[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 125 (Friday, June 28, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31058-31060]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-13822]


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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.

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

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approved information collection, FERC-914 (Cogeneration and Small Power 
Production--Tariff Filings) 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 January 31, 
2019, the Commission published a Notice in the Federal Register in 
Docket No. IC19-6-000 requesting public comments. The Commission 
received no public comments and is noting that in the related submittal 
to OMB.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information are due July 29, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, identified by OMB Control No. 1902-
0231, 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. IC19-6-000, 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 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.
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    \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.
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    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 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.
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    \2\ The FERC Form 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.
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    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 and cost \4\ for the information collection as:
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    \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
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                                                Annual number
                                  Number of     of responses    Total number     Average burden hours &     Total annual burden hours &      Cost per
                                 respondents   per respondent   of responses      cost ($) per response        total annual cost ($)      respondent ($)
                                          (1)             (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4).......................  (3) * (4) = (5)..............       (5) / (1)
                                                                          (3)
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FPA Section 205 Filings......              35               1              35  183 hrs.; $14,457.........  6,405 hrs.; $505,995.........         $14,457

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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
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    Total....................  ..............  ..............             185  ..........................  7,275 hrs.; $574,725.........  ..............
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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: June 13, 2019.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-13822 Filed 6-27-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P