of $79.00 (and an average annual 
salary of $164,820/year). Commission staff is using the FERC average 
salary because we consider any reporting requirements completed in 
response to the FERC-537 to be compensated at rates similar to the 
work of FERC employees.
    \3\ Each of the figures in this column are rounded to the 
nearest dollar.
    \4\ For the FERC Form No. 60, the $63.32 hourly cost figure 
comes from the average cost (wages plus benefits) of a utility 
management analyst (Occupation Code 13-1111) and an accountant 
(Occupation Code 13-2011) as posted on the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics (BLS) website (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm).
    \5\ For the FERC-61, the $39.68 hourly cost figure comes from 
the cost of a records clerk (Occupation Code 43-4199) as posted on 
the BLS website (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm).
    \6\ For the FERC-555A, the $33.39 hourly cost figure comes from 
the average cost (wages plus benefits) of a file clerk (Occupation 
Code 43-4071) as posted on the BLS website (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics2_22.htm).

[[Page 25039]]



                                     FERC-555A Record Retention Requirements
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                                                                                                  Total annual
                                                          Total number of        Cost per      burden hours  and
                                                             responses          respondent       total  annual
                                                                                                      cost
                                                           (1) * (2) = (3)                (4)    (3) * (4) = (5)
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Paper Storage..........................................                117            $387.60         $45,349.20
Electronic Storage.....................................                117              15.25           1,784.25
                                                        --------------------------------------------------------
    Total Storage Burden...............................            \7\ 117                             47,133.45
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    \7\ Each of the 117 entities is assumed to have both paper and 
electronic record retention.
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    Total Annual Cost: $4,409,919 (Paperwork Burden) + $47,133.45 
(Record Retention) = $4,453,052.45.
    A more accurate breakdown of the FERC-60/61/555A cost categories 
follows:

Labor Cost: The total estimated annual cost for labor burden to 
respondents is $4,405,919 [$185,211 (FERC Form No. 60) + $1,548 (FERC-
61) + $4,219,160 (FERC-555A)]
FERC Form No. 60: 2,925 hours (75 hours x 39 respondents) * $63.32/hour 
= $185,211
FERC-61: 39 hours (.5 hours x 78 respondents) * $39.68/hour = $1,548
FERC-555A: 126,360 hours (1,080 hours x 117 respondents) * $33.39/hour 
= $4,219,160

    Storage Cost: \8\ In addition to the labor (burden cost provided 
above) the table reflects an additional cost for record retention and 
storage:
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    \8\ Internal analysis assumes 50% paper storage and 50% 
electronic storage.
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     Paper storage costs (using an estimate of 60 cubic feet x 
$6.46 per cubic foot): $387.60 per respondent annually. Total annual 
paper storage cost to industry ($387.60 x 117 respondents): $45,349.20. 
This estimate assumes that a respondent stores the same volume of paper 
as it did in the past and that the cost of such storage has not 
changed. We expect that this estimate should trend downward over time 
as more companies move away from paper storage and rely more heavily on 
electronic storage.
     Electronic storage costs: $15.25 per respondent annually. 
Total annual electronic storage cost to industry ($15.25 x 117 
respondents): $1,784.25. This calculation retains the previous estimate 
that storage of 1GB per year cost of $15.25. We expect that this 
estimate should trend downward over time as the cost of electronic 
storage technology, including cloud storage, continues to decrease. For 
example, external hard drives of approximately 500GB are available for 
approximately $50. In addition, cloud storage plans from multiple 
providers for 1TB of storage (with a reasonable amount of requests and 
data transfers) are available for less than $35 per month.

    Dated: May 21, 2019.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-11175 Filed 5-29-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P