[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 130 (Monday, July 8, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32447-32449]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-14451]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. IC19-30-000]


Commission Information Collection Activities (FERC-920--Electric 
Quarterly Reports); Comment Request; Extension

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.

[[Page 32448]]


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 (PRA), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission 
or FERC) is soliciting public comment on the currently approved 
information collection, FERC-920 [Electric Quarterly Reports (EQR)].

DATES: Comments on the collections of information are due SEPTEMBER 6, 
2019.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (identified by Docket No. IC19-30-
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.
    Please reference the specific collection number and/or title in 
your comments.
    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-920 [Electric Quarterly Reports (EQR)].
    OMB Control No.: 1902-0255.
    Type of Respondent: Public utilities and non-public utilities with 
more than a de minimis market presence.
    Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-920 information 
collection with no changes to the current reporting requirements.\1\
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    \1\ This does not include any changes to the estimates from the 
Notice Seeking Comments on proposed revisions and clarifications to 
the EQR reporting requirements, currently pending in Docket No. 
RM01-8-000, et al.
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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 estimates 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.
    Abstract: The Commission originally set forth the EQR filing 
requirements in Order No. 2001 (Docket No. RM01-8-000, issued April 25, 
2002, at http://elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/search/intermediate.asp?link_file=yes&doclist=2270047). Order No. 2001 
required public utilities to electronically file EQRs summarizing 
transaction information for short-term and long-term cost-based sales 
and market-based rate sales and the contractual terms and conditions in 
their agreements for all jurisdictional services.\2\ The Commission 
established the EQR reporting requirements to help ensure the 
collection of information needed to perform its regulatory functions 
over transmission and sales, while making data more useful to the 
public and allowing public utilities to better fulfill their 
responsibility under FPA section 205(c) to have rates on file in a 
convenient form and place. As noted in Order No. 2001, the EQR data is 
designed to ``provide greater price transparency, promote competition, 
enhance confidence in the fairness of the markets, and provide a better 
means to detect and discourage discriminatory practices.''
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    \2\ Revised Public Utility Filing Requirements, Order No. 2001, 
67 FR 31043 (May 8, 2002), FERC Stats. & Regs. ] 31,127, reh'g 
denied, Order No. 2001-A, 100 FERC ] 61,074, reh'g denied, Order No. 
2001-B, 100 FERC ] 61,342, order directing filing, Order No. 2001-C, 
101 FERC ] 61,314 (2002), order directing filing, Order No. 2001-D, 
102 FERC ] 61,334, order refining filing requirements, Order No. 
2001-E, 105 FERC ] 61,352 (2003), order on clarification, Order No. 
2001-F, 106 FERC ] 61,060 (2004), order revising filing 
requirements, Order No. 2001-G, 72 FR 56735 (Oct. 4, 2007), 120 FERC 
] 61,270, order on reh'g and clarification, Order No. 2001-H, 73 FR 
1876 (Jan. 10, 2008), 121 FERC ] 61,289 (2007), order revising 
filing requirements, Order No. 2001-I, 73 FR 65526 (Nov. 4, 2008), 
125 FERC ] 61,103 (2008).
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    Since issuing Order No. 2001, the Commission has provided guidance 
and refined the reporting requirements, as necessary, to reflect 
changes in the Commission's rules and regulations.\3\ The Commission 
also adopted an Electric Quarterly Report Data Dictionary, which 
provides in one document the definitions of certain terms and values 
used in filing EQR data.\4\
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    \3\ See, e.g., Revised Public Utility Filing Requirements for 
Electric Quarterly Reports, 124 FERC ] 61,244 (2008) (providing 
guidance on the filing of information on transmission capacity 
reassignments in EQRs); Notice of Electric Quarterly Reports 
Technical Conference, 73 FR 2477 (Jan. 15, 2008) (announcing a 
technical conference to discuss changes associated with the EQR Data 
Dictionary).
    \4\ Order No. 2001-G, 120 FERC ] 61,270 (2007).
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    To increase transparency broadly across all wholesale markets 
subject to the Commission's jurisdiction, the Commission issued Order 
No. 768 in 2012.\5\ Order No. 768 required market participants that are 
excluded from the Commission's jurisdiction under the Federal Power Act 
section 205 (non-public utilities) and have more than a de minimis 
market presence to file EQRs with the Commission. In addition, Order 
No. 768 revised the EQR filing requirements to build upon the 
Commission's prior improvements to the reporting requirements and 
further enhance the goals of providing greater price transparency, 
promoting competition, instilling confidence in the fairness of the 
markets, and providing a better means to detect and discourage anti-
competitive, discriminatory, and manipulative practices.
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    \5\ Order No. 768, 77 FR 61896 (Oct. 11, 2012), FERC Stats. & 
Regs. ] 31,336 (2012).
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    EQR information allows the public to assess supply and demand 
fundamentals and to price interstate wholesale market transactions. 
This, in turn, results in greater market confidence, lower transaction 
costs, and ultimately supports competitive markets. In addition, the 
data filed in the EQR strengthens the Commission's ability to exercise 
its wholesale electric rate and electric power transmission oversight 
and enforcement responsibilities in accordance with the Federal Power 
Act. Without this information, the Commission would lack some of the 
data it needs to examine and approve or modify electric rates.
    Type of Respondent: Public utilities, and non-public utilities with 
more than a de minimis market presence.
    Estimate of Annual Burden and Cost: \6\ The Commission estimates 
the annual public reporting burden for the information collection as:
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    \6\ The cost is based on FERC's 2019 Commission-wide average 
salary cost (salary plus benefits) of $80.00/hour. The Commission 
staff believes the FERC FTE (full-time equivalent) average cost for 
wages plus benefits is representative of the corresponding cost for 
the industry respondents.

[[Page 32449]]



                                                        FERC-920--Electric Quarterly Report (EQR)
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                                        Annual  number
                                         of  responses   Total number      Average burden  hrs. & cost per    Total annual  burden hours &  total annual
         Number of respondents                per        of responses                 response                                   cost
                                          respondent
(1)                                                (2)     (1) * (2) =  (4).................................  (3) * (4) = (5)
                                                                   (3)
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2,595.................................               4          10,380  18.1 hrs.; $1,448...................  187,878 hrs.; $15,030,240.
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    Dated: June 27, 2019.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-14451 Filed 7-5-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P