[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 187 (Friday, September 25, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60449-60450]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-21170]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Proposed Agency Information Collection Regarding Coordination of 
Federal Authorizations for Electric Transmission Facilities

AGENCY: Office of Electricity, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) invites public comment on a 
proposed extension of a collection of information that DOE is 
developing for submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Comments regarding this proposed information collection 
extension must be received on or before November 24, 2020. If you 
anticipate difficulty in submitting comments within that period, 
contact the person listed in ADDRESSES as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to Christopher A. Lawrence, 
Transmission Permitting and Technical Assistance, Office of 
Electricity, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC, 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Christopher A. Lawrence, at 
[email protected] or 202-586-5260.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This information collection request 
contains: (1) OMB No.: 1910-5185; (2) Information Collection Request 
Title: Coordination of Federal Authorizations for Electric Transmission 
Facilities; (3) Type of Request: Extension; (4) Purpose: To meet 
requirements found in Section 216(h)(4)(c) of the Federal Power Act 
directing DOE to establish a pre-application process for qualifying 
electric transmission projects requiring multiple Federal 
authorizations. Section 216(h)(3) also allows an applicant to seek 
assistance for non-qualifying projects. Data supplied will be used to 
support an Initiation Request necessary to begin DOE's coordination 
assistance and must include, based on best available information, a 
Summary of Qualifying Project, Affected Environmental Resources and 
Impacts Summary, associated Maps, Geospatial Information, and Studies 
(provided in electronic format), and a Summary of Early Identification 
of Project Issues. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of 
the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance 
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; 
and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
respondents, including through the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology. This data will 
also be used to conduct audits and for enforcement purposes. There has 
been no collection under this authority since its inception. (5) Annual 
Estimated Number of Respondents: 5, as this collection is addressed to 
portion of the electric utility industry; (6) Annual Estimated Number 
of Burden Hours: 55 minutes

[[Page 60450]]

per response; (7) Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost 
Burden: $5,075.84.
    Statutory Authority: Federal Power Act, Sections 216(h)(3) and 
216(h)(4)(c).

Signing Authority

    This document of the Department of Energy was signed on September 
18, 2020, by Bruce J. Walker, Assistant Secretary, Office of 
Electricity, pursuant to delegated authority from the Secretary of 
Energy. That document with the original signature and date is 
maintained by DOE. For administrative purposes only, and in compliance 
with requirements of the Office of the Federal Register, the 
undersigned DOE Federal Register Liaison Officer has been authorized to 
sign and submit the document in electronic format for publication, as 
an official document of the Department of Energy. This administrative 
process in no way alters the legal effect of this document upon 
publication in the Federal Register.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on September 22, 2020.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2020-21170 Filed 9-24-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P